Devan S.

Please consider less than that. This time of year makes me sick with Walleye....and the pressure and number of guides are through the roof and their all taking their 4 fish limit daily. I just will not hardly keep one from now until late April. If I do, I'll be really selective with an 18.25" male.

I'd bet most are just over the hill from him or up the river arms chasing something besides bass.

In NW Nebraska on the way to Montana is Fort Robinson State Park....absolutely worth a stop along the way....In that general vicinity you can catch nice cutts, nice brookies, tigers, browns and bows. All with really short hikes in easy terrain. The brush around the streams can be a bear but that is part of the fun. However its fairly popular and I could see it being crowded at certain times. Not trout park popular but you will see people on horseback and camping. The mountains in east Arizona are nice. Gila trout in AZ + right across the border in NM within a couple hours. Apaches, Artic Grayling, Brooks, Bows, Browns, cutties, tigers, ect. Lake fishing, teeny tiny stream fishing in open meadows, bushwhacking brush covered streams, little streams, rivers, take your pick all within a very short scenic drive. You will see people but nothing crowded at all. There is a lot of water to cover in the general vicinity and its fairly remote.

I don't know in those situations if I want to see it and know or just leave it a mystery. I've got 2 of them as well One on Beaver, fishing the big hump in the dam area down the hill from the dive shop. Threw a flutter spoon and was bouncing it along. It took off and eventually just pulled out. The other was in the tailwaters between spider creek and 62 bridge on a jig around the big boulders. It never took off but held to the bottom with big head shakes. They had just started to run water and current was picking up and after 3 or 4 minutes I was pressing to get it up and it was getting really close to the boat. Did the same thing holding the spool to put more pressure and pop went the line. Never saw it so have no idea what it was....still haunts me today.

Can confirm. Have caught fish on the San Juan in New Mexico, High alpine lakes for Colorado Cutties in Co, Cutties and Rainbows in Arizona, Beaver Tailwaters, multiple trout in Nebraska lakes, and RRSP.

Great information so far. The Wenaha looks like a great place to start. Its a looks like a good size river, in difficult access, away from people. Thanks for the tips so far.

I fished again today and caught another 6lber. I was really frustrated though. I rolled up to the boat ramp and could visibly see topwater action. Not aggressive like spring but active fish slurping. I made a couple passes with the rig with nothing. Everything was on top and looking up. Lots of bait balls. I started throwing topwater and nothing. All my swimbaits/ect I had with me are the big stuff. I keep some 2.8" Keitechs in the boat but on my swimbait rods they just wont throw at all. I had some rattletraps I threw but nothing doing. The fish really seemed to be keyed in on the lazy slow moving groups of 2" shad which means they were predictable on where they would surface but not interested in bigger or faster moving baits. I really think if I would have a smaller rod to really throw the little swimbaits on lighter heads or even a fly rod I would have caught fish. The actual fish I caught was later in the day after the fish pushed deeper.

Man...when someone stumbles upon one of those lake resident bows.....they are a football for sure.

I've got a pair of the cheap frog togg waders(maybe $100) for my breathable/travel waders. They after 3 years have started leaking enough I quit wearing them in November(i.e. one sock wet enough I didn't feel like going to work after fishing without going home to change). They have been hauled across the country, been through tons of briar patches, tossed in a car wrapped in a ball and just left for months at a time. I think my bigger problem is my $10 clearance size 14 or 15 Walmart boots I use with them. I've got a pair of neoprene I wear in the cold. Cheapies from Academy again maybe 10 years old....or more. They seep a bit right now(crotch and leg seams) but they haven't really been used in 3 years(FWIW I have no problem going to work a bit damp after fishing in them).They really leaked before around the boot transition. I took a can of plasti-dip and heavily coated the seams from the outside and it solved 90% of my leaks. I really think if I did the inside seams they would be 100% dry but its a weird texture that I'm not sure I'd like on the inside. I'm tempted to try my frogg togg waders and the plasti-dip experiment but lately its been cold enough I haven't had a desire to not have the neoprene's. Maybe one of these days I will try and if it doesn't work I'll buy a new pair otherwise I'll keep on keeping on. I'm glad to hear about the Piscifun stuff. I will likely go that route if I buy another set. So far I like their stuff.

Someday...as a bucket list deal I'd really like to go to Fernie, BC and fish the Elk for giants but alas on this trip I will just be looking for a fish. Although if I stumbled into a big one....I'd be okay with that.

Rod is a Bass Pro rod from the "Musky" section. 7'6" Heavy Power, Fast Action. Rated for 2-10oz. Reel is Ambassador C3 6500 Line is PP depth hunter 20lb. I've hung up 2x and both times I wrapped line around a cleat and managed to pull it free without breaking line. Really should get a knocker but so far I've managed. Hooks are whatever comes with the Captain Macks umbrella rigs. Rigs are 3oz. 4 arm, 9 baits each jig is 3/4oz. This is something I'm just making due with at this point. Its a lot of weight and the rod seems to be handling it. Its just a stiff rod and braid. Part of me thinks the correct way would be for me to switch to a line counter reel and use a mono to gain some shock absorption but the other part of me thinks that I should literally winch them in and never let them get a chance to use the weight of the rig to try and sling the hook.

