Pike fishing on the Pend Oreille River

[YJ Guide Service]

Made a trip up to the Pend Oreille River with my buddy Scott and wife Melodie. We fished mostly crankbaits, spoons, swimbaits, and rapalas. Water temp was 37 degrees and weather was sunny for once. Fishing this time of year can be hard, but will only get better. Dynamic lures this trip were the ticket. We ended up with 5 fish all over 5lbs. Let me know if anyone wants to try for these great fighting fish.  Pictures are of my wife and buddy Scott. Good fishing everyone

[NWBREW]

Congrats on the pike. Doesn't appear to be much snow in the lower elevations over there.

[YJ Guide Service]

There is some snow but not enought to keep us from fishing lol

[Russ McDonald]

I was just checking out the same report you have on Washingtonlakes.com.  Nice fish. 

[Ripper]

Nice fish. I hope the bottom pic is your wife!  Just kidding. 

[Jburke]

I actually met your wife a few weeks back at the hospital.  Was looking at her calendar and fishing pictures when she mentioned the guide service.  Lol, as soon as I heard that I no longer was paying attention to my girlfriend getting her blood drawn.

[Camp David]

Nice looking fish...Did not know that pike were in the river...gives me something else "hunt" for in my spare time.

[wayner]

Very nice!! I love it up there, get them while you can, I hear rumors that our state is going to try and kill them off.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Very nice!! I love it up there, get them while you can, I hear rumors that our state is going to try and kill them off.

Right- the state and tribe are gill netting them to get the population bumped way down.   There are serious concerns about their impact on the Columbia River Salmon.  As much as I hate to see a fishery wiped out- I agree with the eradication effort.  Pike do not belong here.

[HornHoarder]

Nice looking fish! Thanks for the update. I fish pike up there quite regularly, but havent yet this year. Do you have any idea when the gillnets will be deployed?

[boneaddict]

YJ, do you know when the top water action starts for them......I flyfish  and want desperately to target them when they are in the shallows hitting surface "poppers" flies.

[WAcoyotehunter]

gillnetting will probably be going at 100% in April.

[YJ Guide Service]

The Kalispels will be placing nets starting this month for 6 weeks. I talk to Jason with the Tribe all the time so that way we are informed of whats going on up there. Top water gets going usually in May or June depending on water temp and conditions. This fishery has been a big debate for the last 3 years.

[boneaddict]

THey might wish they were around when the asian carp show up.    Thanks for the info.   Its on my bucket list.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Nice fish! Where would be a good spot to truck camp and fish for the pikes?

[YJ Guide Service]

There is a small campground across the hwy from the cusick boat launch turnoff. Its located right next to the fairgrounds.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Thanks for the info!

[oldleclercrd]

Im pretty sure you need a tribal pass for certain sloughs.... We have a cabin on the Pend Oreille River, and last year my mom was shoveling snow off of our dock into the river and a pike tried to bite the snow when she threw it in the river. I cant seem to figure out why my wife wont swim in there

[WAcoyotehunter]

if you're in a boat you can fish wherever.  No fishing from the bank on the reservation- which is a small portion of the reservoir.

[bearpaw]

if you're in a boat you can fish wherever.  No fishing from the bank on the reservation- which is a small portion of the reservoir.

Do they sell non-tribal fishing permits?

[YJ Guide Service]

Actually you cant fish certain sloughs around Cusick, and you cant fish any of the sloughs from usk all the way almost to Riverbend on the Tribal side of the river. You can buy a tribal permit to fish the slough right out of Cusick but thats the only one its good for. This river is a little diffrent then Lake Roosevelt or the Columbia are when it comes to the tribal stuff. You can fish the main part of the river on the tribal side just cant go in any of the sloughs. The Pike fishing use to be even better than it is now, alot bigger fish 4-5 years ago into the 20-30lb range pretty often. Now a average fish is about 5-9lbs 22-30 inches.

[YJ Guide Service]

Was able to fish again today for a few hours and had alot of Pike on and alot of follows. Looks like its Pike fishing time.

[Ripper]

I use to catch water wolves all the time in Indiana growing up. They are a blast to catch. Bony, but good to eat. I hate to see them wiped out, too bad the fish can't just get along!

[YJ Guide Service]

They do get along with others its just this state doesnt think they do. They live with trout,walleye,bass, and other fish just fine back East and in Canada. Its only here they dont think they do LOL...They did stomach  research surveys on 755 a couple years ago and only found 5 trout and a few bass in their stomachs everything else was perch, white fish, crappie, tinch, pike minnow, but mostly perch. Good fishing everyone

[Russ McDonald]

I grew up in Minnesota big time pike fishing there.  Same thing they live all together.  It's called the circle of life things getting eaten.  I am going to get some pike fishing in this year for sure.
 

