Idaho Fish Report

Trout: Good. Many anglers have been finding some nice trout up near the surface. The shad have moved shallow to spawn and the trout have moved up to feed on the shad. Trolling anglers try top-lining a shad patterned spoon 150'-200' behind the boat. Speedy Shiners are a good choice of spoon because they can be trolled at a faster speed, which really seems to trigger fish into biting. Also, apply some shad, threadfin shad or garlic bloody tuna scent to your spoon. The scent helps the fish locate the bait and they tend to grab the bait more aggressively when it smells like the real thing. If the surface bite tapers off try dropping your presentations down to 20'-40' where the water is a bit cooler. Night fishing anglers are starting to have some luck fishing under a submersible light with live minnows. The fish are near the surface so you can drop the light just a few feet down and watch the trout swimming around chasing bait. Bank anglers are catching a few fish while making multiple casts with heavy shad patterned spoons. Also, nightcrawlers and Power Bait will pick up a handful of bites. Kokanee: Good. Anglers are starting to catch a few nice kokanee. We have had reports of some larger than average kokanee being caught. Please send pictures or stop by the store to have a photo taken of your catch. To target kokanee try trolling in 40-60' of water. Pink and orange have been working well. Anglers have been finding luck trolling with hoochies, spinners and small spoons. Use a short leader, between the dodger/slingblade and lure to get more action out of your presentation. Watermelon is a good color choice for dodgers. Be sure to tip your lures with dyed and scented corn. Bass: Good. The bass in Melones have been biting and can be caught on a variety of presentations. For those who prefer fishing with soft plastics, try using a bullet weight and fishing your favorite plastic rigged Texas style. Baits that continually produce nice fish include, brush hogs, beavers, Senkos and Roboworms. Natural crawdad, shad, bluegill and baby bass colors work well. Many anglers have also reported having luck with reaction baits. Try using a Lucky Craft Pointer or cranking a square-billed crankbait to target the more aggressive fish. In the mornings and evening there has been a good topwater bite. Spooks, Rovers and Gunfish are good choices for walk the dog type baits. Also, a small popper fished on a spinning rod can be really fun to fish and catches some surprisingly big fish. The swimbait bite has slowed, but it only takes one fish to make your day one for the books. Catfish: Very Good. Some really big cats are up in shallow water feeding and spawning. We have had reports of giant fish seen cruising the shoreline and have had tales of unstoppable fish breaking heavy line.