Hunting and Fishing

Fri., April 21, 2006

Alan Liere Correspondent

Tip of the week

» Over the years, I have consistently had better luck turkey hunting the late mornings and early afternoons than I have by setting up in the dark and trying to get a bird coming off the roost. If a bird gobbles early, he's probably just greeting the day. If he gobbles after 9 a.m., he's lookin' for love and is more likely to come running.

Braggin' rights

» Unlike most of us, Medical Lake farmer Alan Knott was hoping for rainy weather on the turkey opener so he didn't have to feel guilty about not working in his fields. He not only got the lousy weather he wanted, he filled both his turkey tags by 6 a.m. from the same flock.

Overheard

» IDFW gill netting on Lake Pend Oreille, which began Feb. 12, has shown an increasing number of walleye. As expected, the most numerous species in the catch has been lake whitefish, with northern pikeminnow the most numerous predator species caught.

Heads up

“New licenses are needed now for all species of fish and game. They are available online (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov), via WDFW's toll-free phone line (1-866-246-9453) and from retail dealers throughout the state.

“Today is the registration deadline for the "Fishing Kids" event on May 6 at Spokane County's Clear Lake. This annual event for kids ages 5-14 provides beginning fishing instruction, T-shirt, rod and reel, and other fishing goodies for just $5 per kid. Registration forms are available at WDFW's eastern regional office at 2315 N. Discovery Place in Spokane Valley and Spokane County 4-H at WSU Extension, 222 W. Havana St. in Spokane. Call the 4-H office at 509-477-2638 for more details.

“Hunters who apply early for Idaho's controlled deer, elk, black bear or antelope hunts have a chance to be twice as lucky. Applications will be accepted from May 1 to June 5 this year. But if you apply by May 10, your name will go into a drawing for $550 or $450 in cash. The idea is to encourage hunters to apply early to avoid crashing the computers with a flood of applications in the last days before they are due.

“The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club K & K Derby from April 29 to May 7 will kick off a season of incentive awards to encourage anglers to harvest kokanee predators. An LPO Fishery Recovery Task Force is working on a variety of different ideas to encourage harvest. Derby info: (208) 265-4830.

“The Rod Meseberg Spring Walleye Classic will be on May 6 and 7. Each team will weigh in six walleye with a 16-inch minimum and two fish 22 inches or bigger. The entry form is available for download and printing at www.northwestwalleye.com.

“Northside Fishing will close its doors at the end of April, but owner Doug Holcomb will continue his guide service and begin bookings again in July. He can be contacted at northsidefishing.com.

Salmon and steelhead

Adult spring chinook counts at Bonneville Dam are the lowest on record. Through Sunday, 205 fish had been counted. The previous record low was last year, with 851 fish through the same date.

With fishing for spring chinook salmon closed on the lower Columbia mainstem, more anglers are beginning to shift their attention to the tributaries. Catch rates continue to improve on portions of the Cowlitz, Lewis and Kalama rivers. Some of the best spring chinook fishing was reported in the lower Cowlitz below the mouth of the Toutle River.

Trout and kokanee

More than 21 million trout have been added to lakes across Washington in preparation for the nearly 300,000 anglers expected to cast a line during the April 29 opening weekend of the lowland lake-fishing season. “It’s about six times bigger than any other single sporting event in the state,” said WDFW director Jeff Koenings.

Lake Roosevelt was at 1,242 feet and dropping on Wednesday, and the influx of new water has turned on Rufus Woods triploids again. Guide Ray Bailey and his clients caught six 10- to 15-pounders on Wednesday.

On Lake Roosevelt, bank anglers are enjoying the warming weather and also catching fish. The bite isn’t sizzling, but there is enough action to keep things interesting.

At the Silver Bow Fly Shop, Sean Visintainer said Amber Lake is receiving lots of pressure but is nevertheless one of the best bets around. Try Bionic Worms or small, black chironomids. Coffeepot and Rocky Ford are fair. Lenore cutts are in a spawning mode, but fishing has been decent on egg patterns.

Lake Roosevelt anglers turned in 980 tags in six months from net pen-reared rainbow. Roy Pankey of Colville and Ted Krishisky of Colbert each earned $200 in the tag drawing held in April. Fifteen other anglers earned prizes ranging from $25 to $100. To enter your tag for the October drawing, call Eastern Washington University Fisheries Research Lab at (509) 359-7498.

Sprague Lake isn’t getting much action, but a few anglers are catching some nice rainbow to nearly 5 pounds.

Pillar-Widgeon Lake in the Columbia Basin has been good for trout, and Upper and Lower Hampton have been fair. Corral Lake, across the road from MarDon Resort, is also kicking out trout.

Idaho waters

Kokanee fishing is starting at Lake Coeur d’Alene, said Jeff Smith at Fins and Feathers. One boat reported in with six fish and another with 15 – all from the south end of the lake at about 15 feet. Chinook fishing has been consistently good on the north end.

Unless you can find pre- or postspawn fish, Coeur d’Alene northern pike are tough. In the meantime, jerkbaits and crankbaits are taking smallmouth in 10-15 feet of water. Hauser Lake is giving up a few largemouth bass and channel cats between 2-8 pounds. Fernan crappie and planted rainbow trout are biting.

Spiny ray

With the high volume of water, Rufus Woods walleyes are holding in back eddies against the bank. Elsewhere, the bite has been slow, with Banks Lake probably the best.

There are reports of walleye activity at the Moses Lake spillways and from the Alder Street Bridge (where the fountain is) up to Road 7 NE. Remember that both these areas allow single hooks only.

At Potholes Reservoir, big smallmouth are hitting crankbaits in the rocks and largemouth are beginning to take plastics in the dunes. A few walleye, mostly small males, are coming from Lind Coulee.

Another largemouth destination is Eloika Lake near Spokane, but the fish are most likely to be active on sunny days. Ice didn’t leave Eloika until April 1, and the water temperature is 46 degrees. Some nice-sized crappie came through the ice at Eloika this winter, and a few have been caught this spring.

Boat anglers on the John Day Pool have been catching three bass and one walleye for every two rods. Boat anglers have also caught some walleye in the Bonneville Pool.

Hutchinson Lake on the Columbia Basin Wildlife Refuge is providing quality activity for big perch, crappie and bluegill. Largemouth to 7 pounds have been caught this year. No gas motors are allowed.

Other species

WDFW is tentatively planning a razor clam dig for late April. Provided toxin tests are favorable, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis are all scheduled to open April 28-30 on morning tides, followed by a one-day dig May 1 at Twin Harbors and Mocrocks.

More than 20,000 people are expected to descend on coastal beaches during this time, so prospective diggers should purchase a 2006-07 license before they leave home. Otherwise, they’ll be waiting in long lines at licensing outlets on the coast.

Hunting

Turkey hunters in Idaho and Washington had a good opening week. There were the usual complaints that the birds weren’t gobbling once off the roost or they were “henned up,” but a lot of Merriams and Rios took a truck ride back to town. I had a turkey by noon Wednesday, as did five of the seven fellows with whom I usually hunt.