Hunting & Fishing
Geese, Washington
Goose hunting could be excellent in the lower Columbia Basin, perhaps even in the upper Basin and in the Spokane region, during the final nine days of the season.
Thousands of lesser Canadas and honkers are feeding in harvested corn fields and winter wheat fields within 15 to 20 miles of the Columbia and Snake rivers. Some are even feeding near the big reservoirs.
Starting Saturday, hunters can hunt geese throughout Eastern Washington every day until the end of the season Jan. 22.
Washington’s duck season ended Tuesday. Idaho’s duck and goose season ended earlier.
If the past is any indication, pressure on geese will be relatively light during the remainder of the season. Only die-hard hunters will go after the big birds.
Most geese left the Spokane region during the sub-freezing weather, but some returned after temperatures rose and rain pelted the region.
It’s possible that hunters will decoy geese along the Pend Oreille River in the Usk area, along Long (Spokane) Lake and near Sprague Lake during the next few days. Some geese always stay as long as possible in those areas and don’t leave until, and if, snow covers their food.
The best hunting, however, will be near the Columbia and lower Snake rivers. Some hunters will set out decoys below Ayers Junction on the Snake and along the Columbia from Ringold Springs to the Umatilla refuge. Many will hunt from pits in harvested grain fields.
Ice fishing, Washington
Ice on most popular lakes probably will still be in good enough condition this weekend to support anglers safely. Above normal temperatures and periodic rain the last few days melted snow that had been on the ice, and covered the ice with water.
If temperatures return to normal, the water will freeze at night, thickening the ice.
The most popular lakes in the Spokane area have been Fourth of July, Hog Canyon and Silver for trout, and Sprague for perch.
The ice cover on Sprague was about 5 inches thick when I fished it a week ago. The ice was hard, smooth and clear.
The ice was so clear that fish could see the anglers walking around. As a result, fishing was relatively slow. Most of the perch that my fishing partner and I caught were about 8 inches long. The largest were 9 inches.
If the ice is opaque or covered with snow this weekend, perch won’t be able to see fishermen, and the fishing could be good.
The best time to fish Sprague has been early and late in the day.
Ice on Fourth of July and Hog Canyon also has been so clear that the rainbows could see ice fishermen. Anglers who fished 20 feet deep or more had better luck than those who fished in shallow water.
Ice fishing, Idaho
Sporting goods dealers in Idaho’s Panhandle, particularly those in Coeur d’Alene, have been selling large numbers of tip-up rigs lately.
Because anglers can use up to five rigs when they fish through ice, tip-ups are popular, Jeff Smith of the Fins & Feathers shop said.
Most fishermen have been going after perch at numerous lakes. However, some have been trying for northern pike.
The most popular lakes with perch fishermen have been Hauser, Fernan and Round in the Coeur d’Alene area. Maggots and perch eyes are the most popular baits.
The best time to fish for perch at Hauser, Smith said, is from dawn to about 9 a.m. Nearly all the perch are 8 to 9 inches long.
Fernan’s perch are 8 to 9 inches long, and they seem plentiful. Some anglers also are trying for pike at the lake just north of Interstate 90. The lake doesn’t have a big population of pike, but those caught are big. A 25-pound, 4-ounce pike was caught Monday by Clint Hersey of Coeur d’Alene.
Round Lake has a big population of 6- to 9-inch perch.
Biggest perch are in Chase, 11 to 13 inches; Shepherd, 10 to 13 inches, and Gamble, 9 to 11 inches.
Smith said Thompson and Killarney lakes are the most popular lakes with pike fishermen. Although the pike that anglers have been catching average only about 3 pounds, a few larger fish to 10 pounds have been pulled through holes in the ice.
Nearly all pike fishermen use herring for bait.
Trout, open water, Idaho
Hottest fishing has been at Priest Lake, Smith said. Both trollers and jiggers have been hooking large numbers of mackinaw trout.
Smith said a couple of fishermen hooked and released 25 macks by jigging last weekend. A few trollers have done well. Pressure has been light.
Shore anglers are continuing to catch large rainbows along the Spokane River from Post Falls to the Idaho-Washington border.
Steelhead
Most of the tributaries to the lower Snake River were high and muddy earlier this week as the result of above-normal temperatures and rain showers.
Such streams as the Walla Walla, Tucannon, Touchet and Grande Ronde could be too muddy this weekend for good fishing.
Fishing was excellent along a few tributaries during the cold weather, fisheries biologist Art Viola said. When the streams clear, fishing could be good again.
The hottest fishing was along the lower Tucannon, with anglers averaging 5 hours per steelhead.
Fishermen averaged 13.8 hours per steelhead along the Walla Walla before the rains came.
Until the tributaries clear, the most productive fishing will be the Snake near the mouth of the Tucannon, and above and below Little Goose Dam. Fishing pressure has been heavy at Little Goose, but the success rate has been fairly good.
Fishing has been slow along the midSnake and along the lower Clearwater.