Alan Liere’s weekly fish and game report for Feb. 11

Wed., Feb. 10, 2016

Tip of the week

Slip bobbers are a great way to present bait or a jig to steelhead on the Columbia, or to triploid rainbows on Rufus Woods or Lake Roosevelt. If need be, add split shot above your jig or bait until all of the bobber is submerged except the very top. This way it is still visible to you but it is able to be pulled down with very little resistance.

Braggin’ rights

A record number of Snake River fall chinook spawned in 2015 Between Lower Granite and Hells Canyon dams. Some 9,345 redds (gravel nests) have been counted, up from the 6,715 counted the year before. Credit for the increase is given to the Snake River Fall Chinook Program, which is a program of the Nez Perce Tribe which began in 1994, along with the program’s co-managers.

Overheard

Anglers fishing at Buoy 5 on Lake Roosevelt Monday reported the water “looked like chocolate milk.” Fishing was poor.

Heads up

Sprague Lake is ice free and anglers are beginning to find some of the steelhead and large trout. Many anglers are still unaware of the nice WDFW public access concrete boat launch at the west end of Sprague Lake. Although the dock has been pulled up for the winter, the ramp is still in excellent shape. Hip boots are advisable until the dock goes back in.

Fly fishing

The lower North Fork Coeur d’Alene River is one of the better fly fishing options at this time. Look for slower water and go with streamers first.

The Spokane River is higher and faster than the North Fork, but you can still find fish close to the bank. Employees of Silver Bow Fly Shop in the Spokane Valley reported that stripping-in streamers with a lot of flash have been effective during the day. They added that the water has cleared up below Latah Creek.

The Snake River is a good option for steelhead now as water levels have dropped. The best fishing has been between Asotin and Heller Bar. The Clearwater, too, is in good shape. Egg patterns have been effective. It’s not lights-out fishing, but there are fish to be had up high on the river.

At Rocky Ford, nymph or scud patterns are still the most popular fly, but there have been brief hatches at times and dry flies are not out of the question if the weather continues mild.

Steelhead and salmon

Boggan’s Oasis annual steelhead derby began Feb. 5 and ends March 19. This is prime time for Grande Ronde steelhead from the Washington side down to the Highway 129 Bridge. Last year, a 9-pound fish won the derby and $500, but ‘Ronde steelies have been running a little larger this year and it may take one weighing 10 pounds plus to take first prize. Grande Ronde flows are forecast to go up in the next few days with the warming weather and predicted rain. Call Boggan’s for the latest report (509) 256-3372.

The Ringold hatchery on the Columbia River is like a beacon to steelhead, and a lot of fish averaging 6 pounds are caught in this part of the Columbia in February. Although fishing was “very slow” in January, according to Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fisheries biologist, he says it should pick up late in the month.

Trout and kokanee

Lake Roosevelt kokanee success has run the gamut this week from “lights out” to “dead” and effective lures have ranged from Apexes to flies to plugs to hootchies. The givens are that orange and pink have been the hot colors, that corn is added to everything and that the Keller area has been best. Most of the 17- to 20-inch unclipped fish have been hooked less than 15 feet below the surface. Dave Grove, of Captain Dave’s Guide Service, reports excellent kokanee fishing at Keller, even finding 16- to 20-inch fish breaking the surface on some days. Info: (509) 939-6727.

Two friends fished from shore near Hansen Harbor on Monday and caught nine big rainbow on orange Power Bait, but missed an inordinate amount before quitting at noon. They said there was a hot early-morning bite but things went dead after 10 a.m. With such a good report, two of us went back the next day, but a heavy fog hung over the lake and the bite was far from fast. We had numerous bites (missed) in the first half hour, then put in a lot of time for just three trout in the 14- to 18-inch range.

Elsewhere on Lake Roosevelt, bank fishermen have also been taking trout near Hawk Creek and Lincoln, and trollers are also having some good days.

Rufus Woods is still good for 2- to 4-pound triploids. Bait fishermen have done best recently.

Rock Lake anglers are doing better trolling than fishing from shore but say the 12- to 14-inch steelhead are so abundant it is difficult to get past them to catch any of the larger rainbow or browns.

Colyar ledge seems to be the area of Lake Chelan where the kokanee bite has been most consistent. This is the area above the Narrows, starting at about the 200 foot contour extending to the 400 foot contour. It is the area where Wenatchee resident Phil Colyar caught the current state record mackinaw, a bruiser weighing 35 pounds, 10 ounces.

At Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service in Chelan, Anton Jones notes that Chelan Lake kokanee are deeply suspended and beginning to move around. He says you have to stay focused on your sonar and be ready to move to find them. Info: (509) 687-0709.

Spiny ray

An angler fishing the long flat across from Seven Bays reported catching two walleye over 7 pounds this week. He was using blade baits.

Some nice-sized walleye have also been reported this week from the Columbia River near Tri-Cities.

Other species

Anglers have been somewhat frustrated trying to figure out the Lake Roosevelt burbot fishery. Sometimes fishing is best very early or very late, but fish are also caught in the middle of the day. The mouth of the Colville River can be a good place to try from shore, but relatively shallow water at Buoy 5 and very deep water at Two Rivers have also been good at time. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to matter where you are or what you’re using – the fish just aren’t going to bite.

State shellfish managers have proposed two days of razor clam digging at Copalis beach on Feb. 19-20, provided marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. WDFW will announce final word on the dig about a week before it is scheduled to begin. A month-long opening at Long Beach is already under way and will continue through March 10. Clamming there is said to be good when the weather cooperates, but the bi-valves are somewhat smaller than last year. There will be numerous low tides in the evening during that time with five consecutive days March 6-10.

Huge mountain whitefish represent a great bycatch for Hanford Reach steelheaders. With so many nutrients in the water, these fish average around 19 inches and get as long as 24 inches. Whitefish are bony, but they are delicious smoked.

Hunting

Rabbits are about the only remaining game left for Washington and Idaho hunters until turkeys open. The season for Washington cottontails and snowshoes ends March 15. In Idaho, cottontails are open through Feb. 28 and snowshoes through March 31.

Hunters have a few days left to apply for this spring’s Idaho controlled bear hunts. The application period ends Feb. 15. Any leftover controlled hunt tags go on sale April 1.

The 2016 Hunting Film Tour will be coming to the region this month with 7 p.m. showings Feb. 19 at the Coeur d’Alene Kroc Center, Feb. 20 at Sandpoint’s Panida Theatre and Feb. 21 at the Magic Lantern in Spokane. The show features edited versions of 10 films featuring hunting from Montana and Nebraska to Alaska and the African plains, waterfowl to big game, both firearms and archery.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com