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| Mike McLean |
Bass taking heat from anglers
Mornings and evenings best for other fish
Bass fishing could be the best bet for anglers in the heat of the summer.
"Smallmouth fishing is good," said Matt Palmer of Fins & Feathers Tackle Shop. "They are just moving deeper to about 30 feet off the points."
He recommends bouncing Gitzits and twin-tail grubs off the bottom.
He and Todd Palmer took first place in the Panhandle Bass Anglers Team Classic out of Harrison on July 15 and 16 with a total bag of 39.84 pounds, including the biggest fish of the tournament weighing in at 6.96 pounds.
Ben Schilling and J.D. Ragan took second prize with a total bag of 37.67 pounds. Justin Cox and Joe McCormick placed third with a bag of 35.87 pounds.
Hayden Lake largemouth bass are hanging around docks and deep lily pads. "It will be alright if you can get out there before ski boats," Palmer said.
Randy Richards of Tri State Outfitters said some anglers are brave enough that they don't mind sitting in 100-degree temperatures to try to catch a fish.
"A lot of bass anglers are hard at it," he said.
Largemouth bass can be found at midday in the heavier weedbeds.
"Get into heavier lily pads and bass will be sitting underneath where it's shadowy," Richards said. "Just work those pads with weedless frogs and you'll see those big old bass blow two or three pads out trying to get those frogs. It's kind of a rush."
Good weed cover is in the back end of Fernan and Hayden lakes. Twin and Hauser lakes are also good prospects for big largemouth.
Lake Coeur d'Alene is probably putting out more big ones than the rest of the lakes, Richards said.
Six-inch plastic worms are working better because they have more tail movement, he said. He recommends dark colors like motor oil, watermelon, purple and black.
"Rig them up weedless to keep the hook as unexposed as you can," he said.
In the evenings, it's back to topwater stuff. Zara Spooks in gray ghost and clear minnow patterns have both been effective.
Richards also recommends Hula Poppers and Jitterbugs in black or perch colors.
Blackmouths and Bluebacks
Coeur d'Alene salmon are starting to pick up, but it's still not great, Palmer said.
"It's hot and fish are deep," said Tina Padgitt of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.
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Anglers are most likely to hook a chinook in the mornings and evenings when they come up to 45-50 feet to feed.
"When it's hot they are down 80-100 feet," Palmer added.
Flashers and minisquids are the most consistent setups, although some anglers are trolling herring.
Richards recommends standard-size squids in black/white, black/purple and black/glow patterns behind dodgers.
He said the south end of the lake is best for catch rates and sizes. But a few chinook have been caught outside of Squaw Bay and in the deep stretch outside of Mica Bay on the north end.
The kokanee bite has been hit or miss, Palmer said.
"Some days you do good and the next day you won't find them," he said. "The ones they are catching are 25-30 feet deep."
The best time to fish for kokanee is in the morning before the boat traffic hits, he said.
The bluebacks are spread out in midchannel in front of Mica Bay, Squaw Bay and Arrow Point.
Richards said, "You have to work to find them and when you do, 10-15 is a pretty good day."
He said Ford Fenders and Jack Lloyd attractors with gold blades are most effective. Richards also recommends green or glow Wedding Ring Spinners tipped with maggots.
Trout
There are still guys catching a fair amount of trout.
In the middle of the day, anglers will have to find the fish near the bottom of smaller lakes, by weighing down their hooks with night crawlers or PowerBait.
People who want to cast can use heavier spinner baits like black/silver Rooster Tails and let them sink before retrieving them.
In evenings spin casters can lighten up in size and color of the Rooster tails, because the trout will start coming to the surface.
Trout anglers are bouncing night crawlers or salmon eggs in the deeper holes in the catch-and-keep portion of the Coeur d'Alene River, Richards said.
They are also using spinners like blue/silver Mepps to get down to them in the mornings and evenings.
Fly Fishing
Most of the trout bite is limited to mornings and evenings for fly fishers, said Josh Seaton of Orvis Northwest Outfitters.
They are eating caddis and small terrestrials like ants beetles and some hoppers in the Coeur d'Alene River.
The St. Joe is also providing a good summer fishery, he said. "They whole river is fishing good."
For the Joe, Seaton recommends hopper-dropper patterns of attractors with small bead-head nymph trailers.
The Clark Fork River in western Montana is getting so warm, Seaton recommends only fishing from daylight until 9 a.m. -- if at all.
Kams & Macks
The best time to go after Pend Oreille Kamloops is in the early mornings and late evenings.
He recommends using something that goes subsurface, such as jointed gold/black or silver/black Rapala plugs.
Heather, Raider and Demon trolling flies have also been productive.
Pend Oreille mackinaw are hanging deeper where they aren't quite as affected buy the surface temperature, Richards said.
He recommends trolling black/purple, blue/white or blue/green Apex lures or brown perch Lyman plugs.
At Priest Lake, mackinaw anglers are handlining jigs with cut bait. Some handliners are dropping Storm minnows. Others are weighting down with night crawlers.
Priest Lake trollers are using green perch Lymans and green/white Apex lures.
Pan Fish
Crappie fishing has been good everywhere, Richards said. His boss caught 20 nice ones Sunday in Fernan Lake.
Hayden Lake is best for size, Richards said. Hauser Lake is also good. Chain Lakes are putting out lots of bluegills.
"They are hitting just about anything," he said. "Most guys are jigging for them." He recommends black/white, chartreuse and red/white jigs.
Some anglers are trolling for them with small Countdown Rapalas and Rebel Crawdads.
Mike McLean is The Press outdoors editor. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2011, or by e-mail at mmclean@cdapress.com. Remember to review appropriate rules and regulations before fishing.
