Panhandle Pike

[Lotech Joe]

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.

I think if you email or call these folks, they may have some information for you.

http://www.fins1.com/Tournaments.htm

[kevinb]

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.

I think if you email or call these folks, they may have some information for you.

http://www.fins1.com/Tournaments.htm

Thanks Lotech Joe,
I'll give them a shout.

[kevinb]

So I'm not intentionally using this thread for every report. However,I just got back from Tapps. Listen to answering machine,my buddy caught another pike 46 inches at CD'A. You guys/gals on the east side might want to check it out.

[eustace]

Yeah thats what I hear, My cousin is there this weekend. I was hoping to get out there or long with my uncle this weekend. But this weekend is the last weekend for us in north spokane co can burn yard waist and I have a lot. Last fall I lost a couple of big trees and I have a mess to get taking care (I guess) once and for all. So I can go fishing and enjoying it with out worrying about what I didn't get done. Maybe Next weekend? Ode to the nice weather!

[kevinb]

Yeah thats what I hear, My cousin is there this weekend. I was hoping to get out there or long with my uncle this weekend. But this weekend is the last weekend for us in north spokane co can burn yard waist and I have a lot. Last fall I lost a couple of big trees and I have a mess to get taking care (I guess) once and for all. So I can go fishing and enjoying it with out worrying about what I didn't get done. Maybe Next weekend? Ode to the nice weather!

Can't you go and dump that stuff in a creek?:-$ CD'A sounds pretty active. But the weather is starting to turn south again...hhhhmmmmnn,...where are the fish now?

[Marc Martyn]

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

Good article. Thanks!

[eustace]

Well my cousin hit the chain this weekend (sunday) again and this time nada. Sunday they had one bite in six hours. Last weekend they did great, they caught (between the two of them) 7 fish over 32''. Largest being 42 1/2''. This weather I didn't think would mess with the pike a guess thats not the case.

[Gone Fishin]

So last year my goal was to catch some tiger musky, accomplished that. This year my new fish is pike. I haven't fished for them but have some good ideas of what to do. The only obstacle in my way is that I have never fished any of the pike waters. I am hitting the Pend Orielle river in a couple weeks. I would also love to try Couer d' and the chain lakes. Anybody that knows these waters interested in a fishing trip or at least sharing some knowledge?

[TroutCowboy]

I have hooked into pike in Echo Bay on CD'A and I hear they do well in Beauty Bay (I believe that's the name of the bay, it's the one that has I-90 running over the mouth of it. I have also caught them in the bays of Hayden Lake.

I have never specifically targeted them, just gotten into them casting for bass & crappie. The rattlebaits have worked best for me. I have a flourescent yellow/green rapala-like lure I've had the best luck with. We used to catch them back in Minnesota on Daredevil spoons and big floating mouse lures but I haven't hit one with a spoon yet.

Good luck!

[kevinb]

eustace...Where did you go? I need my up to the minute pike reports.
haha:salut:

[eustace]

The pike fishing has been a little slow from what I hear due to the spring run off. My cousin was telling me where he likes to fish the water is so high the launch is so flooded the docks are even underwater or tilted sideways or even pulling there pillings out of the lake bottom. The water is muddy in some of the better pike areas and there is so much junk in the water (logs, weeds, branches ect) you can retreave a single cast without getting hung up on something.

I tried the Pond Oreille River the friday before last for the pike and the same thing but with a swift current. My guess is in a week or two the run off should settle down, maybe, we do have the most snow still in the mountains that I have ever seen this late in the year especially in the panhandle.

[kevinb]

The pike fishing has been a little slow from what I hear due to the spring run off. My cousin was telling me where he likes to fish the water is so high the launch is so flooded the docks are even underwater or tilted sideways or even pulling there pillings out of the lake bottom. The water is muddy in some of the better pike areas and there is so much junk in the water (logs, weeds, branches ect) you can retreave a single cast without getting hung up on something.

I tried the Pond Oreille River the friday before last for the pike and the same thing but with a swift current. My guess is in a week or two the run off should settle down, maybe, we do have the most snow still in the mountains that I have ever seen this late in the year especially in the panhandle.

Good info, you know i'm just giving 'ya a hardtime:-" Its just my nature.
I will be over at Curlew at the end of the month. Its doubtful,but would love to hit the river and CD'A. I will fore sure this summer though:cheers:

[eustace]

Kevin, just a heads up there is massive flooding going on over in the CDA's messing with the fishing. We have been in the upper 80's the last four or five days melting the snow pack cooling the lake down almost ten degrees. But, with all this high water an all this food for the fish been moved around when the weather and water gets consitent a have a feeling the fish are going be be a little bigger and alot more aggresive. I have been fishing a little bit, I will stick with the lakes that have little or no run off creating havick in them for another couple of weeks or get some more golfing in.

