Fishing

Because there were so many fish underneath the boat, the fish-finder couldn’t differentiate between that mass and actual bottom, some 60 feet below. This didn’t arrive as a major surprise—when whitefish arrive on their spawning grounds, they arrive en masse. In fact, in many Inland Northwest lakes, whitefish are the dominant fish when measured in simple biomass. If you want in on the action, you can target these fish on many lakes spread through Washington, Idaho and Montana starting in December and extending to March. The major exception to this rule is Montana’s Flathead Lake where a thriving summer fishery takes place. Through their native Great Lakes range, whitefish are revered for their delicate, clean white meat. But, in the West, this tasty fish is often regarded as trash. That reputation, however, is undeserved because t... Read more

Most anglers view walleye as a "warmwater" species that is best targeted during the Inland Northwest’s short summer season, which runs from sometime in May through mid-October. There’s truth in that mentality: The most productive walleye fishing typically occurs when water temperatures are close to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But diehard walleye anglers fish through winter because, as they might say, “Winter is when the ‘big girls’ are caught.” Walleye are distributed throughout eastern Washington’s Columbia River system, ranging from the Canadian border to Portland, Oregon. There are big walleye to be found throughout the system and, in fact, some anglers expect the next world-record walleye to be caught on the Columbia, somewhere between Chief Joseph Dam and John Day Dam. Additionally, walleye can be found in a number of easte... Read more

Whether fishing open or hard water, few tactics are more effective at catching mackinaw than jigging. Mackinaw, also called lake trout, are found across the Northwest and have been introduced to high mountain lakes as well. Living in depths up to 150 feet, many anglers struggle to connect with these fish using traditional trolling techniques. However, if you jig for them, these fish can be targeted with simple, inexpensive equipment. What's the Rod/Reel Combo For Catching Mackinaw? If you bass fish, you probably have the perfect mackinaw jigging rod in your rod locker. Six to seven-foot medium or medium-heavy power bass rods are perfect for targeting mackinaw. Both spinning and baitcasting reels will work, but if you have a choice, baitcasters with a higher gear-ratio will bring your fish up more quickly. Ice fisherman should search th... Read more

ICAST. It’s the fishing industry’s largest international trade show. With North 40 Fly Shop’s video team, I was there this year trying to shoot as many product videos of the latest and greatest fishing products as I could find. Three new baits took the featured spaces on the front of Northland Tackle’s bright yellow booth, and one of these baits piqued my curiosity. I was lucky enough to find Keith Eshbaugh, who happened to be the inventor and manufacturer of the new Northland Butterfly Blades. As a long-time Mack’s Smile Blade evangelist, my skepticism was palpable, but I was willing to give Keith and chance to tell me what was up with these new lures. Northland Butterfly Blades Tackle The first thing I learned is that the new Butterfly Blades are not meant to replace your Mack’s Smile Blades (although I’m sure Northland ... Read more

Nighttime temperatures are approaching freezing sending water temperatures crashing. As water temperatures cool into the 50's crayfish activity will subside and smallies will transition to alternative prey. In our local lakes and rivers this usually means small fish—think sculpins, sticklebacks, kokanee, and perch. However, don't rule out large aquatic insects, especially in river systems. Smallmouth inhabiting lakes generally move deeper as water temps cool, but we always seem to get a few really warm days even in October. On those warm days they move shallow to target sunfish warming themselves. However, you should primarily focus your energy on deeper water in excess of 15 feet deep. In rivers, fish can be found holding behind structure in current or in slackwater areas adjacent to moving water. Fall is when crankbaits really start ... Read more

By Sam Wike Just over a week ago I was sinking my teeth into a bacon cheeseburger at the Bar S in Great Falls, Montana with Paul Considine, North 40’s fishing buyer, and our longtime friend and walleye fishing guru Dale Gilbert. As you would guess, we were talking about fishing. And why wouldn’t we; Gilbert is a veteran of the Professional Walleye Tour (PWT) and now, in his retirement, he guides and teaches walleye tactics across Montana. He is, for sure, one of the most knowledgeable and effective walleye fishermen we know. At the Bar S we discussed educational videos and some of the new baits that Considine and I are bringing into our stores in 2018. Gilbert was interested in the video discussion—because he may be the featured attraction in those—but he really perked when the conversation turned to those new... Read more

