Hunting and Fishing

Fri., May 6, 2005

Alan Liere, Correspondent The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

» It is impossible to "get a limit" of trout in the morning and another "limit" in the afternoon. The daily limit is generally five. One fish more than that and you're breaking the law.

Overheard

» There are both limits and broken-line stories coming from Fishtrap Lake. The biggest rainbow are the chrome-bright broodstock, which run 2-6 pounds, and the triploids, which are close to 2 pounds. Even so, Mike Barker at Fishtrap Lake Resort said the "real treasure" at Fishtrap this year are the 12-14-inch rainbow planted last spring. "You won't find a better-eating fish," he said.

Braggin' rights

» Many macks were netted on Loon Lake opening weekend, but braggin' rights go to 12-year-old Travis Condron of Spokane. Travis and his dad, Cory, were trolling on Loon for small rainbow and kokanee when Travis switched to a repainted, 1-inch Dardevle spoon on a micro rod and reel with 4-pound test line. He promptly hooked a big fish. After playing it carefully for a half hour, his dad netted an 18-pound mackinaw.

Heads up

“On Thursday, Deep River in Wahkiakum County reopened chinook fishing downstream of the Highway 4 Bridge.

“Three meetings have been scheduled to discuss Idaho fishing regulation proposals. These are Tuesday at the IDFG regional office, 2750 Kathleen Ave. in Coeur d'Alene, and Wednesday at Priest River Junior High. Both of these will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A public meeting with a presentation will be held in Sandpoint on May 16 at the Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave, 6-9 pm. The discussion at this meeting will include regulation proposals, the latest information on lake trout, and a report of kokanee population status in Lake Pend Oreille.

“Hunters who apply early for this fall's controlled Idaho hunts for deer, elk, black bear and antelope could be the lucky winner of drawings worth $550 and $450. The applications are accepted during the whole month of May, but only those received by Monday will be entered in the $550 drawing to be held May 13. The next deadline is May 20 for the $450 drawing to be held May 25.

“The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has closed the lower Snake River salmon season from the Southway Bridge upstream to the Heller Bar concrete boat ramp.

Opening-day summary

WDFW staff and volunteers checked 4,295 anglers with 12,566 trout from 101 lakes statewide on opening day. In District 1, Starvation Lake was the top performing water with an average catch of 4.1 fish per angler. Good fishing was also noted at Deep and Cedar lakes in Stevens County.

In District 2, several lakes provided excellent fishing with Williams Lake (5.0 fish per angler) the top performer, followed closely by West Medical Lake (4.9 fish per angler), Fish Lake (4.9 fish per angler), Fishtrap Lake (4.8 fish per angler), and Badger Lake (4.6 fish per angler) among the top regional producers.

Biologist Jeff Korth reported excellent fishing in the Columbia Basin area, and near Chelan, anglers on Wapato and Beehive lakes caught many fish that measured 15-19 inches.

In the Okanogan, anglers had excellent fishing for triploids at Big Twin Lake. Pearrygin Lake was very good, too. Water levels were down at Conconully Lake and reservoir, but there were good catches with 22 percent rainbow carry-overs. Fish Lake was rehabilitated last fall and produced good catches of 11-inch rainbows. Jameson Lake experienced an algae bloom that reduced catches.

Salmon and steelhead

Summer steelhead are beginning to show in lower Columbia River tributaries, and spring chinook are moving in as well. Fishing is slow on the Cowlitz River despite good numbers of spring chinook returning to the salmon hatchery. It has been better on the Kalama and Lewis rivers.

The retention of both adipose fin-clipped and non-adipose fin-clipped chinook is still allowed in the Wind River, Drano Lake and White Salmon and Klickitat rivers. Wind River boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 3.7 rods. No fish were sampled on the White Salmon and Klickitat rivers, but some fish are being reported caught periodically. Drano Lake boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 5.8 rods.

Trout and kokanee

Priest Lake in Idaho has been very good for 3-8-pound macks. The fish are coming up on the 30-40-foot shelves to feed near shore in the evening, and the new SP M-2 Flatfish, which runs 20 feet deep on its own, is fooling fish.