Put in at Ventris this morning with the intent of running south looking for Striper. My boat has not been running correctly at WOT. It cuts out and sputters. I change my fuel line/bulb assembly last week so this was a test run. Right off the bat there was gulls diving mid-lake right off the boat ramp. I trolled through with an umbrella rig. During my first turn around my boat died like it was starved of fuel. I hoped it was the fuel line being pinched in the assembly between the boat and motor.. After pumping the bulb it re-started and ran fine all day but I did waste about 2 hours trolling worthless areas before I felt comfortable taking off and going farther. Eventually I made a WOT run between Horseshoe Bend Marina to 12 bridge without cutting out so looks like that was the issue. I did find a bunch of bait and stripers pushed up against a steeper bluff/large chunk bank from the wind. My first pass with an umbrella rig on the inside channel roll off yielded a 6lb striper and a small what looked to be white bass. I made 12-14 passes total without another bite. These are the first fish I have landed on an umbrella rig as the previous 3 or 4 hookups pulled off. I was beginning to think I needed a different rod to keep them buttoned. There was a lot of boats running but very little fishing taking place. WT 46 between Ventris and Horseshoe bend Marine.

I'm thinking in Oregon the Metoluis but I may not make it there in 2023....it maybe my 2024 trip, time will tell. Even then at 29 miles long and reasonable access its easy to break it down fairly fast once I get boots on the ground. The problem with Idaho is that it looks like almost every major system has them according to Idaho fish and game and everything out there seems to be a half day+ travel to get too. Again not completely conducive to 1-3 days. The Saint Joe River shows to have year round resident fish as well as migratory fish but its got 140 miles of river to explore not including every tributary that likely has some fish. The Clearwater and its forks offer hundreds more miles. I'm just trying to narrow it down a bit.

2023: UT/WY cutt slams. 4 states off my Western Native Trout Challenge(UT/WY/ID/MT) 2 new Arkansas Master Angler Species

I am hoping someone can provide some less known locations for Bull trout specifically ID or OR. I know the normal "broad" locations/drainages. I am hoping someone can narrow it down a bit more for me. Planning on going west again in 2023/24 and Bull trout in ID or OR is needed for my Western native challenge. There isn't a lot of information out there. While I may ultimately go for a full week for only Bulls in 2024, 2023 will be just a 1-3 day adventure along with other plans. Hoping to just tip the odds a few % in my favor. PM preferred.

Here is the update right at the finish line. I may get a trip or 2 in between now and the clock striking midnight but I've accepted my fate at this point. Here is my updated list: Gila Trout Apache Trout NM trout slam 1 level of Arizona trout challenge Both Levels complete 2 more Arkansas Master Anglers-Wasn't even close although I picked up 2 in Nebraska and 1 in NM. 1 trout park lunker(not RR)-Never stood a chance. Was a stretch goal anyways. I've got a couple more want-to's on the list but I'm not sure how travel will work out.- Travel worked out and was able to get Nebraska trout slam and Colorado for my western natives challenge. I really got farther than expected with completed NM, AZ, and Nebraska trout slams. I really figured I would come up short in AZ. I really thought I might stumble into an Arkansas Master Angler but they are very much about finding a higher percentage location and spending the time. I did get reasonably close with Walleye and Trout. Trout park lunker was a pipe dream that hasn't materialized yet. Just don't have time to commit.

The worst problem I've found is the amount of gear the rocks eats. Jerkbaits....lost a bunch. Jig/minnow....don't bounce them on the bottom. Add in its colder than heck and re-tying 40 or 50 times becomes a chore.

I've been to LD 13-3 times last year and skunked each time for sauger. Its highly intriguing to me. Will probably go back a couple times and may venture over to Ozark as well.

I put in at Ventris. Late start....we likely passed each other somewhere between. I pulled umbrella rig for striper. Stayed close as I thought my boat was acting up. Had one solid hook up but it came loose. More boats out when I pulled out about 2:30. Then headed for the tailwaters.

Man if that doesn't look like a good time.....then....well.

1st I'd probably never do a skin mount. 2nd Even the best reproductions are only close and rarely are the colors matched that well. 3rd highly dependent on species. To me Walleye, Bass, ect just don't make as good a visual mount as trout. There is also a lot of crap paint jobs too. That being said the situation and story dictates more than just the fish size. I have 1 mount of the fish in my picture. A trout a bit over 24" caught well below the park in RR. Fish was colored up pretty and I was camping with all my friends. That same fish caught in Taney or RR in the park I wouldn't mount. I'd much rather have a really good picture if I was fishing with someone and could get one.

Not lost per se....yet. However below Beaver Dam in the special reg. section its much darker than Taney and the cross over point I mark by a larger sycamore mentally. Obviously fog banks cause lots of disorientation especially if you cant see the treeline. I'm always afraid that they will blow the horn and I wont have time to get back and find the spot in the fog so I always go elsewhere in that case. I know I could get close with GPS on my phone but in a rush I'm not sure I could get the couple hundred yard run back, check my phone, and get across prior to "too much" water.

Your making it a hard decision if I should hook the boat and chase big fish or stay below and fish trout.

Wading or walking the bank depending on location. Water is low so plenty of area to get around.

Been fishing consistently 2-3 times a week. I'm only fishing the first hour or 2 of the morning unless its cloudy/nasty like this weekend then I might go a bit longer. Not a lot to report. I haven't found a bunch of small browns like I expected to run into at some point. I fear that they were dumped and nearly immediately harvested. The water is low and areas around Bertrand/Parker is prime pickings for both birds and bait fisherman. I've been seeing a lot of birds lately picking off fish. I'm consistently picking up a keeper walleye here and there and usually a couple shorts. In the restricted area I'm catching some better rainbows. Outside the restricted area I have struggled. Lots of lost fish or fish that are short striking. With the jerkbait in shallow water I can often see them grab it and run with it but they are instantly gone when I set the hook. I caught 1 brown all weekend a 17-18" fish but that's been it for the better part of 2-3 weeks now. I'm seeing a lot of browns and seeing some nice ones caught.....I guess there just doing their thing and not interested in my offerings. I am ready for some cold and weather to push out the less committed crew.