[YJ Guide Service]

I agree its a nature does what it does thing. The fished moved here all the way from Noxin MT without the help of humans. They were introduced in MT  illegally though. Seems like Canada and Backeast love their Pike fisheries.

[BLKBEARKLR]

Big Pike are an awesome fisherie, I grew up in NY fishing them. I agree they co exist with most other fish.

What I find completely oxy moron, is the WDFW plant tigers in lakes and then turn around and plant trout in there, sometimes their logic is so backwards I have no idea what they are thinking.

They can spend a ton of money in there with gill nets, that will be a waste of time, effort and money, once a pike gets into a system they are there to stay.

Nice looking fish you caught...

Joe

[Russ McDonald]

Yea and Muskies and Pike are the same family.  Why are they not complaing about those.  Is it because they are not making it into the river systems?

[YJ Guide Service]

The state actually plants the sterile Tiger Muskies to clean up lakes of garbage fish, which is exactly what the Pike are doing in the PO River. Its true they are in the same family, without Pike you would never have a Tiger muskie which is half True Muskie and half Pike. This Pike argument has been going on for over 2 years now.  The Kalispel tribe is now heading the charge since the state doesn't have the money or manpower to remove them. Its a real shame for Pend Oreille county since this fishery brings alot of money to the area. They have a plan to install fish ladder prototypes in the next few years. This whole thing started out with the tribe wanting to reestablish the bull trout population in the river. All we keep hearing is that the Pike are eating all the trout, wrong. I just think there's a better way of keeping the Pike from moving past Boundry Dam and into the Columbia River. I think the Pike have been in that river for years but just don't find it a good habitat to live and breed in like they do in Box Canyon. Long Lake is a perfect example of a lake that has Pike, but they don't reproduce very well in. I think that's why their not populating in Lake Pend Oreille as well, they just don't have the environment for them. The debate goes on LOL....

[TommyH]

It is a blast to hook on to a nice pike!! I never have  got a "big" one but even the smaller ones i got were some great fighting fish, and great eating as well.  Hopefully i can make it over there soon Yes craig is right on the access on the P.O. river, tribal sloughs are private.

[TommyH]

Just waiting for a good report from YJ guide service.......... wanting to get on the water just need a bit of motivation to get out there!

[teal101]

Yea and Muskies and Pike are the same family.  Why are they not complaing about those.  Is it because they are not making it into the river systems?

The Muskies were brought in to select lakes with no runoff into Salmon waters.  There was one lake in Grant County that had runoff into the Columbia that was planted.  There were means in place to keep the Muskies from making it down to the river, but they failed so the lake was scrapped as a Tiger lake. 

The difference is the WDFW controlled where they put the Tigers and they control how many there are since they are sterile and need artificial supplementation.  The Pike are invasive from other waters and can breed at will.

The big issue is they do not want the Pike to make it into the Columbia river system.  While not all the habitat is suitable for Pike, there are spots where they would flourish such as the mouth of the Okanogan.  The Salmon and Steelhead DO NOT need ANOTHER obstacle in their fight for survival in this state.  Diet studies on Pike and Musky show that in the summer they feed primarily on trash fish and sunfish in the shallows.  When they move to deeper water in the winter/spring they are exposed to Salmonids more often and the diet can shift towards trout as is the case with Curlew Lake Tigers.  In the winter/spring up to 40% of the Musky diet is comprised of Trout in Curlew lake per the WDFW.  On the other hand, the water is colder in the winter and spring thus the fish are more lethargic and their dietary needs are lower.  While their diet may consist of 40% Salmonids, the total number of fish is not the same as it would be in the warmer months.  It;s hard to say how the Pike will adapt in the Columbia.  The issue is the Tigers are controlled in Curlew, therefore limiting their impact on the Salmonids.  In the Columbia, Pike will not be controlled and there is a possibility of devastation to native Salmonid populations.

[YJ Guide Service]

I guess my biggest question with this whole thing is how do these fish all live together in places like Lake Michigan which has Muskies, Pike, Chinook, Coho, Smallmouth, Walleye, etc. This is a awesome fisheries for a multitude of diffrent types of Salmon. Why is Washington State an exception? Canada as well as many bodies of water back east have Pike and Muskie and their fisheries are flurishing. I cant seem to get a answer to why Washington State is so diffrent.  Here are a few pics of the fish we caught last weekend. Just my thoughts on this subject. I'm a die hard Salmon fisherman as well, fishing Salmon from July through Oct so I'm not Pike bias.

