Alan Liere’s weekly fish and game report for Dec. 1

Wed., Nov. 30, 2016

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

Whether you plan to use your boat or let it sit this winter, be sure to put some additive in the gas. Ethanol fuels that over-winter in the carburetors will cause all kinds of grief when you try to start the outboard next spring.

Braggin’ rights

The Lake Pend Oreille Fall Derby wrapped up on Sunday. Winners were: Don Hale in the adult rainbow division with a fish weighing 19.02 pounds and Gale Belgarde, Jr. in the adult mackinaw division with a fish of 18.84 pounds.

The 2016 Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby concluded last Saturday in Lewiston with local anglers taking top prizes. In the adult division, Robert Bass of Colbert, Washington, took first place and $1,500 with a steelhead weighing 19.15 pounds. He added a third-place cash prize for a fish of 17.07 pounds. In the youth division, Cole Tenny of Nine Mile Falls, Washington, won the first-place prize of a $100 gift card for a fish that weighed 15.70 pounds.

Heads up

New Idaho hunting and fishing licenses become available for purchase today, though they don’t take effect until Jan. 1. The timing makes hunting or fishing licenses great Christmas gifts. Licenses are available at many vendors statewide including most sporting goods stores, hardware stores and even the major national retail chains, or by calling 1-800-554-8685. Idaho licenses will also be available again online, but users will now have to establish a user name and password to get entrance into the system. The Mandatory Hunter Report is also available, and can be accessed without a user identification or password.

A Christmas gift of a Washington fishing and hunting licenses or a Discover Pass may be purchased for the 2017 season by phone (866-246-9453), online, and from licensing dealers around the state. For details on purchasing a Discover Pass, see discoverpass.wa.gov/.

Fly fishing

Don’t overlook the Spokane River for a quick fishing fix, as it is one of the top winter fly fisheries around. The river is running high right now, but Silver Bow Fly Shop says short casts into small pockets in the brush and through eddies will find fish. They recommend double-rigged nymphs or streamers.

The Snake River is probably the best steelhead bet for fly anglers now as it is a little warmer and the fish are a bit more active. Anglers swinging the Snake River have had reasonable success with marabou or leech patterns.

Omak Lake Lahontan cutthroat will readily take a fly and there are some big ones cruising the shorelines now. Cast a sink tip line with large streamers or Muddler patterns.

Salmon and steelhead

Higher and somewhat warmer water has kept Coeur d’Alene chinook scattered throughout the water column and throughout the lake. Fishing may be tougher, but the 15th annual Gene Fink Memorial Chinook Derby on Lake Coeur d’Alene should attract a lot of anglers. Sponsored by Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service in Coeur d’Alene, the tournament will run from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday. Participants must be registered and pay a $20 entry fee prior to fishing. Prize amounts will be based on the number of entries. For registration and more information, contact Fins and Feathers at (208) 667-9304 or go to www.Fins1.com.

Trout and kokanee

Kekeda perch flies and perch Rippin’ Minnows continue to entice big rainbow on Sprague Lake. Sometimes they are on one end of the lake and sometimes the other, so don’t give up too easily. Most of the fish are in the top 15 feet of water and most are 18 inches long or better.

Fort Spokane to Seven Bays has been a productive stretch for Lake Roosevelt trout fishermen recently, hut good reports also come from Lincoln, A Rock, Hawk Creek, Keller, and just about anywhere else you get a line in the water. Troll three colors and something orange. For some reason, dodgers have not been very popular this year but anglers trolling a simple fly sometimes add a Smile Blade.

Fourth of July anglers on the Black Friday opener were numerous. Fishing seemed to be fair with the best success coming on flies, spoons and spinners rather than dough baits and worms. Some trout over 20 inches were landed. Hog Canyon Lake anglers had similar success but bait fishermen also did well on smaller fish. To the north, Hatch Lake kicked out good numbers on the opener between 12-14 inches, but Williams Lake trout were slightly smaller.

This has been an abnormal winter so far on Lake Chelan with a very early kokanee bite near the Yacht Club and at 25-Mile Creek – with quite a few cutthroat showing as well. The kokes are mostly around 13 inches and the cutts slightly smaller. There are smaller kokanee to be sure, but they run in schools and can be avoided. Depths vary, but the 80-foot range has produced lately.

Rock Lake has been excellent for both rainbow and browns at times from shore at the access. Mostly, anglers are throwing bobbers with either worms or nightcrawlers. Most of the fish are over 14 inches.

Upper Rufus Wood Reservoir has good numbers of triploids. Troll plugs, spinners or flies for 2- to 3-pound fish – some of the best eating trout in the state.

Three lakes in Okanogan County – Rat Lake near Brewster and Upper and Lower Green lakes near Omak – opened for catch-and-keep trout fishing Thursday with a five-trout daily limit. These fisheries provide good trout angling throughout the winter months.

Spiny ray

Moses Lake has seen spotty success for 8-inch perch and a few jumbos in the vicinity of the I-90 Bridge. Colder weather usually brings about bigger schools and bigger fish. Anglers are still wondering what happened to the Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir walleye.

At YJ Guide Service, Craig Dowdy says there are plenty of 14-inch walleye to be had in the Spokane Arm and anglers need not go very far up to find them. He has had fast fishing for the smaller fish bottom bouncing and jigging on Porcupine Flats, and says a few 16-inchers are usually in the mix.

Other species

The burbot bite on Lake Roosevelt has not been consistent or in the same place each day, but catches have increased slightly over the past two weeks and fishing should be very good by late December. Right now, most burbot are found accidentally by walleye fishermen at depths of 50 feet and more.

Hunting

A few northern ducks have trickled into the region, but so far, no big flights have materialized. Hunters are hoping the birds get here soon as some of the region’s many ponds are developing skim ice.

Pheasant and quail hunters have been generally pleased with the number of birds they are seeing. This isn’t upland hunting like in the 60s and 70s, but it is unlikely we will ever see those days again. The recent snowfall was spotty and not heavy enough to keep the birds from running.

Chukar hunters in the Snake River Canyons from Boyer Park in Washington all the way into Hells Canyon in Idaho are finding birds up high on the breaks. The population appears to be down, and a two-covey day is about the norm. The big chukar populations this year are in eastern Oregon, and hunters who have made the trip say Nevada is even better.

Most Idaho deer seasons that had not previously ended are over after Thursday with the following exceptions: antlerless only are open in units 60, 60A, 64, 65, 66, 67 and 69 until Dec. 19 (whitetail only), and Unit 28 is open for either sex whitetail until Dec. 31.

Turkey hunters in many Idaho units have until the end of December to fill a tag. There are numerous exceptions, so study your game regs. Turkeys are abundant and conspicuous in the Idaho Panhandle and Clearwater regions. Washington hunters also have a lot of birds available. Units 105-154 and 162-186 are open through Dec. 15.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere @ yahoo.com