Gerrard Rainbows!!!!

[TommyH]

 I haven’t ever tried for them but will be giving it a shot here soon, anyone ever catch any?or have any tips/lure/bait info they know of?  I will be taking my 11 y.o. son out and hopefully letting him wrestle with one of these. It’s been a long winter without getting my boy out on the water for far to long. He was in a baby back pack wading streams and rivers with me since he was able to hold his head up. He has caught large mouth, small mouth, rainbow/brown trout, pike, salmon, sharks... and he usually out-fishes everyone was with us.  We will be hitting lake pend oreille and if we can’t make it happen we can switch to another species we are more familiar with.. pm if you’d like, any info greatly appreciated. Spring is finally here!! Get out there and take a kid fishing!! Good luck all!

[Ridgeratt]

If memory serves me there used to be Gerrard Rainbows in the Pend Oreille River back in the late 60's. I believe they used to fish for them with a shingle and a baby field mouse.  Rubber band the fella on a hook and set it a drift in the feeder creeks around Ione and Metaline. When it reached the eddy gently let the mouse afloat and hang on. It was a technic used by the folks who worked on building the dam.

[MooseZ25]

I have caught lots of Gerrads out of Kootenay Lake in BC over the years.  Some have been in the 20 pound range. I have been fishing Pend Oreille for the last month trying to get dialed in on them.  I fished yesterday and lost a big one at the boat.  The water temperature is still pretty cold and needs to come up a bit.  Once that happens I believe the fish will get more aggressive.  You have to put lots of time in some days for nothing, but its all worth it when you get to hold a 20 plus pound Gerrad rainbow in your hands. 

[nwwanderer]

Yes, a few, glad to hear of them again on the rebound.  Here is one with a Ukrainian Phd we took in 1990, North Idaho honey hole.

[bearpaw]

I used to fish Kootenay when I was younger, I've never fished LPO, but already have my Idaho license and hope to start fishing LPO this year. I'm going to start with what we used to fish in Kootenay, but I need to gear up so I can take advantage of the no-pole limit on LPO.

[nwwanderer]

About 60 years ago, different lake

[bearpaw]

That one fish is a real dandy. We never fished there, but always wanted to, I wonder if it's still any good?

[TommyH]

I have caught lots of Gerrads out of Kootenay Lake in BC over the years.  Some have been in the 20 pound range. I have been fishing Pend Oreille for the last month trying to get dialed in on them.  I fished yesterday and lost a big one at the boat.  The water temperature is still pretty cold and needs to come up a bit.  Once that happens I believe the fish will get more aggressive.  You have to put lots of time in some days for nothing, but its all worth it when you get to hold a 20 plus pound Gerrad rainbow in your hands.

  well post up your success when it happens! Would like to hear how it goes...

[TommyH]

If memory serves me there used to be Gerrard Rainbows in the Pend Oreille River back in the late 60's. I believe they used to fish for them with a shingle and a baby field mouse.  Rubber band the fella on a hook and set it a drift in the feeder creeks around Ione and Metaline. When it reached the eddy gently let the mouse afloat and hang on. It was a technic used by the folks who worked on building the dam.

That sounds like a good strategy.  we will be in the lake, but the tip is noted and appreciated. 

[TommyH]

Yes, a few, glad to hear of them again on the rebound.  Here is one with a Ukrainian Phd we took in 1990, North Idaho honey hole.

    H.D. In the background.?

[TommyH]

I used to fish Kootenay when I was younger, I've never fished LPO, but already have my Idaho license and hope to start fishing LPO this year. I'm going to start with what we used to fish in Kootenay, but I need to gear up so I can take advantage of the no-pole limit on LPO.

I Did not know that about “no pole limit”? In  LPO.  We have only been on LPO once and we were after pike, we only managed a few but had a great time and it was a new and beautiful area, So we decided we wanted to come back. It’s a big lake and can get big water/waves quickly with a bit of wind. The diversity of species in there makes it pretty nice to be able to switch it up and target another species if need be. Good luck, tight lines everyone!

[bearpaw]

I used to fish Kootenay when I was younger, I've never fished LPO, but already have my Idaho license and hope to start fishing LPO this year. I'm going to start with what we used to fish in Kootenay, but I need to gear up so I can take advantage of the no-pole limit on LPO.

I Did not know that about “no pole limit”? In  LPO.  We have only been on LPO once and we were after pike, we only managed a few but had a great time and it was a new and beautiful area, So we decided we wanted to come back. It’s a big lake and can get big water/waves quickly with a bit of wind. The diversity of species in there makes it pretty nice to be able to switch it up and target another species if need be. Good luck, tight lines everyone!

Look on page 11 of the regulations, no limit on the number of poles and no limit on Lake Trout. They made these rules to encourage fishers to catch more lake trout which were eating up all the kokanee (food for the big rainbows). IDFG has also increased kokanee plants trying to increase kokanee numbers in the lake. From what i understand it's working but more lake trout need to be caught. I figured if I caught a big rainbow I'd photo and release, if I catch lakers I'll do my part and bring them home.

[TommyH]

  Lake trout(macs) is another fish that haven’t cooperated with me in my limited efforts to get one. 

The mini mart in Clark fork and the gas station in Hope have some great kamloops/gerrards, and other wildlife mounts as well.

Hopefully we will be trying it out soon.