Weekly hunting and fishing report

Thu., Aug. 14, 2014

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

A simple yet delicious method of preparing salmon is to fillet them, remove the bones, and then rub the flesh with brown sugar and a sprinkle of finely grated orange peel. Grill skinless fillets on the barbecue in an aluminum foil “boat” or place skin-side down on an oiled grate until the meat flakes.

Braggin’ rights

Although the run has just about ended, as of August 11 the number of sockeye salmon passing Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River had risen to 2,684. This is far more sockeye counted at Lower Granite since the dam was built in 1975. While these numbers pale in comparison to the tens of thousands of sockeye that once migrated this stretch of the Snake, it is a remarkable improvement from 1990, when not a one was observed passing the dam.

Overheard

A record return of fall chinook is projected for the Yakima River this year. Salmon fishing will open Sept. 1 for chinook, coho in the lower river below Prosser Dam.

Idaho Power Company biologists recently captured one of the largest fish it has encountered during a three-year survey of the white sturgeon fish population in the lower Snake River. The big fish hooked in the Hells Canyon downstream of Hells Canyon Dam measured nearly 10 feet long and weighed an estimated 470 pounds. The female sturgeon is estimated to be more than 75 years old. She was measured, outfitted with an electronic tag and released unharmed moments later.

Heads up

• The Two Rivers Fishing Derby runs August 23-24 at Lake Roosevelt. Entry fee for two-person teams is $125. Tickets are available at Tobler Marina, White Elephant Stores and Two Rivers RV Park. Info: Dan Kieffer 509-215-0202.

• The Sprague Community Center will have their last gun show of 2014 on September 20, beginning at 9 a.m. The show features guns, knives and collectables. General admission is $5. Children under 12 are free. Vendor space is $20. Info: (509) 259-7060.

• The Walla Walla District of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reopened the swimming area and beach at Lyons Ferry Park last Thursday after test results showed the water was again safe for in-water recreation.

• Buoy 10 fishing is gaining steam, but there are a lot of wild fish (with unclipped adipose fins), and keeping one can result in a hefty fine. WDFW is checking regularly at the launches, and even some experienced anglers are getting caught up in the excitement and forgetting to check those fins.

Fly Fishing

The small streams in the Chelan and Okanogan areas have dropped into fishing shape. Hit the Icicle, Entiat, White and other small streams with a three-weight for fast action on small trout.

Trout and kokanee

Kokanee fishing was ridiculously easy on Loon Lake Monday night. Jigging Glo Hooks and maggots in front of Granite Point in 33 feet of water, I caught a 10-fish limit in 15 minutes. The other three anglers in the boat also eventually limited, one a rookie who didn’t have a koke yet when I boated my 10th and quit fishing.

Kokanee fishing on Dworshak Reservoir near Granddad has been good with common limits of 10- to 11-inch fish.

Fish Lake by Cheney has a lot of really nice trout, both brookies and rainbows. Anglers fishing along the edge of the pads straight across from the launch are doing best in the evening, netting fish between 17 and 21 inches.

Salmon and steelhead

According to Chris Kern, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Deputy Fish Division Administrator, “This is shaping up to be one of those years that (Buoy 10) anglers will want to be able to look back on and say they participated in.” He says it should be even better than last year’s incredible season, and Buoy 10 is just the start of the fall fishery. Currently, fish are being caught 25 feet down in 45 feet of water.

Salmon fishing remains good around Westport. Some anglers are taking quick limits of coho and chinook, then heading out much farther (about 45 miles) for some pretty good tuna fishing.

The lower Clearwater is good for catch and release steelhead, mostly before 10:00 a.m. by both back-trolling and bobbers.

The most action on Lake Wenatchee for sockeye is taking place on the northwest end. The fish are sometimes fickle, but they are still there and seem to get larger as the season progresses. At mid-week, they were in great shape. There is still a record number in the lake.

Anglers are also catching good numbers of sockeye at Brewster. A friend of a friend who fished there this week said he landed 30 Chinook in three days. Only four, however, were keepers. The run has pretty much ended at Bonneville but these fish are still coming over Rocky Reach and Wells Dam.

Spiny ray

Friends who fished the Pend Oreille River near Newport this week said they found a lot of smallmouth up to 3 pounds wherever they found rocks. They were throwing four-inch Wacky Worms along current seams.

Area tiger muskie lakes like Silver, Newman and Curlew have given up a fair number of fish lately with those at Curlew being the largest – several over 40 inches. Tiger muskie must be 50 inches or longer to retain. Silver Lake has also been good for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Walleye fishing at Banks has been very good. Most recently, they have been found on the south end next to weed lines in about 15 feet of water. The early morning bite on trolled Rapalas has been most productive. The Crab Creek channel of Moses Lake has seen some good walleye fishing recently, and there are also largemouth and big perch. The perch bite will go on into the afternoon, but the bass and walleye shut down after 10 a.m.

Lower Goose Lake in Grant County offers a variety of spiny ray species. The south end of the lake has a lot of small perch, but some decent walleye and smallmouth are also coming in. Nearby Soda Lake can also be good for smallmouth.

Fish Lake in Chelan County has some good perch fishing.

Hunting

Three consecutive mild winters across most of Idaho have resulted in unusually high numbers of mule deer and whitetail deer. “With second tags at a discount and unusually high deer populations, 2014 could be the best opportunity we’ll see in Idaho (for deer hunting ) in a long time,” says State Wildlife Chief, Jeff Gould.

Most waterfowl opportunities in Washington will be similar to last year. That includes a statewide duck season that will be open for 107 days, starting Oct. 11-15 and continuing Oct. 18-Jan. 25. A special youth hunting weekend also is scheduled Sept. 20-21. Idaho waterfowl hunters will enjoy the same 107 day season for ducks and Canada geese with an early youth waterfowl hunt scheduled for September 27 and 28 statewide.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com