Report From Idaho

Share your fishing adventures, especially ones using antique tackle!
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Reel Geezer
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Location: On the Snake River or Lake Lowell
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Report From Idaho

Post by Reel Geezer »

This has been a very unusual year here in the mountain west. I usually fish the largemouth bass lake in front of our house in April and May and then head to the Snake River to fish for smallmouth. This year we had so much snow in the mountains that the Snake is currently running at 22,300 cfs, rather than the median 9,310 cfs for this date.

This water level scares my old body a bit, so I’ve been spending my days on my home reservoir, which also is filled to capacity. When at maximum level the lake floods back into the trees lining the shoreline. By the start of summer the surface is covered with smartweed, which grows out to a depth of 10-12 feet. This makes it very difficult to even get to the shoreline to fish the shallows. However, after 60 years of fishing the lake I’ve found some spots where the bottom is gravel based and the smartweed doesn’t grow, and I’m able to fish the willows that grow along the shoreline.

The past week I’ve fished a stretch of dense willows three different days. I’ve fished until noon each day and made catches of 18, 22, and 15 fish for my efforts. Yesterday was the 15 fish day, but I did bag the best fish of the week. This largemouth was 19” long. The females have not yet developed their eggs enough to weigh what they will in a few weeks, when they usually spawn.



Most of my fish this week were caught pitching a 1/8 oz black living rubber jig with a 5” curl tail worm trailer to the edge of the willows. I let the jig sink in the 8-10’ water on a slack line. The fish almost always take on the drop right at the bottom. The contest then is to keep them out of the heavy cover and win the battle.

This fishing is fun, but I miss being on the river pursuing my smallmouth bass.
If we concentrated on the really important things in life there would be a shortage of fishing tackle

Phil White
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sdlehr
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Re: Report From Idaho

Post by sdlehr »

Phil, whereabouts in Idaho are you? My daughter anchors weekend news and reports from the field 3 days a week in Boise on KIVI-TV. We visit once a year (so far, more often after retirement, I hope). I've thought about wetting a line on our visits but haven't yet done so (on two visits).
Sid Lehr
Reel Geezer
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Re: Report From Idaho

Post by Reel Geezer »

Sid, what is your daughter's name? We watch that news much of the time.

Edit: That was very stupid of me. My wife, Marilyn, looked at your last name, and we knew Karen right off. We watch her every weekend and see her special reports.
If we concentrated on the really important things in life there would be a shortage of fishing tackle

Phil White
ORCA Honorary Life Member
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sdlehr
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Re: Report From Idaho

Post by sdlehr »

Reel Geezer wrote:Sid, what is your daughter's name? We watch that news much of the time.

Edit: That was very stupid of me. My wife, Marilyn, looked at your last name, and we knew Karen right off. We watch her every weekend and see her special reports.
I'm glad you enjoy her work. We are fortunate enough to be able to watch her Ch 6 broadcasts, as they are streamed on the web. It's fun sometimes to text her during commercial commenting about stories or wardrobe. I'm hoping to get a father's day shout-out this weekend.
Sid Lehr
Roger Schulz
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Re: Report From Idaho

Post by Roger Schulz »

Phil

I am glad you didn't mention how "well" we did fishing the lake in mid-May. Water was to cold and the lake was up 5 feet. Could almost cast to the lake from Phil's porch. Looking forward to August for the smallmouth in the Snake...

Roger
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sdlehr
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Re: Report From Idaho

Post by sdlehr »

Phil, I've sent Karen a copy of your ORCA bio and suggested she do a story on you and your involvement with ORCA. You didn't get to be an honorary lifetime member for nothing. I don't know if or when she may follow up (or, alternatively, she may not). If you hear from her, you'll know why.
Sid Lehr
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Brian F.
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Re: Report From Idaho

Post by Brian F. »

Hope she can make the story a family thing and include Rubber Reel Lady and Fudge! So much more to that great couple than collecting reels too!
Aloha
Brian F.
_________

ORCA Member 1997
Got a spare reel stamped "Pflueger" or a Montague Imperial?
"Caution, objects in reel view mirror are older than they appear."
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