Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for August 2

Aug. 1, 2018 Updated Wed., Aug. 1, 2018 at 5:39 p.m.

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

For years I have been scaling my kokanee prior to pressure canning them. The fish were delicious, but I didn’t like the way they looked in the jar because of the skin, and scaling previously frozen fish was messy. This week, I tried a different approach and skinned the fish before canning. The heads had already been removed prior to freezing, so I used scissors to cut off the fins and tails. Then I began peeling the skin off by grasping it with pliers at the top and slowly peeling it down. If you are careful, the skin comes off in one piece. You’ll lose some of the fatty belly flesh this way, but it doesn’t amount to much. The process is better if the fish are still partially frozen. At their current size, you’ll need 2 1/2 kokanee per pint jar. Boil the skins and fins and add to your dog’s kibbles. No waste.

Braggin’ rights

The first sockeye of 2018 returned to the Redfish Lake Creek trap near Stanley, Idaho, on July 26. It had just completed a 900-mile migration from the Pacific Ocean that included crossing eight dams and climbing 6,500 feet of elevation to reach the Sawtooth Basin. Pretty impressive.

Overheard

Conversation overheard while night fishing for kokanee last Saturday on Loon Lake: “Why do you suppose those people on the other side of the lake think everyone wants to hear their crappy music?” “That’s music? I thought maybe there was an electronic guitar demolition derby going on over there.”

Heads up

Warmer water temperatures often result in an outbreak of blue-green algae on area waters such as the one confirmed on Idaho’s Horsethief Reservoir. The toxin in the algae makes the water unsafe for drinking or swimming. Pets should be kept away from the water as the algae can cause sickness and death. Dogs are particularly susceptible to blue-green algae poisoning.

Sturgeon fishing opened on Lake Roosevelt, from the China Bend Boat Ramp upstream to the Canadian Border, on Wednesday and remains open through Aug. 31. Remaining open through Aug. 31 is the stretch from Grand Coulee Dam to the China Bend Boat Ramp (including the Spokane River from the Highway 25 Bridge upstream to 400 feet below Little Falls Dam, the Colville River upstream to Meyers Falls and the Kettle River upstream to Barstow Bridge).

Fly fishing

Silver Bow Fly Shop reports better fishing this weekend on the St. Joe River by anglers fishing the early mornings. The upper half above Avery is fishing well with terrestrials – hoppers, ants and beetles. Small attractors, Chernobyls, caddis and yellow sallies are picking up fish. It’s always a good idea to run a dropper.

Good fishing is reported on the Big Spokane early and late, with early the most consistent. For dry flies, use hoppers, beetles or Chernobyls. Nymphing is always good.

Trout and kokanee

The pullout at Tum Tum on Long Lake, 10 miles northwest of Suncrest off Highway 291, is usually packed with swimmers by noon, but fishing for trout from shore can be good early and late. Bait is commonly used for this type of fishing.

I have never seen better nighttime kokanee fishing than I did last week. Two friends and I anchored in 30 feet of water on the east side for limits every time we went out. White Mack’s Glo Hooks that glow green tipped with a couple of maggots did the damage. Use enough weight to get quickly through the bluegills that are always attracted to the light, and use a slow jigging motion that should begin at water level and take all of 5 seconds to rise 3 feet. Then drop the rod tip quickly and start over. A steady light source makes a difference. It attracts plankton, which attract kokanee. My personal experience is that if you haven’t caught a kokanee by 10 p.m., you need to move in or out a few feet.

Anglers trolling Apex or Old Goat lures downstream from the Fort Spokane launch say it is not difficult to catch planter rainbows of around a foot in length at about 20 feet as long as you put in early to avoid the midday heat. It was noted that the planters have lice. They don’t affect the flavor or consistency of the meat, but definitely affect the appearance of the fish.

The lowland put-and-take lakes are seeing a lot more jet skiers than fishermen, but a few decent reports have come in, notably from West Medical, Badger and Fishtrap. Find the deepest water you can and dunk bait. If successful, clean the fish and get them on ice or you’ll have nothing but cat food when you get home.

Steelhead and salmon

Upper Columbia Guide Service reports good sockeye fishing on the Brewster Pool and good chinook fishing at Chelan Falls. For the chinook, they are running Pro Troll flashers with 42 inches of leader to 3.5 spinners or Super Baits. The fish were 15 to 22 feet down. There are excellent numbers of hatchery chinook in the Chelan Falls area. The fish, sockeye and chinook, are still in excellent shape.

Another area that is open for chinook fishing is the mouth of the Entiat River. A large return is expected to this tributary.

Baker Lake in Whatcom County is also holding up for some bright sockeye salmon that are larger than those at Brewster. Best fishing is early.

Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) has reopened to boat angling for salmon seven days a week. Salmon fishing there remains open daily from fishing piers and shorelines.

Fall chinook fishing on the Snake, Clearwater and Salmon rivers will open Aug. 18. Idaho Fish and Game fisheries managers expect just more than 18,000 adult fish to return to Idaho, which compares with almost 25,000 last year. Most of the fishing opportunity will occur on the Snake River, but short sections of the Clearwater and Salmon will have some fishing.

Spiny ray

Friends fishing wacky worms on the Pend Oreille River near Newport had good luck on smallmouth bass up to 4 1/2 pounds. They noted the river seems to be dropping again and there was not much ramp left at Pioneer Park.

Lower Goose Lake in Grant County near Moses Lake has been good this week for smallmouth bass. Lower Goose also has walleye, which are not nearly as cooperative.

Lake Coeur d’Alene pike don’t seem to mind the hot weather. Anglers are casting spinner baits, mostly on the deep side of the weed lines. Usually, a morning of casting will also net a largemouth or two.

A friend who recently returned from a fishing trip to Cascade Reservoir in Idaho reminded me that Cascade is not just a winter perch destination, In addition to a mess of fat 12- to 13-inch perch, she caught a 24-inch rainbow and several nice smallmouth bass.

Other species

Lake Roosevelt Charters reports catching a couple of keeper sturgeon around Rickey point and north of the Daisy boat launch. They were fishing at 120 feet with Sturgeon Candy Herring. Info: 509-722-3880

Hunting

Idaho hunters who successfully drew controlled hunts in Idaho this year have until Monday at 11:59 p.m. to pick up their tags for elk, deer, antelope, fall turkey and fall bear. The deadline has been extended from Wednesday.

Effective immediately, Idaho Fish and Game has banned the import into Idaho of the carcass or any part of a wild deer, elk, or moose from another state, Canada or other country with any documented case of chronic wasting disease.

Idaho Fish and Game commissioners have agreed to set November as a deadline to decide the fate of the coveted Sawtooth Elk Zone tags. The tags have been available on a limited, first-come, first-served basis for many years, selling out in minutes and leaving many hunters empty-handed and disappointed. Commissioners are considering continuing the status quo, converting the Sawtooth Zone to controlled hunts, or a combination of the two

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com