Back on open water: Spring provides big trout and big excitement for Idaho anglers

The morning fog was thick as we motored down the Snake River in my buddy Bryce’s jet boat. An early spring chill clung to my face as I peered through the mist, on the lookout for hazards in the unseasonably low water. Despite the cold and extra precaution, it felt good to be back on the open river.

From December through February, most of my angling adventures happen on the hardwater. But after hanging up my auger and ice rods for the season, it was exciting to be making casts with full-sized gear. I launched my Rapala toward the bank, zipping it back in short, sudden bursts.

“There’s one!” cried Bryce, as a big rainbow trout snapped up his spinner. The fish took off and, with a head-shaking leap, it was gone.

We smiled. It was a bummer to lose the fish, but it was an encouraging sign to see the big ones were willing to play. This stretch of river had produced giants in the past, including my personal-best rainbow.

Zip, zip, zip. I watched a good-sized trout follow my lure, only to bail just a few feet from the boat.

Zip, zip, zip. WHAM!

There’s something different about how a fish hits a retrieve lure. None of this picky, nosing an ice jig stuff. That fish wanted my Rapala dead, and the ensuing fight was just as fierce as the strike.

After several minutes, we scooped a nearly five-pound rainbow in the net. We were on them!

We certainly had to work for them, though. After my first catch, I went through an hour-long lull before breaking the spell with three-pounder on a pink jig-and-bobber. Bryce switched to a jig and quickly got on the board, too. Then, things went cold again.

We buzzed around the river, basking in the early-spring sunshine and taking in some breathtaking sights, including one island that had at least 40 bald and golden eagles roosting in its trees. We flung lures and bait at several promising spots, but came up empty.

“Let’s go back to our first spot,” I suggested. “We know they’re there. Maybe they’ll be ready to eat.”

We pulled out all the stops and tried some of my secret cut bait. Within minutes, I had a drag-burning giant on the line. Bryce had barely scooped it in the net when he got a bite of his own. We traded places and I scooped up his catch, another gorgeous, two-foot rainbow.

“Good call,” smiled Bryce. “Someone definitely rang the dinner bell!”

Our first open-water voyage of 2022 was a success — we each had two nice trout on the stringer for dinner, and the sights and sounds of the Snake River were a welcome changeup from frozen lakes. But what happened next really put this day over the top.

After a well-placed cast with my trusty cut bait, I got a solid bite and set the hook hard. With unexpected ferocity, a huge trout raced downstream, threatening to get lost in some overhanging branches. At the last second, the fish turned and went on a line-peeling run upstream. It leaped. It thrashed. It repeatedly swam under the boat. It jumped again. I hung on for dear life, trying to direct the fish away from the brush, but otherwise letting my gear do its job.

It was, pound for pound, one of the most awesome, breathtaking battles I’ve ever experienced on freshwater.

At long last, we landed a six-pound slab of a rainbow. It wasn’t the biggest trout I’ve caught on the Snake, but it was definitely the feistiest. Open water is officially back — and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this season has in store. 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.

This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM.