Discovered a secret gem near kuna this spring and summer. Swan Falls. This place is loaded with Smallmouth bass, and you did need anything fancy to catch them.
Check out my blog on what I did, and where I went to crush a few out there:
http://www.krakenbass.com/category/locat...wan-falls/
Hope this helps everyone, and good luck in releasing the "Kraken" on some bass!
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Here's a pick of one of the beauties I caught out of this place!
[image]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TdGxOCA6rk8/UlvZuaT_pEI/AAAAAAAAAFY/4eY9PnOEQ40/s426/Swan+Falls+Smallmouth+Bass.jpg[/image]
Hoping to get out again soon! Yeah!
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loved the blog. had little use for the pic. looks like miley cyrus posing with a fish.......
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It came in like a wrecking ball...
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very much LOL fishman887
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Go back to Cali bro............
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Hey JB,
I've lived in SW Idaho for a long, long time and have never heard of this "secret gem" you call Swan Falls. Is it part of the mythological steam some locals refer to as the Snake River? My Grandpa told me stories about it but I didn't believe him. It would be helpful if you could provide us with some contact info and/or some links so we could learn more.
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Bigger fish above the next dam upstream.
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that is not true strike has some nice fish but there are big ones at swan too. Just less people fish it i once had a smallie at swan break 12lbs test i was trying to horse him in to a net when it broke i am guessing it was around 23 inch's. Just another fish story now but don't ever under estimate any where on the snake river you have a chance of catching a big smallie or any other fish for that mater
J.B. looks like you need to lay off the kracken and just fish that boy looks like he just smoked a bunch of meth
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Osk, you'd argue with a fence post. I have saw 6+ smb and 9+ lmb weighed in tournaments at CJ. Caught lots of fish at swan falls but never a toad. The next state record will come from Walcott. The river below swan falls intrigues me, I'll bet there are 9ftr there.
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Used to be true that less people fished it. Seems its hard to even get a parking spot down there on a weekend these days if you don't get there first thing. Wonder why????
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I think we will be going to Swan Falls this weekend. I've had too many night shifts in a row and I'm itching to get out and catch something. Bass would be nice, but sunfish or a catfish would be sweet too.
I'll have to see how much my wife is willing to go out, may have to hit Lowell, Lucky Peak or CJ Strike too... So many choices.
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sounds to me like you have fished cj more than swan i seem to catch at least one 4lbs plus fish every time i go to swan and yes there are a few 9ft plus fish below the dam i fish swan 4 or 5 days week it is just like strike you have to know where to fish if you are in a jet sled i would run up river till you get to the whole where they put old cars on the banks to control erosion i always seem to nail pigs in their it is about 12 to 15 miles above the dam after you get out of the canyon
BTW dtayboz this is the first post i have posted in a while and no i would not argue with a fence post i just cant stand it when someone thinks they know every thing also seems like your calling the kettle black
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So do you have to have a jet sled or will a hyperdrive get it done
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This thread seems to me to be a fine example of how to destroy a fishery... Or at least set it back for a few years.
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If you fish swan a lot you know it needs some fish culled out. Personally I don't keep any bass ever, but there is an abundance of them. On a good day 100 plus bass is easy but in the thousands of fish I caught there I've only seen a few, probably 6 to 10 push 4lbs, most were under the dam within 2 miles so not sure if that counts,above the dam I've seen 2 smallies above 4 and one largemouth over 6. Really without a picture on a digital scale with a reading I would never believe anyone's weights. I've seen peoples six pounders that I guarantee didn't push 3.
Line test and breakage is no indication of fish size, I've caught monster carp on 4lb test ultralight and broke off 10 inch smallies on 17 fluoro, just one weird nick or abrasion and it could break, feel your line and there will be nicks on it, especially if you're using spinning gear and ever get a twist or backlash in your casting reel. There's a reason big money tournament guys replace there line every day,freak occurrences costing money I would to if 250k was on the line.
You don't need a jet to fish it, just a really good idea of the channel and enough power to blow through the weeds floating down. Most the time I've been there in a jet there was lots of clearing the pump. At least with swan there isn't one hump where everyone will keep 600 fish, and I really hope people here abide to limits and don't poach.
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My wife says I fish a lot - over 150 days per year - but not at Swan Falls. I usually catch 1500-2200 smallies a year. I fish downstream of the dam, and have caught a few over 5 pounds, but I don't usually weigh mine - I do measure most of the fish, and usually catch 20-25 smallies over 18" each year. But I was not commenting on numbers or size of the fish, or whether some should be culled. I do take home a few 13" fish now and then.
My comments refer to people. I like to fish in nice stretches of the river in solitude. I fish for the pleasure I get being on the water and not seeing another fisherman. Threads like this one only increase the number of fishermen in very specific places. Especially the initial post that leads to a blog with a map of hot spots.
Today was a beautiful fall day. I fished for 3.5 hours and never saw a fisherman. I also caught 50 smallies that were all fat and sassy. It was a great day.
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smartweed i agree while i did post a spot not a lot of people are going to have the means or guts to run 10 to 15 miles above the dam in most boats i used to run swan to grandview once a week that stretch of river like most in the snake is littered with huge rocks and hazards that will sink most boats if you are not careful any one that plans on fishing swan above or bellow the dam needs to know it is not strike even above the dam there is current that pulls you down river fast plus wind can be a big factor at swan just like strike also i have caught just as many dinks out of strike as swan and yes i know line breaking is not a good way to measure fish but this fish was almost in the net the pull he had on the rod and the size of him in the water it was the biggest small mouth i have ever hooked in to for sure it is hard to compare a place that only host 2 at the most tournaments a year to a place that has one every weekend in the summer less people fishing it means less fish being caught the fewer fish being caught the less big ones you are going to see any one that fish's for smallmouth knows for every one over 18" you catch you have probably caught 50 or more under 14" it is simple numbers also to say one body of water is going to have the next state record is kinda crazy if you ask me i have never fished walcott before so cant say much on it but does any one remember the rainbow that came out of the boise river a couple years ago some kid was fishing rite bellow luckypeak dam and caught a massive rainbow it was state record size but he gutted rite then and their and didn't think about it till it was to late i will try and find a link
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it's interesting the tournement guys claim these huge bass weighed. i look at the results quite a bit and for most clubs and most of the fish weighed in are mainly dinks in my book. not too say it doesn't happen however.
as for the hot spotting of areas, it's hopeless. with all the out of staters moving in, it takes the fun out of it for me everywhere is crowded and grossly over harvested, and more and more rude and pretentious " pros" everywhere.
used to catch lots of three and fours above swan dam years ago. the area right by the dam especialy that you cant fish anymore
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Hell with Lowell or CJ, I think Swan would be better for tournaments. They could have one every weekend. Think if the economic impact on Kuna.
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