Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Sept. 28

Thu., Sept. 28, 2023

By Alan Liere For The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Grouse don’t like to fly unless they have to, but if you walk slowly and pause often while hunting, they will become unnerved and flush. Remember that ruffed grouse are fairly easy to bring down with quail loads early in the hunting season. Many grouse hunters stick with the same No. 6 shot they use for pheasants, and this is overkill that gives them fewer pellets per load.

Overheard

In response to the recent detection of invasive larval quagga mussels in the Snake River in Twin Falls, Idaho Fish and Game has temporarily closed fishing of any kind on the Snake River from the Twin Falls Hydroelectric Dam to the bridge crossing the Snake River at Highway 46. Closures are intended to allow the Idaho Department of Agriculture to evaluate the extent of mussels in the river and prevent further spread.

The Idaho Fish and Game fishing and boating access site at Morton Slough on the Pend Oreille River recently received significant improvements including nearly 30 boat and trailer parking spaces, 10 single vehicle parking spaces and two ADA-accessible parking spaces to go along with the existing boat launch, restroom and dock at the site.

Braggin’ rights

A lot of seniors who hunted the early 65-and-older pheasant season that ended last week came home empty-handed the first day and didn’t go out again. My friend Tom Allen of Cheney, however, stuck with it, hunting three days and harvesting two birds on each day. He said the birds were in bunches with a lot of nothing in between.

Fly fishing

Water this time of the year has definitely cooled off, so look for some deeper and slightly slower currents to be your best bet. Longer/finer leaders definitely help in the low water.

The Spokane River has been fishing well, Silver Bow Fly Shop said. Dry/dropper rigs have been working as have bobber rigs. Throw Rubber leg stones, caddis pupa and jig patterns like perdigons or pheasant tails. Chernobyls are still getting fish and some caddis are hatching.

Rivers like the North Fork Clearwater and Kelly Creek are also fishing well, Silver Bow said. The Kootenai River will be good, as will the Clark Fork.

Trout and kokanee

Lake Pend Oreille trout fishermen are beginning to catch some 6- to 10-pound rainbow close to shore by trolling Rapalas off a planer board.

Waitts Lake anglers are trolling spinners and muddler minnows at midlake for rainbows and a few browns. The fish are running from about 11 inches up to 16 inches.

Most of the put-and-take lakes south of Spokane are perking up a bit for trout anglers. Clear Lake has been decent for rainbows and browns, but largemouth bass are also a good option .

Salmon and steelhead

Idaho Fish and Game said the steelhead run over Lower Granite is the second largest since 2012. Salmon and steelhead are being counted at the dam, with 935 chinook counted on Sunday along with 130 jacks. On the same day, 1,665 unclipped steelhead were counted along with 397 that were clipped.

Reel Time Fishing out of Clarkston said it is picking up a few chinook, a few steelhead and a few coho each day from the Clearwater. The chinook limit is three, steelhead and coho two. The cooler weather means it’s also time to start checking out the Grande Ronde River for steelhead.

The Marine Area 10 coho limit was reduced in early August due to high catches in June and July and concern for natural coho impacts that occur in Area 10. Since then, catch has leveled off to preseason expectations, and the coho limit is again two per day.

The Hanford Reach fall salmon fishing is just taking off, with a sharp increase in catches recorded in the past week. The best bite has been at around 20 feet.

Spiny ray

Lake Roosevelt walleye are being caught by anglers with Mack’s Smile Blades and nightcrawlers dragging the flats at Colville, Bradbury and Outhouse. The Hawk Creek area has been decent at times.

The walleye fishing on Potholes Reservoir is getting good and so is the bass fishing. Around this time, the big bluegill and crappie fishing becomes more consistent. The launch at the state park is shallow but usable. Trolling open water at 20-23 feet with Smile Blades and a bottom bouncer has been effective .

Area lakes like Diamond, Liberty, Long, Newman, Silver and even Loon and Deer have provided some hot afternoon fishing for largemouth bass. Crankbaits and plastics are effective.

Other species

The WDFW shellfish managers said the first round of razor clam digging opportunities at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Copalis begins Friday.

Domoic acid levels at Mocrocks have exceeded the health guidelines set by the Washington Department of Health officials for safe consumption, so that beach remains closed to clamming at this time

With just a few days left until the northern pikeminnow reward program ends for the year, the Washougal check station leads all others with 2,198 fish turned in for cash. Second place is held by the Cascade check station with 1,376 fish. For the year , there have been 8,110 northern pikeminnow turned in for rewards.

Few legal-sized sturgeon were reported from China Bend and the upper end of Lake Roosevelt this week.

Fishing pressure in the upper river has been strong , according to a friend who fishes often above Northport. He said he has caught as many as seven sublegal fish in one day using pickled herring, but the slot limit is nearly impossible to hit. Water levels continue to fluctuate about 3 feet a day – low in the morning and slowly rising until about 1:00 pm.

Hunting

There aren’t many doves around Spokane , but to the south, around Colfax and Washtucna, the fence and power lines have been packed with doves. These are probably massing for their migratory flights.

Hunters who work the brush up north in Spokane, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties are getting dirty, wet and scratched looking for ruffed grouse, but they are finding pockets of birds and enjoying some exciting shotgunning.

Youth pheasant hunting season in Idaho kicks off Saturday and runs through Oct. 13 with the Clearwater general season following from Oct. 14 through December.

Youths ages 17 years and younger with an Idaho hunting license can participate in the youth pheasant hunt as long as they’re accompanied by an Idaho licensed hunter 18 or older. Anyone 18 or older cannot hunt during the youth hunt.

Idaho hunters 18 and older intending to take advantage of stocked birds by hunting on a pheasant release area will need to purchase an upland game bird permit in addition to their hunting license.

Each permit is valid for six roosters with a daily bag limit of two. Permits can be purchased at a regional fish and game office, licensed vendor, online or by phone (1-800-554-8685).

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com