Northwest Fishing Reports

If anyone gets any info. for Northern Pike action in Idaho's Panhandle Region. If you wouldn't mind letting me know on this thread or via-PM. Thank you.

It is just now starting to pick up in hayden & cda lakes. the next month it should get hot as the weather picks up a bit. The pond oreille river is also turning in to a good place to get a pike while bass fishing and thats how I usually hook in to them. Long lake has some and the state record. I will keep my ears open on the bite in the panhandle, I personally like to hit the chain lakes of cda in may thats were I have the most luck.

eustace wrote: It is just now starting to pick up in hayden & cda lakes. the next month it should get hot as the weather picks up a bit. The pond oreille river is also turning in to a good place to get a pike while bass fishing and thats how I usually hook in to them. Long lake has some and the state record. I will keep my ears open on the bite in the panhandle, I personally like to hit the chain lakes of cda in may thats were I have the most luck.

Thanks for the headsup.

Hey eustace.

Thank you. If you still don't mind PM if you hear any other info. that would be awesome.
Thanks again
Kevin

Pike Tourney?
So lake Cour D'Alene has a Pike tounament every year or at least they did as of last year April 2007.
I'm trying to get info on it,but can't find anything but previous results. Maybe it changed names or got canceled this year. Its been called the Lester V.Smith Memorial Pike Tournament. If anyone has some insight,that would be helpful.

Kevinb, Did you get my email on a contact for the panhandle. If you didn't here fins1.com, Fins and Feathers web site they could answer that ?.
I personally don't know about the tournament, I know they have King and Bass tours there so I would imagine they do. FYI Lake CDA,s pike record currently is 38lbs. Last year Al Linder of in fisherman fished it and said the next world record pike could possibly come from here. He also said he would be back anually.

eustace wrote:Kevinb, Did you get my email on a contact for the panhandle. If you didn't here fins1.com, Fins and Feathers web site they could answer that ?.
I personally don't know about the tournament, I know they have King and Bass tours there so I would imagine they do. FYI Lake CDA,s pike record currently is 38lbs. Last year Al Linder of in fisherman fished it and said the next world record pike could possibly come from here. He also said he would be back anually.

Al Linder said that...pure genious. I'm hoping to get over there ASAP. My wifes friend lives in Northern Idaho. We plan on visiting several times this summer"I'll be fishing" We've been looking at buying a small piece of property on the eastside. Just for camping and fishing of coarse. I'll give fins1 a call reguarding the pike tourney.
Thanks

I've hooked into pike pretty regularly in Hayden, but am new to that lake and know I could do better considering everything I hear about the population there. I pretty consistently hook into them in Echo Bay in Lake CD'A. I've also hooked into some nice crappie in Echo.

I haven't been out this year yet, waiting on my boat to be re-assembled after a motor rebuild. I live in Liberty Lake but keep my boat in a slip at the CD'A Resort and fish that lake regularly. I'll let you know as soon as I'm able to get out or PM me.

The ID Fish & Game posts pretty good updates on their website. Nothing much there now, but as the action heats up so too will the info here.

Idaho Fish & Game: Panhandle Report

TroutCowboy wrote:I've hooked into pike pretty regularly in Hayden, but am new to that lake and know I could do better considering everything I hear about the population there. I pretty consistently hook into them in Echo Bay in Lake CD'A. I've also hooked into some nice crappie in Echo.

I haven't been out this year yet, waiting on my boat to be re-assembled after a motor rebuild. I live in Liberty Lake but keep my boat in a slip at the CD'A Resort and fish that lake regularly. I'll let you know as soon as I'm able to get out or PM me.

The ID Fish & Game posts pretty good updates on their website. Nothing much there now, but as the action heats up so too will the info here.

Idaho Fish & Game: Panhandle Report

Hey thanks.
Its been several years since I've been out there and from what I here.Sounds like the pike have become much healthier. Thanks again

kevinb wrote:

TroutCowboy wrote:I've hooked into pike pretty regularly in Hayden, but am new to that lake and know I could do better considering everything I hear about the population there. I pretty consistently hook into them in Echo Bay in Lake CD'A. I've also hooked into some nice crappie in Echo.

I haven't been out this year yet, waiting on my boat to be re-assembled after a motor rebuild. I live in Liberty Lake but keep my boat in a slip at the CD'A Resort and fish that lake regularly. I'll let you know as soon as I'm able to get out or PM me.

The ID Fish & Game posts pretty good updates on their website. Nothing much there now, but as the action heats up so too will the info here.

Idaho Fish & Game: Panhandle Report

Hey thanks.
Its been several years since I've been out there and from what I here.Sounds like the pike have become much healthier. Thanks again

So I checked out the link and then scrolled to stocking. It seems Idaho also has a nice tiger muskie stocking effort(sweet). Maybe we can hit up CD'A together sometime.

