Utah bass guy here, I was wondering when and where the best Idaho bass fishing is. I'd like to make a trip up North next spring. I've seen pics of some big smallies and lmb and would like to try so some new waters.
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Snake river is great for smallies
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Wow, that's like saying "I caught them on plastics" [
]. I have never fished Idaho, I have never even seen the snake river. I'd like to take my bass boat to fish out of, can you do this on the Snake? I feel like a newbie here, help a brother out!
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[quote fsh4fun05] Utah bass guy here, I was wondering when and where the best Idaho bass fishing is. I'd like to make a trip up North next spring. I've seen pics of some big smallies and lmb and would like to try so some new waters.[/quote]
idaho is approx 83,642 sq mi. maybe you can tell us what areas you're interested in visiting, to try and narrow down your options? or, are you willing to travel any distance? there are bass all over idaho.
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Sorry, didn't know where you were coming from or that you had a boat only that you wanted to fish for bass.
Yes there are bass tourneys on the snake by milner reservoir, which is near burley, idaho.
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My vote is Brownlee Reservoir.
I can tell you anything you need to know about camping, boat rentals, fishing, directions, what to use, where to go, what beer to bring, and so on.
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I do not know where you got your information from but it is common knowledge that bass die above the Utah Idaho border.[laugh]
Windriver
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Well, I'm a bass tournament guy and have a Skeeter bass boat. A lot depends on how far into Idaho you are willing to go. If you want to stay in the southeaster part of Idaho, I would suggest Milner in Burley. It has a lot of smallies and yes you can use your bass boat there, but watch for shallow spots, some are marked and some aren't.
If your willing to go west, Lower Salmon Falls out of Hagerman has Largemouth. I haven't fished it for a while because it turned into the dead sea in the late '90's, but I've heard it has started to come back due to size restrictions.
CJ Strike out of Mountain Home has both smallies and largemouth. Excellent fishing there. You'll catch a lot of fish but size wise mostly 1 to 2 pounders and a few 3 and 4 pounders. I have caught a 6.5 largemouth during a tournament for my biggest bass in Idaho there.
Lake Lowell in Nampa has largemouth and is excellent in the spring. A lot of 2 to 4 pounders. I caught a 4 out of there this last spring on a Zoom Horney Toad in about a foot of water. Great fun.
As EZOP says Brownlee is excellent if you're willing to go further west. It has mostly smallies and a few largemouth. You can expect catching lots of bass in the 1 to 4 plus range. If you go to Woodhead, you also have Oxbow and Hells Canyon to try. They are also excellent smallie water.
Just across the border into Oregon is Owyhee Reservoir. Also excellent largemouth water with 6 and 7 pounders caught in the spring.
My favorite bait is Zoom Super Flukes in watermelon with the tails dipped in Spike It Dip & Glo garlic flavor. I very rarely use anything else anymore. If they don't work I usually go to a tube bait in midnite blue or smoke purple copper. The only hard baits I use are Lucky Craft rattletraps and jerk baits.
If you need anything else PM me. I would be more than glad to go with you or you with me if you're interested. I'm retired so I'm available anytime unless I'm fishing a tournament. [cool]
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Now that's what I wanted to see. Thanks bud.
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You're more than welcome. BTW I forgot to say on the Spike It Dip & Glo the color is chartreuse.
Catch ya later! Bob
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