I live in moscow idaho about 20 miles from lewiston and the fishing is picking up again on the snake, last week we picked up 9 on the boat the first day and day 2 we picked up 13 only 6 keepers for the three of us between the two days. two weeks ago we got nothing. I hope things are good arounf salmon and challis but their is alot of fish on their way...hope someone catches the two keepers i let go! let me know how the fishing is down their please sole_soaker@yahoo.com

I get to come home for x-mas break, I plan on doing some ducking and gooseing just wanting to know about the numbers of birds in the aberdeen area. please send me an e-mail at sole_soaker@yahoo.com

I have herd from a few people that the deer hunting in south eastern idaho is on it's way down hill. I do not know if they are just being lazy and not hunting to hard or hard enough to find much. I recently moved to northern idaho for school and am a little home sick for the mule deer hunting. I could sure use a few good pics from someone and a good story or two. The deer hunting up here concists of whitetail hunting and I hear it gets realy good come mid november, opening day up here was rather slow, seen a few does and one small buck I sat all morning in one spot about a mile froma road and watched a clear cut. The elk are finaly into the rut not and talking untill almost 1 pm. please shoot me a line or two about the season in mule deer country @ sole_soaker@yahoo.com thanks and good luck and stay safe and kill a six pack

Wow! It’s already here. Big game season has officially started in Idaho and hunters have a new species of game to hunt…the Canada wolf. A species that Idaho Fish and Game introduced here more than a decade ago that many feel do not belong in Idaho or more importantly the lower 48, as they are not native to this area.

But before we get into that bird nest lets take a quick run down of what hunters can expect during the archery season and what I have seen in the field the past year.

Deer and elk season for bow hunters kicked off August 30th and continues the entire month of September ending September 30th in units 66A, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78.

With a mild winter it already looks like this is going to be a good year for bow and rifle hunters but your still going to have to work for your game. The days of record numbers of deer are gone and we probably will never see an era like that again. But, hunters that work the backcountry will increase their odds for trophy bucks or meat for the freezer....

We all love hunting season. In fact, many outdoorsmen only venture into the field during the early September to late October hunting season. Leaving the rest of the year to bird hunters, trappers, anglers and the like. Hunters in pursuit target elk, mule deer and antelope every season faithfully. But, a “New Kid” on the block has emerged and Idaho hunters have taken notice. The almighty White tailed deer, America’s number one big game species has taken a foothold in southeast Idaho and he is here to stay and growing to trophy class sizes!

I grew up during my teenage years hunting whitetails in Texas and trust me, what you see on television is 70/30. About 70 percent is bogus hunting on ranches with feeders but the other 30 percent is honest hard hunting and these individuals had to work to get these shots.

My experience has been long hours in the woods covering swampy boggy bottom land and seeing only the white flag of the whitetails tail bounding over logs and blow- downs. This was all before store bought tree...

Preparation

Note: A filleting glove provides protection against accidental cuts and makes it easier to grip the fish. Modern filleting gloves are lightweight and comfortable to use.

1. Clean the outside of the fish

The first step is to clean the outside of the fish in running water. This removes the protective slime from the skin of the fish and makes it much easier to handle. If you want to remove the scales from the fish, now is the time to do it either with a blunt knife-edge or using a fish scaler. Although, I never do this as it takes too much time and is messy as heck.

Note: If I'm filleting my fish then I never clean them (i.e. I don't remove the innards, gills, etc.).

2. Make a cut down one side behind the gills

Start the fillet by laying the fish on it's side on the fillet board and cutting down behind the gills.

The idea is to cut far enough to free the flesh without cutting right through the rib cage.

3. Cut down to the spine along one side of the back Make a cut along one side of spine, cutting down to the...

It has been raining for the past 2 weeks now. This is great for Idaho, with the low water levels and all, but for we fisherman when the rain comes where can we go. Well I think we need a coffee shop for sportsman. I know Lee Aikens used to have one but with the passing on to a lot better fishing waters and hunting grounds the coffee shop came to a halt. I heard a rumor about a western states sportsman possibly opening one but I haven't heard to much about it. I did however came up with a solution Portneuf Outfitters. Yes, Roger has a new location in Old Town Pocatello. Roger moved about three stores down to the corner. Every Tuesday and Saturday they, Rogers fly tyers, have open fly tying. You don't have to be a fly tyer. Just come on in, go to the back, get a cup, just be sure and be polite and ask to make sure they have the coffee brewing and sit and watch. You bait and lure casters might even want to get into fly fishing. At Rogers also keep your ears open cause these well experienced tyers will drop sutle...

