Never fished it but they get some monster Rainbow out of there. They troll for them just like salmon, with a flasher and squid, or cut plug but they do fish real deep with rigger's. Here's a good article on some tactics to try.
Fish Tips
Posted: Wednesday, Apr 09, 2008 - 10:32:06 pm PDT
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Mike Satren
It's spring salmon derby time
Even though chinook salmon fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene is a year-round sport, the spring salmon derby celebrates the coming of a warmer fishing experience although the weather may not always cooperate in time for the derby.
The derby also comes when salmon are nearer the surface than at any other time of year. That makes it easier for less dedicated salmon fishermen to get their boats out of shrink wrap and fish even if they don't own a downrigger.
Downriggers are absolutely necessary for salmon fishing on Lake Coeur d'Alene most of the year because it is the only effective way to get a presentation to the 100-foot depth range where the fish live much of the time.
Now with the salmon cruising in the 10- to 30-foot depths fishermen can make a planer board work either with weighted helmeted herring or a diving plug.
The true salmon fisherman still has a decided advantage, however.
"People have learned -- myself included, as the years go by -- what to do when the water comes up, what to do when it gets dirty, more of the fish habits," said Jeff Smith, derby sponsor and owner of Fins & Feathers Tackle Shop. "Before, this was one of those windows in time with big water flows and dirty water when we wouldn't catch them or we had trouble catching them."
This year's derby will be different because the big flows haven't started yet. Record snow levels in the high country must melt sometime but lake levels -- for now -- are low.
"It'll make it a little bit tougher," he said. "Unless it's too big, when the rising water is coming in and it muds up a little bit, anything that is hanging down usually comes up."
Most of the boats have been having better luck down the lake, East Point, Rockford Bay, right in front of Harrison, Smith said.
Trolling plugs like the Yo-Zuri diving plugs with the big lip or the J-11 broken-back Rapalas or the lipped Rapala Minnow Raps work well because they can be pulled at the same speed -- 1.6 to 1.8 knots -- as the helmeted herring at a slow roll.
Even though just about everything will be used including flashers and hoochies, Smith will pretty much pull herring, because that's what they have been catching them on. He'll also stick with the clear or the UV helmets, since that's what they have done best with.
"We should see a few fish over 10 pounds," said Jeff Smith of Fins & Feathers. "We've been catching some over 10 pounds here and there."
When the whole fleet gets out there for the derby, more 10-pounders should be caught. Last weekend, Matt Palmer of Fins & Feathers caught a 9-pounder at 9 feet deep and another big one at 14 feet deep.
