Weekly hunting and fishing report

Thu., Jan. 15, 2015

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

<h5>Tip of the week</h5> <p>The annual launch permit for Lake Roosevelt can be purchased at the little store by Ft. Spokane, or you can order one through the National Park Service online at <a href="https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/64970644">https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/64970644</a>. </p> <h5>Braggin’ rights</h5> <p>I finally shot a wild rooster pheasant in Washington on Jan. 11, the last day of the season, and the next day, my Brittany pup had 10 points on quail in thick sagebrush. I only shot four, but I can’t blame the dog for that. The most impressive part of the weekend was surviving the muscle spasms I got Sunday night from high-stepping though thick cover. </p> <h5>Heads up</h5> <p> • Two boat launches near Wanapum Dam – Grant PUD’s Wanapum Upper Boat Launch and the launch at Wanapum State Park just south of Vantage – are now open for public use, but many others remain closed. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expects to remove all restrictions on public access in time for the 2015 summer recreation season. Those visiting the shoreline and reservoir are cautioned to be aware that sections of the shoreline may still be unstable. Boaters should be mindful of shallow-water hazards and heed all warning signs and barriers near the dam. </p> <p> • There seems to be some confusion about the use of bait in Washington State when fishing for trout. With the fishing so good at Lake Roosevelt this winter, some anglers are “high-grading” – catching and releasing dozens of fish in an attempt to catch a limit of the larger carryovers. Because most lures used at Roosevelt, even flies, are sweetened with some kind of bait, this is illegal. If bait or scent is used on a lure at Roosevelt, anglers must keep the first five fish caught. Even a fish released while still in the water counts as a “landed” fish if bait is used. This rule applies to all waters in Washington, whatever the limit. </p> <h5>Overheard</h5> <p>Idaho Fish and Game will ask Idaho lawmakers this legislative session to consider a proposal to increase resident Idaho license and tag fees, but the request has a twist: the proposal, if approved, would be followed by a Fish and Game Commission order allowing license buyers to exempt themselves from the increase, as long as they buy an annual license every year starting this year. </p>

Fly fishing

The Yakima River went from ice to mud last week, but is improving quickly. It is still a little on the high side, but should soon be under 2,000 cubic feet per second, which results in decent winter fly fishing.

Pink has been the preferred color for Snake River steelhead recently. The best fishing has been around Asotin. The Clearwater is dropping and should get good again soon, but the Grande Ronde is high and muddy.

The North Fork Coeur d’Alene River has dropped and should be a decent winter option. Find the slowest currents possible to fish streamers.

Salmon and steelhead

Toby Wyatt at Reel Time Charters says this has been an “epic” season on the Clearwater. Because of the strong run, Idaho Department of Fish and Game has increased the limit to three hatchery steelhead per person with no size restrictions.

Scented plugs, back-trolled in the Snake River’s Hells Canyon, are taking good numbers of steelhead.

A few steelhead are coming to net around Pateros on the Columbia River, but water is moving pretty fast. Trolled Flatfish have done the best.

Trout and kokanee

Trolling for suspended kokanee in Lake Chelan has gotten more and more productive as January wears on. Mack’s Mini Cha Cha Squidders in Orange on a short leader behind their Double 00 Dodgers has been a good combination. Bait the Mini Cha Cha with corn. The 13- to 15-inch fish are being found anywhere from 45 to 200 feet deep. Troll slowly at 1.1 mph.

Lake Roosevelt rainbow continue their torrid bite out of every launch on the reservoir. Whether long-lining Rapalas, dragging orange-colored flies or using a flasher and Apex, the bite has been consistently good, and most anglers are taking limits in less than four hours. The kokanee bite seems to have picked up slightly with fish to 18 inches reported, but they are spread out more than in past years.

Rock Lake rainbow, “cookie cutter” 13-inchers, are hitting a variety of lures and plugs. Trolling speed seems to be the most important consideration with 2.5 mph the magic number. The lake is still low.

Ice fishing

Ice at most area lakes has firmed up enough for safe fishing, though ice just off Blue Heron Park, where the big perch were last week in Moses Lake, has deteriorated.

Bead Lake ice is about five inches thick in the bays, but the middle of the lake, from the power lines north, was open at mid-week. Bead is noted for its big winter burbot, but the best areas are those with open water.

Fernan Lake has about 5 inches of good ice and anglers are taking a mixed bag of 8- to 10-inch perch and 9- to 12-inch trout.

Patterson Lake, near Winthrop, Washington, has a solid 8-inch lid. Perch up to 10 inches are being caught, as well as rainbow to 16 inches.

Three friends and I fished Eloika Lake north of Jerry’s Landing on Wednesday, catching perch, bass, sunfish and crappie, but it was a slow bite. Another friend stayed out past dark last weekend and caught several keeper crappie.

Silver Lake perch are small near the public access, but there are some bigger ones across the lake near the stick-ups.

Hog Canyon and Fourth of July both have good ice. Hog Canyon is giving up rainbow to 12 inches. The road in was dry on Wednesday. Fourth of July rainbow are averaging about 14 inches.

Waitts, Williams and Hatch lakes have a pretty good ice cover now. Williams and Hatch have rainbow trout and Waitts has rainbow and browns as well as perch. The trout fishing has been fair just out from the public access.

Spiny ray

Some of the largest walleye of the year are boated on the Columbia during the winter months near Tri-Cities. Anglers are just beginning to test this fishery. You don’t have to go that far though to catch a mess of walleye says Craig Dowdy at YJ Guide Service. It shouldn’t be as good as it is right now, but bottom bouncers are limiting near Ft. Spokane on 16- to 18-inch fish. Dowdy said the bite has been consistent for three weeks.

Other species

The warm (40-degree) water that is keeping Roosevelt walleye active has slowed the burbot bite. Burbot prefer colder water, and will take over many of the walleye holes when the water temperatures drop a bit more.

A second razor clam dig is scheduled on various Washington beaches Jan. 17-24. Low afternoon tides the first few days will allow diggers to hit the beaches in daylight and the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Jan. 19 provides an opportunity for a long weekend of clamming. WDFW has also proposed another dig tentatively set to begin Jan. 30 if marine toxin tests are favorable.

Hunting

Duck hunters in the Moses Lake area say there are plenty of mallards but they are difficult to access because the boat ramps, with the exception of the one at MarDon Resort, are frozen.

There are thousands upon thousands of geese feeding in fields along Highway 2 from Ft. Spokane to Airway Heights. Ducks, however, are scarce in the same area. There don’t seem to be any mallards on Lake Roosevelt, though there are good numbers of goldeneyes and buffleheads as well as a few bluebills and redheads.

Canada geese in Goose Management Area 4 will be open every day Jan. 19-25, the end of the waterfowl season. Quail, chukar and grey partridge remain open through this Monday.

Hunters wishing to participate in Idaho spring hunts for black bear can begin applying Jan. 15. Applications for Idaho spring turkey controlled hunts begin February 1. Applications are available at any license vendor, Fish and Game office or with a credit card by calling: 1-800-554-8685.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com