Snake River catfish

[ID_Paul]

I just returned from the Snake River between Walters Ferry and Marsing.

The day was perfect - weather has been stable, water flows have been stable in the 7500-8000 range. It was warm, not unbearably hot, and the water was surprisingly clear. The surface temp was 68 degrees. The only thing missing was fish activity. I didn't get a single bite all morning.

I anchored at the bottom of an island with a long sand and mud bar off the downstream side. I tried cut bait, worms and Bowker's dip bait. There was a 6' slackwater hole on one side, and shallow milfoil-infested channel on the other. I placed my hooks in each area, and also drifted worms under a float through the shallow channel. After about 3 hours of nothing, I drifted downstream in the main channel, 5 to 9 feet deep, dragging cutbait along the bottom. Lots of fish showed up on the sonar, most all of them within 2 feet of the bottom. No interest.

Any general advice on what to look for regarding water depth, structure or other relevant information would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
Paul
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