Weekly hunting and fishing report

Thu., Sept. 24, 2015

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

If you don’t get your fishing line seated correctly on your reel, you’ll have twisting problems for a long time. To do it correctly, place the supply spool on the floor. It should spiral off the spool as you pull it up. With the line threaded through the rod guides and attached to the reel, hold the rod tip 3-4 feet above the supply spool and make 20 turns on the reel handle and stop. Now lower the rod tip to one foot from the supply spool and check to see if the slack line twists or coils. If it does, turn the supply spool upside down. This will eliminate most of the twist as you wind the rest of the line onto the reel. If the other side has more of a coiled or twisted nature to it, go back to the first side and take line off while it’s face-up.

Overheard

Dove hunters were heard joking this week about WDFW raising the limit to 15 and extending the season to the end of October. “Most of the birds are gone by the second of September anyway,” one of them said. “Why not just open the season a week earlier and call it good?”

Heads up

• The public launch at Sprague Lake’s southwest end has reopened after a long construction and improvement project.

• The 2015-16 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet incorrectly states that steelhead retention is allowed year round in the lower Grande Ronde River. The correct fishing rule in the lower Grande Ronde River requires anglers to release all steelhead from April 16 to Dec. 31. In addition, a new rule requiring mandatory retention of hatchery steelhead is in place from Jan. 1 to April 15 on that portion of the river.

Fly Fishing

The change in seasons is a good reminder that a change in tactics may also be required. What worked on the rivers this summer might not be the best option in the fall. Start working Caddis, Mahoganies and BWOs into your repertoire to match upcoming fall hatches. According to the pros at Silver Bow Fly Shop, the Clark Fork and Kootenai Rivers will be great choices as the colder weather sets in. Nymphing, and streamer tactics especially, will be critical on those cooler mornings.

Activity in the lower Clearwater for steelhead has been rising, but the arrival of chinooks will up the ante. Dredging purple leeches and tips in deeper water is a good option.

The mid-St. Joe River near Avery is a decent choice for trout, but the lower is beginning to show some promise. Rubber leg buggers and sculpins continue to produce the best results, but streamer fishing might earn some looks. The fall hatch has been light, but an uptick should occur with a turn in the weather.

Salmon and steelhead

With the Snake River at the mouth of the Clearwater gaining popularity with Chinook and steelhead anglers, those seeking a little more solitude could head up the Clearwater on U.S. 95 to fish above the Memorial Bridge. The harvest season doesn’t open on that stretch until Oct. 15, so this is catch-and-release steelhead fishing.

Steelhead fishing will open Thursday from the Highway 395 Bridge at Kennewick upstream to the old Hanford town site, wooden powerline tower. Several thousand steelhead are expected to pass by en route to Ringold Springs Hatchery and upstream to tributaries to the upper Columbia River.

While the forecasted run of fall Chinook salmon into the Columbia River rose to 1,095,900 – more than 15 percent higher than the preseason forecast of 925,300 – catch reports from the Hanford area have yet to validate the increase. Fish are jumping and rolling all over, but few have made it to the boat despite concerted efforts. Of those caught, including a 26-pound beauty by Captain Dave’s Guide Service, trolling varying depths with traditional cut plug and super baits on downriggers has been the most effective. Fishing early to midday has produced the most action.

Angling for both salmon and steelhead on the Snake River has been slow to fair. Trolling tuna-stuffed, Brad’s Super Baits with spinners typically does the trick, but has recently stymied some anglers. Friends using shrimp and bobbers at the confluence managed to land a few Chinook keepers and a 10-pound steelhead this week, but they seem to be among the minority of most fishermen in the area.

Trout and kokanee

The larger lake trout are stacking into the State Park Bay on Lake Chelan for their fall spawning ritual and feeding aggressively on mysis shrimp. Troll the face of the State Park Bay in the morning and the face of Manson Bay in the evening. These fish will have bright red flesh and are delicious on the grill.

Amber Lake has been giving up rainbows in the 14-inch range, but shifts from catch-and-keep to catch-and-release on Oct. 1. Several Eastern Washington fishing lakes close at the end of September, or have special regulations that take effect. Be sure and check the regulations before heading out.

Both Badger and Williams Lakes offer extended fishing seasons due to a planned WDFW fish kill later this fall. All size and daily catch limits have been suspended through Oct. 25, making an attractive opportunity for late season anglers. The lakes will be restocked this coming spring with native trout prior to opening day.

Fishermen on the Spokane Arm at Roosevelt are beginning to see some of the larger rainbows show, but the smaller trout plants dominate most catch reports.

Spiny ray

Walleye are drawing plenty of attention this month. The Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam is one of the region’s best walleye fisheries, as is the Columbia River below McNary Dam. Smallmouth bass share river habitat with walleye, moving into shallower water as it cools.

The Banks Lake walleye bite is still going strong. Bottom bouncers and Mack’s Slow Death lures dressed with worm and a chartreuse smile blade in 20 feet of water have convinced fish averaging 16 inches or better to strike. Trolling Berkley Flicker Shads in perch and crawdad colors has also worked nicely.

The Potholes have been allowing mixed bags of walleye, bass and perch for fishermen looking for variety. Grubs and tubes thrown near rocky banks in 14-20 feet of water attract plenty of smallmouths, while orange and black smile blades and bottom bouncers entice all others equally.

Other species

Levels of domoic acid in razor clams have declined over the summer but remain high enough that the clams are unsafe to eat, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the WDFW.

Hunting

Hunters ages 65 years and up have through Friday to take advantage of the special pheasant hunting opportunity in Washington State. Harvest numbers have yet to come in, but there appears to be plenty of cover for birds to hide in despite the dry conditions experienced this year.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed an outbreak of bluetongue disease in whitetail deer in the drought-stricken eastern region. Bluetongue is a common virus transmitted by biting gnats at water sources where deer congregate during dry conditions. Wildlife managers ensure the disease will not affect scheduled hunting seasons, but encourage people who observe suspected disease to report to the eastern regional office in Spokane at (509) 892-1001, or the department’s dead wildlife hotline at 1-800-606-8768 (FREE).

Young Idaho hunters looking for an early shot at waterfowl may participate in the youth hunt Sept. 26-27 in Area 1 and Oct. 3-4 in the rest of the state. Possession and daily limits for ducks, geese, snipe and coots remain the same as those in effect during the regular season for these special, two-day-only hunts.

Idaho chukars, partridge and quail opened Sept. 19 for most of the state and will remain open through Jan. 31.

Sharp-tailed grouse opens Oct. 1 in Idaho and runs through the end of the month. A daily bag limit of two birds with a possession limit of six will be in effect. Any person hunting sharp-tailed grouse must have a valid Idaho hunting license with a $4.74 sage/sharp-tailed grouse permit validation.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com