Heavy smoke throughout the region stalled my plans for getting out on the water this past week. We are all hoping the rain that is forecasted will help wash our skies clean. Rain or shine, the plan is to head for Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho for a few days of kokanee fishing and a whole lot of overeating and relaxation.

I have been busy getting everything ready for kokanee fishing on Lake Coeur d’ Alene. A bunch of us family members have rented a house with a dock. So I had to get the boat all cleaned up from the ash and smoke that has dirtied it up a bit. Also I have to get all my fishing gear in order. Last year we had a blast catching kokanee on the lake and it sounds like the fish are even bigger this year.

All you need to get kokanee on Coeur d’ Alene is Kokabow Fishing Tackle blades, spinners and squidders. This sure did the trick last time. I will pack two downrigger kokanee rods and two rods rigged with sliders for lead ball fishing off the back of the boat. I have a note to myself to be sure and make up some white shoe peg corn scented with Graybills Guide Formula kokanee flavor. The fish loved it last year.

I called the folks at the Fin and Feathers tackle shop in town to see if there is a good place to start looking for kokanee. Last year I just found some boats trolling and that’s where the fish were and that did the trick. They suggested that I try off Arrow Point or Squaw Bay. We should get a mix of this year’s fish that are showing signs that the time to spawn is getting near. There will be some of next year’s fish, that are running smaller, but will be nice and bright.

There are a few rods and a couple of tackle boxes going into the boat that are set up for bass fishing. The bass just weren’t biting last year. We talked to a couple of tournament anglers on our first morning and they were having a very tough time of it. I just made a few casts off our dock, without any action, so we stuck to kokanee fishing.

If you look at the list of species that can be caught in Lake Coeur d’ Alene, the list is pretty long. I may throw in a couple tubs of worms and see if we can find some perch or crappie. I have also been daydreaming about what it would be like to hook a northern pike on the big lake. I put a bunch of crank baits in that I may toss near some weed beds if I have time.

I was looking back on what I was doing this time last year. It was no surprise that I came across a photo of myself with Mark Yuasa. Mark is a familiar face. He was the former outdoor columnist for the Seattle Times and is now prolific in his writing with regional magazines and in digital media. Mark and I have known each other for many years but just haven’t be able to fish together all that often. When Austin Moser invited us both to join him at Vernita last season, we were pleased to be able to spend time on his boat together. Austin had two clients on the boat and they were a joy to be with as well. The woman on board was tiny and the king she hooked was just too much for her. So, I held the rod while she cranked. It was a real team effort and Austin was able to net a dandy king for her. This week’s photo is me and Mark with one of the fish we got.

We all got our fish that day. Austin was back trolling eggs and this method proved very effective. This technique is described in my free E-Letter and I am hoping to get this done and distributed very soon. If you want to get the Fall Fishing E-Letter, go to my website at FishingMagician.com and click on the link at the top left hand side of the home page. It will be loaded with good info on fishing the Hanford Reach.

Fishing activity in the Hanford Reach has taken a sharp upward trend in the past week. More and more anglers are fishing for fall Chinook and success has taken a turn for the better.

According to Paul Hoffarth with Region 3 office in Yakima, the numbers of fall Chinook over Bonneville are tapering off but are still much higher than this time last year. Anglers have a two-fish Chinook adult limit this season and can use barbed or barbless hooks. Harvest numbers are running about the same as last year so far, but with the very encouraging numbers of fish on the way I expect that angler success will take a turn for the better sometime soon.

I know many anglers in my area will start down at White Bluffs early in the season to get the leading edge of the returning fish. There are some very bright fish in the run when they first start to hit the Reach. I will be going over my gear to get ready for some trips to the Reach myself. Even though a large number of boats will be fishing this stretch of the Columbia, there is plenty of room for everyone on the water.

If you aren’t interested in salmon fishing and just want to spend some time with family and friends and do some easy fishing, Rufus Woods is still a good option. I see no reason why you couldn’t get a limit of big triploids near the upper net pens.

By the way, I got in touch with the folks at the Colville Tribe’s Parks and Recreation Department. I saw that work was being done on the new boat ramp at the co-managed fishing access at the middle net pens. The word is that the new ramp will be done in a couple of weeks. However, all tribal waters and accesses are closed until the end of the year. So we will all have to wait until this winter to use the new ramp.

I will let you know how we did on Coeur d’ Alene next week!