My wife and I fished Lake Coeur d'Alene last Thursday for chinook. We fished helmetted herring, two poles on the downriggers and two on Sidewinder side planers. Fishing had been slow on the lake, with the previous week's derby producing few fish. We fished the bays with no results, and didn't have any action until we began heading back to the north end. The Sidewinder produced a 6 # chinook. I have been wanting to try this fishery for a long time, and will return in May for another shot at it. P.S.: The Sidewinders work great. They are certainly a cheaper alternative to the regular, expensive versions. I will certainly be using them when we head up to Kootenay Lake for the big Gerrard trout later in May. They fish them just like they do in Pend Oreille--they troll a bucktail about a hundred feet behind the Sidewinder with no weight and a very fast troll.
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Thanks for the info. I have never fished Northern Idaho. I always like to hear and learn about different styles of fishing and tactics.
Windriver
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Thanks Mike, for the report. I'm familiar with sideplaners but you mention a bucktail... Is that a bucktail spinner or fly or? Sounds like a good trip with a 6#er for dinner.
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Hey Aluma,
In Lake Pend Oreille and Kootenay Lake, they use bucktail flies. In Pend Oreille, they use Frisky Jenny flies, tied in Coeur d'Alene. You can see them at their website. In Kootenay L., they like a fly called Polar Hair. These tend to be used in the early spring when the fish are on top. They will use them when there is a chop on top, which gives the fly an erratic action. They almost always use them behind side planers. They troll at about 3-4 mph. Sidewinder has a good video on their website on how their side planer works. I am excited about trying Kootenay. The Gerrard Kamploops run up to 15+ pounds, and lots of Dolly Varden (they still use this term in Can.) in the 10+ range. In addition to the bucktails, they troll Lyman plugs on downriggers. By the way, we went up to L.P. today to see if anyone was fishing. Not a single fisherman. The dock is in the water at Spring Shores now. Mike
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Oops! Correction on the speed: Troll the Frisky Jennys 2.5-3 mph, maybe 150-200 feet back. Mike
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Mike: For sure, the Kootenay and other B.C. lakes are phenomenal rainbow producers. Pend O'Reille has some monsters as well. They may still have a bounty on rainbows? I camp up at both Pend O'Reille and CDA every summer but never take my boat... Wanting to buy a popup camper for my truck so I can do that on occasion.
Re: L.P., saw several boats up there the other day but no visible action from the trollers or shore folks. When the dang weather lets up I'll be giving it my best.
Have you any info on Lime Creek area at A.R.? Still frozen or open water now?
Burt.
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Hi Burt,
No, I don't have any infor re Lime Creek. In re to the bounty on rainbows and macks in L. P., yes, they have continued it for at least one more year. I believe they pay $15 per fish. Some people fish the lakers strictly for cash. The Fish and Game are also netting fish on a regular basis. You'll have to try Coeur d'Alene this year. We really enjoyed it. It isn't all that complicated. Anyone can rig a helmetted herring, once it is explained to you. Black Sheep sells both, but the type of helmet that Fins and Feathers sells are the better of the two, I believe. Let me know about L.P. We might head over to Strike, and now that the ice is off Magic, will have to give it a try in a few weeks. It is still quite low. Good fishing. Mike
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