Friday, Feb. 4

Lake Roosevelt may be a long way to go for most anglers, but it

is worth the trip, according to the folks at Coulee Playland.

Sounds like the fishing for rainbow and big kokanee couldn't be

much better.

Friday, Feb. 4

Lake Roosevelt may be a long way to go for most anglers, but it is worth the trip, according to the folks at Coulee Playland. Sounds like the fishing for rainbow and big kokanee couldn't be much better. Rainbow from 17 to 22 inches are being caught without much effort. The lower basin, from Keller Ferry down is the place to find them. It also the hunting grounds for big kokanee. Fish from 2 ? to 4 pounds are being taken regularly in this area, and some even larger kokanee are being landed. The kokanee are shallow, too, in the top ten feet of the water column. Sounds like anything in pink will attract strikes from the kokanee, and lures can be flat lined from the boat. When the big kokanee are on the bite there is nothing like it anywhere. These fish are a handful to get to the boat and can be beat in the pan. As soon as my new Jetcraft is rigged, that's where I'm headed. Spring Canyon is where I'll launch to begin my search. This sounds like another one of those years that kokanee fishing at Lake Roosevelt is the thing to do.

Monday, Feb. 7

You can expect bigger crowds than normal Burke and Quincy lakes on the first weekend in March. There is a Trout Derby planned for that weekend by the Quincy Valley Tourism Association, and there is big money up for grabs. They are going tag some trout, release them into Burke and Quincy lakes and the values are huge! One fish will be worth $3,000.00, another worth $2,000.00 and a third worth $1,000.00. The opening weekend at these lakes is always a popular event, and this year there is a special reason to visit these two. You get all the details, including a registration form by visiting the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce web site by logging onto quincyvalley.org. There are adult and youth divisions, other prizes being awarded-and of course some really big checks handed out to the lucky anglers that hook and land one of tagged fish. Don't make plans to be anywhere else on the first weekend in March. This is richest tagged trout derby I have ever heard of, and you could be a big winner. Be sure to review the rules and print out your registration, and start sharpening your hooks!

Wednesday, Feb. 9

If you like to catch trout, and I am talking about big trout, there are two destinations to consider. The first would be Banks Lake. I know, I know, it's not the typical destination for trout anglers, but in the winter there are large numbers of big trout taken here. Rainbow running from 18 to 24 inches are being landed in the northern basin of the lake, and one angler recently landed one rainbow that weighed 10 pounds! These are regular rainbow, too, not triploids. Trolling is a great way to take limits of these fish, but some anglers are sitting on the dock at Coulee Playland to get theirs. It doesn't take them more than three hours to do it. The trollers are using Rapalas in the "purplescent" color, or the Owner lure of the same shade. The dock anglers are just tossing a marshmallow and crawler combo on a slip sink rig. A six-foot leader of six-pound test is advised. Anglers that like to fish for triploids will be happy to learn that another 4,000 of them were recently released near the net pens on Rufus Woods. These are typically 2 to 3 pounds, but a 15-pounder was landed here last week.