Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for Dec. 29

Dec. 28, 2022 Updated Wed., Dec. 28, 2022 at 7:48 p.m.

By Alan Liere For The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

If using multiple rods for ice fishing, actively fish one of them while the other(s) sit. Fish will often hit the jigged rod more than the stationary sets, but there are also times when a stationary presentation does better. Also, vary your jigging style from less active to more active (smaller lifts to bigger lifts) until you find a movement pattern that seems to work best. Sometimes fish like to hit the jig when you are lifting it, so try frequently lifting the jig several feet at a time, then go back to the start and try again.

Braggin’ rights

My friend Gary Russell finally found some ducks last week on a warm water pond near Moses Lake. Hunting from shore, he and several friends shot limits of mallards, pintails and widgeons in less than two hours. Otherwise, the Columbia River near Patterson remains the best chance for a good duck shoot. The Pend Oreille River can be good for divers and geese.

Heads up

The recreational razor clam season on all coastal beaches remains closed until further notice. Razor clam test results released on Dec. 23 indicate demonic acid levels on all beaches remain above the health guidelines for safe consumption.

For the second year in a row, Idaho Fish and Game is inviting burbot fishermen to participate in the Kootenai River Angler Science Program to gather information that will help us make the burbot fishing even better. Participating anglers will receive free swag and be entered into a free raffle for a chance to win some great prizes. Fishing for burbot in the Kootenai River closed in 1992 because of a declining population. The population has since increased and the fishery reopened in Jan. 2019. Contact the Panhandle Regional office at (208) 769-1414 if you have questions or would like to learn more about the Kootenai River Angler Science Program.

Open-water fishing

The trout fishing on Lake Roosevelt remains good for trollers and those fishing from shore. Boaters recommend including a bag of sand for the launches that can become ridiculously slick. Try green or orange plastics on the bottom for burbot. Sweeten with a nightcrawler or a hunk of northern pikeminnow.

Rock Lake can be counted on for winter trout action. Trolled Rapalas in a perch pattern consistently take browns and rainbows, most under 16 inches with much larger fish of both species a possibility.

The Old Goat lure in a perch pattern and a perch pattern Apex accounted for a lot of strikes for a friend who fished the lake on Monday.

Pend Oreille Lake trout fishing has been fair the past two weeks, but the fish have moved down in the water column. They aren’t deep, but neither are they on the surface. On Lake Coeur d’Alene, there has been a fair chinook bite for the smaller fish down deep.

Fly fishing

The Spokane Fly Fishers Fly Fishing School starts on Feb. 16 and includes a great lineup of program presenters who will provide indoor and outdoor classes. The indoor sessions will be held at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council Building at 6116 N. Market St. from 6 p.m. to approximately 8:30 p.m. Three outdoor casting classes will be at Franklin Park in North Spokane. The final class is April 1 at Waterfront Park on Medical Lake. Current Spokane Fly Fishers members pay only $130. The nonmember fee is $150 for ages 18 and over and $80 for ages 12 through 17. (The nonmember fee includes club membership through May 2024.) If interested, connect on the Fly School link at spokaneflyfishers.com or contact Claude Kistler at fs@spokaneflyfishers.com or by phone at (509) 747-2268.

Silver Bow Fly Shop has this to say about winter fishing: “The Spokane River has been back to being a winter fishing option these past few days. Trout spey or streamers fished deep with sink-tips has been productive. Productive in the wintertime means: (A) you got out of the house to fish; (B) you didn’t freeze to death; and (C) you didn’t fall in. If you are lucky enough to catch one or more fish, well then, that’s a hell of a winter day on the water.”

Steelhead

With the warmer weather, the Snake River will be a steelhead option, but the Grande Ronde is spiking quickly and the Clearwater is also rising, though not quite as fast. Shelf ice may still be a problem on the Grande Ronde.

Ice fishing

The ice on some of the lakes that was OK for ice fishing last week has deteriorated. On Mirror Lake in Idaho, for example, a Sunday angler reported 10 inches of snow over 2 inches of frozen slush with 4 inches of wet slush beneath that. Below it all was a mere 2 inches of good ice – not enough for me. The kokanee are about 8 inches long.

Unfortunately, compromised ice conditions will be similar for any number of lakes in Idaho and Washington. A dearth of ice fishing reports since Sunday would suggest fishing enthusiast are finding other outdoor pursuits (like dealing with ice dams and collapsed metal sheds … as am I). Still, another Idaho ice fisherman said the ice was “pretty good” at Hauser Lake and the slush wasn’t as bad as he had feared. He caught two dozen perch in a short time. He said they were stacked in about 20-25 feet of water. Most of the lakes in the Coeur d’Alene Chain had ice fishing last week, but this week, it’s anybody’s guess.

Fernan Lake has slush on top, but trout are biting and the ice is good close to the buoy. Spirit Lake has perhaps 4 inches of hard ice with 8 inches of slush on top. Upper Twin was better with just 3 inches of slush on top of 8 inches of ice. Fishing, however, has not been good.

Hard water anglers in Eastern Washington can still find some decent ice. Lakes like Hog Canyon, Sacheen, Jumpoff Joe, Waitts, Eloika, Thomas and Curlew had a good ice cover before the big thaw. Gillette Lake has enough good ice for ice fishing. The trout bite there is better than the perch bite. Curlew Lake perch action is still good at the state park, though melting snow has made it sloppy. Wherever you go, take it slowly; be cautious.

Hunting

A friend and I braved the icy roads between Spokane and St. John last week in hopes of finding a pheasant or two, but we cut our trip short because of deep snow and drifts. Even our dogs were miserable as ice balls on their feet, and belly-high drifts curtailed their usual enthusiasm. Back home at last, I pulled into my driveway where 12 pheasants were scratching for gravel alongside a 15-bird covey of quail. No, I wasn’t tempted.

Goose hunters in the Columbia Basin haven’t been affected by ice as much as duck hunters, as most of their shooting is in fields.

As the weather warms, geese will often search out food that isn’t as “hot” as grain, often preferring grass and winter wheat.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com