Two 22-pound Mackinaw Trout caught at South Lake Tahoe

By Don Quilici

BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA: No report. Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): "No fishing report for Blue Lakes.

It was a miserable weekend with no business because of the weather.

We had over 8 inches of snow, yesterday (Sunday) and KIrkwood got over three feet!

We are hoping for Spring, and by gosh, one of these days, it is going to surprise us."

COMINS LAKE, NEV: According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, (NDOW), the ice came off the northern portion of Comins Lake this week and anglers are now reeling in rainbow trout that weigh up to five pounds.

Chris Crookshanks, NDOW biologist, said most of the anglers who have been fishing at the lake during the past week have managed to connect with rainbows that weigh two to three pounds, which are fish that were stocked last year.

Trout ranging from four to five pounds that are two to three years old are being caught as well.

Crookshanks said that live worms appear to be the best bait for catching the hungry fish. Successful anglers are fishing from shore and from float tubes.

Comins Lake is located in White Pine County approximately seven miles south of Ely along U.S. 93.

FT. CHURCHILL COOLING PONDS, NEV: Elmer Bull of the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) reported the fishing is rated as still on the slow side. The weather needs to warm up. Not a lot of activity. A fisherman reported two catfish and one bass being caught last Friday.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): "The ice is gone! Fish with nightcrawlers or Power Bait. All access points are available. The road around the lake is open, use caution."

HINKSON SLOUGH, NEV: Elmer Bull reported that the fishing has slowed down. Rich Ellington, retired from NDOW, checked in and said that he and his fishing partner caught and released 12 fish in 5 hours. Their biggest were a 15-inch rainbow and a 13-inch bass. Both fishermen were in float tubes, fly fishing on the top and just below the surface.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR. CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that earlier in the week, Mark Bachman of Minden got a 7.25-pound rainbow with orange Power bait and a piece of worm.

The first fish plant of the year did not take place because of the bad weather and the condition of the road to the reservoir.

LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750) reported: "The catfish are going crazy over here.

They are being caught on chicken livers, anywhere from Beach No. 6 to Beach No. 12.

The Walleye are hitting. The biggest last week was a 6-pounder from shore at Fisherman's Point.

The water level is over 160,000 acre feet and still coming up.

If you fish in a boat, out here, be aware that the wind comes up in the early afternoon at about 1 p.m.

The best catfishing has been at about sundown."

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Doug Ouellette at the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113) reported: "There were some hard-core, die-hard guys out in this weather and they were catching fish!

Lots of fish in the 5-10 pound class.

One guy caught three Cutts, yesterday (Monday) that were each 7-8 pounds. He was fly fishing at the "South Nets."

The fly fishermen are using black or purple Woolly Bugger, Woolly Worm or foam Popcorn Beetle flies. They have been doing good with olive Woolly Buggers with Chartreuse hackles.

The spincasters are using the usual TOR-P-DO type lures.

The boaters are trolling with Lyman, Apex or U-20 lures.

The jiggers are jigging with Gibb's Minnows or Maribou Jigs."

SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448) said:

Redding to Anderson: Water release is 3,700 CFS and steady.

Fly fishing for rainbows is excellent. HOT!

Catching and releasing 15-25 fish a day.

This river is producing some nice rainbows, 2-5 pounds.

Drifting from Redding to Anderson.

Using No. 14 or No. 16 olive and brown Pheasant tail flies.

Also Caddis and Micro May Fly patterns working well.

Opening day of King Salmon fishing will be July 16.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero reported they are picking up some nice rainbows (1-3 pounds). Fishing is fair. Starting to see some King Salmon 60-80 feet deep. Trolling with Shad pattern lures.

SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero reported that the Smith is really low and clear.

Due to the lack of water, he has moved to the Sacramento River for wild rainbows.

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "When we can get out, we've been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and tagging and releasing the smaller ones.

We're catching nice fish but nothing super big.

I troll the deep-water area in front of Carnelian Bay and King's Beach with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades with live minnows or large Apex lures."

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): "Cal Neva Point and Agate Bay continue to be medium-to-good for Mackinaw trout, when I can get out.

We are trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at depths of 250-300 feet, along the edges of the drop-offs."

LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: "Last Friday, I took out two guys (one from Fish Sniffer Newspaper). They limited out in a short time, and one of their Macks was 15 pounds.

They talked me into putting out a line when they were done. I did and twenty minutes after I started trolling, I caught a 22-pound, 7-ounce (38 inches) Mackinaw. That's two 22-pounders that have been caught in the last 10 days of fishing at the south end of the lake.

Those two fish were almost identical and were caught within 400 yards of each other.

I've been trolling from Ski Run, all the way up to Logan Shoals, either in close in 20-60 feet of water or out deep in 200 feet.

We are trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.

Ski Run Mound has also been good for jigging with 2-ounce White Star or Squid Jigs tipped with a minnow."

LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: "Toplining has been good, dependent on the day, for mostly Mackinaw and a few rainbows.

The Topliners are trolling in 20-40 feet of water with silver/black, No. 11 Rapala lures or No. 9 Count Down Rapala lures.

Trolling has been good for Macks on the Cave Rock Shelf, when trolling silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at a depth of 160-280 feet."

TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck Fields at Topaz Lake Marina (775) 266-3550 reported, "It's dead calm, right now (Tuesday morning), and the lake is like glass. There is no one out today, probably because of the weather you are having in your area.

There was a $50 tagged fish caught, plus there was a 2.9 pounder weighed in, day before yesterday.

They are getting limits from boats. The fish are running 1-1.25 pounds. They are being caught about 300 feet off shore with either black/silver or black/gold Rapala lures.

The shore fishing is really slow.

TRUCKEE RIVER, NEV: Doug Ouellette said that there is nothing to report because the river is muddy from the weather. It has been fishing "good" when clear.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472 said, "The ice is bad!

There is a little bank fishing at the inlets of Hendrix and Penrod Creeks.

The south end of the lake is open.

The ice has gone in a hurry. There is still ice out in the middle but there is about 20 feet of open water showing all along the shoreline.

Limber up your spinning rods."