Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for Feb. 10

Feb. 9, 2022 Updated Wed., Feb. 9, 2022 at 6:40 p.m.

By Alan Liere For The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

I missed a fair number of pheasants this year because I have a tendency to lift my head to watch the bird fall, which it often doesn’t. I’ve heard this head-lifting can be cured by practicing shooting at targets with a quarter inserted between the cheek and the stock of a pre-mounted gun. Then concentrate on keeping your head on the gun as you swing. If the quarter falls during the shot, you lifted your head.

Heads up

Idaho Fish and Game’s hunter education program is resuming classroom courses throughout the state. To see a full list of courses being offered, check out Fish and Game’s upcoming hunter education events page. If you do not see a class in your area, call your local Fish and Game regional office.

While Bear Lake is open only for juveniles, seniors and anglers with a disability who possess a designated harvester companion card, another rule that sometimes goes unnoticed is that two poles are not allowed.

Overheard

Beginning Friday, the Farragut Shooting Range Center in Idaho will once again be open to the public.

Despite signage indicating that a closure to protect birds on Idaho’s popular perch fishing destination—Cascade Reservoir—runs from February 1 through July 1, ice fishermen will have an additional month to use several ice fishing access areas, including popular sites like Crown Point and Sugarloaf. Extending the start date of the closure until March 1 is likely to have a minimal impact to wildlife because of the amount of snow and ice still present.

Braggin’ rights

Five-year-old Jack Vargas landed a 13 ¾-inch perch through the ice recently at Curlew Lake, the biggest fish taken during his family’s weekend stay at Tiffany’s Resort. A budding fisherman, Jack, who is quickly becoming a fishin’ fool, says he caught the perch on a Buckshot Rattle Spoon baited with a perch eye.

Fly fishing

With warming weather, the upcoming weekend might be a good time to break out the fly rod again. Nymphing and streamer fishing will be best. Silver Bow Fly Shop said stonefly nymphs, hot beaded nymphs (jigged or not), San Juans and Squirmies will all be on the menu. Streamers can consist of Sparkle Minnows, Conehead Buggers, sculpins and leech types.

Open water fishing

Lake Roosevelt trollers are doing well on 15- to 22-inch rainbow most days and on 14- to 20-inch walleye on some days. Trout anglers are using flies, Apexes, Old Goat Lures and Rippin’ Minnows, usually in shades of green or orange. Walleye anglers have done best over flats in the Spokane Arm with jigs and blade baits. While the trout bite throughout the day, the walleye bite is usually over by 11 a.m.

Ice fishing, Washington

Washington and Idaho ice anglers are wondering if the recent warm weather will negatively affect ice conditions, but with the current amount of ice and the cold nights, this shouldn’t be an issue for a couple of weeks unless we get a lot of rain.

Even then, though it may get sloppy on top, it takes quite a while to compromise the 8-12 inches most lakes have.

It was an interesting Monday for me as an ice fisherman.

First, I fished Bear Lake with friends who caught a few perch and trout and a 23-inch channel cat. I had one bite, which I missed.

When I was ready to leave, one of my friends who had a camera that went in the water, talked me into giving Sacheen a try.

This we did, but again, I had but one bite while he caught 10 good-sized perch and released another dozen small ones. He said that without the camera, he would probably have also been skunked.

To begin with, the fish were not on the bottom, but rather suspended at 32 feet in 45 feet of water. They were not hammering the bait, just barely nosing it before delicately taking the maggot without even jiggling the rod tip. It was noted on this trip that perch brought up from 32 feet did not have their swim bladders inflated in their throats. The week before, fish hooked at 45 feet did, and could not be successfully released.

One of my friends who fished Bear with me on Monday with no luck drove out to Silver Lake where the small perch bite has been frantic.

Evidently, the moon was in the wrong phase, because where he usually catches more than he wants to clean, on Monday he caught only two. But don’t be too discouraged; winter fishing can change dramatically from day to day.

Eloika Lake anglers weren’t catching many perch this week from the south end near the public access. They were getting a lot of bass, including at least one over 4 pounds.

Thomas Lake in the Little Pend Oreille Chain is said to be the best spot in Northeast Washington to catch perch. They aren’t huge, but most are a respectable 8-9 inches.

The dike near the Coulee City Marina has drawn concentrations of ice anglers looking for perch just off the island. Fishing has been good.

Toward the other end of the lake, the parking lot at Coulee Playland Marina fills up in the late afternoon with anglers preparing to night fish through the ice for the big lake whitefish.

The ice is in good shape on Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee. A lot of perch are being caught.

Davis and Bead lakes in Pend Oreille County and Palmer Lake in Okanogan County have given up some nice-sized burbot to ice fishermen who go deep with bait. Lake Roosevelt can also be a good burbot fishery, but the fish are smaller. The best bite for all these lakes is at night. All these lakes also have kokanee and trout. Davis and Bead also have some big mackinaw.

The perch have mostly left the state park area of Curlew Lake and moved north where ice anglers are making some huge catches of good-sized perch in 35-40 feet of water.

Ice fishing, Idaho

Gamble Lake has been slow for perch fishermen this week. Cocolalla has been lights out one day for perch and dead the next. The same with Fernan.

Spirit Lake kokanee fishermen are catching a few through the ice, but haven’t done as well as last year.

Mirror Lake anglers are taking mostly small trout and kokanee, but also a few stocked 12- to 14-inch rainbow.

There is said to be quite a bit of water on top of the ice at Rose Lake, though the ice there is still a substantial 9 inches.

Other species

Smelt returns are always a wild card, but there was some good news in late November when an early run made its way up the Cowlitz River. Signs are looking positive in 2022. The run size will continue to be assessed to determine whether it can support a sustainable recreational dip net fishery. Any potential smelt fisheries will be announced via emergency rule and shared through news release and WDFW’s website.

Shellfish managers with the WDFW have confirmed the next round of razor clam digging can proceed as planned Monday through Feb. 18. Digging will only occur weekdays on evening low tides. Not all beaches will be open.

Hunting

Up to March 12, the WDFW invites the public to submit written comment on a proposed spring black bear special permit rule change. The Fish and Wildlife Commission accepted a petition last month to initiate rule-making for a spring black bear special permit season in 2022. The proposed rule would establish spring black bear special hunting permits for a shortened 2022 season, beginning May 1 and ending June 15.

The amendment also proposes modifications to the harvest and inspection procedures and makes it unlawful to kill a cub or a female with cubs.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com