American Falls Smallies

[leakypontoon]

Hi All,

I used to post a bit in Utah but haven't done so since I moved back to Idaho a couple years ago (I'll try to remedy that in the future). I had a chance to get out on American Falls Reservoir Sunday afternoon. We did a little wake-boarding and spent a couple hours dodging lightning but when the storms passed, we were glad we stayed out.
I started throwing plastic crayfish imitations toward brush on the shoreline and was getting bit by little small mouth bass every cast (6"-8" fish mostly). Mixed in with all the little ones, I did manage a couple nice ones. They would also bite a wacky rigged senco and one of the bigger fish was caught on that setup.
The water was warm (sorry no thermometer on the boat) and the lake had dropped quite a bit since I was last out a couple weeks ago. Where I was fishing, the water level was below the rip-rap bank that lines much of the lake so I was fishing a pretty soft bottom with half submerged brush protruding from the water.
There were also some carp swimming near the surface and after about a dozen embarrassing misses, I put the bow away and just concentrated on the small mouth fishing.
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[MatchT]

Very well done. I have always been skunked trolling for slimers above the dam and dnt knownhow to catch trout there yet. I have family visiting next 2 days that brought bass fishing pole rigs. I would like to get them in on this action. So afternoon worked pretty good? Also, I wonder bout windy days...tomorow mostly at 15mph do you think it would be worth launching?
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[leakypontoon]

Hey Match,
The wind can be an issue out there depending on your boat. I would still launch but stay close to shore if the wind kicks up. I usually try to find a spot protected from the wind to anchor and fish. The afternoon was good Sunday but it probably had more to do with the storm passing than the time of day. I usually launch at Pelican Bay (it’s $5 to launch there) and there are plenty of good spots close to the bay. You can even do well in the bay itself if the wind gets too high out on the lake. I was using smallish crayfish style soft plastics in green and various sizes of sencos also in green. The bigger senco did yield the biggest fish. Have fun, be safe.
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[fallsfish]

Good to hear that a few smallies are being caught. I've fished the face of the dam and never done well. Also fished the north shore by the Rocky points and never done well. Sounds like I'm fishing in the wrong spot. I'll have to try it again around Pelican bay.
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[MatchT]

I thought wind too strong so we fished on river below tilden. Cuaght a few trout but mostly slow. My family very happy to hear relaxing sounds of breeze, birds, running water. Catching was a bonus.
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[fast_randy]

Thanks for your great report, and thank you for getting active on this Idaho side of BFT. I too am from Utah BFT.
And those great pictures puts you in the running for a spinning reel I am giving away to the best picture posted this summer.
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