Largemouth bass, pike move closer to shore

Largemouth bass are moving to shallower waters as they begin the pre-spawn cycle.

So anglers should cast lines five to 10 feet deep to catch them as they make their beds closer to shore.

The north end of Hayden Lake, near Sportsman's Access, is perhaps the best spot right now, said Josh Kinghorn of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

But Twin Lakes, as well as the Chain Lakes like Anderson and Thompson are active too. Use shallow divers, or square-nosed crank baits. For the best results cast from 1-5 feet to 6-9 feet out.

Pike are active in those same areas, especially chasing lines baited with rapalas such as X-raps, and husky jerks, shaded Tennessee shad or fire tiger-colored.

Spinner baits are working well for bass too, and will be even more effective as the season warms up. When bass come up even more as water hits 55 degrees, toss spinner baits under lily pads. That's where the bass make their beds and will be chasing any type of bait or intruder.

"Make 'em mad and they just bite them," Kinghorn said.

At the lower Twin Lakes, toss Spinner baits, Chartreuse yellow spinner baits or Colorado-willow combos, Kinghorn said.

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Head to a lake near you, and crappie fishing is likely doing well there.

Crappie are abundant in the Chain Lakes, the south end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, as well as Hauser, Twin and Cocolalla lakes, said Jeff Smith with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"It's just kind of the time for it," Smith said.

He suggested fishing shallow with bobbers and little jigs, pitching right next to weed lines or under boat docks.

Pike fishing is also popular on that same system, Smith added, both on the Chain Lakes and the south end of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

"They could be casting weedless spoons for them, or floating plugs," Smith said.

Folks should fish shallow, he added, from 2-to 6-foot depths.

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Rial Blaine, manager at the Cast Away Fly Shop in Coeur d'Alene, said the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers are "completely unfishable" due to being at flood stage.

"We need the rivers to clear back up, but that may be a couple weeks," Blaine said, referring to the runoff and high water.

Meanwhile, he's heard good reports of fishing on several lakes, including Fernan, Hayden and Twin Lakes.

"The lakes have all been good," Blaine said. "They're all turned on for bass, pike and crappie."

Blaine suggests a size 12 pheasant tail for crappie, smaller, darker streamers for bass and bigger, brighter streamers for pike.

Blaine said fishing the bays in weed lines are good bets.

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Fly-casters hoping to hit the rivers this week will have to wait it out, said Pat Way of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

"Rivers are still out of shape, and the forecast... it's not looking any better," Way said. "At any rate, we're kind of biding our time here."

Luckily, nearby lakes should offer enough action to keep anglers occupied until the runoff quits. Try Cocolalla, Hayden, Coffepot or Amber, Way suggested.

Crappie, bass and maybe a roving trout will hit flies on Hayden Lake. Northern pike are getting aggressive, too.

On Sunday, Way said, he caught a hard-fighting pike at the north end of Hayden on a black wooly bugger.

Try throwing bunny leeches for pike and small wooly buggers for crappie. No matter what you're fishing for, Way advised, tie on stout leaders or tippets. A big trout or pike might hit a crappie setup, so it's best to be prepared.

"It's nice to be able to haul them out of there," Way said.

Cast in weedy bays or alongside docks, and use an indicator. Fish might be cruising in deeper water, too.

North Idaho lakes will give up a mixed bag of species this time of year, Way said.

Eastern Washington trout are munching chironomids or leech patterns. They could be roaming anyplace in the water column between 8 and 20 feet.

"That the challenge about lake fishing: fish are constantly cruising all the time," Way said. "In a river, they're pretty stationary animals."