Anglers hauling in big fish this season

It's a season for big hauls.

At the Big One Chinook Derby on Lake Coeur d'Alene this weekend, the top eight catches all came in over 20 pounds, said Dan Pierce with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"That's a lot bigger than we'd thought they'd be," Pierce said, adding that winner Dan Rife snagged a trophy of 24.30 pounds.

Fishermen hoping to reel in more sizeable chinook should use herring or hoochies with flashers, Pierce said.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass are also biting well in local lakes, Pierce added.

Twin-tailed or singe-tailed grubs should work well in catching smallmouth, and senkos in snagging the largemouth.

Kokanee are doing well on Lake Coeur d'Alene, too, Pierce said, and range about 6 to 8 inches long. He advised using spinners and wedding rings.

Twin Lakes is another spot idealists might want to check out. A new state record for pike was caught there late last week, Pierce said, weighing in at 40 pounds, 2 ounces.

"He (the fisherman) was fishing for trout, and he caught that," Pierce said.

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The hopper fishing has been good on the St. Joe and the Coeur d'Alene rivers, said Mike Beard of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

"In the evening times, you are getting more of the hatches," Beard said.

"They're still eating the hoppers, but you can definitely throw a PMD trailer on."

Anything you can do to lower your profile and add a little stealth is going to help.

"The big fish are getting a little spookier," Beard said. "A longer leader and a longer cast, that's going to pay off to get the big fish."

The fish will be in the faster moving water during the day, where there is more oxygen. In the evening, they'll pull out into the flats.

"Midday, look to the riffles, anywhere there are bubbles is a good place to look for big fish," Beard said.

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Trout fishing on the Spokane River is in summer swing, so anglers don't have to go far to land them. Tie on caddis flies and adams patterns to catch them near the state line area just below the Post Falls Dam, said Brad Zierer of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

The fishing should last for the rest of August, as the evening hatches are the best times to toss a line, around 7 p.m.

The river is running low, so waders aren't needed, although boots should be used to walk out and get away from the banks for better casts.

The fish are in the ripples, so put the flies there, Zierer said.

But anglers can land bass there too, using balsa poppers, he said.