Headed out yesterday to Crystal springs and Mctuckers ponds. I left the fly rod home. I decided to just sit back and watch the water while fishing with worms. This is almost a sacred religious for me to do. Actually this was the first time in well over 7 years I left the fly rod home. To put it simple I missed my fly rod that day. Crystal springs is small but is a beautiful place with yellow cannarys flying around and the 6 inch trout jumping out of the water for the mayfly. With nothing but a can of worms and one lure(a mepps)I set out to fish. I had 2 bites and this was around 5 in the afternoon. The worms and the mepps both failed me. I tried long casts, I tried short casts, I tried around the bank, i got skunked. So off to old reliable Mctuckers. I arrived around 6 tossed out the worm and had a bite instantly. I jumped on the pole gave a yank and reeled a 3 inch bullhead catty. I continued to catch these little buggers for awhile until I switched ponds. Bluegill can be fun when fishing with a flyrod...

by Dave Langston



Over the past 18 years as an outdoor writer I have had my share of lumps and victories. From miss-quotes (which I do apologize for) to outdoorsmen that simply did not want their names or stories to appear in print. But you have to understand, I am still a form of media. Anything you say can and may appear in any magazine or on any show in America not just Idaho. You are responsible for your own words and action. If you have secret fishing holes or areas where game is plentiful keep quiet. Or just tell us upfront not to print what you say; any ethical writer will respect that.

For instance, I received a call Friday night at 6:00 pm on my cell phone from a disgruntled outdoorsman who I still believe is a good guy by heart but verbally threatened me because of his passion for the sport. Apparently I wrote something he told me that ruffled a few feathers in his home town I now believe. I was not told “Do not quote or print the information I am telling you,” by this individual.

He even sent...

By Dave Langston



The Portneuf River from Chesterfield reservoir to Inkom is a favorite of many local anglers and in the past brought in many out of state sportsmen looking for pristine waters. This small river boomed in the 1970 era and started its decline in the late 1980’s into the 1990’s. But, with habitat and environmental cleanups and restorations the river is on the way back to its former self.

“This river has always been a favorite of mine and I have spent countless hours fishing for rainbows and cutthroats,” says Pocatello angler Van Tillotson. Tillotson says that it was not unusual for anglers to bring home bows or cuts up to 4,5 or even 6 pounds in the past. “This was a fabulous fishery and I am glad to see it is coming back,” he adds.

Your best bet for rainbows and cutthroats is above the town of Lava Hot springs up to the mouth of Toponce creek near Bancroft. Although a good amount of this is private, access points marked by Idaho Fish and Game (208) 232-4703 are clearly marked and offer...

By Dave Langston We all talk about the fish that got away, hey were anglers and we are proud of our catch and sometimes the fish we lost somehow turns into the next world record if we could have just landed it.

Bass, trout, sturgeon, steelhead and salmon are on most southeast Idaho angler’s minds at this time and provide us with tales of monsters that broke off and returned back into the depths from which they came. Giving us yet more stories to fabricate, telling our friends and family of the fish that nearly pulled them over board.

But, I have never heard stories of the “monster” bluegill, perch or crappie that tugged on the end of an angler’s line. Here are a few places I know that anglers can put some pan fish in the cooler and also help add to your stories in the future.

Twin Lakes



I know what your thinking, this impoundment is always mentioned in articles but there is a reason why. With help from Idaho Fish and Game, bass clubs and other organizations and individuals Twin Lakes has...

I say lets have a fishing competetion. SE Idaho, you can go from Chesterfield to american falls. You can fish from boat to from the bank, use worms to lures even power bait. Have a entry fee, have the competetion down to one thing pounds. Have it a 3 day event every fisherman would have a judge with them. We could make our own rules, sub- divisions, species division, we could run wild with this. Get fish and game involved, our local pros, fly to bait fishing this could be fun, all ideas and comments are appreciated. steve

Years ago i would go out to rose ponds and float around. Well i went out there just this past Thursday the 29th of may 2009. I looked up on the internet at fish and game, i found that rose ponds was just stocked before Memorial day weekend. As the case may have it i got skunked. Now like i said years ago this is the place i go to just get a quick hour or so in either from the bank or the float tube. These trout back then were not the brightest in the world. i be using a hopper in the end of may and catching them left and right. So either it got fished out or they got smarter ,, Someone let me know.

Spring is finally here and even with low temperatures fishing is getting off to a good start on most reservoirs for cold-water species. Heck, I even got reports of ten pound plus rainbows taken at American Falls reservoir this past weekend. But for warm water anglers what species is first to take an offering thrown in the water? Catfish, and they become aggressive as soon as they prepare to spawn in the early spring.

