Snake Rvr report: Hells Pool 6/27-7/6

[Hunt'nFish]

Well, I'm back. Had a SUPER good time! 9 days of fun, sun & fishing.
Bass fishing seemed to get off to a slow start but was smoking hot by the time we left. Couple 75-100 fish days with many 50 fish days. And that was just hitting a morning & evening fish and playing in the water & tossing back cold ones during the day.

Water was just starting to show some algae growth but visibility was still very good at 5-6ft. Water temp? actually never fired up the FF to check but it did seem a tad chilly for this time of year when we got there and slowly warmed to a comfortable swimming temp by the time we left. You can check Idaho Power links for actual water temps.

Heres a link for pics: La Casa Hunt'nFish (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n122/Mike_in_Oregon/2008%20July%20Snake%20Rvr/?albumview=slideshow)

Started off w/ typical senko fry pattern and found no fish to speak of near shore. Switched to trolling craw cranks and spinner baits down deep and started to connect w/ lots of quality fish 1.5-2lb. Later mid week I started tossing cranks and compact black Strike King spinner baits on rocky points and found fish. Later in the week the Senko bite picked up and that's when I really began to spank them. Big fish on points w/ current and dinks elsewhere. The last weekend fishing became tougher with all the pressure from many other boats, so I went deeper w/ tubes, craws and baby brush hogs. Good bet too. Whacked fish on just about every other cast.

Picked up two good perch as well. One was up below the Brownlee spillway and went 14.5" length w/ 8.5" girth (big spawned out female) and the other was just over 12". Took pics of the big one but they didn't turn out very good at all.

Tons on crappie, all small 5-6" but the kids had a ball w/ them. One night I anchored up off a school and let the kids have at them while a friends wife & I put the hurt on the bass underneath them w/ craws and baby brush hogs.

BTW, Clayton.. I put those chartreuse tipped yum dingers to good use again. Must've caught 20 fish off one before I just couldn't keep it on the hook. Any other color and no dice.

Well it was another awesome trip, but glad to be home. Besides my arm is tired and I think I got a touch of tendonitis in my hook setting elbow.

Oh, seen another bear this year across from camp, sow and two cubs. Many bald Eagles and deer a plenty. A couple young bucks in velvet and a little spotted fawn which you'll see in the slide show. Also a pile of mink. No otters this year though.
Hunt'nFish

[The Nothing]

awesome report. good to hear those chartreuse tipped worms worked for someone - i have a bag that hasn't produced yet for me...

[baltz526]

CATFISH! where is the catfish report. i'm trying to decide on tuna or catfifish. lots of little crappie have meant big rainbows for us in the past. get any trout

[team doyle]

thanks for taking us along mike.
those photos go a long way toward capturing the beauty and fun out there.
great all around angling!
joe

[FishScout]

Well, I'm back. Had a SUPER good time! 9 days of fun, sun & fishing.
Bass fishing seemed to get off to a slow start but was smoking hot by the time we left. Couple 75-100 fish days with many 50 fish days. And that was just hitting a morning & evening fish and playing in the water & tossing back cold ones during the day.

Water was just starting to show some algae growth but visibility was still very good at 5-6ft. Water temp? actually never fired up the FF to check but it did seem a tad chilly for this time of year when we got there and slowly warmed to a comfortable swimming temp by the time we left. You can check Idaho Power links for actual water temps.

Heres a link for pics: La Casa Hunt'nFish (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n122/Mike_in_Oregon/2008%20July%20Snake%20Rvr/?albumview=slideshow)

Started off w/ typical senko fry pattern and found no fish to speak of near shore. Switched to trolling craw cranks and spinner baits down deep and started to connect w/ lots of quality fish 1.5-2lb. Later mid week I started tossing cranks and compact black Strike King spinner baits on rocky points and found fish. Later in the week the Senko bite picked up and that's when I really began to spank them. Big fish on points w/ current and dinks elsewhere. The last weekend fishing became tougher with all the pressure from many other boats, so I went deeper w/ tubes, craws and baby brush hogs. Good bet too. Whacked fish on just about every other cast.

Picked up two good perch as well. One was up below the Brownlee spillway and went 14.5" length w/ 8.5" girth (big spawned out female) and the other was just over 12". Took pics of the big one but they didn't turn out very good at all.

