# Henry's Lake, Idaho



## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

Henry's was stellar again this opener. The only disappointment was that it was certainly quantity over quality. Seems like the glory days having the average fish be 3-4 pounds may be gone for awhile. Only caught 1 fish over 20 inches, everything else fell in the 16-18 inch range. Caught all cutts and hybrids, not a single brookie. Stopped counting fish after I landed number 50 on both Saturday and Monday. I'd dare say it was a 300 fish trip between the 4 of us. Typical leech patterns worked well early and late and the chironomid bite was hot in between. The wind wasn't too bad so we were able to fish out of the boat for about 95% of the time which really helped. 

Finally convinced the wife to come out with us a night and give the whole fly fishing thing a try, I think she's hooked! She had a blast indicator fishing with the chironomids and did pretty dang good.


----------



## spencerD (Jan 14, 2014)

This is a lake on my bucket list. I need to get up there and get into those fish. Gah, I'm jealous looking at that stringer! Sounds like it was a stellar trip yet again.


----------



## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Thanks you for the report - looking at going soon though I sure like October up there


----------



## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

No brook trout? That's too bad. Seems that is the only thing doing well in there lately, which is OK by me. Size should come up now that Idaho quit stocking 500 billion fish per year up there. Hopefully they will go the trophy management mentality and not the put-and-take family fishery mentality of the last few years. I would much rather catch a couple 4-10lb. fish than 50 dinks.


----------



## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> No brook trout? That's too bad. Seems that is the only thing doing well in there lately, which is OK by me. Size should come up now that Idaho quit stocking 500 billion fish per year up there. Hopefully they will go the trophy management mentality and not the put-and-take family fishery mentality of the last few years. I would much rather catch a couple 4-10lb. fish than 50 dinks.


Agreed. In previous years it seems like 1 in 8 fish we'd catch would be over 4 pounds, that percentage has drastically decreased over the last couple years. IMO I don't see Idaho changing their stocking long term enough to make a difference. They are pretty content with a put and take fishery. I think extending the season for ice fishing really damaged the trophy population as well. Kind of sickened me to see all the pictures of 5+ pounders being taken out in the numbers by the ice fisherman.


----------



## RichardClarke (Nov 5, 2011)

Henrys Lake: Quite possibly the most overrated stillwater in the West...


----------



## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

October been berry berry good to me the last 4 years in a row. But I agree to the over-all statements about the decline- on a bright side Ponds got a do-over a couple of years ago- (0:


----------



## north slope (Sep 8, 2007)

Henrys Lake has gone downhill for the monsters it used to hold. And it is because of they are idiots and opened it up to the bait hunckin ice fisherman. What a waste of a awesome fishery...This fish was caught 7 years ago.


----------



## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

That's a real beaut.


----------



## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Do we really, truly believe it's the ice fishing? They say the Memorial day fiasco take is much greater. Is it because of the "added" take during ice season? I'm not taking a side here, just discussing. I myself would like to see a year round fishery with only one fish over 20" and one under for a daily limit. None of that sacking up 2 big fish. Plus lowering the insane stocking numbers. Make it a technical, tough to fish lake again. 
P.S., beautiful hybrid, Northslope!


----------



## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Not saying one way or the other because I have no facts in front of me- I do think though that the larger fish are easier to target during the frozen lid season on Henrys. But again I have no facts on how many or how large the fish that are taken during that time is. I do think the over-all management has gone from a trophy fishery to a $$$$$$ fishery.


----------



## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> Do we really, truly believe it's the ice fishing? They say the Memorial day fiasco take is much greater. Is it because of the "added" take during ice season?


I do. Mortality rates are much higher during ice fishing because as water cools metabolic rates decrease. Fish are much less resistant this time of the year. Seems like a lot of people keep 1 fish (limit is 2) and play another who knows how many fish, then keep their last fish at some point and call it a day. Technically it is legal, but after seeing how some release 4,5,6 pound fish that have been flopping around on snow and ice for a couple minutes those fish don't stand a chance at survival.


----------

