Went to the Snake River for a Change of Pace

[SmartWeed]

This morning I hit the Snake River from 6:30 until noon. I ran 5 miles up from the ramp, dodging emerging gravel shoals along the way. The river is really low. I never hit anything while running, but on my drift down I did bottom out on a gravel bar in the middle of the river and had to get out of the boat and pull it off the bar.

Fishing was really good with 30 fish boated. I got several 15" smalies, but nothing longer. However, I did top 15" with a couple of fish. After fishing largemouth for a couple of weeks I nailed two river largemouth. The one below was 18" and the next cast produced a 16" LM. I'll tell you one thing - river LM fight better than the ones in Lake Lowell. Fighting current all your life produces muscles.


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[Belasko]

Sounds like a good morning fishing! What part of the Snake were you fishing? I know around the I.F. area it's still a little cool I think for them. Hopefully soon though!
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[idahoron]

Outstanding Phil! I figured with a river trip you were going to show me a picture of a bog old cat you got. Ron
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[SmartWeed]

[quote Belasko]Sounds like a good morning fishing! What part of the Snake were you fishing? I know around the I.F. area it's still a little cool I think for them. Hopefully soon though![/quote]
I fish the river between Homedale and Swan Falls. Water temperature was 63.
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[elkmagnet]

Nice Lm. I was just saying how I can't believe we don't catch more of them in the river.
It's funny that you used your rod/reel as something to compare them to because yesterday I did the same as I was fishing alone.

I hope you don't mind me adding a pic of my best fish yesterday.
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[elkmagnet]

[quote elkmagnet]
I hope you don't mind me adding a pic of my best fish yesterday.[/quote]
Oops pic attached!
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[cpierce]

Both are pictures of nice fish guys. Thanks for sharing them. It sure seems like there are some good fat fish being caught this year.
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[BBART]

Smartweed and Elkmagnet -- Do you all manage to run the Snake without a jet? I had a flat bottomed Bass Tracker with a 40 HP and I could never get much more than a mile up from the Homedale boat ramp before I hit shallow water I couldn't find a way through. Scared the heck out of me in some places, always worried I'd lose my whole lower unit.

Do you just motor up slow watching a depth/fish finder?

Thanks for any advice -- I can only afford one boat at the time though. Now I have a Lowe 16 foot v bottom with a 50 hp. At least I now have auto trim that wasn't on the last boat.

What stretch of river do you think my wife and I would be best to try? We do fish Swan Falls (above dam) regularly as well as CJ Strike. We'd like to expand our choices for bass and do like to hunt a catfish occasionally.

Thanks,

Bob
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[Bassnbob]

Nice looking LM from the river. Love catching bass in current. What a fight they provide.
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[SmartWeed]

Smartweed and Elkmagnet -- Do you all manage to run the Snake without a jet?

I have an 18' G3 tunnel hull with a 90/60 Yahama jet on it. It can run in at least 6-8" but it scares the heck out of me. It drifts in 8-10". I would not try to run much of the river as it is now, but there are large pools at almost every launch site. And the whole river holds fish, especially smallies and channel cats.
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[elkmagnet]

I just have a standard merc 90 with a prop. I have to be very carefull a will probably have an oops one day.
When trying to learn the channel in a new area I try to motor up it with only my trolling motor. If I put in the river around homedale at this level I would try to only use my TM and never even start the big motor.
Try around celebration park.
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[BBART]

Thanks Smartweed and Elkmagnet for the replies. I hadn't thought about just the trolling motor -- might not have enough thrust. Although if the river is low and slow I could give it a go.

Had the marine sheriff tell me I could go from Celebration up to the damn in my boat IF I knew the river. I don't think so -- but he jets it a couple of times a day in summer -- he also told me a bunch of jets get in trouble every month! Don't think I'd try this -- I'll stick to floating down in my pontoon!

Again, thanks for the info and advice.

Bob
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[SmartWeed]

During winter months I see a trapper that runs the river every day with a small V hull aluminum boat with a prop. He knows where to go and doesn't get into trouble. Every summer I see someone run a jet boat onto a gravel bar or a huge weed bed. Knowing the river is key to safe boating - and also to catching.

If anyone is still reading this thread. Here's one I caught this morning. It was 19" and jumped 3 times. Smallmouth are just great fish. But the wind today sent me home early.

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[cpierce]

You are a master at finding those beauties!
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[elkmagnet]

Man what a brute
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[drowning_flys]

very nice fish [cool]
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[hulapopper]

maybe smartweed can get an endorsment deal from shimano or something ! definitly got the fish down.
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