Fishing report

Cooler water temperatures are keeping the fish biting for longer periods of time during the day on the area’s rivers.

Mike Beard at Orvis Northwest Outfitters in Riverstone in Coeur d’Alene recommends anglers take advantage of the situation while it lasts.

“July is good now because of this weather, but it won’t take much for the waters to warm up,” he said.

Trips were ending around noon this time last year because temperatures got too warm for the fish, Beard said.

Some good flies are mayflies, caddis, and emerger or cripple mayflies, and he said terrestrials will do well again as the weather warms up.

When it comes to bass fishing, Blake Becker, owner of Becker’s Tackle Shop on Neider Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, said you can’t pick a bad time of day.

Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Coeur d’Alene and Hayden Lake are Becker’s three favorite spots for bass right now.

“That’s where you’ll get the most bang for your buck,” he said.

Largemouth are being caught at depths of 1 to 10 feet, he said, and fishermen are doing well throwing weedless jigs paired with a crawfish-style trailer. They’re also throwing a lot of sinkos.

For smallmouth bass, Becker said they’re doing a lot of drop-shotting.

“We’re using a ton of robo-worms, and the size of those is from 4.5 inches to 7 inches,” Becker said.

Jerk baits are working well also.

Becker shared another bit of advice, and laughed, “Be patient, but anyone who knows me knows I’m not.”