Hunting+Fishing

Fri., March 17, 2006

Alan Liere Correspondent

Tip of the week

When a steelhead river begins to drop, the fish are close to shore. Don't wait for perfect conditions. Visibility does not have to be more than a foot.

Braggin' rights

My Chelan Lake fishing guide, Anton Jones of Darrel and Dad's Family Guide Service, overcame my bite-stifling presence on his boat Monday morning by netting numerous lake trout for his Tuesday clients, Bob Hall of Stanwood, Wash., and Pete Flones of Bellingham – including three more than 9 pounds and one weighing a whopping 15.8.

Overheard

When salmon action begins on the West Side rivers, the Cowlitz may be the place, with an expected return of 8,700 springers. By comparison, the Lewis River is expected to see a return of 4,400 fish and the Kalama River 2,100. Oregon coastal streams are giving up a lot of steelhead.

Heads up

“Washington hunting and fishing licenses as well as vehicle access permits expire March 31. Annual licenses include a WDFW vehicle-use permit. Sold separately, the permit costs $10.95.To purchase a license on the Internet, go to www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/. By telephone, call 1-866-246-9453.

“"Reliable Methods of Catching Lake Trout on Lake Pend Oreille," by commercial rod-and-reel angler Ron Sharp, is an excellent 45-minute how-to video/DVD. You can check out a loaner copy from area libraries in Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint and Priest River, or order your copy from oakeysmokes@hotmail.com.

“The WDFW has tentatively scheduled a razor-clam dig on ocean beaches March 25-28, followed by another dig April 28-May 1. Final word on both will be announced once marine toxin tests determine whether clams on those beaches are safe to eat.

“WDFW district fish biologist Glen Mendel of Dayton reminds anglers that when fishing with bait, the first five trout caught must be kept, no matter what size. When fishing with artificial flies or lures, anglers can catch-and-release until they retain the five-trout limit. The reason for the difference is that about half the fish caught on bait die because they tend to swallow it, and less than 5 percent of fish caught on artificial flies or lures die. "When bait fishermen sort their catch for size, it's a waste of hatchery time and money to raise those fish and stock them in the lakes," Mendel said.

“When the new fishing regulations go into effect May 1, the Tucannon lakes and other year-round waters in southeast Washington will shift to a rule that only two of the daily catch limit of five trout can be more than 13 inches. This is designed to reduce the number of dead released fish and distribute the larger trout among more anglers.

The Grande Ronde is providing excellent steelheading this week, upriver from Boggan’s Oasis. Water has been steady at about 2300 cfs with more than 3 feet of visibility.

On the Clearwater proper last week, anglers averaged a fish every 8 hours. On the South Fork, the average was 5. From the Middle Fork to the North Fork, an average of 5 hours of casting resulted in a fish landed. There was also modest success from the South Fork to the Middle Fork and the Little Salmon.

Drano Lake and Wind River, from Shipherd Falls downstream to boundary-line markers, opened to fishing for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead Thursday. Night closures and non-buoyant lure restrictions are in effect. Fishing will be slow at first, as chinook have not yet arrived at Bonneville Dam.

On the lower Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream, boat anglers are beginning to take a few chinook. Almost 80 percent of the fish caught are adipose-clipped.

Ringold steelhead activity has picked up, with anglers averaging 8.5 pole hours per fish and bank anglers doing slightly better than boat anglers. The Ringold fishery will be open to bank and boat anglers through the end of March and then “bank only” from April 1-15. No spring chinook fishery at Ringold is scheduled for this year.

Meeting state and federal conservation objectives for wild chinook and coho salmon stocks will require additional restrictions in Washington coastal fisheries this year. Three ocean salmon-fishing options adopted this week by the Pacific Fishery Management Council are lower than last year’s recreational fishing quotas, which allowed the harvest of 43,250 chinook salmon and 121,800 coho.

Trout

Two friends took six rainbow from Lake Roosevelt Monday while bank fishing with Power Bait and marshmallows near Ft. Spokane. All their bites came between 9 and 10:30 a.m. Another report from Spring Canyon indicated trollers also had a good early bite, and then nothing.

WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins said March is generally a favorite time for many trout fly anglers on the Yakima River. Fishing should pick up as water temperatures rise.

Cold weather is affecting the fishing on area fly-fishing waters, but the Spokane Fly Fishers had a successful outing on Coffeepot Lake last weekend. Members caught rainbow to 26 inches on chronomids and Wooly Buggers.

Lake Lenore has been fair early on dark-colored patterns, and the Clark Fork is seeing some hatches of midges and blue-winged olives.

Idaho waters

In Idaho, Jeff Smith at Fins and Feathers in Coeur d’Alene said most of the small lakes south of Coeur d’Alene are losing their ice. Fernan may have open water at the back end by the weekend, and Hauser and the Chain lakes are already fishable. At Rose Lake, anglers are taking panfish and a few pike. Kokanee are coming through thick ice on lower Twin, and perch and crappie are showing in the upper lake. Small lakes such as Robinson and Smith (rainbow trout) and Dawson (multiple species, including tiger musky) near Bonners Ferry still have thick ice.

Coeur d’Alene’s chinook salmon are hitting helmeted herring in the top 30 feet of water but are less concentrated than in the past. On the north end, try Beauty Bay and Wolf Lodge Bay. At midlake, Mica Bay has been best. On the south end, try East Point, Powder horn and Rockford Bays.

Spiny ray

The walleye bite in the Spokane Arm has been mostly early, with anglers taking some large fish. There are reports of stained water with low visibility as well as a strong current. Much of the action is in the area of Buoys 5 and 6 or near Blue Creek.

Rufus Woods walleye are somewhat more active within 2 miles downstream of the Seaton Grove launch. Chartreuse jigs drug slowly along the bottom are enticing bites.

In the Columbia near Irrigon, water temperature is still 40 degrees and the bite has been slow. The same is so for both Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir.

I stopped at Coulee City Park on Banks Lake on my way back from Lake Chelan on Monday and watched anglers bucket hundreds of perch from the boat slips. There were small ones, too, but many exceeded nine inches.

Hunting

Idaho big-game hunters will find 2006 hunting seasons and rules much the same. Finalized seasons will soon be printed, and hunting brochures should be available at vendors and Fish and Game offices by the end of March. When the brochure is edited and approved, it will be posted on the department web site at fishandgame.idaho.gov.

Washington Senate Bill 5232, which has been passed and signed, means you will no longer be given a turkey tag with the purchase of a small-game package. After June 7, the cost of the initial tag will be $12, and a second tag will be $18. Youth hunters still receive a free tag with purchase, and a second tag for $9.

The IDFG Web site is constantly updated, improved and designed to be user-friendly. The Idaho Hunt Planner has search tools such as the Trip Planner, which allows you to look for hunts based on weapon type, area and type of game.

Hunting+Fishing

Trout

Idaho waters

Spiny ray

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