Some of the biggest fish are taken during this time of the year. Down south during the January and February spawn, cats up to 40 pounds are taken regularly and can be found grouped together. They can be found on mud flats with rock and flats adjacent to sharp drop offs.

My bet right now is Alexander reservoir near Soda Springs. Although your not going to find monster channel cats you will have a shot at fish in the single digits up to 10 pounds with a select few bigger.

Another good bet is the Snake River from Burley down to Twin Falls offering anglers good access along with superb cat fishing opportunities....

Right now I am going to tell you how I feel about slob sportsmen and disruptive boaters. I don’t like them. Simply put, unethical outdoorsmen have no business in the woods or on the water. Why am I writing this article and sounding so disturbed? Here is an example.

Last year I was fishing at Twin Lake reservoir and kept my eye on a particular boat that was pulling a skier. After a few passes the boat kept getting closer and closer to a party of fishermen that were well out of the way from the middle of the lake. Finally, the boat came within 10 feet of the anglers and the skier got wrapped up in fishing line. Did I feel sorry for the skier? Not one bit. They new what they were doing but didn’t seem to care. They had the entire middle to themselves but thought they would ruin the day for everyone…and they did.

How about this one, we were fishing an area that was filled with bass but it was small and only had enough room for one boat comfortably. But another party of anglers noticed we were landing fish after fish...

Most Idaho anglers are dreaming of wild rainbows and cutthroat sipping flies off the surface of cold-water rivers and reservoirs among spectacular scenery in Idaho's backcountry.

Well, bass don't sip anything, and for scenery, how about 2 to 4 pounds of dynamite exploding in your face? Welcome to the world of America's number one game fish, the largemouth bass.

Bass are very aggressive, taking shad, shiners, minnows, crayfish, frogs, mice and ducklings if given the chance. They're the ultimate warm water predator in most reservoirs and lakes in Idaho, using concealment and ambush tactics to fill their bellies.

And as you'll see, this aggressive urge is also a weakness anglers can use to their advantage on any body of water where bass are present. Here is a run down of prime waters for you to target in the next few months.

Condie Reservoir

Condie Reservoir, 20 miles south of Grace, Idaho, offers an unbelievable bass fishing experience. It's designated a trophy water destination.

Two bass may be kept and...

By Dave Langston



I have always been able to read the water ever since I can remember. Even when I started fishing as a youth, fish could not hide from the presentation I offered. Now, don’t get me wrong, at first I was no fish expert but after years of reading books and spending hundreds of hours watching television show’s, I also refined my skills to put more fish in the cooler. I spent countless amount of hours on the water learning where each species of fish I was after could be located.

First, fish migrate or at least follow the same pattern year after year. In the spring and early summer months you can find certain species in the shallows, below ten feet of water. Most warm water fish transition into this part of the reservoir as water temperatures climb. For instance, largemouth bass can be found hanging in 15 – 20 feet of water in early April till mid May in the north. But, as soon as the water starts to warm into let’s say the 50-degree range around late May, you will find these same fish hanging...

What a year this has been. With unemployment at all time highs and our nation in a downward spiral what can I say to make you feel a bit more at ease? It seems everywhere you turn whether it may be the radio, television or newspaper we are riddled with bad news. But I will try to help you get through these tough times with uplifting stories and articles during 2009 every Friday right here on the “Outdoor” section of the Idaho State Journal.

First and foremost I am glad to be back. It has been a crazy year dealing with new shows, sponsors and helping build the outdoor sector back to its former self. In a nutshell, it has been a daunting task for all of us outdoor writers across the nation.

With the departure of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Pocatello and the closure of other retailers, we the sportsmen have slim pickings for our outdoor goods. But, we do have the store in Idaho Falls to lean back on. Also, by supporting our local shops like Doc’s gun barn, Portneuf River Outfitters, All Season Angler, Ace Hardware...

Deer Hunting
By
Dave Langston


This is going to be a good year, I promise. The team and I have been out in the field bow hunting for 30 days not including preseason scouting and what we have found is good numbers of deer and plenty of bucks to fill freezers this year.

Now, before everyone gets giddy and thinks this is going to be easy hunting you better take these points into consideration and maybe look at the outdoors a different way.

First, you need to study the access YES maps on the Idaho Fish & Game website. New areas have opened offering hunters access to lands that have never seen hunting pressure. But, with new land brings more hunters wandering the hillside. Do some scouting to find the area you want to hunt and be there fist before the crowd moves in.

