Ice fishing slows to a crawl

It's that time of the year.

The ice is thinning out and ice fishing has slowed to a crawl, said Tina Padgitt, of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

"Nothing is biting right now," she said. "There's a lull."

Before pike start nipping again in a couple of weeks, anglers might have to hit the road to catch the best prizes.

Near the south fork of the Clearwater River, anglers are able to catch steelhead using bottom bouncing shrimp with a weight, but closer to home trout are being pulled from the Spokane River between Corbin Park and Stateline using worms and lures and rapals to catch the fish from the banks.

In a few weeks, anglers can turn their attention to catching pike at Hayden Lake and the Chain Lakes using smelt, herring and bobbers casting line from a boat or from the banks near docks and rocks, Padgitt said.

Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe rivers

The mild winter weather has allowed anglers along the lower Coeur d'Alene River and the St. Joe to make the most of the year round trout season, said Pat Way of Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

"It's predominantly a nymphing game right now, although there is a small window for swinging flies," Way said.

Pulling streamers in some of the deeper pools has produced results, he said, and he suggests an intermediate sink hip line with leech patterns, or a small, black wooley bugger.

Steelhead

For those who head south, Way said steelhead fishing continues to be good.

"Fishing's gotten a little better on the Clearwater. They've brought the flow up a little bit," Way said.

With the warmer temperatures, swinging flies is still effective, but nymphing is usually a better choice.

"Good size stone fly patterns have been very effective," Way said.

Lake Coeur d'Alene

Lake Coeur d'Alene is still fair for salmon, said Jeff Smith of Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"I'd say the best action from here on out is going to be in the top 30 feet," he said, suggesting helmeted herring at shallow spots, or trolling with diving rapalas.

Fishermen should stick to the bays on the lake if they're looking for pike, he added, especially by the weedline.

"I've been selling a lot of smelt and herring for pike fishermen, they've been fishing well," Smith said. "From here until the next 30 days or so, usually some big pike come in."

Steelhead on Clearwater River between Lewiston and Orofino are mostly chomping on a slip bobber and jig, he added.

"I've been ordering those doggone jigs every week. I'm just going through 'em," Smith said.

Cutthroat trout have been plentiful between Kingston and Cataldo on the Coeur d'Alene River, he said, and no one minds it's only catch and release.

"It's close and it's fun," he said. "The cutthroats are running a pretty good size, I'd say realistically from 12 to 18 inches. I've heard of bigger ones."

Some fishermen are fly fishing with nymphs, he said, though others are relying on rooster tail spinners. He reminded anglers to use barbless bait.

Area rivers

Fishing continues to improve on the northern rivers, said Mark Roush of ROW Adventures in Coeur d'Alene.

"Water temperatures have continued to rise slightly, and the fish have become more active," he said. "The vast majority of the action is still sub-surface, and most fishermen still use such flies as buggers, copper johns, sculpins and princes."

Fly fishermen are getting geared up for what should be an early Golden Stone and Green Drake hatch.

"We are still a ways off from this, but there have already been hints of cutthroat starting to look up to the surface," Roush said. "Some of the spawning fish have started to migrate upstream, so you can possibly get some good looks well up into the North Fork. The float stretch from the Snake Pit to the Cataldo Mission has continued to produce fish."

Area lakes

Many lakes that normally have ice fishermen scattered across them are completely barren these days, Roush said.

Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Fernan and even the chain lakes are dangerous to ice fish on.

"The banks have been slowly receding to water for about a month now and even where the ice is thickest, there are dangerous current lines constantly weakening the ice," Roush said. "Spirit, Cocollala and Twin lakes are still providing ice fishermen with a chance to have a nice day out."

This spring should be excellent for pike fishermen who choose to drift dead herring and smelt under a float, Roush said.

"We are only about a month away from the start of the pre-spawn," he said.