Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for Dec. 26

Wed., Dec. 25, 2019

By Alan Liere spokesmanliere@yahoo.com

Tip of the week

Although I wear a fluorescent hunting vest for carrying birds, I like to keep a handful of shotgun shells in each pants pockets where they are more easily accessible. This presents a problem, however, as the extra weight makes the pants slip down, particularly if they get wet, and due to a loss of bulk in my “hinder thigh,” a belt doesn’t help. The fix I have finally gone to, after years of saying I would never wear them, is suspenders. I prefer the type with rivets as they are less likely to slip than the ones with an alligator clip.

Braggin’ rights

My friend Otto Klein and his superb German shorthair Einstein are consistently taking one or two roosters each time out during what has been a dismal pheasant season for most bird hunters. Persistence and long legs (on both hunter and dog) allow them to cover more hilly ground each day than most hunters could cover in a week.

Heads up

Idaho fishing licenses and permits for 2020 are available. Be ready to fish on New Year’s Day by purchasing your license and permits ahead of time. Washington renewals are not needed until March 1, 2020.

Overheard

Idaho fishery managers plan on enlisting anglers to help provide steelhead broodstock in the South Fork of the Clearwater this spring. Details will be forthcoming.

Hunting

Canada geese are loving the current warming trend. Able to find food and open water, they have no reason to leave. Many have returned to scabrock ponds out around Sprague and Lamont. Ducks, on the other hand, either aren’t here yet in the numbers usually expected in late December, or have congregated on the lower Columbia where hunting is said to be good.

Upland hunters are taking a few chukars and a few gray partridge on the Snake River breaks. Quail have been a lot more prevalent. A friend who hunted blackberry thickets down low between Wawawai and Steptoe canyons said he saw a lot of the little speedsters.

Steelhead

From the mouth of the Snake River (Burbank to Pasco railroad bridge at Snake River mile 1.25) to the Couse Creek Boat Ramp will remain closed to fishing for salmon and steelhead until March 31. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has reviewed the adult run size for both A- and B-run summer steelhead passing Ice Harbor Dam. WDFW believes it is important to provide continued protection for these to maximize survival and return of both wild- and hatchery-origin B-run steelhead.

The daily limit for steelhead in the Walla Walla, Touchet, Tucannon and Grande Ronde rivers will be reduced to one hatchery fish effective Jan. 1. The Columbia River upstream of McNary Dam remains closed to steelhead fishing

The good news is that the Clearwater River will open for the spring 2020 steelhead season Jan. 1. Fishing should be hot as this river has been untouched for the past three months. The South Fork of the Clearwater River will also reopen on Jan. 1, but the North Fork Clearwater River will be closed to steelhead fishing during the 2020 spring season. All other season dates remain the same as what is printed 2019-21 Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules brochure.

Ice fishing

Ice fishing opportunities are minimal. In Idaho, Fernan, which is usually one of the first to become fishable, has open water, and so does Avondale. When there is finally safe ice for ice fishermen, Avondale, Bonner, Cocolalla, Dawson, Fernan, Freeman, Hauser, Perkins, Medicine and Upper and Lower Twin have spiny ray and some trout.

The best small Idaho lakes for pike are Hauser, Hayden, Killarney and Thompson. Medicine and Cave lakes are usually good. Chatcolet Lake, at the south end of Coeur d’Alene, is also a good spot for pike, and ice anglers there usually catch some decent-sized perch too.

For trout on a small Idaho lake, consider Robinson, Round and Smith. Generally the farther north you go the more the likelihood of finding hard water. Small lakes around Sandpoint usually ice up sooner than those around Coeur d’Alene. Some of the small lakes above Bonners Ferry are frozen and were almost ready for ice fishing last week.

In Washington, the winter lakes Fourth of July and Hog Canyon have ice and some big trout, but with the current Pineapple Express settled in the region, their status is iffy for safe fishing. Waitts Lake remains open to fishing through February. It has rainbow and brown trout running 11-14 inches. The ice was just beginning to form at Waitts, however. In the opposite direction, Silver Lake near Cheney had some ice but not enough to safely fish on. The lake is loaded with small perch, but there are some decent-sized bluegills, and there’s always the chance of tying into a tiger muskie.

Gillette Lake is one of the few area lakes where there is enough ice for hard water anglers. The trout bite has been better than the perch bite. All of the lakes in the Coeur d’Alene chain had ice fishing last week, but this week it’s anybody’s guess.

Trout and kokanee

Kokanee are finally showing up in good numbers again on Lake Roosevelt. Although the best bite has been up high in the water column, a recent report indicated these hefty landlocked sockeye can be hooked at much deeper depths also. A dodger and a fly are a good combination for kokes or rainbow, though the rainbow seem to bite just as well when no dodger is used. Most of the kokanee have been unclipped.

You don’t need a boat this time of year to catch the beautiful 2- to 3-pound rainbow from Lake Roosevelt. Find a spot on the sand, put a slip sinker on your line, attach a swivel to keep the sinker in place, and tie on five feet of leader and a No. 6 hook. Bait with a nightcrawler or a piece of shrimp, and add a small marshmallow for flotation. Power Bait also works well, and can be fished by itself with excellent results. The same with miniature marshmallows. Test your rig in shallow water to make sure the bait is floating and not dragging on the bottom. Cast out, take up most of the slack and wait for the action to begin. Good places to try are the beaches at Porcupine, Fort Spokane, Spring Canyon or Keller.

Rock Lake is another lake anglers can count on for winter action when ice fishing conditions are poor. Trolled Rapalas in a perch pattern consistently take browns and rainbows, most 14-16 inches with much larger fish of both species a possibility. The Old Goat 2.4-inch lure in a perch pattern also accounted for a lot of hits for a friend who fished the big lake in a rainstorm on Friday.

Lake Pend Oreille is still a good bet for large rainbow. Anglers have begun going a bit deeper for their fish. Priest Lake mackinaw are generally deep. A large Flatfish works as well as anything, and if you prefer to jig plastics, a small piece of pikeminnow will sweeten your presentation. A lot of the fish are 2- to 3-pounders, but two fish in the low teens were reported this week.

Other species

Two additional marine areas of Puget Sound have reopened for recreational crab fishing and will remain open through Jan. 31, 2020. These are the portion of Marine Area 9 between the Hood Canal Bridge and a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point (Port Gamble, Port Ludlow) and the portion of Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected due east from Ayock Point.

Razor clam diggers can return to ocean beaches for four more days of digging. The approved dig is for the following beaches, dates and low tides:

· Thursday, 6:47 p.m., –1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

· Friday, 7:26 p.m., –0.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

· Saturday, 8:05 p.m., –0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

· Sunday, 8:43 p.m., –0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com