Diamond Lake provided excellent fishing this week for 10-18-inch rainbow. Still-fishers by the Boy Scout camp scored well with Power Bait and worms.

Waitts Lake has been “awesome,” according to Rick Hedding at Family Christian Angler in Spokane. He says a Ripp’n Minnow on a downrigger at 30 feet has been taking equal numbers of rainbow and browns, most from 14-18 inches. Kirk Leon of Spokane, an eighth-grader at Northwood Middle School, caught a rainbow from Waitts opening day measured by Fish and Game at 23.5 inches. He and his father, John Leon, both limited trolling wedding rings.

As is usually the case opening day, Loon Lake kicked out the state’s largest trout – a 25-pound, 7-ounce mackinaw, taken by Pete Sobczuk of Arlington, Wash., but the quantity of smaller fish was up, too, with several 8-11-pounders brought in to Granite Point. Trollers reported taking a few 10-inch kokanee in addition to trout ranging from recent 10-inch plants all the way to 20-inch carry-overs.

Kokanee are beginning to show on Chelan, There are some 10-12-inch fish in the mix, but most are only 7-9 inches. Wedding rings baited with scented shoe peg corn behind FlashLites or Hot Wings, are taking fish at 30 feet. The kokanee bite continues to pick up on Lake Coeur d’Alene and at Dworshak Reservoir.

British Columbia’s large Kootenay Lake rainbow are in the spawning beds at Gerrard, and if you drive 1 1/2 hours north of the Ainsworth area, you can see the one that got away. Rainbow fishing for smaller fish (8-12 pounds) has picked up, making for prime bucktailing. The color preference is purple and black for flies, purple and silver for plugs and spoons. Bull Trout are still active. Info: Woodbury Resort and Marina (877) 353-7717.

Spiny ray

Sprague Lake smallmouth as well as large channel cats are biting now, and anglers dragging a Beetle Spinner on the bottom suckered a few walleye keepers recently.

Moses Lake walleye appear to be through spawning and are back on the bite. Worm harnesses have been effective for 17-19-inch fish. Moses is also having a strong smallmouth bite, with numerous 4-pounders showing.

A lot of smaller walleye are being caught from Potholes Reservoir. They seem to be spread out all over the lake. Potholes largemouth are active near the beaver huts in the dunes.

Two friends and I fished the Snake upriver from Heller Bar last Tuesday with Tim Johnson, of Fishhawk Guides. Although the smallmouth bite had slowed somewhat from two weeks ago, we still released more than 50 bass, most caught on plastic worms, grubs, or tubes. We also released two sturgeon, both between 5 and 6 feet. Info: 888-548-8896.

Smallmouth bass are also biting on the lower Yakima River, near Boyer Park and Central Ferry on the Snake, on Roosevelt, Banks, Potholes, Long, and Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Although the recent low pressure system has affected the bite, it is getting close to prime time for Washington and Idaho crappie. The fish are schooled, and casting is easy with the weeds still well below the surface.

Other species

With six transient Orcas feeding in Hood Canal and gray whales surfacing throughout Puget Sound, fish and wildlife officials are cautioning anglers and other boaters to give the animals a wide berth. The Orcas could be in for a surprise if they stay through Saturday, opening day of the Hood Canal recreational shrimp fishery, which last year drew about 19,000 boats.

WDFW has given final approval for the Saturday-Sunday razor clam dig at Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Copalis and Kalaloch beaches after marine toxin tests found that clams on those beaches are safe to eat.

Reports from the first few days of the halibut season indicate good fishing in traditional spots such as Middle Bank and Hein Bank, including a few fish pushing the 60-pound mark. Halibut season runs through June 20 and fishing is open Thursday through Monday.

Sturgeon fishing in the Columbia Gorge is improving, with recent catch rates averaging nearly one legal fish per boat angler above Washougal, and one legal kept for every five bank rods.

Anglers interested in participating in this year’s pikeminnow fishery can sign up now at any registration station below the John Day Dam in Klickitat County. Registration stations located above the John Day Dam will be set up May 16. A complete list of registration locations is available on the northern pikeminnow sport reward program Web site, at http://www.pikeminnow.org