Tons on crappie, all small 5-6" but the kids had a ball w/ them. One night I anchored up off a school and let the kids have at them while a friends wife & I put the hurt on the bass underneath them w/ craws and baby brush hogs.

BTW, Clayton.. I put those chartreuse tipped yum dingers to good use again. Must've caught 20 fish off one before I just couldn't keep it on the hook. Any other color and no dice.

Well it was another awesome trip, but glad to be home. Besides my arm is tired and I think I got a touch of tendonitis in my hook setting elbow.

Oh, seen another bear this year across from camp, sow and two cubs. Many bald Eagles and deer a plenty. A couple young bucks in velvet and a little spotted fawn which you'll see in the slide show. Also a pile of mink. No otters this year though.
Hunt'nFish


Thanks for the great report. I have a 60 mile float trip on the Salmon
River at the end of the month and I will be trying some of your lure suggestions

[AtItAgain]

Mike,

It sounds like you had a great trip! :applause: thanks for sharing all the photos.

I can't tell for sure, but it looks like Chance maybe more interested in fish then ducks.:D

:cheers:

[1bigfish]

Great report and pics Mike.:applause::applause::applause:

Did Chance wear out his toung?

[fishlipper]

Nice report Mike! I could not see your slide show at work, so I will check it out at home. Glad you had a great time.

[Hunt'nFish]

Sorry Richard, no serious catfishing here. But I did run into Dodgeboy and his wife & crew (Man I'm so terrible w/ names. Matt... I think is his name is.) Anyway they were up at the spillway below Brownlee fishing for cats and he seemed to indicate that it was rather slow. In fact everyone I talked to seemed to agree w/ my observations that everything is late. crappie still nearshore, bass spawn still in progress, of course no fry yet. Kinda felt like typical May fish behavior not July.

Rich, I'd hold off on the cats and go for Tuna! Reports of Tuners 55 out of Newport. Speaking of Tuna!...took some bulk loins along and let them soak in Italian salad dressing all day then bacon wrapped them before grilling over mesquite chunks. YUMMM! In fact the BBQ work my good friend Scott Stoke did was out of this world. Beef Brisket one night, pork loin another, beef short ribs, pork ribs, sausage, burgers. MAN that fella knows his way around a BBQ grill. I came back 2lbs heavier...usually I LOSE Weight! :passout:

That dog is just obsessed w/ his bass licking. He'd fly from one end of the boat to the other at the first sound of a splash. Yep, he likes his bass. Can't fault him for it though, just your typical "dedicated" lab.

Should'a took the Crestliner though. Did more water tubing this year than I expected. Kids demanded it, they're getting older & bolder and simply love the excitement. Problem was EVERYONE wanted to go at the same time and even though the sled has a 140Suz, the pump is really knocks down the low end torque needed to get the tube skipping right w/ a full load of passengers.........it's just that I like fishing out of the sled more than Crestliner. Next year I'll have to give the Crestliner it's chance. A propped 150hp sure would get a better bite and not suck the fuel so bad.

I gotta laugh right now though, their is one neat trick a pump can do though. Clayton and JimCl have been on the receiving end of this little water toy. Did you know that a pumped 140 trimmed nozzle up can throw a couple hundred gallons of water in one quick flick of the throttle? :laugh::laugh::clap:

Man was that a fun trip. I did/didn't want to come home. And not sure I can hold out til next year. Might just have to go back for another week. Didn't get any hunting tags this year, so it looks like I have some extra time to reschedule.

I have to toss out some thanks and kudo's to Diane down at Scotty's for her hospitality & help. She's an old family friend and gave my brother some of her EMT care & advise on an eye that was bothering him. Seems he'd gotten a chunk of metal in it and it flared up while down on the river. Tried to get it out w/ a magnet but no dice. Fortunately she had some eye drops that did the trick. Made a irritating situation tolerable for him. Thanks Diane. (she need to get that old man of her's to work...shoulda named it Diane's not Scotty's)
Anyway, stop in, say hi, pick up some ice, and tell her the Knifongs say hi.
Hunt'nFish

[baltz526]

thanks for the report. if we go i'll tell diane hi for you. right now the cats should be hammering. but with lots of small crappie they may be just to fat to bite.