Lost Along the Waters

the official tumblr blog of the Lost Along the Waters podcast

[lostalongthewaters]

Here’s wishing everyone else a better morning than I had today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CU8P_XThS2_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[lostalongthewaters]

Today I wanna tell y’all about fishing clear water. For a lot of people, clear water means finesse fishing with downsized baits and sloooow movements. You’ll definitely catch fish this way, but it often limits how much water you can cover in an outing. Personally, I think clear water isn’t that big of a deal. Here in my home state of Idaho, many of my favorite lakes and ponds spend much of the year absolutely crystal clear, so I’ve had plenty of time to adapt. My first piece of advice: pay attention to light levels. Fish don’t have eyelids, so bright light can severely effect their mood and movements in clear water. Target shadowy areas, overgrown weeds, or deep water to find actively feeding fish. I like a Texas rigged beaver around shallow cover, choose a color that matches the bottom or the cover you’re fishing around. If I’m fishing deep, I look for weedbeds around 12-15 feet of water, and power fish with either a deep diving crank or a tube jig. I like chartreuse or sexy shad for the crank, the idea being that I just burn it fast past the weeds. Bass hear it from a ways off, and see a flash of color heading towards them, I assume they think it’s a fleeing baitfish and set themselves up for an ambush. The tube should be a bit more realistic in color, but i work it fast, with a snap-pause-snap retrieve to imitate an injured baitfish or a frightened crawdad. My second bit of advice is to pay attention to water temperature. Clear water doesn’t warm as fast as dirty water, so fish in clear water may be weeks behind fish in dirty water in terms of seasonal, temperature-related habits. In cold water, fish the bright sunny days, and target rock or sunken wood. Places that hold prey and absorb and hold warmth better. The opposite applies to warmer water, again, you’re looking for shady areas or deeper water. Weedbeds are a good option, as well as areas with current such as feeder creeks or natural springs. Keep these tips in mind next time you head to a lake with clear water! #fishing #generalfishing #fishingtips #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/CCZzLcJnALW/?igshid=g207peeoq4eb

[lostalongthewaters]

New species! I can’t believe it took me this long to seriously try chasing walleye. I’ve messed around looking for them a couple times I’ve fishing, but never had the patience to try and figure them out when there were big crappies and bluegills available nearby. All told, I landed 4 today (the largest was 16”, pictured) most of them on a chartreuse super wedding ring tipped with a bit of nightcrawlers, and weighed down by a 3/4 oz bottom bouncer. #fishing #walleye #walleyefishing #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/CB9ySSOnK1T/?igshid=k9bp33elbtd

[lostalongthewaters]

Pops went ahead and showed @fish4life1994 and I what’s what! He landed this 8 foot 1 inch long white sturgeon after fight that lasted just under an hour, took us through other angler’s lines, into uncomfortably shallow water, and a full 1/4 mile away from where we had been anchored. Pops’ arms aches for days afterward, but he still can’t hide a grin when he tells people about this big ol’ dinosaur. Estimated at about 285 pounds, this is the largest fish any of us have ever encountered in person, and it required total cooperation between all three of us to get it to the boat. #whitesturgeon #sturgeon #sturgeonfishing #idaho #snakeriver #monsterfish #fishing https://www.instagram.com/p/B1J2a-9HpeD/?igshid=1hg3ex5jxanew

[lostalongthewaters]

That’s it! I’m a goner! A lost cause! Go on without me, cuz I finally got onto a frog bite, and I am never ever coming back. Out of about 20 fish, half came on the frog, half of THOSE fish were 2 lbs or better. I’m gonna have to buy a specific rod and reel, line, and dedicate an entire box just to frogs. My wallet will never forgive me... #frogfishing #largemouthbass #bass #bassfishing #fishing #idaho #lures https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz6AhUFnhTN/?igshid=6rav58p5qf7q

[lostalongthewaters]

The deep cranking bite isn’t quite in full swing here in southern Idaho. At least, not yet. Soon the largemouth should move from guarding fry and the last of the nests in shallow water, and head to deeper cover and structure, following bluegills and perch seeking more comfortable water temps. For now, slow rolling a deep diving crank around ledges is a bit of a shot in the dark. I caught more trout than bass doing that on this particular trip a few weeks ago. #fishing #crankbaits #bassfishing #largemouthbass #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/BzqWr3EnuLv/?igshid=1bkgleqpul7gt

[lostalongthewaters]