Kevinb, check this out http://www.buzzle.com/articles/spring-f ... musky.html

eustace wrote:Kevinb, check this out http://www.buzzle.com/articles/spring-f ... musky.html

Another good find. Thanks again:cheers:

kevinb wrote:Maybe we can hit up CD'A together sometime.

You bet! PM me the next time you are headed this way. I split time @ the CD'A resort slip with a buddy who rents his lake house one week per month, and when he's got the slip I pull the boat out and hit Hayden, Medical or LL. I haven't been on Hauser yet, but that's on my to-do list. Off topic (pike), my buddy and I like Badger Lake the best (south of Cheney) for rainbows and cutts, but it's a bit of a haul for us coming from LL.

Another off-topic mention... My wife's a realtor, so if you need any assistance scouting properties just let me know. She can set you up on a system that will automatically email you with properties meeting your requirements. No hassle/obligation. Hell, if we scout properties from the boat I get to write off the gas!!:cheers:

Hey, Troutcowboy have you ever hit Long Lake for the Pike/Trout/Bass. My dad used to live on Badger his Brother used to own the resort back in the late 80s.

I haven't been on Long Lake since college, when I didn't own a boat. And I haven't been back since I bought mine because the guy who sold me mine promptly got his brand-new $40k MasterCraft stuck on a sandbar and had to have it helicoptered off to the tune of another $2k. While we were out on the sandbar hooking it up for the lift I had a chance to see all the debris (tree trunks, etc) and crazy channels that criss-cross it. I don't know that I'll be back, that lake scares me. Too expensive! ;-) But to be fair, he was out there in spring when they lower the water level to act as a buffer between Lake Coeur d'Alene and downstream, so between the low water level and his inexperience on that water he was taking a risk. I have had other buddies ding props & outdrives there though so I think even at full pool you really have to know your way around.

Gisteppo, you can probably better speak to the channels and fishing. You're right on Long Lake, right? Maybe you even saw all the commotion with the helicopter? We built a web page to show some of the pictures (and mock my good buddy). Click the link below:
Legend of the Long Lake White Whale

Back to Badger... my favorite lake. Particularly in the late summer/fall we do really, really well with the 'bows and cutts. It's just the right size -- big enough for a day of fishing (bass in the pads, trolling lengthwise, casting against the steep banks and bays) but just small enough that it doesn't get hammered to hard with the recreational guys towing tubes/skiers/boarders and roughing up the water. I was a little bummed out to see all the real estate signs along the south edge though, as you come in via Williams Lake Rd. I hope that little gem doesn't get over-developed. Fortunately I think all the high side "walls" (huge basalt cliffs) will prevent a waterfront development explosion.

I haven't been to the resort @ Badger, just seen it from the water. We launch at the public launch and head to the east end, then back to the west end at dusk for some bass fishing before pulling out in the dark. But heck, I'd live there. It's commute-able!

BTW, I forgot to thank you for posting that link to the pike story. Good read!

I checked the link out, that is funny and sad. LOL... Yeah, when the waters is low it is hazardous. Down stream near Tum Tum there are old concrete foundations and a couple of old roads under the normal depth. My Great-great-grand perents settled on the river in that Sunset Bay bend of the river, before the dam. I have pictures somewhere of the Salmon and Steelhead they used to catch there.

TroutCowboy and eustace,thanks again. I will let ya know when I'm headed out. Hopefully soon, I will be at Curlew at the end of May for a muskie tourney. Not sure how the rest of my schedule will work after the event.
If either of you get over here to the westside,give me a shout. I'll fish for anything and anywhere but the areas I'm always hitting is Lk.Riffe,Cushman and as of this coming summer,my old stomping grounds Lake Cresent on the North Olympics. Once again,thanks for your time and info. I love pike fishing and appreciate your help with my 50 questions. Talk to y'all later.
Kevin:salut:

No ploblem! you fish Riffe I used to fish it when I lived over there from time to time. Back then they just started planting the Tigermuskies in there. I also did a little hunting off the east side of the lake. Every time I hunted Deer there I seen Elk, every time I elk hunted there I seen Deer.

Riffe doesn't have tigers but mayfield is just down the road(mayfield does) I'm there alot too,along with Tapps

For those interested,just got off the phone with friend from work who is on CD'A. He picked up a 42in.pike trolling with a magnum(which I told him to use) He's been talking with other anglers out there. And it sounds like things are really starting to heat up. Probably won't really start cooking 'til July(my opinion) Just wanted to put it out there for anyone interested in grabbing a northern. I'll be over there real soon.

Also should mention- I don't know the exact location but was trolling about 15ft.down