[teal101]

I guess my biggest question with this whole thing is how do these fish all live together in places like Lake Michigan which has Muskies, Pike, Chinook, Coho, Smallmouth, Walleye, etc. This is a awesome fisheries for a multitude of diffrent types of Salmon. Why is Washington State an exception? Canada as well as many bodies of water back east have Pike and Muskie and their fisheries are flurishing. I cant seem to get a answer to why Washington State is so diffrent.  Here are a few pics of the fish we caught last weekend. Just my thoughts on this subject. I'm a die hard Salmon fisherman as well, fishing Salmon from July through Oct so I'm not Pike bias.

The only Salmon back east that is native is the Atlantic Salmon.  All the rest are introduced from our waters.  They havent faced the same obstacles destroying their habitat and decimating their populations for the past 200 years.  They flourish over there because of proper management and habitat.  Takes by predatory fish are negligible.

Our salmon are in a much different boat than those back east.  You can not deny that fact that Pike will prey on Salmon and Steelhead parr and smolt.  The extent and percent of their diet is up to debate at this point, but in my opinion and the states opinion any percent of the pikes diet being consisting of these threatened species is too many.  They have already had to deal with the logging choking the rivers with sawdust and the false floods associated with moving large log jams.  They have already had to deal with losing important parts of their ecosystem like the beaver that helped shape the habitat to what the salmon require.  Their habitat has been trampled and muddied by years of cattle ranching.  55% of total salmon habitat has been lost since the Euro Americans have come to the PNW.  The dams, especially Grand Coulee have cause mass extinction of genetically distinct populations.  Sockeye only breed in TWO upper Columbia lakes now, cut off from many of their original breeding grounds above the dam.  Then there was the introduction of the Walleye to the system and the Smallmouth Bass.  Adding another obstacle , whether big or small, is ignorant.

You also pointed out one of the big reasons Pike fluorish along side many other species when Muskie are present.  Pike breed before Muskie and the Pike smolts prey upon the newly hatched Muskie smolts as they breed in similar habitat.  The Muskie provide a great forage base for the Pike, lessening the need for other forage at times and reducing their impact on other predators.  If the Pike are eating Perch, they will eat Walleye.  If they eat Rainbow Trout, they will eat Salmon.  As I said before, their diet changes seasonally as prey comes and goes and their position in the water column changes based on temperature.

[Machias]

Do you ever fish using deadbaits?  I caught all my HUGE pike in England on deadbaits.  BIG pike are more scavenger than predators.  Lots and lots of studies in the UK, if you want BIG pike you rarely catch them on moving baits, they are nearly all caught using deadbaits.

[teal101]

Do you ever fish using deadbaits?  I caught all my HUGE pike in England on deadbaits.  BIG pike are more scavenger than predators.  Lots and lots of studies in the UK, if you want BIG pike you rarely catch them on moving baits, they are nearly all caught using deadbaits.

All fish are scavengers.  Lures are generally designed to mimic wounded bait fish over healthy bait fish, hence the erratic swimming actions of many.  Fish are opportunistic feeders, they will feed one whatever they can get so long as it has a good nourishment to energy expended ratio.  Muskie guys back east use live rigged suckers a lot for big Muskie.  I dont see why it would not work here.

[YJ Guide Service]