Back at the beginning of June, I finally got my little boat out on her maiden voyage. We hand-launched on a no-motors lake, and tooled around for a couple days chasing bass and bluegill. Not gonna lie, the more I get this boat out on the water the deeper I fall in love with it. It’s perfect! #fishing #idaho #tinyboatnation #tinyboat https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgNtupH38F/?igshid=8s96qm7gfx1f

[lostalongthewaters]

Well then. Shout out to @northlandtackle, their hooks are very sharp, apparently... https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxc-JADgLlf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qrp5otrpb5yc

[lostalongthewaters]

...buddy. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxYO6TKgjg4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19bcmyupvx9d7

[lostalongthewaters]

Weird day in the canoe with @fish4life1994, we decided to shake it up a bit and chase some largemouth, but water temps were lower than expected and the water was rising fast, the only pattern we were able to find was to flip spinnerbaits at the thickest stands of willows we could find. We pulled 20 fish between us, this one being the biggest at 15”. Still, this got me really excited for the next few months. The weather is improving, and fishing is only getting better. #fishing #bass #bassfishing #largemouthbass #idaho #canoe #spinnerbait https://www.instagram.com/p/BxX1yLfgVO3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ruip2sv1jj7k

[lostalongthewaters]

Weird day. Started with sun and wind, then went to calm and rainy for a half hour, followed by calm and sun, and then getting chased off the water by a lot of rain and wind. Still, didn’t stop us from catching fish. We found them holding in current seams, and we caught them with Carolina rigs. 3/8 oz weight, followed by a relatively short leader (about 16 inches or less), ending with a 4” curltail worm or a small creature bait. My biggest (pictured) was a little over 3 lbs. #bassfishing #lurefishing #fishing #fish #bass #smallmouthbass #smallmouthbassfishing #river #idaho #outdoors https://www.instagram.com/p/BwpcM6mAmzn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1o23smup7p6cn

[lostalongthewaters]

4 lbs on the dot! Rough day though. High winds made for tough fishing in the spots we wanted to fish, especially because the fish wanted more finesse presentations earlier in the day. Most of my fish (including this one)came on a Carolina rig. 1/4 oz weight, 16 inch leader, and a 4 inch curl-tail worm in a motor oil color. We had planned on throwing large swimbaits and square bill cranks all day, but the fish weren’t having it. Still, this makes two 4 lb bass for the season so far, and I’m loving the challenges I’m being faced with. #bass #bassfishing #fish #fishing #idaho #smallmouthbass #smallmouthbassfishing https://www.instagram.com/p/BwSTsWPA-ML/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1n5t0n2cobxii

[lostalongthewaters]

So far my lesson for this year has been “remember the basics”. Brighter, more aggressive lures in murkier water, and pay attention to the wind. The most productive spot for me was a shallow bay (about 9 feet deep at its deepest) with wind blowing against the shore. While the wind blew, big moving baits like this 1/2 ounce Booyah spinnerbait worked very well, triggering aggressive strikes. As the wind calmed in the evening, finesse tactics such as Texas rigs and Drop shots. Bites were still aggressive, but I had to earn them. #bass #smallmouthbass #bassfishing #fishing #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/BwIA_5kAux3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2lj30q19w16n

[lostalongthewaters]

Wooooohooooo! First 4 pounder of the year! This one’s a huge male, 18 3/4 inches long, my longest smallmouth to date, but a couple ounces shy of my PB. Sunlight was key, if there wasn’t sun shining on the water, the fish were not biting. After a small storm front passed, I started throwing a 1/2 ounce chartreuse Booyah spinnerbait in the muddier shallows, and this dude hit it like a cement truck with no brakes. I love early spring smallmouth! #spring #fishing #smallmouthbass #bass #bassfishing #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/BwA7P_Ngsjm/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gcfta3l46b1n

[lostalongthewaters]

It’s that time of year! Get out and catch some smallmouth while they’re starting to make their move up shallow to spawn. Personally, I’ve been struggling a bit to get on decent fish, but everyone I’ve been fishing with and around has been tying into some really awesome fish. As the water warms, I’m sure my luck will change. Here’s to spring smallmouth! #smallmouthbass #bass #bassfishing #fishing #lures #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvwxf9_gUhj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=onwms3lacur4

[lostalongthewaters]

Dude, wrong way! https://www.instagram.com/p/BvUwoNoAgZn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=fukife3jrojx

[lostalongthewaters]

Sometimes, the little ones look a lot better than the big ones... #bluegill #panfish #icefishing #winter #idaho https://www.instagram.com/p/BvMyCoxg5Dv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13xfhi49r961w