Second, units 70 and 78 are now closed unless you happened to draw a tag in those units. What does this mean? Only unit 70 will affect us in the Pocatello area since this unit is right here in town and southwest to Garden creek gap. If you...

By Casey Santee
csantee@journalnet.com
Restoration and conservation efforts on the Bear River have Idaho’s population of Bonneville cutthroat trout on the rebound after decades of decline due to irrigation, habitat damage, overfishing, dams and other factors, according to fishery experts.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that the trout will not be placed on the Endangered Species List, citing an adequate population in its historic range. Bonneville cutthroat — one of 14 cutthroat subspecies in the West — are widely distributed across parts of Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.
The trout is found in 35 percent of its historic habitat and occupies more than 2,300 miles of stream in those four states, according to the agency. Today, about 23 percent of the trout’s range is in Idaho, and all of that is in the Bear River watershed in the southeast corner of the state. Utah has 64 percent, Wyoming 12 percent and Nevada 1 percent.
Chris Hunt, spokesman for Trout Unlimited, said the rising population...

Sage Santee, 11, holds a monster rainbow he caught this month from Danielson Creek near Springfield, Idaho.

By Casey Santee
csantee@journalnet.com
After driving for what seemed like an eternity on a series of dirt roads that wound through rural Bingham County last Saturday morning, my son, Sage, and I arrived at remote Brush Creek.
The small stream flows through a lava rock canyon filled with pines and willows. Our journey was long and dusty, but I’d promised Sage on his 11th birthday last month to take him fishing there for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. I’ve fished Southeast Idaho’s backcountry streams for as long as I can remember, and I’ve never found a better place to catch the golden fish with red slash marks under its jaw than Brush Creek, located about 75 miles from Pocatello.
We started our angling adventure near the road and worked our way down to where the stream pours into the Blackfoot River.
As I retrieved our poles, tackle and net from the trunk of my car, Sage searched intently for grasshoppers. I told him the trout hit fast and hard on lures, so there was no need for bait, but he...

By Casey Santee
csantee@journalnet.com
POCATELLO — Bruce Finney is using sediment core samples from Redfish Lake to reconstruct runs of sockeye salmon dating back as far as 2,000 years.
The Idaho State University researcher’s new technique — which includes mass spectrometers and radiocarbon dating — sheds light on how many of the endangered fish migrated to the lake to spawn before the arival of settlers in 1900.
This year, biologists predict up to 700 sockeye will return from the Pacific Ocean to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery near Redfish Lake. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, and the ensuing construction of the Sunbeam Dam a decade later on the Salmon River, Finney said between 25,000 and 40,000 sockeye spawned there annually based on his research.
In fact, the lake was named for the fish, which turn brilliant shades of red after spawning.
“The most dramatic decline in salmon runs occurred when the Sunbeam Dam was built,” Finney said. “Its creation just overwhelmed any naturally occurring fluctuations that...

by
Dave Langston


We have waited for this exactly one year. Tomorrow, Saturday August 30th kicks off the official hunting season for big game. Although guns will not be firing, arrows will be in full flight from archers looking to put some meat in the freezer and put a rack on the wall.

For those new to the woods this year, hunting Idaho’s backcountry and hillsides can be unnerving to the first time bow hunter. You’re staring at open hillsides, sage filled flats or forests that many simply do not know how to hunt.

I have been in this situation and I know that every one of you have felt this way at some point in your hunting history. Staring at vast tracks of land and scratching your head saying to yourself “how am I going to hunt this”?

Pre-season hunting is a must if you are hunting new territory. When I hunt areas new to me I always make a few trips before hand looking for game trails, watering holes and of course animals. Finding open land is another important factor. Make sure that your hunt is on...

By Lance Frazier
Logan Herald Journal

LOGAN CANYON — You know those holes you’ve fished on the Logan River, the ones that looked so promising yet failed to yield a single trout? Turns out there are fish in there, quite a few of them actually, and Gary Thiede was catching them by the bucketful this week.
Of course Thiede, a researcher in Utah State University’s Department of Watershed Sciences, had the not-insignificant advantage of a car battery hooked up to several prongs that were sending an electrical shock into the water. As the temporarily shocked fish rose to the surface, Thiede’s team of anglers scooped them up and dropped them into buckets in the canoe that served as a mobile base.
“We’re not going to kill the fish, we’re just going to stun them,” Thiede told the group of a dozen students, scientists, Dedicated Hunter volunteers and interested fly fishermen before they entered the water. “We want to pick up everything, including sculpin.”
Soon cries of “Fish!” rang out as surprised cutthroats...