Hunting+Fishing

Fri., March 23, 2007

Alan Liere Correspondent

Tip of the week

With turkey season quickly approaching, it's time to begin scouting birds. A good way to locate gobblers is to use an excited "cut" or "yelp" in the middle of the day. Be back in the area at roost time with a loud "shock" call, such as that of a crow or woodpecker. Don't make too many turkey sounds while scouting or the birds will become wary.

Braggin' rights

Home from spring break at WSU, Sarah Russell of Moses Lake was trolling spinners on Rufus Woods with her dad when she got a strike and reeled in a 5-pound triploid rainbow. After netting it, she discovered her hook was not in the fish's mouth at all. Her line was wrapped around a piece of leader attached to the hook the fish had swallowed.

Overheard

An online company has opened its doors to a new generation of female hunters as a single-source retailer offering name-brand apparel for women who hunt. You can visit the on-line store at www.shehunts.com.

Heads up

Tobler Marina and Crestliner Boats is hosting the third annual Angling University Saturday at the Kootenay County Fairgrounds in Coeur d'Alene. Some of the area's most accomplished anglers, such as Seth Burrill, Jeff Smith, Bob Ploof and Chad Kaiser, will teach fishing techniques during the day. There will also be several vendors on hand. Doors open at 8 a.m.,

“Darver Tackle in Starbuck, Wash., is having a Long Cast and Product Seminar on the Snake River near Little Goose Dam beginning at 8 a.m. April 1. This is an excellent time to try out new rods and reels. All equipment used in the seminar will be offered at a 15 percent discount. Info: 1-866-578-3808.

“Current Washington fishing and hunting licenses expire at midnight on March 31. Licenses may be purchased from local dealers or over the phone by calling 1-866-246-9453.

Trout

Amber Lake in southwest Spokane County is fishing well. Most of the rainbow trout are in the 15- to 20-inch range. Black Woolly Buggers and Bionic Worms have been effective, said Sean Visintainer at Silver Bow Fly Shop.

Coffeepot trout are also turning on, Visintainer said. Chironomid patterns are working on the far end, but Woolly Buggers and leeches are more effective elsewhere on the lake.

North Silver Lake in Spokane County is providing some fair fishing, with one or two rainbows caught per hour or so of effort. The lake will be restocked with hatchery catchable-size fish next week. North Silver is under selective-gear rules with a two-trout daily limit and 14-inch minimum size.

Anglers fishing Rock Lake near the access last weekend didn’t take many of the recently planted 6- to 8-inch trout, but fishing for larger trout was fair. One angler reported doing well drop-shotting off a gravel flat down the lake. Two fish more than 24 inches were checked at Rock last weekend, and a 14.5-pound German brown was also taken recently.

Fly fishermen at Hog Canyon Lake were recently doing well on rainbows, but the action at Fourth of July Lake was slow. Both winter-season trout lakes close March 31.

Bright Banks Lake rainbow running 13-14 inches are coming off the dikes near Coulee City, said a representative at Big Wallys Tackle Shop. She said ice is completely gone, but water is up a little and the perch fishing hasn’t picked up yet in the Boat Basin.

Despite the low water temperature, guide Joe Heinlen of Darrel and Dad’s Family Fishing out of Chelan has been getting limits of 2- to 5-pound triploids by casting Roostertails and Pixie Spoons at shoreline points and structure near Chief Joseph Dam. Bait, plugs and flies are still taking a lot of trout near the first and second net pens.

Roses Lake in the Okanogan is pumping out a mix of fall-stocked and holdover rainbows 11-15 inches. It is typical to have long slack periods between flurries.

Two friends and I found the Lake Roosevelt rainbow bite nonexistent between 8:30 and noon Monday, followed by fast action for an hour during which we took six 15-inch rainbows, three of which were tagged. That action was followed by another two hours of nothing until we were blown off the lake at about 3 p.m. We still-fished Power bait and worms from a boat in two different bays near Keller. I didn’t see another angler on the water. Lake Roosevelt rainbow reports are conflicting, with some anglers reporting good success trolling flies in the top 8 feet, and others saying there is not a fish to be found anywhere. Roosevelt was at 1,275 feet at midweek and is supposed to drop approximately a foot a day until reaching 1,240 feet on or about May 1.

Fishing is good at the Tucannon River impoundments in Columbia County. All the lakes were restocked this week with 8- to 10-inch rainbow.

Spectacle Lake near Loomis in Okanogan County opens April 1 and should have excellent fishing for 10- to 12-inch rainbow. Also on April 1, Davis Lake near Winthrop, Big and Little Green lakes near Omak, and Rat Lake near Brewster switch over from a catch-and-keep season to a catch-and-release season with selective-gear rules in effect. All should continue to provide good trout fishing.

Columbia Basin rainbow trout fishing waters that opened March 1 are reportedly being fished more as the weather warms. Quincy and Burke lakes, on WDFW’s Quincy Wildlife Area near the town of Quincy, are improving following a slow opener. Wind was a problem this week at Lenore and Rocky Ford. Try small, bead-head mayfly nymphs at Lenore and Woolly Buggers at Rocky Ford.

Ice at Priest Lake went off early this week. This should be an excellent time to entice lake trout cruising the surface.

Steelhead and salmon

Spring chinook are beginning to show on the lower Columbia River, especially around Vancouver and Cathlamet, said WDFW biologist Joe Hymer. Catch rates should continue to improve.

The winter blackmouth fishery is still going strong from Point No Point to the San Juan Islands. Anglers in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) have through the end of the month, while those in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) have through April 15. The most productive region continues to be the southern portion of Marine Area 9, though fishing also remains good in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2.

Steelhead fishing continues, particularly on the West Side. Closer to home, the Clearwater was running high and muddy on Thursday, but the Grande Ronde was fishable. The Grande Ronde’s Hatchery Hole is popular.

Wind River and Drano Lake are seeing few anglers.

Spiny ray

Northeastern Spokane County’s Newman Lake has given up at least one legal size (36-inch minimum) tiger muskie this spring. Other species at Newman will become active as the weather warms.

WDFW district fish biologist Chris Donley said there is a good yellow perch population at Coffeepot Lake that few anglers tap because they can’t use bait.

Walleye fishing is picking up, but is still not hot in the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt. The best reports have come out of the Porcupine Bay area. A few smallmouth have also been taken from Roosevelt recently, and the Snake River smallmouth bite has started three weeks early.

Washburn Island Pond near Brewster opens April 1 and will provide opportunities for largemouth bass and bluegill.

Other species

Lingcod opened in marine areas 1-3 last Saturday and will remain open through Oct. 13, seven days per week.

An April morning razor clam dig may be a possibility, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, who noted that the recent clam dig held last Friday through Sunday was successful.

Hunting

March 31 is the deadline for Washington deer and elk hunters to enter their name in a drawing for this year’s multiple-season hunt. Applicants who qualify for the drawing will be eligible to purchase a special permit allowing them to participate in archery, muzzleloader and modern-firearm general hunting seasons for deer or elk in 2007. Applications cost $5.48 and can be purchased at an authorized license dealer or by calling (866) 246-9453.

While the turkey harvest has increased in many parts of the state, northeastern Washington (units 101-136) continues to have the greatest densities of birds, and consequently the most hunting and highest success rates. Southeast units (139-186) have the second-highest harvest in the state. Huntable turkey populations can also be found in Yakima, Kittitas, Chelan and Okanogan counties, and southwest Washington

A spring turkey season for hunters younger than 16 is scheduled April 7-8 prior to the general spring turkey hunt that begins April 15.