Northwest Fishing Reports

here it goes, i have been fishing all my life mostly for trout and bass. I get out and fish as much as possable. Atleast 2-3 times a month year round. So this year my doughter is turning 4 and i want to see how she will do in my 12' aluminum. I also have a son turning 3. So i can see a lot of pan fihing in my near future. I even have a 8 month old baby who will also be going out when she is old enough. I have some jigs and such. I live in spokane and was hoping for some tips on the pan fishing. I have cought alot of crappie on top waters bass fishing but i think bobbers is the way to go for the kiddos. Any suggestions, eloika,times,etc... do the pan fish bite in the middle of the days too? I have been reading a little bit on here as well. Thank you guys for always posting. Jiggy has a lot of good advice that is for sure. I would love to try out your new tackle and let you know how they work here in spokane lakes. The only thing is i only make it your way a few times a year. So maybe we could work something out. $. So hope to hear from some of your and stay safe out there all.

Hey Bazz. Panfish are my speacialty, so sharing a few tips with you is right up my alley. For general panfish/crappiepurposes, a 5'6" ultralite rod like a quantum Micro lite or a Okuma SSt rod are perfect. I like a green colored co polymer line like Izor 4 lb test or my favorite line, Mc Coy mean green extreme. Couple these rods witha Okuma It-20 or Shimano UL ultralite reel and you will be set. Shakespeare makes some awesome spincast equiptment for the kids. Next head for your local Bi Mart and pick up some Canyon Lures 1/32 oz. leadheads with a little black eye on them. Then pick up some canyon lure's 1.5" crappie skirts in pearl white, yellow white, red white, red chartuse and black chartruse. I prefer thill stick bobers on the smaller side. Plasti lite styro foam slip bobbers red/white with the black center post are perfect for most situations. Remember the bobber stops! Those Canyon lure jigheads have a gold hook and are hella sharp. I'll thread a 2" piece of crawler and rig it straight in tough situations. (rig it straight and not all balled up on the hook like Shakey head bass worm.) I also use a variety of 1/32 oz and 1/16th oz. two tone jgheads by Arkie lures and Northland lures. Chartruse/lime green with a red eye are deadly on a lot of species when tipped with a worm. Contact me and I can show you some panfish set ups and rigging options. 1.5" to 2" (Nuetral) smoke or pumpkin grubs on a chartruse jighead are great search lures. The 1.5" crappie tube skirts, 1.5" and 2" Mr. twister Meenie grubs are awesome cast and retrieve search lures for panfish. I add mike's crawfish scent to them too. It makes a huge difference. Make sure you have size #3 and BB size split shot along to balance your bobbers. Eloika Lake, Newman lake,Fernan in Idaho and the Spokane river down stream by tum tum are awesome panfish/crappie lakes. But my favorite Lake by far for numbers is Silver lake near the resort further across from the boat launch> You fish the water around those docks from the third week of April thru June and you will catch more crappie than you can count! I don't use swivels either, except maybe a #12 barrel swivel on a slip bobber rig. Man I wish we could hook up! The fishing is only gonna get better in your neck of the woods. make sure to pick up some watermelon pearl 2.5" Berkley Gulp minnows too. Fish those on them 1/32 oz canyon lures jigheads. These baits are my go to crappie killers!!! I will use the Canyon lures 1/16th oz jigheads to go a little deeper. I also have custom crappie/panfish plastics available too. Friend me on Facebook @ Dave Gerhauser. I've got big fish videos and pictures on my facebook page. Phone # 509-391-7224. Call me sometime.
Good Luck bro. Jiggy