[kevinb]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be out here in July for a week and maybe some more trips before the summer is over.

Looks like I'll be over a little sooner. No exact days yet. I'm trying to stretch in at least 2 extra days for the Pend Oreille River and maybe even another pit stop by Silver

[kevinb]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be out here in July for a week and maybe some more trips before the summer is over.

Looks like I'll be over a little sooner. No exact days yet. I'm trying to stretch in at least 2 extra days for the Pend Oreille River and maybe even another pit stop by Silver

oops,meant to quote...not edit

[Jesper]

I'm heading to Lake CD'A tomorrow. Mainly to fish for crappie, but I'll try to get the pike that eluded me twice two years ago. I was using a jig for crappies off a dock when I hooked a crappie, as I was reeling it in there were suddenly a huge yank, and "it" started fighting much more than a crappie is capable of. As I got it closer to the dock I could see a pike had eaten the crappie and was now attached to my 4 pound no steel leader line. Needless to say it was only a a few seconds before the line snapped. I got another rod and rigged it with a heavier line, steel leader and baited it with a small perch and a bobber. The pike took the bait in less than five minutes. After a brief fight it managed to wrap the line around one of the dock pillars and the line snapped again. Anyway, I'll try to get it tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it went. Hopefully the lake is down a bit now.

[kevinb]

I'm heading to Lake CD'A tomorrow. Mainly to fish for crappie, but I'll try to get the pike that eluded me twice two years ago. I was using a jig for crappies off a dock when I hooked a crappie, as I was reeling it in there were suddenly a huge yank, and "it" started fighting much more than a crappie is capable of. As I got it closer to the dock I could see a pike had eaten the crappie and was now attached to my 4 pound no steel leader line. Needless to say it was only a a few seconds before the line snapped. I got another rod and rigged it with a heavier line, steel leader and baited it with a small perch and a bobber. The pike took the bait in less than five minutes. After a brief fight it managed to wrap the line around one of the dock pillars and the line snapped again. Anyway, I'll try to get it tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it went. Hopefully the lake is down a bit now.

Good look'n out:salut:

[kevinb]

I have this same question in another thread but makes more sense here.
I'm aware their are many other pike lakes in Idaho(other than CD'A)
Any ideas of some other ones worth checking out? I'm not looking for monsters(but if they got 'em..sweet!)
Maybe a more quiet lake...great for a family outing. Something like that.

[TroutCowboy]

I have this same question in another thread but makes more sense here.
I'm aware their are many other pike lakes in Idaho(other than CD'A)
Any ideas of some other ones worth checking out? I'm not looking for monsters(but if they got 'em..sweet!)
Maybe a more quiet lake...great for a family outing. Something like that.

Hayden and Hauser are both just north of CD'A and good for pike. I haven't been on Hauser myself, but I've been on Hayden several times and really like it. It has a really nice launch and park on the SW corner ("Honeysuckle") which is very family friendly. There is a fully enclosed swim area and nice beach. The enclosure for the swim area is a dock you can fish off of. At several points there are benches & fishing stations.

The lake has a ton of bays, some shallow with toolies and pads, but also great steep wooded banks to prowl into pike. I caught my first one there since I was a kid in MN, total surprise, I was tossing for bass. It's obviously smaller than CD'A, but kind of protected by the steep mountain walls, so might not get as wind-blown. The launch can get pretty busy but the water never seems very crowded. Very pretty.

[kevinb]

I have this same question in another thread but makes more sense here.
I'm aware their are many other pike lakes in Idaho(other than CD'A)
Any ideas of some other ones worth checking out? I'm not looking for monsters(but if they got 'em..sweet!)
Maybe a more quiet lake...great for a family outing. Something like that.

Hayden and Hauser are both just north of CD'A and good for pike. I haven't been on Hauser myself, but I've been on Hayden several times and really like it. It has a really nice launch and park on the SW corner ("Honeysuckle") which is very family friendly. There is a fully enclosed swim area and nice beach. The enclosure for the swim area is a dock you can fish off of. At several points there are benches & fishing stations.

The lake has a ton of bays, some shallow with toolies and pads, but also great steep wooded banks to prowl into pike. I caught my first one there since I was a kid in MN, total surprise, I was tossing for bass. It's obviously smaller than CD'A, but kind of protected by the steep mountain walls, so might not get as wind-blown. The launch can get pretty busy but the water never seems very crowded. Very pretty.

Yeah..thats what I'm talking about!!!
Thanks again