Hunting+Fishing

Fri., Nov. 17, 2006

Alan Liere Correspondent

Tip of the week

Guide Rod Hammons of Brewster, Wash., heard a lot of steelhead were being lost by anglers using the Rock Dancer Jig. He solved the problem by opening up the hook with a pair of pliers and reports he lost few fish after that.

Braggin' rights

George Twigg of Yakima didn't have any problems finding pheasants last week on a trip to the Palouse area. He shot a limit in two hours, including a monster rooster with 35 bars on its longest tail feather.

Overheard

Three hunters shooting in a field near Tokio, Wash., say four snow geese were included in their 12-bird accumulative limit last week.

Heads up

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds muzzleloader deer hunters in an area north of the Tri-Cities that GMU 381, formerly known as the Esquatzel unit, was split into two units. Kahlotus (381) is now the eastern portion and Ringold (379) is now the western portion. GMU 379 is open for the late muzzleloader general deer hunting season, Monday through Dec. 8, but the season no longer exists in GMU 381. Because unit 379 is open for the harvest of any mule deer, hunters may believe there is an abundance of deer. In reality, about 75 percent of the unit is cropland where few deer are present, and the other 25 percent has already been hunted hard in earlier seasons this year.

“A bright yellow reminder postcard is being mailed out this week to Idaho hunters who have not reported on tags they have purchased. Hunters are required to report within 10 days after taking an animal – deer, elk or pronghorn antelope – or within 10 days after their season closes, if no animals are taken. They can report by mail to Idaho Fish and Game Hunter Harvest Reports, P.O. Box 70007, Boise 83707-0107; by phone at 877-268-9365; fax to 775-423-0799; or online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms /hunt/harvest_report/.

“Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners are expected to discuss recent changes in archery and muzzleloader technology during their meeting Jan. 10-12 in Boise. Advances in hunting equipment technology have so improved hunter effectiveness, shorter seasons or other limits may be needed to maintain game populations.

Salmon and steelhead

Snake River steelhead fishing appears to be improving in all upstream stretches of the mainstem and in most tributaries, according to the latest steelhead creel survey conducted by WDFW fish biologists and their colleagues in Idaho and Oregon. The best catch rate was on the Tucannon River where anglers averaged less than six hours of fishing per steelhead. Steelheaders checked on the Walla Walla River averaged less than seven hours of effort per fish.

On the Snake mainstem, the stretch from Little Goose dam to Lower Granite dam saw an average of just more than seven hours of fishing per steelhead. Fishing off the Wall at Little Goose has been good at times. Turbine No. 2 is down for repairs, so Turbine No. 1 is running more, putting the current closer to the Wall, which improves fishing.

The Guide Shop in Orofino reported excellent steelheading for B-run fish on the entire Clearwater. On the Lower Grande Ronde River, from Boggan’s to the Oregon border, the average catch rate was less than 10 hours per steelhead. Fly fishermen are having success with purple and black patterns, and those using pluggers said gold is the color of the week. The Grande Ronde was running at 1,600 cfs Wednesday with a little stain in the water.

Steelheading near Brewster is only fair, and anglers have to sort through a lot of wild fish. Some of the best success has come near the docks at Pateros. The water is starting to clear after the heavy rains and the bait of choice is the bobber and jig combo with dyed red shrimp.

The November steelhead catch at Ringold is higher than last year’s and may be larger than 2004. Boat and bank anglers continue to pick up an occasional chinook. Last week, bank anglers did better than boat anglers, averaging one steelhead for every six hours fished

On the Bonneville Pool, boat anglers continue to catch coho near the mouth of the Klickitat. The mainstem Columbia was clear upstream from the mouth of the Klickitat.

Steelhead fishing declined slightly from last week, but it continues to be good in the Columbia above John Day Dam and in the John Day Arm, with anglers averaging about a half fish caught per rod.

