Lakes begin to buzz with boats
Fishing on area lakes is starting to heat up with splashes of spring.
Bud Frasca, owner of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden, said he went on Hayden on Sunday and found many others doing the same.
"It was like a wedding reception," he said. "Probably 50 to 60 boats out there catching fish."
Frasca said the crappie bite is on.
"They're not spawning yet," Frasca said. "They're down 6 to 10 feet."
Small crappie jigs with spinning rods and a bobber or fly rods and an indicator should do the trick.
Frasca said the situation on Cocollala and Fernan lakes should be similar.
He said the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers are also gradually improving for trout fishing.
"The trout are pretty much done spawning," he said.
Frasca said anglers shouldn't get too discouraged about the tardiness of spring weather this year.
"Fishing can be good in the rain, especially on the river," he said. "Some of the best blue-winged olive hatches are on ugly days."
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Right now it's the cusp of the great large mouth bass and pike seasons.
In a week or two, when water temperatures hit 54 degrees, the fish will swim to shallow banks and anglers can take advantage of the active fish.
Right now it's not bad, temperatures are around 51 degrees and bass and pike are active in Hayden, Fernan, Hauser and Twin lakes. They'll chase Husky jerks, and jerk baits like rapalas. Toss those lines out about 15 feet deep, but in a week or so move in and throw line about 6 feet out beneath lily pads and atop spawning beds. That's when they're more active, when they come up to shallower waters for spawning season.
When it's that time, use much more plastic patterns and get away from the husky jerks. Use rubber worms and craw dad imitations, mixing in some more rattle traps, and use lots of spinner baits.
It's not all a waiting game right now, Kinghorn said.
Crappie fish are active on Hayden Lake, about 8-15 feet deep. They're going after crappie jigs, green-colored, or red-and-white patters. Use a six- to eight-inch leader for the crappie jigs, with a bobber, and then on the crappie jig use one maggot, or a crappie glow nibs.
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It's runoff time on local rivers, according to Pat Way of Orvis Northwest Outfitters. After a good window last week, the Coeur d'Alene and the Joe are running high and dirty, which means the fishing is a no-go.
Over in Montana, though, the Clark Fork is still yielding fish. Way likes to fish the big river when it has some color, he said. The stretch between Superior and St. Regis is usually a good spot.
Between 1 and 3 p.m., cast March browns or blue-winged olives. At other times of day, big nymph patterns - Pat's rubber legs or 20-incher stoneflies - should attract a few trout.
The guides at Orvis have fielded "good reports from some of the area lakes," Way said.
Rainbows are sipping chironomids on Coffeepot and Amber Lakes in eastern Washington. Fish the little midges under an indicator, or try small leech patterns.
The trout are holding in 5 to 20 feet of water. Test the depth first, Way said, then fish right off the bottom.
Same tactics apply for North Idaho lakes like Round and Cocolalla.
Elsewhere, the water is just too cold. For bass and other warm-water species, 50 degrees is the magic number, Way said.
But we're not there yet.
"Hayden (Lake) is really slow to warm up," Way said. "Honestly haven't had real good smallmouth fishing yet."