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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Hunting and Fishing

Alan Liere Correspondent

Salmon and steelhead

Last week’s salmon derby on Coeur d’Alene Lake produced lots of chinook, with the winner weighing in at 16.5 pounds. Nearly all catches came on helmeted herring fished at 30 feet.

Recreational ocean salmon fisheries will begin June 26 off Westport. LaPush and Neah Bay-area salmon seasons begin July 1, while fishing off Ilwaco starts July 3. All areas will have a two-salmon daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook.. The popular Buoy 10 area will be open Aug. 1-Sept. 30. The season package, developed by state, tribal and federal fisheries managers, includes recreational ocean quotas of 121,800 coho and 43,250 chinook.

Although the 2004-2005 steelhead run was smaller than the last two years, there were still approximately 150,000 adult steelhead counted at Lower Granite Dam, almost 40,000 more than the 10-year average.

Steelhead anglers on Idaho’s Salmon River may get some extra late-season opportunity this year thanks to cold water. The number of fish returning to the Pahsimeroi Hatchery is down from past years. Anadromous fishery coordinator Bill Horton believes the low return probably has something to do with low water temperatures, as there are still plenty of steelhead well downstream from the hatchery.

Creel census indicates the best fishing on the main Salmon River has been in the stretch directly below the Sawtooth Hatchery. The general season for steelhead fishing closes April 30. The Little Salmon River will remain open until May 15, and steelhead fishing remains open on the Snake River from Hells Canyon Dam upstream to Oxbow Dam and the Boise River until May 31. The North and South Fork of the Clearwater and the main river near Kooskia still have decent fishing.

Some steelhead and spring chinook are being caught on the Cowlitz River from the I-5 Bridge downstream. On the Kalama River, WDFW fish biologist Chris Wageman said the river is looking good with a major push of wild winter steelhead entering with the last high water. He also said spring chinook fishing is looking up. Moderate flows with a little color are making for excellent drift boat conditions.

A few spring chinook and steelhead are being caught near the salmon hatchery on the Lewis River. Anglers should be aware of an aggressive sea lion at the mouth. Last week, it took a guide’s fish from the beach, approximately 15 feet from the waters edge.

Through Tuesday, when 57 spring chinook were counted at Bonneville Dam, a total of only 199 had shown. Though a 100 percent improvement over the day before, it is still the record-low total since the dam was constructed in 1938.

Trout and kokanee

John Williamsom and a friend fished Roosevelt’s Hanson Harbor in a sandstorm last week for seven fat rainbow. Williamsom said he was prepared for rain, but the 30-35 mph wind made for some gritty sandwiches.

Anton Jones at Darrel and Dad’s Family Guide Service reported that Lake Chelan continues to produce good numbers of mackinaw with a sprinkling of big fish mixed in. The deep water in the lower basin and the area above the Yacht Club have been the big producers. Jones said the kokanee show should kick off soon.

Nymphing on the Clark Fork has been productive mornings, with dry flies producing in the afternoon. A few skawalas are showing, and they should be abundant in another week. On the Bitterroot, dry flies fishing is good, skawalas and baetis being the key.

Rufus Woods has been slow for triploid rainbows and kokanee, but Dworshak Reservoir in Idaho is experiencing good kokanee fishing. The reservoir is 15 feet from full pool and rising a foot a day.

Coffeepot, Amber and Lenore continue to delight fly fishermen.

Spiny ray

In the middle of the Tuesday evening windstorm, I received a cell phone call from Ray Bailey of Davenport, who was prospecting for crappie on Long Lake. He said he had 30 slabs in the box, most 12-14 inches with one a shade more than 16. Bailey fishes a mini-jig tipped with a maggot and sets his bobber at 7 feet.

The walleye bite is starting in the Lind Coulee near Potholes. Soda Lake is giving up a few walleyes, mostly small. The water level has not stabilized, making for difficult fishing. Moses Lake and Potholes walleye are finally moving up Crab Creek to spawn. Fishing has been good except in the main lakes.

Potholes largemouth are hitting in the dunes, and quite a few smallmouth are being found in Lind Coulee.

Coeur d’Alene pike are still taking bait in the bays. A 26-pounder was caught recently. A few smallmouth have been taken off main lake points using small crankbaits, but it won’t be really good for another week. The Chain Lakes are producing bass, pike and panfish. Hauser Lake, too, is seeing largemouth action on slow-moving crankbaits.

Anglers on Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day Pools are taking both walleye and smallmouth.

Other species

Fishing guide Ray Bailey of R/C Guide Service fished for catfish at several Snake River locations last week, reporting high water but “pretty fair” color. He had good channel cat fishing during the day at Lyons Ferry, Rice Bar, the mouth of the Tucannon, up the Palouse and below Lower Granite Dam. Bullhead angling in the same spots was best at night. Info: (509) 725-8342.

The coastal recreational halibut seasons have been set for Marine Areas 1-4. Effective dates are as follows: Marine Area 1 (May 1, until quota attained); Marine Area 2 (May 1, until quota attained or through Sept. 30, whichever is sooner); Marine Areas 3 and 4 (May 10, until May portion of the quota is attained; reopen June 16-18). There are restrictions and exceptions. For further info call Michele Culver, (360) 249-1211

Hunting

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently set 2005 hunting seasons and rules. These include: extending the eastern Washington pheasant-hunting season from a Dec. 31 closure to Jan. 16; opening all units statewide to youth hunters during the spring 2006 turkey season; increasing the fall turkey hunting general season in northeast units by seven days; expanding antlerless mule deer hunting opportunity in parts of Chelan and Okanogan counties; adjusting deer and elk special-permit levels based on population level changes and damage concerns on private lands; dividing game management unit 372 (Kiona) into two units to reduce elk numbers through short general hunting seasons, permit-only hunts, and special landowner-access permits.