I think when we as humans start messing with what nature is doing on its own we usually mess things up. I agree the Salmon have had and will continue to have a up hill battle in this state. Until more fish ladders and other measures are installed thats the reality of it. I dont agree that the Pike are going to be eating all the Salmon or Trout. The Pike do not live in the same waters as the Trout or Salmon first off. I dont think Pike like to live in faster moving water or deeper colder water like trout and Salmon do. Second they may be predators but they are also lazy predators. The dont choose to chase a fast swimming, smart fish such as Salmon or Trout. They prefer to feed on slow dumb fish such as Perch, Pike Minnow, White Fish, tinch etc. The proof of this is from the stomach surveys done on the river in 2009 by the state and tribe. They did surveys on 755 fish and the total number of trout in the stomachs if I remember correctly were 5, along with less than a handful of Bass, almost everything else was perch for the most part, along with Pike Minnow, crappie etc. I agree no one wants to see them in the Columbia River, I for one dont. I dont see how the state is going to try to remove something that is uncontainable in a river. I know their goal is to reduce the numbers but whats going to keep them from getting into the Columbia still, doesnt solve that problem. The only way for their plan to work is if the state gets Montana and Idaho on board to make sure they dont get here in the first place. I just think the Pike in this state are getting a bad rap. Seems like the Salmon could really benefit from the $500 million being spent to remove the Pike from the Pend Oreille River and Box Canyon. Its being funded by power companies, the tribe and other groups. Seems like it would make more sense to spend the money above Box Canyon where the Pike numbers are still low and the habitat isnt there. Like I said just my opinion on this. As far as deadbait we dont ever use it. If the river isnt froze then we catch as many or more than deadbaiters using lures. I just think the state has a great fishery on the PO River and could make it world class if they wanted to. The people of this state i'm sure enjoy catching a variety of fish, I know I do. People actually are coming all the way from back east to fish this fishery and do every year because of the great Pike fishing. Why do people enjoy catching Salmon so much, because they taste yummy and they fight good. Just like a Pike does, tastes great and fights good. Good fishing and hunting everyone..

[Machias]

I've caught hundreds on crank baits and spoons, but nothing over 18 pounds.  All my mid 20s and low 30 pounders came off of deadbaits.  The bigger the pike the less energy they expend for their food.  The British fisherman are world class pike fisherman, if their target is really oversized pike, they never use spoons or crankbaits.  Now as a guide I can see where your clients would much prefer good action.  Deadbaiting for monster pike is a slow action game.  It's a more specialized pursuit.

[YJ Guide Service]

I totally agree Machias the big one are always almost caught on deadbait. Big fish don't are definitely lazy fish. Kinda a boring way of fishing to me, I just cant do it lol. I wouldn't want to have someone pay me to fish with a bobber lol and its not that i don't show them the setup if they want to know. I like to get clients involved and casting, moving around finding the fish. We are in the mind set of teaching someone to locate and learn how to catch them. You always see the big ones though caught in the spring off shore with bait...

[teal101]

The one flaw in your post is the interaction of Pike and Trout & Salmon.  True, Pike do not routinely inhabit the faster flowing stretches of water nor the deep pools.  It is not the adult Trout and Salmon the state is worried about though, which live in those habitats.  It is the Parr and Smolt, the next generation of Salmonids, that do reside in prime Pike habitat that are the issue. 

Obviously Tench and Perch are going to be a major dietary factor for the Pike in Box Canyon, they are the most abundant fish in the system.  Salmonids in Box Canyon make up very little of the total biomass in the water, as shown by WDFW studies.  If the Pike are to make it into a system where Tench and Perch are not nearly as abundant, such as the Columbia, they will have to shift their diet.  The obvious choice is the most abundant easy to catch prey with the highest nutrient return.  This can include Salmonid Parr and Smolt, Pikeminnow, Suckers, Carp, Chubs. Darters, Walleye and Bass in the Columbia as well as various other species.

Again I'll reiterate, the majority of fish are opportunist feeders, or as you have put "lazy".  Bass are a perfect example of an ambush predator.  Fish are wild animals.  They will only expend as much energy as needed to gain nutrition.  Affording Pike the benefit of being lazy is near the same as saying bass will not chase a school of Shad, its just not true in a sense. 

Now, my stance is not anti Pike, its is FAR from it.  Muskie have earned a special place in my heart, and even though I hardly get the chance to pursue them, they are my favorite fish to pursue.  I can only assume fishing for Pike would be a very similar experience for me.  I have read a lot of literature regarding the Esox.  "Managing Muskies" by Gordon E. Hall is a fantastic compilation of various studies on the Pike, Muskie, and the Tiger Muskie, although obviously focused on the pure strain Muskie.  My intent is not to remove Pike from the system, only to share my opinion and facts I have learned about the habits of Esox compared to Salmonids.  My literature collection regarding Salmonids is extensive and quite enlightening.  I am in full agreement a Minimum size rule needs to be put in place on Pike.  This will promote growth of trophy fish while hopefully thinning the population.  I'm unsure of the logistics of a barrier preventing Pike from entering the Columbia river system, although I fear it is too late.  Time will tell. I'm done rambling now

Tight lines.

[YJ Guide Service]

Its all good Teal and all good information. The more people are educated about these fisheries the better, I think...Good fishing and hunting everyone 

[teal101]

Its all good Teal and all good information. The more people are educated about these fisheries the better, I think...Good fishing and hunting everyone

One of these days I'll have to make it over and get out on a trip with you.  It;s on the bucket list of things to do!