Idaho’s ice fishing season kicks off with a special day at a special place

It was midnight on Friday the 13th when I drilled my first hole of the ice fishing season. After making the cross-state trek to Henrys Lake, my friends and I decided to test the ice thickness at our preferred fishing hole. In the dim glow of a headlamp, I fired up my new StrikeMaster auger for the first time.

Almost immediately, I struck water. The ice was only two inches thick. We scurried ashore in a hurry.

“Well boys, it looks like we’re fishing the state park.”

Reports from the east end of the lake indicated more than 6 inches of ice — plenty to fish in safety. But there were also reports of poor water clarity, and with other spots inaccessible, the state park was sure to draw a crowd. Combined with the unlucky date, I was a little nervous about our prospects.

Nevertheless, our team was on the ice at zero-dark-thirty — the second group to arrive at this famous fishery just south of Yellowstone. By the time the sun began peeking over the mountains, we had our holes drilled and jigs in the water.

Using my Vexilar flasher, I saw a fish come inspect my jig. He swiped at it, but I missed. I dropped back down and watched him reappear. Tap, tap, SET! This time, he stayed on. My first hardwater fish of the season was a gorgeous 16-inch cutthroat. Back down the hole he went.

So began an epic day of catching at one of Idaho’s truly special fisheries. I dialed in a solid program with a white jig and my flasher. By 8 a.m., I’d managed to hit for the Henrys Lake cycle, landing a cutthroat, several cutbow hybrids and one big brook trout.

My buddy Randal was next to get on the board, catching a 20-inch hybrid on a homemade pink and green jig. When it tried to flop back toward the hole, Randal sprawled on the ice and swatted it away like a polar bear. That fish was for the smoker!

Before long, the rest of our party was in on the action. Caleb went on a midmorning hot streak, teasing us every time he got a bite. Jon, a Henrys first-timer, hooked into the first real lunker of the day. After a 10-minute battle, I helped him hoist a 23-inch monster out of the hole.

The hours slowly melted away. Most of our fish were caught jigging, but a bait rod would wiggle periodically, sending one of us slip-sliding across the ice to set the hook. We donated some of our secret bait to a neighboring group and cheered when it helped a young boy land his first fish. We celebrated almost as loudly — and much more sarcastically — when Caleb’s maligned Jaw Jacker finally went off and caught its first fish mid-afternoon. About that same time, it started snowing buckets. With our lodging at Sawtelle Mountain Resort just minutes away, we didn’t care. We fished on, and with dime-sized flakes flying, Jon and I doubled up on beautiful 22-inch cutthroats.

As dusk approached, we broke camp and headed for shelter. A handful of trout joined us for fish and chips back at the lodge — the perfect ending to one of my favorite days of the year. It will probably be at least a month until we have safe ice on our side of the state, but Friday the 13th was an awesome kickoff to this crazy, awesome sport we call ice fishing. Tight lines!

Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com or visit www.tightlines208.com.

Come Learn How to Ice Fish!

Want to get in on some ice fishing action this winter? Come learn all the tricks of the trade in my next fishing class, Ice Fishing 101. Set for Jan. 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Boise Spectrum, this class will teach anglers everything they need to know for fishing Idaho’s frozen lakes and reservoirs. The class also includes a group ice fishing trip — to sign up, visit www.tightlines208.com.