If you’ve been fishing all summer, you’ve probably hit your favorite fishing holes. Hopefully, they lived up to your expectations.

Now’s a good time to get out of your comfort zone. That doesn’t mean doing something crazy, it just means trying something different.

I try to make that a habit every season, and it helps keep things fresh and interesting.

There are several ways to go about it. One way is simply go someplace you’ve never gone. Idaho has literally thousands of places to fish, so it’s likely there are some you’ve overlooked, be it a river, pond, lake or reservoir.

One option is to go “bluelining.” That’s a term coined for small stream fishing because it’s finding a blueline on a map and fishing it. Take your lightest tackle and lowest expectations and you may be pleasantly surprised. No-name streams can be a lot of fun for trout.

Still another way is hitting reservoirs that are now low and/or weed choked. Guess what? The fish are still there. You may have to change your tactics to get them, but you may also find some big fish survived the summer onslaught of anglers. Those remaining fish will be getting active with cooler weather and trying to pack on some pounds before winter.

Fall is an often overlooked time to fish because we (myself included) start thinking about hunting season. But I try to keep a rod in the truck and get a few hours in here and there, or some random place I haven’t ever fished.