Anglers still can troll for kokanee on Lake Cd'A

Don't do anything fancy, just stick to the basics this time of year.

That means anglers should continue to troll for kokanee on Lake Coeur d'Alene at sunrise at depths of roughly 30 to 40 feet, dragging a line with a rubber snubber and a red and silver wedding ring.

But anglers are also gearing up for the seventh annual Halloween Derby later this month on Lake Pend Oreille, said Tina Padgitt of Black Sheep Sporting Goods. They'll be chasing mackinaw and rainbows during the contest, loading lines with all types of flies patterns.

Casual fall fishing is still happening, too, she said.

Local waters, from Fernan to the Chain Lakes, are still active with pike and catfish.

Bounce worms off the bottom of Fernan Lake to catch catfish, she said, while anglers are tossing Spinnerbaits to land pike.

Steelhead fishing picking up

Steelhead fishing is heating up on the Clearwater River near Lewiston, said Bud Frasca of North West Classic Tackle in Hayden.

"It's all catch and release right now, but on (Monday) when you can keep the fish it will get even more crowded," Frasca said.

Frasca said an angler he knows is catching five or six a day.

With rain in the forecast, steelhead fishing could get even better, he said.

"If it's showers, the steelhead and trout fishing will pick up," Frasca said.

If it pours and the rivers get muddy, it can be a mixed bag.

"Fishing with bait can be superb when it's muddy because they can smell it," Frasca said. "But with flies, fish can't see them."

Frasca said fishing with a drift boat or raft would be better than a motorboat on the rivers because the water is low due to the dryspell.

"With low water, it's easy to mess up your prop," he said.

Pike fishing is also going well on Hayden and Coeur d'Alene lakes.

"Red and white spoons and spinner baits have been working," Frasca said.

With elk hunting season getting under way, it's a great time to get out on the water, Frasca said.

"I like this time of year because the fishing is good and it's not crowded," he said. "That excites me."