IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

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Reel Geezer
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IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Reel Geezer »

ORCA Sec-Treasurer Roger Schulz made his annual spring fishing trip to Idaho to enjoy the fine largemouth bass fishing in my front yard. This year the fishing has been terrific in the lake, but it is a wide flat reservoir and wind can be a problem. This year it was a problem.

We started off last Monday launching my boat from a ramp a few miles down the road, on the south side of the lake. We ran into strong breezes almost immediately, and decided to cross to the north side to get out of the wind. This was a good move and almost immediately Roger was hooked up with his first fish. It was a nice fat 15 incher.

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Shortly afterward I got a good strike and landed this dandy 19 inch largemouth

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We kept working the outer weed edges and catching some pretty good fish. We stopped along the way to let Fudge run a while, drink some coffee and eat some breakfast. As we were enjoying our coffee the wind increased until we had some pretty good rollers heading our way. We motored to a couple of spots to see if we could find some calmer water, but finally decided to give it up for the morning.

That afternoon we donned waders and went out to fish the brush in front of the house. Here is Roger fishing a bull rush area.

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We found the fish to be cooperative in the trees right in front of our house, and landed quite a few that afternoon.

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Tuesday the wind blew at 30-40 mph all day, so we went out for lunch and gave Roger a tour of the Birds of Prey Wildlife area along the Snake River canyon. It is about 30 miles upstream from where we do most of our smallmouth fishing.

Wednesday it was still too windy to put the boat on the lake, so we spent the morning buying, selling and trading reels, drinking lots of coffee and telling stories. That afternoon we decided to wade in front of the house again. It turned out to be a good move, even though waves were still pounding the south shoreline. Roger nailed the best fish of the trip. This was a dandy 20” fish that came out of those trees right behind him. It gets a bit hairy fighting a large fish in those trees, and you lose quite a few.

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Thursday we were able to launch the boat and get into some decent lake fishing. We had 26 before lunch time, but nothing really big. In the afternoon it started blowing again, so we took to the woods. It was very good, with 41 fish being landed. We totaled 67 for the day. We also visited one of the tallest beaver houses I’ve ever seen. This one has been here and added on to for probably 10-15 years, and is now around 15’ tall.

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Friday was a bit choppy when we launched the boat, and we headed for the N short to get into calmer waters. We got one nice fish and then decided that it was getting dangerous on the water. When I asked Roger to get me my life jacket, he decided it was time to get out of there. We had a very wet ride back to the ramp in my 18’ flat bottomed jet boat. That afternoon we again waded and caught fish. As we were working through the trees we heard music playing, but then Roger realized it was his cell phone ringing. When he answered we found it was ORCA member Dave Erickson wanting to know how the fishing was. Right as the phone rang I landed this nice 18” fish, and then caught another while Roger was talking to Dave.

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Overall it turned out to be a good week of fishing with a lot of fish caught. Fishing in the jungle was a new experience for Roger, but I’ve loved getting back in those trees, and have fished that way on the lake for over 50 years. Roger had many new experiences to enjoy and think about on his flight back to Georgia on Saturday.
Ray Hencken
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Ray Hencken »

Good story, well told and well photographed. I hope to get back to Idaho this summer for some wild trout fishing.
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john elder
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by john elder »

Thanks for the pictorial, Phil, and for giving our hard-working secretary some good R&R!
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Brian F.
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Brian F. »

Very NIIIIIICCCEEE!
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Steve
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Steve »

Roger caught a couple big ones. Look how far the water level dropped (pics 3-5) when he hauled them out of the lake! :shock:
Reel Geezer
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Reel Geezer »

Steve wrote:Roger caught a couple big ones. Look how far the water level dropped (pics 3-5) when he hauled them out of the lake! :shock:
We had to send him back to Georgia for if he'd stayed another week there wouldn't have been enough irrigation water for our farmers this summer.
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kingfisher
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by kingfisher »

Never get tired of seeing the fishing you guys enjoy. Has Fudge gone camera shy or just to quick to capture ? Happy Days.
Reel Geezer
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Reel Geezer »

kingfisher wrote:Never get tired of seeing the fishing you guys enjoy. Has Fudge gone camera shy or just to quick to capture ? Happy Days.
Fudge was with us in the boat, but his legs are too short for the wading.
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m3040c
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by m3040c »

Absolutely fantastic. Great story :!:

Great Fishing :!:

I think you live right next to heaven :wink:
Richard Lodge
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Richard Lodge »

Great fishing story and photos, gentlemen! I always enjoy your accounts from the wilds of Idaho, Phil. What line weight do you use to horse those bass out of the trees, anyway?
Reel Geezer
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Reel Geezer »

Richard Lodge wrote:Great fishing story and photos, gentlemen! I always enjoy your accounts from the wilds of Idaho, Phil. What line weight do you use to horse those bass out of the trees, anyway?
I use 20-50 pound braid. It depends a little on the rod and reel combo.

Last evening it was sensational wading. I caught an 18" fish on my first cast, and went on to catch 50 bass in 3 hours. Almost all were caught outside the trees on topwater frogs.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: IDAHO WEATHER NOT VERY COOPERATIVE

Post by Midway Tommy D »

I caught an 18" fish on my first cast, and went on to catch 50 bass in 3 hours.
Now Phil, quit harassing those ladies and let them old sow's lay their eggs in peace :P Nice fish by the way. :cool

Tom
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