Kootenay Lake Fishing Report
By Contributor
By Kerry Reed, Reel Adventures Charters
It’s only March. So there’s plenty of time this year to hook a big one on Kootenay Lake.
Kerry Reed of Reel Adventures Charters is here to give his monthly fishing report. So read and enjoy.
Kootenay Lake
Well, it has been a slower season than what we expected. The fishing has seemed to gradually get slower throughout the winter months. Although February and March are usually slower months, they are also the months when we seem to catch our biggest fish of the year. And February did provide some big fish, so hopefully March will cooperate as well.
February was a bit inconsistent, but we did have some good days with 6 or more fish to the boat. And then the next day we would struggle to get 1 fish to the boat. So, you just have to keep at it.
Our good days saw Rainbows up to 17 pounds and Bull Trout up to 12 pounds.
The February derby saw a lot of boats on the water. And while the locals were concerned about the added pressure to the lake, it proved to be a tough weekend for fishing. However, it did provide a nice economic boost to the area during this slow time of year. There were some nice Rainbows caught, which was encouraging. But the catch rate was very low. Rainbows up to 18 pounds and Bull Trout up to 14 pounds were the biggest.
We are spotting lots of fish on the sonar, so that is a good sign. However, they seem to be a bit lethargic right now, which is normal with the cold water. The days are getting longer and the weather should be getting warmer.
Looking forward to the weather finally breaking and maybe a touch of spring in the air in the next few weeks. That might be the change the fish are looking for also. We will see what happens.
What are they biting on ???
We are still catching a lot of our fish on the surface. Bucktail flies are working well for us on the choppy days. And on the calmer days, we are catching on Bill Norman lures and Lyman plugs.
My favorite flies have been lucky numbers: 210, 215, 228. Or colors of black/white or gray/white.
Lucky Lyman plugs have been # 10, 16, 55, 69.
And Bill Norman lures in various colors. Purples, blues, and greens have all been producing for us.
The key to catching fish at this time of year is just to be out there. You have to put in the hours and they will come.
Columbia River
We have also been fishing the Columbia River a bit during the past month or two. The weather has limited us to fishing only on the warmer days, which we did have some. There was a warm spell in January when we managed to get out about 4 times and I think February had a couple warm days for us to enjoy also.
The days that we did get on the river proved to be successful. Managing to catch a bunch of Rainbows each day made it rewarding. Most Rainbows between two to five pounds. These fish are powerful. They are used to surviving in the strong current, so when we hooked into them, they would take a lot of line and end up in a great battle. A very exciting alternative to lake fishing.
Hopefully as the weather warms up, we will be able to spend more and more time on this amazing fishery. Looking forward to what March and April have to offer.
Favorite techniques at this time of year are: float fishing, fly fishing with streamers, or bottom fishing with bait.
It’s only going to get better in the spring. Can’t wait……
And finally : Salmon/Halibut Fishing 2014
We are almost booked up for Salmon fishing this summer. However, there are still some prime dates available for anyone interested.
Forecasts are calling for the largest run of Columbia River Chinooks this year. And those giant fish have to go right past our fishing grounds. So, we are definitely getting excited about this season. Also our halibut size limit has been increased this year as well. Looking forward to another fantastic season on the coast.
Drop me a line if you would like us to help arrange your summer vacation.
Tight lines……………………….
Kerry Reed
Reel Adventures Sportfishing
250-505-4963
www.reeladventuresfishing.com
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