North Idaho Ice

[RathdrumKris]

Went to Hayden yesterday.4" of ice 1 flag no fish.Saw a couple of guys pull out
Some fish,pretty slow.merry xmas everyone!

[Idahogator]

The barometer went nuts the last 3 or 4 days.   

May be something to that.   

[CMS]

Well I got figured out today, while waiting for the inlaws to show up for dinner I told my wife I was just gonna go check the ice on Blanchard lake "real quick". I had my auger and dipper loaded up and done other gear. I ended up getting sidetracked and didn't make it out there. She had to grab something out of the rig and noticed that I had rods, tackle box, flasher, and maggots ready to go. She took it good enough so now I know next time to just leave earlier.

[Idahogator]

Oooooo. CMS got busted.     

Always lock the rig.       lol

It' not a matter of life or death ~  It's much more important.     

[BlueDuck]

Fished Round lake this morning.  7 inches of good ice with some snow and slop on top.  Pretty good bite when I first got there, but it slowed down as the morning went on.  Ended  up with a dozen perch and 2 trout.   Saw 6 - 8  people fishing on Cocolalla when I went by.

[RayneBidziil22]

Avondale is weird right now the bite is either perch ,trout, bass, or crappie no bluegills or sunfish

[Idahogator]

WOW !   That's a very nice weird.     

[CMS]

I'm making a run to cda tommorow, on the way home am planning on stopping by and checking out lower twin, can any tell me where the access to the lake is? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Casey

[bullpine]

I don't have a great deal of smoking experience. I bought one of those grill/smokers second hand. This is the kind that has a smoke box attached to a barrel smoker. For wood I have a variety of fruit tree wood (apple etc) that I load the box with and then spend all day trying to keep somewhat lit. It's a constant struggle. 

I have that smoker and it works well.  Are you using charcoal in the "wood box".  If not that is your heat source and charcoal stays lite.  Then you add chunks of wood for smoke.  It is actually too hot to cool smoke fish unless you keep the heat down by using less charcoal.  I always had good luck with the Lil Chief smokers for cool smoking fish at less than 200 degrees, say 180 degrees. 
Check out howtobbqright.com with Malcolm Reed and you will improve your smoking of meats and poultry a 1000 percent.  Hope this helps. 
Also I added a themostat to the lid and use degital temp probs into meat.

[WinterWizard]

I'm making a run to cda tommorow, on the way home am planning on stopping by and checking out lower twin, can any tell me where the access to the lake is? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Casey

State Highway 41,  turn west on Par 3 Golf Course Rd(just north of Twin Lakes golf course, or the Lightning Bar). go about a tenth of a mile and you'll come to the public boat ramp. unload your gear and you have to park up by the driving range and walk back. This will be slightly south of mid lake.

Another option is take W Twin Lakes Rd and park  and walk down from this road to the lake.

[CMS]

Thank you sir.

[stjoemitch]

I need a Fernan report. Perch biting there yet?

[Simonidae]

Has anyone every fished Killarney Lake or any of the other chain lakes? Might venture there this weekend and try for some pike and perch.

[BlueDuck]

Cold snap coming!  Starting Monday single digit highs with lows around zero or below.

[baetis_elk]

Avondale fished reasonably yesterday.  I found it best to move around.  After the first couple fish through the hole it seemed that lockjaw would set in.  Ice was decent, estimated 5" of hard clear ice with about 2" of frozen slush on top.  There was a couple inches of water/slush in many places.  A good freeze should tighten that up and make conditions better for the kids in a few days.  I kept 5 perch in the 9" range and 3 trout.  Biggest trout was probably just shy of 15".

[No.IDea]

I met a guy last week that's been fishing the chain lakes, but was pretty tight-lipped about where. Anyone willing to give up some pointers on where and how? I've fished about everywhere but there. Thank you in advance, and keep 'em spinning! 

[NedShneebly]

I've spent alot of time on the chain lakes. I'm surprised he was tight lipped haha, chains are nothing special.  Alot of people fish Thompson Lake on the west side. Haven't had much luck past 2 years but alot of people fish it. Killarney I did ok last year. Lot of small ones. You'll wanna fish the west side of Killarney too. There is an island on that side. I always fish close to the island or west of the island. Cave lake is fishable, but smaller fish. You can fish cave right off of the highway. The whole lake is about 10 feet deep. I stick with those lakes. No info on the other chain lakes.

[hugeinchina]

Fished Spring Valley today with my boys. About a dozen others out fishing as well. There was a couple inches of slush over top of 4-6 inches of cloudy ice followed by 2-4 inches of clear ice on my holes I drilled. We caught several dozen trout and brought home the biggest 12. Fish that we brought home were all 14-16 inches and thick.  They bit on a variety of glow jigs tipped with work for us, but everyone out there was catching. As usual. Beautiful day to be on the hard water! Friday I think I'll haul the clan up to Cocallala.

[spiltmilt]

Just joined up. Moved here from sw. WA this past fall. Had not ice fished for almost two decades when I lived in Kansas. Went out last week and spent Fishmas Day on Robinson Lake. It was my wife's first ice fishing trip. Several inches of snow on 6" of solid clear ice. Found a half dozen Rainbows and a small Brook Trout in a few hours of fishing. Also found fresh wolf tracks from that morning.





Going to try Hayden and perhaps a couple other smallers lake in the Sandpoint area around the New Year. Later next week, after the deep freeze sets in, I am going to check and see if Bottle Bay might be firm enough to try for whitefish.

[Idahogator]

Welcome to Iceshanty spiltmilt.
    Spilt cawfee on the keyboard and glad I wasn't having milt.   
  Nice sized 'bow.             Do you carry a wolf tag?

Excellent photography.   Thanks for the share.     



Tom
 

[gillsonice]

Welcome Milt, Pretty lake, Robinson. I'm in boundary county if you need any pointers let me know

[RayneBidziil22]

Going to try Hayden and perhaps a couple other smallers lake in the Sandpoint area around the New Year. Later next week, after the deep freeze sets in, I am going to check and see if Bottle Bay might be firm enough to try for whitefish.

  where's bottle Bay I'm wanting to get whitefish  I hear their good to eat

[spiltmilt]

Welcome to Iceshanty spiltmilt.
    Spilt cawfee on the keyboard and glad I wasn't having milt.   
  Nice sized 'bow.             Do you carry a wolf tag?

Excellent photography.   Thanks for the share.     



Tom

No wolf tag yet...too spendy being out of state. Thanks for the kind words!

[spiltmilt]

  where's bottle Bay I'm wanting to get whitefish  I hear their good to eat

On Lake Pend Oreille just opposite of Sandpoint. They are great eats!

[thechubbycubby]

What's the best way to fish for whitefish and are they in all the lakes in northern idaho or nust the big, deeper lakes.

[RayneBidziil22]

well has anyone heard if Bottle Bay is safe ice yet then cause I really want to fish for whitefish heck might even get a lake trout

[Idahogator]

What's the best way to fish for whitefish and are they in all the lakes in northern idaho or nust the big, deeper lakes.

A bit of info http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?board=61.0

No news of Bottle Bay.    Yet...

[WinterWizard]

Fished Upper Twin today, 9 inches of ice; 5 hard and 4 frozen snow and slush. Hard walking from the ruts made by 4-wheelers.  Caught a couple dozen perch and a 7# pike. The high there was 31 deg F

[thechubbycubby]

Thanks idahogator. Went over there and read all about whitefish. I caught tulibees in ely minn and i guess they are a whitefish with an underbite. I love this site.

[Idahogator]

You are very welcome *Chub*. 

Good luck with the whitefish.