It’s ‘football season’ for Boise-area bass anglers! Here’s where to chase big fall bass
Fall in southwest Idaho is a beautiful time. Crisp mornings that give way to warm afternoons. Harvest festivals and Halloween fun for the kids. Pumpkin spice everything. And of course, football season!
I’m a big sports fan, but if there’s one thing I like more than the footballs flying through the air, it’s the ones swimming in local waters. Fall is a great time to chase big bass in Idaho, particularly the smallmouth that dominate the Snake River and its reservoirs at C.J. Strike, Swan Falls and Brownlee. Here’s the scoop on fall bassing — and how local anglers can take advantage.
Cold weather is nature’s dinner bell
Bass are warmwater creatures. They are most active when water temperatures stay above 60 degrees. When winter comes, their metabolism slows and they become lethargic. But the last month of the season can yield spectacular results. As the water cools, it signals the bass that lean months are ahead. The result is a feeding frenzy, with big fish packing on as many calories as possible. That’s why we call it football season — early October is when big bass tend to be at their fattest. One of my recent catches had “shoulders” that measured four inches across!
Big fish also tend to be the first to activate in spring and the last to shut it down in fall. Of the ten biggest smallmouth of my lifetime, eight have been caught in April/early May or September/early October.
Smallmouth love to go cray
Crayfish are the most abundant food source for bass in the Snake River system. During the fall frenzy — or any hyperactive feeding window — it’s common to catch fish stuffed to the gills with crayfish. As you lip the fish to remove your hook, don’t be surprised to see antennae!
With bass keying on crayfish, it’s wise to match the hatch with your fishing patterns. Drop-shotting or Texas-rigging soft plastics is a staple — the Zoom Speed Craw and Strike King Rage Craw are personal favorites. Finesse jigs like the Z-Man Ned Rig or Idaho tackle maker Kyle Zemke’s Lil Bugger also crush. Fly anglers can get in on the action with streamer and leech patterns.
Don’t forget about crankbaits. One benefit of fall fishing is a decrease in vegetation (although I’ll admit there are more weeds than usual this year thanks to our summer heatwave). If you can find stretches of weed-free water, bumping a crayfish-colored crank along rocky structure is usually a winner. I’ll always try 20 casts with a minnow pattern, too. Lunkers are fish eaters, and they’ll let you know if they prefer a fish dinner to crawdads.
Enjoying fall sights and sounds
The chance to capitalize on a feeding frenzy and/or catch the biggest bass of the year are definitely draws during football season. But I also love the peaceful serenity of the Snake River Canyon. Between the fall colors of the desert, abundant wildlife activity and the dramatic beauty of sheer, multicolored canyon walls, it is truly one of Idaho’s most rewarding places to fish.
My most recent visit to the Snake confirmed that football season has arrived. Water temps were in the mid-60s (and falling), the scenery was spectacular and the fish were active — including 2.5- and 3.5-pound footballs that I watched hammer my lure on back-to-back casts. I hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy the action while it lasts. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.