Hunting and Fishing

Fri., May 13, 2005

Alan Liere, Correspondent The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

» At times (such as now), a walleye's bite is barely more than a small "tap." If you think you have detected this activity, feed out some line and get ready to set the hook.

Overheard

» Because of the number of walleye in Moses Lake, there has been talk of decreasing the size minimum to 12 inches next year.

Braggin' rights

» More big macks have come out of Loon Lake this spring than all of last year. Pete Sobczuk, who took the 25-pounder on opening day, added an 18-pounder a week later. Deron Chastain of Spokane brought in a 22-pounder. Not as big, but just as meaningful, was the 11.5-pounder landed by Loon Lake resident James Kamura – his first Loon lake mack after many years of trying.

Heads up

“The recreational shrimp fishery is over for the year in Marine Areas 9, 10 and 11. This includes the portion of Puget Sound extending from the northern end of Vashon Island to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the Edmonds and Seattle area shrimp fishing grounds. Sport shrimpers exceeded their yearly quota in one day.

“The Columbia River from the mouth to Bonneville Dam will not open to shad angling on Monday, as originally scheduled, and neither will the section from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to the I-5 Bridge open to steelhead.

“Idaho's Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) reminds ethical sportsmen to stop a game thief by designating a dollar to CAP when applying for controlled hunts this spring. Designated dollars from hunters are critical to the poaching hotline, as they provide funding for rewards and staffing, and they do not cost hunters anything. If you mark "yes" where the application asks, "Designate $1 of fee to CAP?" you will simply be directing that dollar to be used by CAP. Your application fee will remain the same.

Salmon and steelhead

The Elochoman River, the Grays River and Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir) will open to fishing for hatchery spring chinook on Saturday.

Fishing success on the Cowlitz River is low, but Kalama River boat anglers averaged a spring chinook per every 2.5 rods last week. On the Lewis River, boaters averaged better than a spring chinook per every three anglers, most caught around the salmon hatchery and near the mouth. Summer run steelhead are also being caught in the lower river.

Wind River boat anglers averaged a chinook per every 5.7 rods, and bank anglers at the mouth and in the gorge were also catching a few fish. Drano Lake boat anglers averaged a chinook per every three rods. Bank anglers at the mouth of the White Salmon River are catching some spring chinook. On the Klickitat, fishing is improving, with a chinook per every 4.4 bank anglers below the Fisher Hill Bridge.

Trout and kokanee

The lowland lakes near Spokane still hold plenty of fish. Williams has rainbow to 24 inches and cutthroat to 15, and West Medical has 17- to 24-inch triploids and broodstock. Fishtrap Lake is still hot, and Badger is kicking out rainbows 10-17 inches and cutthroat 10-15. Clear Lake’s rainbows run 10-24 inches, and the browns 10-21. After a fast start on big broodstock, angling on Liberty has slowed.

Fly fishers are still having good success at Amber, Badger and Coffeepot lakes. Chironomids and chironomid emergers are taking fish in the evening near the surface and deeper during the day. Dry Falls and Crab Creek are also producing, but several anglers have reported seeing rattlesnakes.

Fish Lake near Cheney is supposed to have 10- to 22-inch tiger trout, 17- to 21-inch browns, and 9- to 12-inch brookies, but the fish a friend and I caught Wednesday afternoon were only 8-10 inches long. I ate a whole school Wednesday night – by far the best trout I’ve had in a long time.

With all the other choices, anglers are ignoring Rock Lake, where trolling for 15- to 17-inch rainbow and browns has been excellent. Downs Lake, too, though excellent right now for perch and bass, has a good population of 10-inch rainbow.

