272 miles round trip, and all I caught was a stinking carp...

[StickRig]

Decided to drive down around American falls to fish for bass on the Snake down there. Not sure I beieve they actually exist. I fished just below the dam first, not really knowing where to try. Kept seeing some really big fish jumping all around me, and got really excited. Couldn't get em to bite on anything. Mepps, Kastmaster, Rapala, Panther Martin, some topwater lure I found there on the shore, worms...then a thought came to me. Are there carp down here, and do I remember right that they sometimes jump? Sure enough, I start to notice that my worm line is gradually moving across me, so I set the hook and reel it in. A carp. Probably only around the 16" mark. Looked just like the fish that were jumping all around.

I did notice some guys out there with some pretty heavy tackle out there though. Sturgeon fishing I assume? Anyone know how the sturgeon fishing is down there just below the dam? Also, does anyone have any tips for bass down that way?
[signature]

[jeremypeace]

what a bummer i have caught a couple of small, small mouths below the dam this was a couple years ago however.. i was catching them on a green tube jig..
and the sturgeon fishing below the dam is just starting to get affiliated they just started stocking them below the dam not long ago..
[signature]

[CaptainLarson]

You missed the really good bass fishing down there by about a month to a month and a half; unless you're really lucky, all you're gonna catch down there right now is carp, suckers, chub and a few really, really small smallmouth. Seems by this time, all the larger bass have spawned out and moved out elsewhere and just the small ones stay tight in the rocks 'til they're big enough to venture out on their own.

I fish there almost ever day early in the season, but this time of year only go down to catch carp, suckers and chub for use as crawfish bait.

I landed a real nice 18" 4.06 pound smallie (measured via Rapala digital scale) a couple months ago down there; pic attached. Years of fishing down there targeting bass daily has taught me to not bother with it after about the beginning of August. Floating a worm a few feet down will still catch the odd trout here and there at dawn and dusk, and as you observed, the sturgeon fishing is still pretty good. If you want to try sturgeon from the dock down there, the dock below three-layer park near the boat launch below the dam is best; cast out at a 45 degree angle to the right looking down-stream from the dock. Once hooked up, get to the middle of the dock quickly to fight it, so you have less chance of it getting tangled up on the chains on each end of the dock; seen several lost this rear already tangled up on the chains... I just hope they got free :/

Up top on American Falls Reservoir, jigging deeper off deep rocky embankments from a boat is still producing a few decent smallies for me, but even then have been landing more trout than bass and as with below the reservoir, the average size of bass caught keeps getting smaller and smaller; trout are mostly in the 3-5 lb. range though. If anyone knows where the larger bass are going and how to get hooked up with one this time of year, I'd really like to know!

Oh, and when the bass fishin' is good down on the river, after losing lots of gear/money, found that the most effective "lure" is a hook and a small split-shot about 8" up the line. I outfish most everyone else down there fishin for smallies by 8:1, so it works. Some assorted plastics, mainly jigs, have also produced well for me down there; but usually I get fewer, but larger fish on them.

Tight lines and screamin' drags
[signature]

[Idaho]

CaptainLarson,

Welcome aboard! What a great post! Lots of great info.

Thanks.
Idaho
[signature]

[Kodiak1]

Welcome aboard, Cap'n! Mike
[signature]

[StickRig]

Thanks for the tips guys. It's kind of a bummer that I missed the good bass season but now I can look forward to next spring/early summer to take a trip down there. As for the sturgeon, what do you suggest for bait?
[signature]

[CaptainLarson]

Get the biggest gamakatsu hooks you can find and go buy a bag of the biggest shrimp you can find, thread the shrimp on the hook from the fat end and secure it on with lots of wraps of magic thread, toss it in and hold on
[signature]