Chinook still biting on Lake Cd'A

There are still chinook to be snagged on Lake Coeur d'Alene, said Jeff Smith with Fish and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"I was salmon fishing yesterday," Smith said on Monday. "The fish were small, but we caught nine of them."

His success was mostly around Echo, Driftwood and Mica bays, he said, around a 100-foot depth.

He recommended using 8-inch flashers with mini squids.

Steelhead fishing was down this week on the Clearwater, he said, after a frenzy the week before.

"I don't know why," Smith said. "The fish never went anywhere. They're still in that system."

That's the chance you take with steelhead fishing, though, he added. One week there's nothing, the next a fishermen reels in 10 catches.

But Clearwater is worth the risk, he added, especially for shore fishermen.

"If you want to try for big fish and you don't have a boat, that's where to go," he said. "They're all going to be pretty big, from 8 to 15 pounds."

Slip bobber and jig fishing is best on the river, he added.

Smith said folks can still sign up for Fins and Feathers' annual winter chinook derby on Dec. 3 and 4. Tickets are $20, with prizes of cash and merchandise.

"Usually it's a pretty good payout," Smith said.

Fishermen can also still jump on the Pend Oreille Thanksgiving Derby that started on Nov. 19 and runs through the 27th, with no competing on the holiday.

Tickets are $40.

"It's expensive, but people might win more," Smith said.

Folks who are hoping for ice fishing have some waiting ahead, he added.

"It'll be a little while," he said. "We're not even close yet."

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The bass season is winding down, as winter sets in.

If you want to catch largemouth bass, you have to be really aggressive where you put your lines.

To get them to bite you almost have to get snagged in the weeds," said Blake Becker of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

Drop Red Eye Shads, half-ounce to three-quarters in size, or Rat-L-Traps, Strike King 6 XD or all sorts of Crankbaits around 10 to 14 feet deep. Aim for weeds with green left in them and nearly get the line snagged and pull your line in, because the fish are hunkering down for the winter and the bites you'll get now are defensive bites.

"You have to cause them to bite right now," Becker said.

Bass fishing is slowest on the smaller waters, like Hauser, because the water temperature is colder than their bigger counterparts.

While bass are coming in slower, pike are still aggressive.

Lakes Coeur d'Alene, Hayden and Lake Pend Oreille are the best bets for those. They're chasing the same lines as bass, so keep Red Eye Shads, half-ounce to three-quarters in size, Rat-L-Traps and Crankbaits for them.

With Pike, you can bring in your line fairly quickly, and they'll still go after it, Becker said.

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Local trout streams are still an option for casters, but not always the best one, said Mike Beard, of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene.

Rivers to the south are a better bet - the Clearwater, Snake and Ronde - where steelhead are still snatching flies.

Beard suggests sink tips and large leech patterns, to "get the bugs down in the water column closer to the fish."

Water temperatures have been cold for several weeks now, and the fish are getting acclimated, he said. The recent snow and rain is starting to bump up the water levels and giving the river some color.

"Fish coming into that are more receptive to chasing the fly," Beard said.

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Anglers report that chinook fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene is going well.

"I spoke with one guy who caught three on the south end of the lake while running a Brad's cut plug, a new lure that's out," said Steve Holweg of Cabela's.

Steelhead fishing on the Clearwater River is also a popular choice as area lakes start turning to ice.

"It can be good one day down there and not-so-good the next," Holweg said.

Holweg said now is a great time to get your ice fishing gear ready and make sure you have adequate equipment.

"If your auger needs sharpened, now is a good time to get it done," he said. "Also, it's a good time to pick up an ice shelter if you don't have one. It you wait too long, they may be sold out toward the end of the season."