Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Sept. 19, 2024

Thu., Sept. 19, 2024

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Unhooking a wriggling fish becomes much easier when you hold it on its back with one wet hand gently cupping its dorsal fin. All fish immediately relax and lie still when held in this position, allowing you to remove the hook without having to squeeze.

Overheard: North Idaho is home to black and grizzly bears, and living and recreating safely in their midst requires specific training and skills. To help with this, Idaho Fish and Game is offering a free “North Idaho Bear Fair” at the Boundary County Fairgrounds on Sept. 28 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Registration is not required. Free food will be provided and you can enter to win free prizes. During the event, participants will receive bear spray training using inert bear spray canisters on Fish and Game’s remote-controlled charging grizzly bear. Anyone who participates in the bear spray training will receive a free canister of bear spray while supplies last.

Heads up: In last week’s column, I erroneously indicated that the over-65/hunters with disability pheasant hunt would run four days. It is actually a five-day season running through this Friday.

The Nez Perce Tribe is deploying drift nets at night at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers. Joe DuPont, Clearwater regional fisheries manager, asks that anglers be aware of the nets that are marked by buoys and flashing lights. Some boats have become entangled with the nets this past week.

Braggin’ rights: I didn’t get out for the Washington geezer pheasant opener, but my friend Steve Brisboe did. The first 15 minutes of his hunt near Endicott made up for the fact he didn’t see another pheasant for the two hours after that. Almost immediately upon starting up his favorite draw, his dog went on point. When Steve walked in, four birds got up to his left and another six to his right. Steve shot a double with his over-and-under.

Fly fishing

Temperatures are cooling off, but the fishing is going to continue to heat up on rivers like the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. Find some water with depth. Silver Bow Fly Shop recommends you still fish late-summer patterns like hoppers, ants, beetles and bees, but start thinking about October caddis, mahogany duns and BWOs.

The fishing has been good on the St. Joe River. October caddis have begun to appear. Crossover patterns like the Henry’s Fork golden stone can work great this time of the year as a hopper or October caddis due to their coloring and size. Little gnats, small ants or little emergers can work well in pools where fish are rising.

The North Fork of the Clearwater and Kelly Creek have been fishing well and October caddis are starting to show.

Trout and kokanee

Long Lake is beginning to give up rainbow trout again to trollers. With school in session and boat and jet ski traffic diminished, the weeds that were continually stirred up from the bottom during the hot summer months are not continually fouling fishing lines.

Trout fishing on the two Conconully Lakes becomes productive in the fall, and it can also be excellent for big kokanee. Jameson Lake offers some of the best fall trout fishing in Washington state. Trolling is the most popular method of take, but the lake also has accessible shoreline fishing.

Salmon and steelhead

Idaho Fish and Game has reduced the percentage of fall chinook trapped at Lower Granite for brood stock from 40% to 18%, so more fish will be coming into the confluence. The counts of both steelhead and fall chinook are above the 10-year average at 1,300 a day. Fishing has been off and on, but two friends had three hatchery steelhead of around 9 pounds they caught at the confluence Tuesday morning using shrimp under a bobber. Trollers using lighted lures at night are beginning to catch salmon and steelhead.

The Corps of Engineers raised the water level on the Snake River last week, which usually has a negative effect on the bite. Water temperatures in the Snake River have been more than 73 degrees, which is uncomfortable for the fish. There is speculation by some anglers that salmon and steelhead may be heading up the cooler waters (58 degrees) of the Clearwater above the Memorial Bridge. Many anglers wait for the fall fish to arrive in the Hanford Reach where they fish from White Bluffs to below Priest Rapids Dam.

Spiny ray

A friend recently reported a good day of fishing at Loon Lake for spiny ray. He and his fishing partners caught dozens of bluegill and sunfish and kept 11 perch to 11 inches. They were fishing over weed beds in 20-25 feet of water.

The autumn bite for panfish is excellent at Potholes. There is a combined limit for bluegill and crappie of 25 fish. The crappie have to be at least 9 inches long to keep, but 15-inchers are relatively common. The perch can also be sizable, reaching 14 inches in length. During the autumn months, most spiny ray species will be found at the face (or in front of) the sand dunes on the main lake. For autumn crappie troll a Berkley No. 5 Flicker Shad in a Chrome Clown color pattern.

Bassmaster Magazine ranked Potholes Reservoir as the ninth-best bass fishing destination in the Western United States this year. There is a healthy population of largemouth and smallmouth bass in several age classes there. Pete Fisher at the MarDon Resort Tackle Shop said fishing in front of the dunes on the main lake is the best place to go for largemouth. The fish will be suspended around sandy humps. Fishing a football head jig with a hula grub trailer is an effective way to catch them. The face of O’Sullivan Dam or Lind Coulee at the south end of the lake will be best for smallmouth on deep diving crankbaits.

Potholes walleye are found off the face of the sand dunes or the mouth of Crab Creek. Troll diving crankbaits at a depth of 10 to 12 feet. A jointed No. 7 Berkley Flicker Shad will get you fish.

Long Lake perch are putting on the feed bag for winter, and big catches are reported from the Willow Bay area. There are a lot of 6-inch fish being caught, but approximately every fourth fish is 10 inches or larger. Walleye fishermen are also scoring some nice catches of fish up to 22 inches.

Smallmouth bass are numerous along the northern shoreline of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Idaho smallmouth can also be found in Hayden Lake, the Spokane River below Post Falls Dam, the Pend Oreille River and Lake Pend Oreille. They are hitting dark plastics off the bottom. Upper Twin and Hauser have been good for largemouth with some big crappie also beginning to show again.

Hunting

Ordering an Idaho license online or by phone is a convenient way to buy your hunting/fishing licenses and permits, but sportsmen and women are reminded to allow enough time for their tags to be mailed before their outings. Fish and Game recommends at least 10 business days for hunting tags to arrive. Licenses can be printed at home immediately after purchase, but Fish and Game tags must be physically in possession while in the field.

The early pheasant opener for hunters over 65 was a dry, hot affair. Not many hunters were afield, and those who were had mixed reports. Scenting conditions were bad for the dogs and there were a lot of young birds, but this year’s population appears to be similar in size to last year’s.

Grouse hunters report moderate success in Washington and Idaho. The ruffs have been in heavy cover near water.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com.