Lucky Anglers Find it Pays to Fish

"But Honey, I need to go fishing today. We need the money!" Try that line sometime. It just might turn out to actually be the truth. Forty-one local trout anglers who turned in fish heads from fish they caught in Lake Pend Oreille (LPO) were recently drawn for cash prizes in the Idaho Department of Fish and Game LPO angler incentive program. Gale Belgrade of Sagle was the lucky recipient of $1,000. The other 40 took home $100. Not bad for a hard day of fishing in the most beautiful lake on earth. IDFG fishery managers are encouraging anglers to catch and keep rainbow trout and lake trout from Lake Pend Oreille. Predator and prey species are out of balance in the lake, resulting in the closure of a once-popular kokanee salmon fishery. Rainbow and lake trout are the primary predators on kokanee in the lake and are largely responsible for the decline in kokanee populations. Anglers catching and harvesting either rainbow trout or lake trout can enter the fish heads into an angler incentive program funded by Avista Utilities and administered by IDFG. For every rainbow trout or lake trout caught and harvested from LPO, the anglers name is entered into the monthly drawing for 40 cash prizes of $100 and one cash prize of $1,000. All anglers over 18 years of age also receive one Idaho lottery scratch ticket for each fish harvested. Who knows how much that could Ônet' a lucky angler! Additionally, all heads will be scanned for implanted passive transmitters, or, "PIT tags". Some will contain tags worth from $100-$2000. Anglers can place fish heads in special freezers at Holiday Shores Marina (Ellisport Bay), Hope Marine Services (Ellisport Bay), Harbor Marina at Garfield Bay, the Hudson's Bay Marina (Bayview), or the IDFG Bayview Research Office. Fish heads may also be dropped off at the IDFG regional office in Coeur d'Alene from 8-5, Mon-Fri. Fish heads will be scanned during the month, and anglers notified and if their fish contained a PIT tag. Some rainbow and lake trout are externally tagged with $100 reward tags (spaghetti shaped tags) tied behind the dorsal fin. Other such tags are worth $10. These tags and the fish species, weight, length, and date caught should be mailed to: Mark Liter, IDFG; 2885 W. Kathleen Ave., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 The IDFG angler incentive program is an attempt to save the Lake Pend Oreille fishery by removing predatory lake trout and rainbow trout to reestablish a balance of predator and prey species in the lake. Kokanee salmon once provided half the entire sport fishery in Lake Pend Oreille with a harvest of one million fish annually. They also provide forage to grow world-class rainbow and bull trout. Now, there aren't enough kokanee to feed all the predators in Lake Pend Oreille. Rainbow and lake trout are the most significant predators on kokanee. The kokanee fishery was closed in 2000 and limits on rainbow and lake trout have been removed. Reducing the rainbow and lake trout populations by half would make a significant improvement in kokanee survival. The angler incentive program, funded by Avista Utilities, is an attempt to reduce rainbow and lake trout populations. The angler incentive program began on April 29, 2006 and will remain in effect through December 31, 2006. A new video production has been recently released that provides tips on how to catch rainbow trout in Lake Pend Oreille. "Catch a Kam with Captain Ken", is a 73 minute DVD made by a professional guide that is now available for anglers wanting to improve their success at catching rainbow trout in Idaho's largest natural lake. The video covers planer boards and terminal tackle. Some of the most effective flies, spoons and plugs are identified. The video is specifically geared toward the Lake Pend Oreille fishery. A lake trout fishing DVD specifically about LPO is also available for check out. The videos are available for free check out at Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) offices in Coeur d'Alene, Bayview (Fisheries Research Station), and Clark Fork (Hatchery). Copies are also available for check out from public libraries in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Post Falls, Spirit Lake, Sandpoint, Blanchard, Priest River, Priest Lake, and Clark Fork.