Small macks have been fairly common at Deer Lake, along with some rainbow and a few kokanee. Kokanee are also showing for trollers on Loon Lake, along with some of the triploid rainbow. Many anglers feel this has been the best early-season fishing at Loon Lake in the last few years. A little farther north, Waitts Lake browns and rainbows are still biting well. Big rainbow are coming in regularly at Diamond Lake, and Marshall Lake cutthroat are averaging a healthy 11 inches, with the biggest running 13. North and South Skookum are giving up 10-inch brook trout and rainbow, with a few rainbow running much larger. Curlew Lake trollers are scoring on 16- to 20-inch rainbow. A 39-inch tiger musky was caught there opening day.

Lake Roosevelt has been fair for trout and silvers. Best action has been near Keller for those trolling an Apex or fly and dodger between 14-27 feet.

This is prime time for Chelan kokanee around Lakeside and over the lower basin, said Anton Jones of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service. Mack Lures Flashlites followed by their green wedding ring tipped with shoepeg corn has been productive.

Blue and Chopaka lakes in the Sinlahekin have been somewhat slow with only the smallest chironomids taking fish. Larger chironomids should start to hatch soon.

Twelve-inch Lake Coeur d’Alene kokanee are biting, particularly near Harrison.

Lake Pend Oreille’s 60th annual K&K Derby ended Sunday. Red Covey weighed the large fish, a 22-pound, 8-ounce rainbow. Roger Kellman brought in the largest mackinaw, 20 pounds, 8 ounces, followed closely by Tim Ehrmantrout and Jack Peterson, both with fish weighing 4 ounces less.

Spiny ray

Moses Lake anglers are taking a few walleye limits from the north end of the lake, but there is a lot of sorting of small fish. Potholes has not really caught on yet.

Banks Lake anglers are finding schools of nice-sized perch as well as numerous smallmouth and keeper walleye. Most Roosevelt walleye are being caught near the mouth, although there have been some good reports about the stretch known as “The Dalles” near China Bend. I’m told the launches at Northport and Kettle Falls are OK, but the ones between are out of the water.

Perch and crappie are biting on Long Lake, but you have to move around to find the schools of big fish. I fished Long on Sunday and caught lots of 8-inch crappie. A hundred yards away, a boat was bringing in nothing but 13- to 14-inchers.

All the local largemouth waters are heating up. Newman produced well recently for an angler drop-shotting a Berkley PowerBait Worm. I got a call Wednesday night from Mark Charbonneau, who owns Crawdad’s Bait and Tackle at the Oak Creek General Store. He said Twin Lakes at Inchelium has been good for largemouth to 5 pounds. Charbonneau fishes the edges of the lily pads using a smoke-colored Curlytail with copper sparkle. For years, Twin has been noted for oversized rainbow and brookies. These are still available, but bass fishing has caught on at this tribal lake.

I wish some savvy angler would solve the Sprague Lake walleye riddle and fill me in. The fish biologists say the lake is lousy with walleyes, but no one I know can catch them consistently, or even often for that matter. The smallmouth bite, however, has been decent along the shorelines.

The Snake River smallmouth bite is not as hot as it was two weeks ago, but there is still good fishing available in the entire system. Smallmouth bass are on their beds in Lake Chelan now. Subtle plastic worm combinations are deadly.

Other species

Some huge channel cats are being caught from the Palouse River. The holes near Lower Granite and Almota are also producing.

The area from Buoy 10 upstream to the Wauna power lines near Cathlamet will reopen for sturgeon retention on Saturday. The minimum size will be 45 inches. On the Bonneville Pool, bank anglers have caught a few legals, and the same is true for boat anglers on The Dalles Pool. The John Day Pool has been slow for both. Smallmouth fishing, however, has been good on all three pools.

Hunting

Washington hunters have until Sunday evening to fill their spring turkey tag. Those who have already harvested a bird must file a hunting activity report within 10 days of the kill. Unsuccessful hunters also need to report their activity before purchasing licenses for future seasons. Hunting activity reports can be made toll free at (877) 945-3492.

Printed Idaho big-game rules brochures for fall 2005 and spring 2006 are available at all Idaho Fish and Game offices and license vendors.