It is good to be back!

Years have gone by and I put my writing career on hiatus due to my outdoor show, “American Predator Outdoors” on MOTV and the Outdoor Channel. Now it is time to get back to my roots where it all started and talk hunting and fishing with some survival articles mixed in. So let’s talk fishing in this article, discussing what lies ahead this season. As the fishing season grows closer, we will break each area down further.

I am very proud of Idaho Fish and Game and also the City of Pocatello for the undertaking of opening not one, but two fishing ponds in our great city. For years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I pushed very hard with Fish and Game and also our mayor to bring something to local anglers, especially our children, and they did it.

I have had the chance to fish both areas with my children and grandchildren. And neither place let me down. These are top bets in my book for after-work and weekend fishing fun to bring a child. With the chance of landing a true lunker up to 10 pounds!

The snow has been flying, the wind has been blowing and the cold, well, has been COLD! But March and April is around the corner and smallmouth bass go on the bite.

Pre-spawn is a top bet to land a Goliath bronze-back over 5 pounds. We are blessed to have this opportunity in our backyard. A few years ago I did a ESPN radio show with Al Linder of Linder’s Angling Edge TV show. We discussed a television show I did on Idaho smallmouth bass. He was amazed at the quality and quantity of fish we had in the Gem State. In fact, I have had the chance to fish across America and we have a top five fishery in the United States. We will be talking about where to go and what to use as the season closes in.

Wow, have times changed concerning boating/fishing regulations. Franklin County is really clamping down on boat restrictions in most reservoirs such as Twin Lakes, Glendale and many more small bodies of water that hold some of the best warm water fishing in this part of the state.

Here is the link to see what is happening this year on these bodies of water https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/activities/boating. I know it is confusing, but make sure you are prepared this year before you venture out onto the water and possibly get a ticket.

I am excited this year to hit the Portneuf River. Over the past few years, I have been pounding the stretch of river between Chesterfield and Lava and also below Lava Hot Springs. I was not disappointed.

Large cutthroats, browns and rainbows up to 4 pounds were on the menu. I had to get off the beaten path, but the trout management has been very good, providing not just quantity but quality fish. It is not like it was back in the 1970s and 1980s, but it is coming back. The key to any fishery is catch and release. Take a few photos and let your catch go.

Walleye should be excellent in Salmon Creek Falls and good in Oakley, but don’t underestimate Oneida Reservoir in March, as walleye start running into the mouth of Cotton Creek preparing for the spawn. Or should I say fake spawn, as these fish are not spawning successfully but do go through the motions. This is the time to land a true monster up to 10 pounds. It is not going to be easy, but know your quarry and know the tactics to put them in the creel. We will discuss this further in later articles.

Channel cats, I love’em! I love to eat deep fried catfish and we have them but you will have to travel. Soda Springs has them in Alexander Reservoir near downtown. Milner Reservoir near Burley is a top bet. With a very small population of cat-fishing anglers in Idaho, the population is booming. A good night fishing for cats can produce a stringer full, and some cats are in the 10-15 pound range.

This is just a taste of what’s to come in the future, as temperatures rise and waters thaw. I see this year as a very good season as we should be able to have our boats on the water into late August due to this crazy winter we have had.

Until next week, stay safe in Idaho’s great outdoors.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at AmericanPredatorOutdoors.net