Idaho Fishing News

IDAHO FALLS-The free fishing event planned for Saturday, July 30 at the Ryder Park Pond just south of Idaho Falls, Idaho is being moved to the Gem Lake Boat Ramp due to construction delays at the newly developed Ryder Park Pond.

IDAHO FALLS - For a number of years, Free Fishing Day in Idaho Falls has meant lots of fun for kids catching fish in the portion of Willow Creek located in Freeman Park. Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) would barricade a section of the creek to contain planted hatchery fish and the Elks Clubs would help kids experience the thrill of catching a fish, but this year water condition are just too high for safety or to allow for good fishing. Thanks to a bargain struck between IDFG and Idaho Falls Power, the Gem State Kids Pond will be opened early and all the fish that would have been planted in Willow Creek will instead be stocked at the pond. The Gem State Kids Pond is located south of Idaho Falls, near the Bonneville / Bingham County line.

The May issue of Idaho Fish and Game News is now available.

This issue covers how Fish and Game biologists estimate big game populations. It explains to how aerial surveys account for animals that observers can't see from the air. The population estimates rely on statistical sampling methods - similar to the way the television industry uses a sampling of a few hundred viewers in the Nielsen ratings to find out what people are watching.

To help families with youths discover the joys of fishing, the 20th annual Kiwanis Kid's Fishing Day will be from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 30, Moscow's Hordemann Pond.

Volunteers will be on hand to help young anglers, and Idaho Fish and Game's "Take Me Fishing" trailer will be stocked with rods and reels available for loan on a first-come, first-served basis.

Idaho anglers will be able to start fishing for Chinook salmon on Saturday, April 23.

But this year's return of Chinook salmon appears to be late, and anglers shouldn't expect many fish to be in Idaho waters when the season opens.

IDAHO FALLS - Idaho Fish and Game is beginning work on fishing rule changes for 2013, and looking for comments from anglers for rules that cover aspects of fishing other than seasons and bag limits. Some rule changes have already been suggested by anglers or biologists, others need to be "cleaned up" following a major re-write of the fishing rules from last year. Additional suggestions from the public are welcome.

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. - Camping for three weeks out of the back of his truck while he prefished the Red River paid off for 22-year-old Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, in the BASS Federation Nation Championship presented by Skeeter and Yamaha.

SHREVEPORT-BOSSER CITY, La. - With limits hard to come by at the 2010 BASS Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats, Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, was one of the few competitors in the 55-angler field to dredge up a five-fish limit on Louisiana's Red River.

The third time's the charm. - or so hopes Bill Golightly of Preston, Idaho. As a recent qualifier for the 2010 BASS Federation Nation Championship, Golightly is set for his third attempt at a Bassmaster Classic berth.

REXBURG- The "Take Me Fishing Trailer" has been one of the Idaho Department of Fish & Game's (IDFG) most successful new program innovations in recent years. The concept is that wherever one of the trailers show up, free fishing and fun ensue for this who stop by. Dates and locations for the trailers have been advertised statewide and tens of thousands of bookmark/calendars were given out to Idaho schoolchildren before they headed home for the summer. Unfortunately, warm weather conditions at the start of August drove up water temperatures at one eastern Idaho fishing hole, forcing IDFG to make a last minute schedule change. The fishing trailer will not be going to the Rexburg City Ponds on Saturday, August 21. Instead the trailer and helpers will be heading to the Trail Creek Kids Pond outside of Victor on that day.