Fishing tough in N. Idaho

Everyone fishing in North Idaho lately is feeling it, said Jeff Smith with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

The fish just aren't biting.

"Fishing has been tough for everything. It just has," Smith said.

But "that switch will turn," he promised, and said folks just need to stick with the bait and fishing spots that usually work.

Like on Lake Coeur d'Alene, he encouraged using fire tiger diving plugs for catching salmon.

Helmeted herring is another way to go, Smith added.

Dropping a line from the surface to 30 feet is usually the best idea, he said.

"I was out there the other day and I couldn't exactly prove those theories," he said with a chuckle.

He hopes the salmon will be more friendly this weekend, for the Spring Chinook Derby on April 14 and 15. Entry is $20, and first place wins $1,000.

"The water has come back down. It must have moved those fish around and we just haven't caught up with them," Smith said.

Folks are also still pike fishing on the lake, he said, typically with smelt or herring.

"Any of the bays are worth hitting," he said.

Bait fishing is "a waiting game," he reminded, so folks might have to sit and ponder life for awhile before they get a bite.

Late afternoon and early evening is the best time to try, Smith added, "if you don't have all day to sit in case one swims by."

Crappie are also still targeted in the Chain Lakes, he said, though those haven't been biting excessively, either.

For those who want to try, Smith suggested going out on a boat and using rocket bobbers and jigs.

Tip it with bait like maggots or a nightcrawler, he said.

Fernan Lake has also been recently stocked with rainbow trout, Smith noted. Some go after the trout with powerbait, others with nightcrawlers or little spinners.

He expects fishing overall to pick up in the next couple of weeks, he added.

"We've been going out because we want to go out. Because it's nice," he said.

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The secret to bass fishing is slow, slow, slow.

High water levels, cloudy from runoff, have made it more difficult for bass to spot baits, so anglers should slow down their presentations if they want to pull them from the water, according to Blake Becker of Black Sheep Sporting Goods.

"The water is so dirty they're having a hard time seeing them," Becker said. "Just slow your presentation down."

Brightly colored Crankbaits are the best bet right now for bass, especially largemouth bass, who are still pretty deep - maybe 25 feet deep - in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden and Fernan lakes.

But pike have really start hitting lines aggressively, especially in Fernan Lake.

Use something big and aggressive, like a big Jerkbait or Crankbait, brightly colored, to grab their attentions. They're typically in 10 feet of water or less.

Perch are chasing small jigs with a screw grub. They should be brightly colored too, of course, as the water is murky all around with the recent runoff.

But for bass, the secret is slow and steady. So slow, Becker said, that it's almost boring to reel it in. The Chain Lakes have been very productive areas for patient anglers.

Fish are hungry these days

The recent warm spring weather is turning on fishing on area lakes and streams.

"The Coeur d'Alene River is fishing good, especially down low," said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden. "Use streamers and nymphs. They're starting to see some large browns (trout)."

Pike, crappie and bass fishing is also heating up on area lakes.

"All of the lakes would be good as long as they're open," Frasca said. "Once the lakes open, the fish are really hungry."

Frasca said if you're fishing for trout on a lake such as Kelso or Fernan, a good idea is to troll around.

A Helen flatfish lure - F4 size - may do the trick.

"It just goes down a couple feet, but the trout will hammer it," he said.