This reservoir is known for its bass – another Idaho angler just reeled in a record fish
Idaho’s Dworshak Reservoir already had a reputation for big bass before Dustin Shepherd landed a monster this weekend.
The Lewiston man reeled in a state-record smallmouth bass on Saturday while fishing the same waters that produced the previous Idaho smallmouth records.
“Dworshak Reservoir has a well-deserved reputation for producing big bronzebacks,” the Idaho Department of Fish and Game wrote in a news release, “and holds the state’s current certified weight record caught by Dan Steigers at 9.72 pounds!”
Shepherd’s fish measured 22.75 inches in length, surpassing Rick Poedtke’s 22-inch record smallmouth caught on the Pend Oreille River in 2018. Shepherd released the fish.
Bass fishing is heating up across Idaho.
“Smallmouth feed more aggressively as water temperatures rise into the 50s before spawning,” the Fish and Game news release said. “As the summer arrives and bass finish spawning, smallmouth can be harder to catch as they retreat to deep water, looking for cooler temperatures. “
Find all of Idaho’s catch-and-release and weight records at idfg.idaho.gov/fish/record.
