North Idaho Ice

[smitty661]

Sounds good to me Catskinner. Ill message you.

[catskinner]

Busy day on mirror today. Managed some Kokanee.  Curious how y’all prepare them? as they are pretty small.  Ice was 6” where I fished.  Probably go out on upper or lower twin tomorrow if I can

I smoke most of mine,  but also can quite a few. They are also great pan fried like small trout. They are landlocked Sockeye salmon (Red salmon) and pretty much taste the same.

[meandcuznalfy]

Busy day on mirror today. Managed some Kokanee.  Curious how y’all prepare them? as they are pretty small.  Ice was 6” where I fished.  Probably go out on upper or lower twin tomorrow if I can

Smoked is the way to go

[hugeinchina]

Re: kokanee prep

We nearly always smoke all of ours. Sometimes can some or even cook some on the grill, but 99% of them are smoked and that's how we prefer them.

[Po Tader]

Is freeman any good for pike fishing?

[aza10]

Thanks for the I for on the Kokanee. I’ll have to try and make it back to mirror. Still trying to get some pike this season. Been slow.

[WinterWizard]

PICKLED KOKANEE

3 qts fish cut into 1” cubes
1 ˝ C Pickling Salt
Place in gallon jar and fill to top with distilled white vinegar. Shake lightly to mix.
Place in fridge and mix daily for 6 days.

Rinse fish in very cold ice water

Brine:
8 C white Vinegar
7 C granulated Sugar
Boil to dissolve
Handful pickling Spice
1/3  C sweet Wine
Cool to room temp and chill in fridge

Add fish sliced peppers and onion with 1 small wedge lemon into pint jar packed snug. Top with brine close with lid shake to remove air. Keep in fridge for 5 days.

[aza10]

I sent you a pm Wizard

PICKLED KOKANEE

3 qts fish cut into 1” cubes
1 ˝ C Pickling Salt
Place in gallon jar and fill to top with distilled white vinegar. Shake lightly to mix.
Place in fridge and mix daily for 6 days.

Rinse fish in very cold ice water

Brine:
8 C white Vinegar
7 C granulated Sugar
Boil to dissolve
Handful pickling Spice
1/3  C sweet Wine
Cool to room temp and chill in fridge

Add fish sliced peppers and onion with 1 small wedge lemon into pint jar packed snug. Top with brine close with lid shake to remove air. Keep in fridge for 5 days.

[WinterWizard]

I got this recipe for pickle fish from this link on YouTube. It was for pickling pike but I use it for kokanee as well. I just remove the heads, tail and fins. larger bluebacks I split down the back bone. I just try for the size of pickled herrings. I leave the skin on, don't bother to scale, also don't bother to de-bone, they dissolve

[catskinner]

I got this recipe for pickle fish from this link on YouTube. It was for pickling pike but I use it for kokanee as well. I just remove the heads, tail and fins. larger bluebacks I split down the back bone. I just try for the size of pickled herrings. I leave the skin on, don't bother to scale, also don't bother to de-bone, they dissolve

I use a very similar recipe for white meat fish, pike, white fish, small perch where you don't have to worry about the bones.

[smitty661]

Is the ice holding up on kelso? My kid just asked if you would run out and drop some lines.

[sihlms391]

Smitty Kelso Should be fine.   Hope to hear there Sunday.  Hopefully these single digits happen next week.   Fished lower twin Monday.   It was slow few trout

[Skookum1]

Has anyone been on Spirit since the warm up this week? I know it was safe last weekend, looking at going tomorrow.

[smitty661]

Kelso was still solid 7” last night. Im surprised there wasn’t any slush on top with 40 degree weather. Got a few bites but no hook ups.

[bullpine]

Looks like we will get some good temps at night throughout North Idaho and Eastern WA in the teens and maybe single digits giving us good ice for the month.

[catskinner]

Has anyone been on Spirit since the warm up this week? I know it was safe last weekend, looking at going tomorrow.

I will see you out there tomorrow, look for a guy with a Carhart coat, a gray stocking cap and a purple chair. Don't worry the winter sun never gets in there and it will be below 20⁰ tonight there

[Joe34]

I will see you out there tomorrow, look for a guy with a Carhart coat, a gray stocking cap and a purple chair. Don't worry the winter sun never gets in there and it will be below 20⁰ tonight there

Any advice on fishing access with Spirit Lake and where to go for Kokanee or trout? I want to take the kids out there if the ice is good, but we've never been there before. Went to Mirror Lake a few weeks ago, caught some trout near the boat launch access, but with the warm weather I'm not sure if the ice is still good.

[RayneBidziil22]

Is was like 6-8" at mirror as of Tuesday  Joe34  and what's the word on how thick spirit lake is I want to go hit it this weekend

[Idahoice77]

Has anyone caught any chinook on spirit this year

[sihlms391]

Hopefully spirit will all be ready by next weekend.    Need some different lakes to ice fish. 

[catskinner]

Any advice on fishing access with Spirit Lake and where to go for Kokanee or trout? I want to take the kids out there if the ice is good, but we've never been there before. Went to Mirror Lake a few weeks ago, caught some trout near the boat launch access, but with the warm weather I'm not sure if the ice is still good.

I fished the Maiden Rock access this morning on 7" of ice no fish marked or caught.  They are catching trout and perch on lower Twin on jigs tipped with a nightcrawler, at the "par 3"access.

[catskinner]

Hopefully spirit will all be ready by next weekend.    Need some different lakes to ice fish.

I fished it this morning on 7"of ice

[catskinner]

Is was like 6-8" at mirror as of Tuesday  Joe34  and what's the word on how thick spirit lake is I want to go hit it this weekend

7" solid I fished it this morning

[sihlms391]

Thanks for info catskinner

[Joe34]

I fished the Maiden Rock access this morning on 7" of ice no fish marked or caught.  They are catching trout and perch on lower Twin on jigs tipped with a nightcrawler, at the "par 3"access.

Thanks for the info! I wonder if the other end of Spirit lake on the west side, near the Bronze Bay access, is any good? Might check it out today and bring the spud bar to test the ice...

[catskinner]

Thanks for the info! I wonder if the other end of Spirit lake on the west side, near the Bronze Bay access, is any good? Might check it out today and bring the spud bar to test the ice...

Did you check out the west end?

[RayneBidziil22]

So avondale is still a no go but they dropped 2 trees so some of the parking lot is clogged up and the other part is flat tire zone due to the tree having large thorns

[Joe34]

Did you check out the west end?

No, we scouted the Maiden Rock area late afternoon and talked to a guy that had fished there all day, drilling lots of holes and covering water. He caught one chinook, but no kokanee and didn't mark any fish. We did not drive to the west end as it was getting late, but further out in the lake beyond Maiden Rock did not look good.

[Idahoice77]

How was ice on upper twin and crappie for anybody !!???

[Classicguy67]

Is the ice on spirit good enough for a snowmobile?