Cowlitz River bank anglers near the barrier dam continue to catch coho, although river flows are nearly the same height as the parking lot. Flows at Mayfield Dam were 27,800 cfs earlier in the week. The Lake Scanewa Day Use Park is closed and the lake is drawn down for flood control. It’s anticipated Lake Scanewa will be drawn down at least into this week.

Chum salmon are swarming into fisheries throughout the Olympic Peninsula. Recent updates indicate many runs are exceeding preseason forecasts. As the water clears, there will be plenty of opportunities to catch these 6- to 15-pound fish.

Anglers should also start watching for winter steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula, said WDFW fish biologist Mike Gross. He expects to see early steelhead in the catch once the rivers fall back into shape.

“The steelhead fishery on the Olympic Peninsula traditionally gets under way around Thanksgiving, but all this water could bring early-run steelhead in sooner,” Gross said.

Trout

As more wintry conditions settle in and water temperatures drop, Lake Roosevelt fishing will improve. Lenny Mayo of J.L. Fishing Guide Service on Lake Roosevelt is catching a lot of Roosevelt rainbow near Seven Bays. Mayo also offers comfortable, reasonably priced lodging. Info: (509) 725-8447.

Rainbow trout have been biting well at Rufus Woods, but the bigger triploids have been difficult to get to bite. If trolling isn’t producing, try throwing Worden Lures Rooster tails at shoreline points and structure.

Lake trout fishing on Lake Chelan has been excellent between periods of inclement weather.

Spiny ray

Walleye anglers aren’t finding many cooperative fish in area waters. Moses Lake is dropping. The Potholes level is staying up, but caution is suggested when running the lake as there are still plenty of sandbars just under the surface. Largemouth bass remain fairly active at Potholes.

Perch and crappie anglers on Lake Spokane will compete with waterfowl hunters this weekend, but this is a good time to take the tasty panfish on the weed lines. Swedish Pimples and small, yellow jigs tipped with worm are fooling fish.

Other species

Sturgeon angling was excellent in the Gorge last week, where boat anglers averaged two legal white sturgeon caught per boat, and bank anglers averaged 0.45 legal white sturgeon caught per bank rod. A variety of baits such as smelt, sand shrimp, squid and roll mop are all producing keepers. Sturgeon are energized by high, dirty water and there has been plenty of that lately.

Hunting

Rain and wind have improved conditions for waterfowl hunters in Idaho and Washington. A small migration of northern birds two weeks ago has become pretty skittish, however, and waterfowl hunters still await the big migrations that usually begin around Thanksgiving. Scabrock ponds that were dry last fall have water now. So far, the weather has been mild enough to keep skim ice from getting too serious.

Friends and I shot a pond Wednesday near Sprague, taking three geese and a few ducks. Most of the duck flights, however, came in early, before shooting hours.

Goose hunters throughout the region will have extra hunting days Thursday and next Friday. There are a lot of birds holding in the Tri-Cities area, but much of the land is private and leased. A few feel-free-to-hunt and register-to-hunt areas are available

On the West Side, hunting was slow for the modern firearm elk season, which ended Monday.

Up next for West Side modern firearm hunters is the late black-tailed deer season, which is open through Sunday in select game management units. West Side archers and muzzleloaders also have late-season opportunities to harvest black-tail deer and elk, with both seasons beginning Wednesday in select units.

The late eastern Washington deer season that opened Nov. 6 has been average. The latest data from check stations near Deer Park and Chattaroy over the Veteran’s Day weekend shows the number of deer hunters up slightly and the harvest rate down. A total of 262 hunters were checked with 41 bucks and 17 antlerless deer, which is a 22 percent success rate. Last year at this time, 242 hunters had 49 bucks and nine antlerless deer, a 24 percent success rate. The late season ends Sunday in units 105-124. There will be hunter check stations at Chattaroy and Deer Park. Late archery and muzzleloader season are still ahead.