Since we were first introduced to Livetarget at its inception in 2007, a couple of things have stood out about the company.  First, they are one of the most innovative product companies in the business.  Secondly, they strive very hard to realistically “match the hatch” as our North 40 Fly Shop crew would say. This year’s new product releases compliment both of those qualities and we are very excited to be carrying them in the upcoming season.  Many things stood out, including their 2017 I-CAST Best in Show Hollow Body Mullet, which I would have died to have a few times standing on the beaches of Baja. However, in our geography we narrowed it down to 3 key baits that our largemouth and smallmouth bass community is going to be pumped about.  We sat down with Ted Moody, our Livetarget representative to go over these new editions. ... Read more

Most of us consider Lunker Grub’s and Little Cleo’s as the classic baits from an umbrella of brands owned by Acme Tackle. Recently, however, company representative Peter Longobardi stopped into our North 40 Outfitters’ headquarters in Great Falls, Montana and showed us three new products that the walleye fishing community is very excited about, baits that could supplant the Grub and Cleo as this company’s go-to offerings. Here’s what we learned. From hair jigs to spin jigs, we've got you covered. You can order online here. Kalin’s Google Eye Jigs The Google Eye Jigs are equipped with what Kalin’s is calling a shockwave rattle system, which is a rattle that’s built into the head, right where the eyes of the bait are. These jigs have a hardened steel Katana hook and come in three sizes (1/8, 1/4, and 3/8 oz.). Note: These im... Read more

By Tyler Hicks Summer just can't seem to release its grip on north-central Washington’s Okanogan country. We've had some tantalizing tastes of fall, but each time the heat comes back with a vengeance. With highs climbing into the upper 90's for the foreseeable future, options for trout fishing are limited. So, with a little free time, I decided to try something I had not done in a long time—fly fishing for panfish. After getting off work I dropped my kayak into Washburn Island Pond, a weedy and warm backwater impoundment off the Columbia River. I brought along my 3-weight glass rod setup, and a small box of metallic, brightly colored nymphs, as well as an assortment of micro-poppers. Those flies and more panfish food are online here.  It was a balmy 96 degrees when I launched, but as the sun dipped behind a dense layer of smoke the ... Read more

Where did those big bass go? I hear this question from our customer's routinely now. That’s because spring and early summer are exciting times for the bass angler, with the pre-spawn concentrating bass in shallow water where they are actively feeding and relatively easy to find in preparation for the breeding season. However, once the post-spawn and heat of summer sets in anglers struggle to find quality fish in shallow water. Where did they go? The answer is simple . . . deep. Let’s face it: There is no more challenging time to catch bass, outside of winter, than late summer. During late summer the fish spread out, with some fish hanging in shallow water haunts while others go deep. This makes fish more difficult to locate. And, the urgency to feed in preparation for fall isn't quite there yet. This creates a situation where the fis... Read more

If its bass you seek, get out your headlamps and bug spray. That’s what I did recently when I headed up to Palmer Lake in northern Okanogan County to see how the summertime warmwater fisheries were fairing. I got on the water around 6 p.m. covering my usual spots, marking fish on the fishfinder, but catching very little. Around 8 p.m. the mountain shadows spread over the lake and, like a switch turning on, the bite happened. I picked up numerous perch 8-10" in 10 to 15-feet  of water trolling small Storm Smash Shads in perch patterns. Check out the baits and lures we have online here.   When I tried trolling deeper all I found were large northern pikeminnow, which are staging in spectacular numbers on the north end of the lake. Switching to bass around 9 p.m. I landed several smallmouth in the 14- to 16-inch range, and one fat 4... Read more

  When Savage Gear announced a new 3D soft bait, cast in the image of a goby, I was immediately intrigued. While gobies are non-existent in my local lakes and rivers, sculpin--a non-related but very similar looking species--are abundant. I can't count the number of times I've fished smallmouth bass and had one cough up its last sculpin meal in my boat. For that reason, I was eager to get my hands on them and get out on the water. See our introduction to this Savage Goby fishing lure here. Savage Gear Goby 3D Lure Out of the package, I was struck by the intricate details of the tube with its highly flexible pectoral and dorsal fins, all of which add action along with the traditional tube skirt. Like many of my favorite plastics these tube jigs are highly salted and scented to help mask human scent and make fish hold on to them longer... Read more