American Falls Sportsmans Park

[fearnofish1996]

I fished sportsmans park several times last year and did really well. I have only been out there once this season and i got skunked, it was in the afternoon but i didnt even get a bite. Has anyone fished it this season and have any tips?
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[chrome_junky]

i fished it two weeks ago and got skunked and its the same report from every one amercan falls is not turning out right now. dont know why but its slow fishing.
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[fearnofish1996]

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I went to Spotrsmans park for about 3 hours this morning before work and i got skunked. i had a few bites but that was about it. there were perch laying all over the ice from fisherman leaving them there. So somebody has been catching i just have to figure the secret out.
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[brdchsr]

Thanks for the report. Too bad there are those who do not value the freedom of catching fish and enjoying the special time by leaving the fish laying on the ice. I do not believe that the effort to put them back in the lake to grow is that great. I love to fish for perch and detest the waste of a game fish.
Were there any suckers or chubs laying around? I need some for bait when I go ling fishing at the Flaming Gorge.
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[fearnofish1996]

No suckers or chubs but there were a couple of small rainbows..
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[curt69]

How far were you from the boat dock . I might give it a try in about week . I am looking for place to go on my four days off . I did real well on Island Park on trout , but I would like to get into some pan fish . Thanks Curt G.
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[fearnofish1996]

i was buy the buoys. I fished there several times last year and did really well. i noticed people this morning with cameras and finders headed out toward the main lake and setting up shelters there. That might be a good spot to try. Next time i go out im gonna try that dirrection.
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[curt69]

Thanks , Keep up the good reports .
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[dixokai]

I have heard that the logic behind killing the small perch is that there are so many that they are competing for food source. Several people have told me not to release the small ones. They say that will allow the average size to increase. I don't know how much truth there is to this thinking but I usually release the ones I don't take home especially when I have my 6 year old grandson with me. He doesn't mind letting them go.
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[curt69]

Perch is a game fish . It is against the law to waste a game fish . I am not saying I agree with this , it is just the way it is . At Roberts gravel Pit they realy need to thin out the small Perch . Just my thought . Curt G.
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[dixokai]

You just brought up a point that I never thought about. I think I read somewhere that it is illegal to use any part of a game fish for bait. I can't seem to find it on the F&G web site but if that is the case then using perch eyes on a jig is not legal and I have been fishing illegally quite a bit. (along with many others) I'll have to check my paper regs when I get home. Maybe I just imagined reading that.
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[idahopanfish]

This is copied from the IDFG regs Perch are not listed
[font "Helvetica-Bold"][size 1][font "Helvetica-Bold"][size 1]
[left]GAME FISH: [/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]Brook, brown, bull, cutthroat, golden, lake
[/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]
[left](Mackinaw), rainbow (including steelhead), splake and sunapee
[left]trout; trout hybrids; Chinook, coho, Atlantic and kokanee
[left](blueback) salmon; grayling; whitefish; cisco; crappie; perch;
[left]bass; catfish; bullhead; sunfish; sturgeon; northern pike; tiger
[/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]
[left]muskie; walleye and sauger; and burbot (ling). Bullfrogs and
[/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]crayfish are also defined as game fish.
[font "Helvetica-Bold"][size 1][font "Helvetica-Bold"][size 1]
[left]NON-GAME FISH: [/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]Any fish not specifically defined as a “game
fish” above.
[font "Helvetica-Bold"][size 1][font "Helvetica-Bold"][size 1]
[left]Trapping and Seining Minnows or Crayfish: [/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]It is lawful to
take unprotected nongame fish, crayfish, and yellow perch with[font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]
[left]a minnow net, seine, or up to five (5) traps, provided the seine
[left]or net does not exceed ten (10) feet in length or width, and the
[left]minnow or crayfish trap does not exceed two (2) feet in length,
[left]width or height. If the trap is of irregular dimension, but its
[left]volume does not exceed the volume of an eight (8) cubic foot
[left]trap, it is also lawful to use. All traps must have a tag attached
[left]bearing the owner’s name and address. All fish so taken must
[left]immediately be killed. Crayfish may be kept alive to be used as
[/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]
[left]bait ONLY on the water where captured. Minnows and crayfish
[/size][/font][/size][/font][font "Helvetica"][size 1][font "Helvetica"][size 1]
[left]may only be taken during the season set for the taking of game
fish in those waters.
[/size][/font][/size][/font]
[/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font]
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[brdchsr]

Hi,

Perch is listed right after crappie. But it also talks in the lower area about the trapping of perch, crawdads etc.
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[idahopanfish]

Boy am I blind[crazy] sorry but I do believe that it is OK to use perch eyes for bait just like some use perch meat.
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[fearnofish1996]

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Well i wandered out on the ice again this morning before i came into work. I did alot better at AF this time. I iced 8 perch not to shabby for a couple of hours of fishing this morning. Ice was still 10 inches plus thick. i had the beast luck on glow in the dark jigs.
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