Fishing Forum

Got to Strike Dam right at dark the night of the 2nd intending to fish for perch. I tell ya, the night was cold, but the fishing was HOT.

Put one pole out with perch meat on a two hook bottom setup, and jigged with the other. I was getting a lot of bites on the two hook rig, but I couldn't get there fast enough to set the hook. When I lost the rig to a snag, I didn't bother setting it back up again because I was getting so many on the jigs. I was into the JUMBO perch!

Bottom jig was a 1/4 ounce Gitzit Little Tough Guy in perch color, top was a two tone black and silver tube jig, both tipped with perch meat. Eventually I lost the Gitzit to the fence (the jig got caught when I was swinging a good sized fish over and fell off into the water) so I replaced it with another perch colored jig.

The perch were right off the bottom, and sometimes a trout would nail one of the jigs on the way down. Probably looked like a fleeing baitfish.

I was fishing on the spillway side of the walkway, and my second trout jumped right over the side! It was hanging over the face of the dam. I tried to pull him back up, but the line broke and I got to watch him tumble halfway down the concrete ramp. He wasn't there when I looked after getting my rig retied. Not sure if he flopped the rest of the way to the water, or a raccoon got him.

I came home with 6 trout between 14" and 18", and 30+ perch between 10" and 13". They didn't stop until an hour or so before dawn. I packed up when the sun came up and the perch were just starting to bite again.

The trout are probably hatchery fish, but they've been eating natural foods long enough to get nice firm, pink meat. Not that mushy pasty white from just stocked hatchery fish.

Anyone for a fish fry?










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Wow that is some great fishing. Didn't realize trout were so aggressive at night. Man, nice fishin!
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All perch pictures look the same, but they always look tasty.[]

Windriver
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NICE GOING!! and nice report! Thanks [fishon]
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nice ones ! way to tough it out !
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Very nice!
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Those are some healthy perch. Thanks for the pics!
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That's a great night of fishin!!

Any one heard how the crappie are doing on the "hump"?
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Two days ago there were no boats at the hump as we passed by both on the way up S.R. arm and on the way back...
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The trout were pretty aggressive. I had my chunks of perch meat sitting on the railing, and I got a hit as the jigs were falling. He was only on for a second or two, and I let the jigs sit in the water I'd guess about 10-15 feet down while I reached over to get another chunk before I reeled in, just in case it needed rebaiting, and another one grabbed the jig. That was the trout that went over the side of the dam. I figure he either dropped it and came back, or there was another one down there just waiting.

Keep in mind I was fishing straight down off the spillway side. These fish were literally cruising right under the walkway.
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Went back Saturday night, and managed to stick two more nice trout and about a dozen perch around 12". I thought it was going to be another night like Tuesday, but then the blankety blank wind started howling around 11:00. Whitecaps everywhere and I couldn't keep my gear on the bottom.

Every now and then it would slack off for 15 minutes or so, so I toughed it for a couple of hours to see if it would blow itself out for good. I got one more 16" bow during one of the calm periods, then packed in when the wind came up again.

It wasn't a bad trip, but I'm sure I could have done a lot better if not for the weather. Released all the trout to fight another day, but the perch and me have a dinner date.
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question I have always wanted to tri c.j strike but havnt the slightest clue on where it is what town is it close to ....
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just south of mountain home - about 15 miles or so
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IPC has a nice map that shows all the nearby roads, access points, and amenities here:

http://www.idahopower.com/pdfs/ourEnviro...WMAmap.pdf
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