Think deeper, earlier, later on warmer days

Anglers should think deeper, earlier and later when it comes to fishing during the warmer part of summer, said Steve Holweg of Cabela's.

"People should go just a little deeper and earlier or later in the day," Holweg said.

Holweg recently went fishing with a group on Hauser Lake between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. They fished 4 to 6 feet deep with crappie jigs and a bobber.

"We caught about 75 blue gill and crappie," he said. "I just stayed back and took fish off the hooks."

Holweg said trolling on Lake Coeur d'Alene for kokanee was "a little slow" last week when he went out.

"As the sun comes up, you may have to go deeper," he said.

Holweg said he was trolling between 25 and 47 feet with downriggers.

Holweg recommends using a bladed attractor and wedding rings tipped with maggots or corn.

He said he generally lets out 135 feet of line with a 2-ounce weight.

"You can still locate fish on the north end (of Lake Coeur d'Alene), but you may have to move around," Holweg said, adding that he hears the south end at Powderhorn and Carlin bays are fishing well.

Holweg said anglers should be ready for strikes because he has seen fish get away during recent days.

"Make sure your hooks are sharp because the fish were light hitters," he said. "They went tap, tap, and, if you didn't have them on, they were gone."

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Focus on snagging blueback if you're dropping a line in Lake Coeur d'Alene.

"They're biting really good right now," said Dan Pierce with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

He suggested using attractors, hildebrandts or jackaloids, he added, with a wedding ring.

Tip that with maggots and white corn, he added.

"Anywhere on Lake Coeur d'Alene is good," Pierce said.

Chinook, on the other hand, are only biting moderately on Lake Coeur d'Alene, he said.

"Nothing special," he said.

Those really counting on chinook, though, would be best off using mini squids and flashers, he advised, also anywhere on the lake.

The Chain Lakes are seeing a lot of pike and crappie catches, Pierce added.

Spinnerbaits are best to snag the pike, he said. Crappie jigs are suggested for the crappie.

"You can tip those with maggots, if you want to," he said.

The Coeur d'Alene River system continues to serve up sizeable cutthroat for fly fishermen, Pierce said.

Most folks are using Renegades, Stimulators, Humvees and grasshopper patterns, he added.

"All of the Coeur d'Alene North Fork is good right now," he said.

Cutthroat is all catch and release on the river, he reminded.

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If you're looking to catch bass, not much has changed, except smallmouth bass are diving to deeper depths once the sun hits the water.

Largemouth bass, meanwhile, are swimming at shallower depths, like 10 feet deep or so, so throw crank baits, Rat-L-Traps, mid-to-deep range drivers or a variety of spinner baits at those ranges.

Early in the morning is the best bet, and the fish hide along docks, rocks, banks and nestle in the weeds, so try there first, said Blake Becker of Black Sheep Sporting Goods. And when you do, throw top water bites, like a buzz bait or a spook, but only at first light.

Especially active are Hayden Lake and Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Once the sun hits the water, you'll have to go deeper if you still want to chase smallmouth, using those mid-range crank baits and deep divers.

"Don't be afraid to fish too deep for the smallmouth when it gets hot," Becker said.

Northern pike are tucked into the weeds as well, in Coeur d'Alene and Hayden, and spinner baits thrown at various depths should land them, as well as largemouth bass, too.

Crappie are still active as well, so use small crappie jigs, with various baits, like a little tube grub, or a Twister Tail Grubs, at throw those lines out at various depths.

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With warm weather settled in, fly-casters are finding trout on the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers, says Bryan Gregg of Orvis Northwest Outfitters.

Try downsizing your presentation for best results. Throw a smaller bug, and instead of a 4X tippet, tie on a 5X.

"We've seen a lot of fish eating smaller hoppers," Gregg said.

Nymphing is still productive during the warmest parts of the day, and caddis and pale morning duns are showing up in the evening. Terrestrials like ants or beetles might also draw a strike.

Early in the day, it's best to be on the water before everyone else - especially the recreational floaters, Gregg advised.

"The morning's gonna be a little better if you can be the first rod through the run, or that hole," he said.

Look for fast water flowing down into the front of a pool. Trout can be found in that highly-oxygenated area.

"Usually behind a big rock, in some faster water, there's always going to be a fish there this time of year," Gregg said.

As summer starts to wane, the Coeur d'Alene is best above Shoshone Creek, but not too high up. On the Joe, Gregg suggested walk-and-waders venture up to Gold Creek.