Hitting the road for a trip? Liven it up by embracing the power of the fishing pit stop
When I was a teenager, I always kept a fishing rod and tackle box in the trunk of my ’97 Honda Accord. The strategy paid off, too — anytime a shortened work shift or change of plans left me with spare time, I could drive straight to the nearest body of water.
I called these spontaneous outings fishing pit stops. They were the perfect way to get a few extra casts in, or to explore that spot I’d driven past dozens of times but never fished.
Two decades later, the fishing pit stop is still a vital tool in my tackle box. I no longer keep gear stashed in my vehicle — it can be tough on your equipment, and I have little hands to keep safe from hooks these days — but I still toss a rod in whenever I have a chance.
One recent opportunity came when I had to run a family errand in Hailey. The five-hour round trip drive wasn’t an ideal way to spend Sunday morning, and I had to be back in town by noon. But, if I woke up early enough, I could squeeze in an hour on the Big Wood River, one of my favorite trout streams. So, away I went, armed with an ultralight spinning rod and a small box of trout tackle.
I arrived at the river just as the sun was peeking over the Pioneer Mountains. I had exactly 70 minutes to fish, so I set to work right away and was encouraged to catch a feisty brown trout on my third cast. Not long after that, I landed a small rainbow trout.
One of the keys to pit stop fishing is having realistic expectations. With limited time, you usually can’t fish all the holes or try all the lures you typically would. Still, I’m often amazed by how productive these little outings can be.
Halfway through my Hailey pit stop, my ultralight rod doubled over as I set the hook on another fish. A gorgeous rainbow launched itself from the river and tail-walked across the surface, peeling line as it zipped across the Big Wood. Eventually, I brought 18 inches of wild trout to the net, pausing for a quick selfie before releasing it into the emerald-colored pool it came from. This pit stop was officially a rousing success!
I tacked on a couple smaller trout before hitting the road. As I drove away, I thought fondly of other pit stop catches. Both this year and last, my biggest smallmouth bass have been caught pit stopping along the Snake River (both in places I hadn’t fished before — exploring new waters is another pit stop perk). Quick laps around local ponds have produced big largemouth bass and enormous brood stock trout. Last week, I met my buddy Bryce to do some float tubing. I beat him to the rendezvous point by 20 minutes ... which I promptly spent catching smallmouth from the nearby river. A fishing pit stop within a fishing trip!
Between work, kids, school and the many responsibilities of adulting, time can be a scarce resource. If “real life” is putting a cramp in your fishing plans, try stashing a rod in the trunk (or at least close enough to toss in on short notice). You never know when you might get a chance to use it — but when you do, chances are, it’s going to be awesome. 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 August 8, 2023 at 4:00 AM.