Hey Bazz. Panfish are my speacialty, so sharing a few tips with you is right up my alley. For general panfish/crappiepurposes, a 5'6" ultralite rod like a quantum Micro lite or a Okuma SSt rod are perfect. I like a green colored co polymer line like Izor 4 lb test or my favorite line, Mc Coy mean green extreme. Couple these rods witha Okuma It-20 or Shimano UL ultralite reel and you will be set. Shakespeare makes some awesome spincast equiptment for the kids. Next head for your local Bi Mart and pick up some Canyon Lures 1/32 oz. leadheads with a little black eye on them. Then pick up some canyon lure's 1.5" crappie skirts in pearl white, yellow white, red white, red chartuse and black chartruse. I prefer thill stick bobers on the smaller side. Plasti lite styro foam slip bobbers red/white with the black center post are perfect for most situations. Remember the bobber stops! Those Canyon lure jigheads have a gold hook and are hella sharp. I'll thread a 2" piece of crawler and rig it straight in tough situations. (rig it straight and not all balled up on the hook like Shakey head bass worm.) I also use a variety of 1/32 oz and 1/16th oz. two tone jgheads by Arkie lures and Northland lures. Chartruse/lime green with a red eye are deadly on a lot of species when tipped with a worm. Contact me and I can show you some panfish set ups and rigging options. 1.5" to 2" (Nuetral) smoke or pumpkin grubs on a chartruse jighead are great search lures. The 1.5" crappie tube skirts, 1.5" and 2" Mr. twister Meenie grubs are awesome cast and retrieve search lures for panfish. I add mike's crawfish scent to them too. It makes a huge difference. Make sure you have size #3 and BB size split shot along to balance your bobbers. Eloika Lake, Newman lake,Fernan in Idaho and the Spokane river down stream by tum tum are awesome panfish/crappie lakes. But my favorite Lake by far for numbers is Silver lake near the resort further across from the boat launch> You fish the water around those docks from the third week of April thru June and you will catch more crappie than you can count! I don't use swivels either, except maybe a #12 barrel swivel on a slip bobber rig. Man I wish we could hook up! The fishing is only gonna get better in your neck of the woods. make sure to pick up some watermelon pearl 2.5" Berkley Gulp minnows too. Fish those on them 1/32 oz canyon lures jigheads. These baits are my go to crappie killers!!! I will use the Canyon lures 1/16th oz jigheads to go a little deeper. I also have custom crappie/panfish plastics available too. Friend me on Facebook @ Dave Gerhauser. I've got big fish videos and pictures on my facebook page. Phone # 509-391-7224. Call me sometime.
Good Luck bro. Jiggy

Thank you Mr. Jiggy for such a detailed panfishing tutorial. I think I will cut/paste that and apply it to my own crappie situation here in W. WA.

Liberty lake has lots of Perch. Hauser Lake in ID have lots of Bluegill and some Crappie. Both of these lakes are more successful on boat.

The Quadfather wrote: Thank you Mr. Jiggy for such a detailed panfishing tutorial. I think I will cut/paste that and apply it to my own crappie situation here in W. WA.

I second that Jiggy, nice job! Your pics on FB are good also, Thanks!

Wow, that is way more then i was expecting. What a nice fellow fisherman you are. There are not a lot of ppl like this around ya know. Thanks again i will be putting your info to use for many many years to come and i am sure in the gererations to come as well. That info is priceless. Now i will put it to use and let you know how it works. lol. Well it is hard for me to get out in the morning and days but i can deffenetly get out in the evenings from say 5 on till dark. I am not sure if the crappies etc. are still biting in those hrs but i am sure a bass will hit those grubs too huh> any how, all the tackle you mentioned they are all fished under the bobber or are they slow jigged back? I know it is easier for the kiddoes for the bobber. once i figure it out i want to hit up some of the more local lakes around like, fan, chain,(by elk)and a lot of the seep lakes by mosses. I am excited for the future. Does the depth of the jig from the surface very, very often. Seems like you have to fish pretty shallow water not deep or do these fish suppend. Sorry for all the questions just a little bit excited someone is willing to help a compleate stranger out. Ok, now that i have a stradgey, do you have any internet sites or suggestions on cleaning them to eat. I have done this one time on pearch ice fishing years ago and it took me forever. Not a lot of fun after a day of fishing. Wow, thanks agian and i know everyone here is thankfull for your suggestions. keep on posting and stay safe out there.

this is probably old news or already known but i have a friend in Spokane going to school - he backed up everything posted previousley tackle wise and added Sprague Lake? (spelling?) to the list. I have never been to Spokane so this is second hand info. I'm going this summer - he also metioned the Little Spokane River as a good spot. good to see some guys looking for panfish, most of the NW'ers i have met look down their noses at small guys. Hell I grew up learning to fish by chasing bream and shellcrackers back home....anywho - good luck with the kids trip - and thank you for teaching a new generation

Last I heard, Sprague hasn't recovered from the big wally kill off....... I'd avoid it till some reports are positive........... IMO
Williams for trout, WDFW ramp, usually great fishing.........

If you are planing to take the kid, try bear lake! I Destroy the perch there and they also have some super big triplord. Eloika, newman, liberty, Wattis are my favorite lakes for panfishs! GL;)

Thanks Jigmeister! Quadfather, I didn't know there is much crappie fishing on the wet side? Any hints?