Daniels Ice Conditions

[JAB2208]

[size 1]Thinking of hitting Daniels this weekend. Any information on the ice and edges? Or should I plan on bringing the fly pole? Thanks in advance. [/size]
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[BrianID]

Hopefully someone that has been there recently can give you some more up to date info.

For what it is worth the ice was just starting to come off when I was then on 3/19/05. I would guess that ice off will be at about the same time this year. I would guess that the ice is still plenty thick and the edges are starting to become soft. If you do go, don't forget a board to get on the ice.
Good luck if you get out and don't foget to let the rest of us know what the ice is like.
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[troutfinger]

how far is daniels from malad and which direction.
i here twenty to thirty minutes drive from malad and direction is north west.
i am from salt lake and have heard that daniels is an excellent place to fish.
have thought about going up and trying it for the last couple of years and just never made the trek.
but this is a definite go this year.
i would appreciate any info.
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[wiperhunter2]

Sounds like you got good info on the direction and distance that Daniels is from Malad. It is also an excellent place to fish, just like you heard. Lots of big rainbows but the lake is mainly catch and release do to the fact that you can only keep one trout over 21 inches and I could be wrong on the length. A lot of people fly fish the lake but you can also use lures as long as you don't use bait and are using barbless hooks. It's not a big lake but it has some nice fish in it. Good luck when you go up there and let us know how you did. WH2
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[troutfinger]

thanks WH2 for the info on the barbless hooks.
i appreciate it.
i will at some point and time read up on the regulations for that lake before i go.
how would you compare it in size to smith and morehouse.
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[wiperhunter2]

It's been a while since I've been to S&M but I would have to say the Daniels is about twice as long, when it is full and maybe half again as wide. WH2
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[troutfinger]

sounds like a great place to float tube.
gonna try and make a three day trip out of it when the weather warms up.
i'll be sure and post when i am going to go up and hopefully I'll meet some bftr's there.
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[acey]

I think the regs say you can keep 2 trout, but they must be 20 inches or longer. Most of the trout I have caught there were under the 20", but once in awhile you get a keeper. Daniels is like any where else in that you can do great one day and lousy the next. I have seen many a day that you try lure after lure for hours trying to find something they will hit. They usually know what they want, and if you don't have it you might as well go home. Acey
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[wiperhunter2]

I knew the limit and size was something like that, thanks for keeping me straight. I've had the same experience at Daniels, lots of 18 inchers and a few that were 19 but those over 20 are few and far between. We have had our best luck trolling flatfish, what works for you there?
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[BrianID]

The regulations at Daniels seem fairly simply to me but I have been fishing in Eastern Idaho my whole life. The F&G patrol reservoirs like Daniels quit heavily so make sure you read and understand the regulations. Many of the officers are just out there fishing but keep an eye out for people that break the rules. Officers often watch anglers from a distance with spotting scopes and binoculars. Fines from the F&G aren't as little as they were in the past. If you choose to break the rules and are caught you are going to get more than just a slap on the wrist.

Here's the four basic things that you need to know if you fish Daniels.

#1 No bait (requires single barbless hooks)
#2 Only one line while ice fishing
#3 Two trout limit
#4 No trout under 20"

Besides that the general rules apply.


The "no bait rule" is the only part that I would consider confusing. Bait includes things like smelly jelly or Berkeley power grubs. Part of the no bait rule requires single barbless hooks. A treble hook counts as a single hook. If you are going to use flat fish remove or disable any extra hooks.

Here's a couple definitions from page 11 of the 2006/2007 regulations.

No Bait: "Requires the use of artificial flies or lures, with one barbless hook ONLY per fly or lure...."

Bait: "Organic substances. other than rubber, wood, feather, fiber, or plastic, attached to a hook to attract fish. Bait includes insects, insect larvae, worms, dead fish, fish parts, any other animal or vegetable matter, or scented materials..."

Hook: "A bent wire device, for the catching of fish, to which one, two, or three points may be attached to a single shank. Up to five hooks per line may be used..."

Here's a link to the regs so you can read them yourself. Everyone that fishes in Idaho should take a few minutes to read pages 8, 9, 11, 12 & 13. You should also check out the "Regional exceptions pages" for the every place you fish.

General fishing rules and definitions.
[url "http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules/info.pdf"]http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules/info.pdf[/url]

SE region Exceptions.
[url "http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules/se.pdf"]http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules/se.pdf[/url]
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[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the link and all the info Brian. Having fished Daniels for years, I'm very aware of the regs but for those that haven't that will give them all the info the need to fish there without getting into trouble.
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[troutfinger]

thanks for the information.
between your post and the link, that has helped me out a great deal.
appreciate it.
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[acey]

I remember tubing at Daniels years ago and the only thing we could catch them on was a Damsel fly nymph late in the summer. Now I troll mostly, and use flatfish also, #F7 size seems best at Daniels. We do good most of the time trolling flies on leaded fly line on a fly rod. My all-time favorite lure is a green Panther Martin spinner with a brass blade. Don't leave home without one. Acey
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[flygoddess]

Totally agree! There is some other places up there that occassionally get mentioned that really should be PM's.
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[wiperhunter2]

It has probably been three years since my last trip to Daniels. We always practice C&R but I know what you mean, it seems there are lots of folks that keep every legal fish they catch. I started fishing lakes that have much bigger fish, so it just isn't worth it to go to Daniels any more. I'll take your suggestion and PM people when they ask about Daniels next time. WH2
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[BrianID]

Guest,

Welcome to BFT. I hope you come back and post often.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_signup"][black][size 1][/size][/black][/url][black][size 1] [/size][/black]

I'd agree that extra plublicity isn't a good thing for smaller bodies of water.

However I don't think there is anything wrong with someone asking about the ice conditions at Daniels. If we can't share information on this message board then there is no reason for anyone to post here.

I could be wrong but I think the drought is the main reason there are less large fish in Daniels. Daniels hasn't been hit by the drought as hard as other places but the habitat in Daniels hasn't been as good the last few years.

IMO other places that dried up hurt Daniels the most. Anglers still looking for a place to fish became more concentrated on places like Daniels.
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[windriver]

I would agree with BrianID. That said there are some really small bodies of water that are fantastic and should be handled carefully on the internet. I do not think that Daniels is any secret and just like any other body of water those who spend the time there will find out how to catch the fish and those who make a single trip out of it may or may not be successfull.

I would be more scared about posting information on high mountain streams or really small bodies of water that do not get stocked. Anyway that is just my two cents on the subject. I have benefitted greatly from those who post on this board. I will continue to try and help those who need help. I do have a couple of places that are really dear to my heart that I will not post about, but all of those places are far from public roads anyway.

Windriver
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