Fishing season in full swing

No denying that prime fishing season is in full swing.

Blake Becker, of Black Sheep Sporting Goods, said anglers should cast away as pike, crappie, bass and kokanee fishing is heating up around the region.

Perhaps the most aggressive fish out there right now are largemouth bass. They're hitting all types of baits, from any soft plastic creature pattern, to jigs and spinnerbaits.

"They're starting to hit everything," Becker said.

They're shallow too, lurking around grass and wood structures in 8 feet of water or less in Fernan, Coeur d'Alene and Hayden lakes.

Smallmouth bass are starting to move in, but they're still 15 feet deep or so. They're getting active too, chasing crank and Jerkbaits and small tubes. The drop shot technique, getting lines a couple feet from lake bottom, is working well.

Pike are also going after crank and Jerkbaits on the same bodies of water, but also on the Washington side of the Pend Oreille River.

Kokanee fishing is picking up on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Troll lines loaded with wedding rings using 3 and half colors with an ounce or two of weight. Go slow, troll at less than one mile per hour.

Crappie are moving to shallow water, but start deep just in case. Crappie jigs, with 1.32 ounce weight, screw grub and maggot is the best option.

Plenty of great

fishing out there

Fishing is hot on most area lakes and streams, said Jake Nordmeyer of Cabela's.

"Things are popping right now," he said.

Nordmeyer and others recently caught more than 30 largemouth bass from a boat in five hours on Hayden Lake.

"We saw tons of big crappie in the water," he said.

Kokanee fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene is also a popular choice.

"Some guys are putting a jig on the bottom and running a small fish imitation or bait," Nordmeyer said. "They're basically drop-shooting for them."

On the south end of the lake, a recent bass tourney revealed good-sized fish are hungry, he said.

"I haven't heard of too many local lakes where bass aren't hitting," he said.

Nordmeyer said Fernan and Hauser lakes have been hit hard with those seeking bluegills and crappie.

More anglers are catching trout on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River since the water has come down, he said.

Nordmeyer said he recently caught about 20 smallmouth bass on the Spokane River above the Post Falls Dam.

"They're biting on pretty much everything," he said.

If there's such a thing as automatic catches in fishing, Jeff Smith said on Tuesday, it's happening now on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Fishermen are catching hundreds of kokanee salmon on the south end of the lake by Harrison, said Smith, with Fins and Feathers Tackle Shop and Guide Service.

"It's just a blood bath," he said. "The fish are piled in off Harlow Point and Spokane Point."

The kokanee can be found at shallow depths, from the surface to about 20 feet, Smith said. He recommended wedding-ring style spinners, with a flasher, baited with maggots or white corn.

It's a conglomeration, he admitted, but "it works really good," Smith promised.

Most of the fish run about 10 inches in length, he said.

Those fishing in Idaho state water can keep 15, he noted. Those in tribal waters who have a tribal license can keep 25.

"Everybody is getting their limits down there," Smith said, predicting that the area will be clogged with boats this weekend.

The pike run between 18 to 30 inches, he added.

Lake Coeur d'Alene is also boasting plenty of bass and pike fishing, Smith said.

Fishermen are working the shoreline for the bass, he said, with jigs or crank bait between 2 to 8 feet of water.

Pike are sticking in the bays, he said. He advised using Johnson Silver Minnow Weedless Spoons or floating Rapalas.

Pike are also being snagged in the Chain Lakes, he said, like Cave, Anderson and Killarney lakes.

He suggested using spinnerbaits, all kinds of spoons.

"They're just hitting really good," he said.

Fishermen are also catching crappie in Hayden Lake, he said, mostly on the north end.

He suggested using little jigs under a bobber.

"You might have to search around," he said, suggesting casting under the lily pad growth and the boat houses.

Pay Way, of Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d'Alene, said rivers in North Idaho have risen considerably with recent rains.

"Probably a better weekend to focus on local lakes," Way said. "Hayden and Coeur d'Alene lakes are giving up some nice bass and pike."

If trout is the preferred species, Way recommended Amber and Coffee Pot lakes in Eastern Washington.

"We highly advise that people don't wade during these stream conditions," Way said.