By Don Quilici
BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said, "This weather has been cold and nasty, but we are expecting a big change in another day or two.
It's been a real quiet week and I have not seen a real live fisherman for quite a while. I had no reports of any fishermen anywhere this last weekend.
All of the higher elevation lakes should be really be iced-over after last week, but I would advise everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness."
CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby said all of the higher elevation lakes should be iced-over after last week, but he advises everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Many, many Christmas tree cutters in the area over the weekend.
The lake has a very thin and unsafe covering of ice.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): Frenchman is freezing now, with some open water near Lunker Point and around the corner from the Dam to the Northeast.
Scott Love of Reno caught his limit, including 2.5 to 4.5 rainbows, off Lunker Point. He was using nightcrawlers on Sunday.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR. CALIF: Dave Kirby reported, "There is a guy (Shad Lafontise) who is snow camping at the reservoir and he is catching one or two fish per day. He is getting enough to eat. He's got a small tent and is as happy as a clam."
In addition, in the feature, front page story in the Dec. 7 Nevada Appeal, Lafontise was quoted as saying, "I'm having the time of my life doing what most people only dream about."
He has been camping at the reservoir since Oct. 14.
LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750) reported: "I was wishing some of that North Pole snow and cold would come down to us and Geez, I sure got what I wished for.
It's like permafrost out there.
There is some ice around the edges of the reservoir and the water level is really low, right now.
If anyone is out there fishing, they have to be crazy. This is a good time to be with good friends rather than fishing."
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Doug Ouellette of the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113) reported: Pyramid is about the only thing going on in this area at this time of the year.
They trollers are using Lyman, Apex, Flatfish and Kwikfish lures, about 50 feet deep at the usual places like Pelican Point, Spider Point and Warrior Point.
The jiggers are jigging north of Pelican Point and using Gibb's minnows or Malibou jigs.
The fly fishermen are using black or purple Woolly Bugger, Woolly Worm or Pyramid Popcorn Beetle flies.
The best fly fishing has been toward evening on the north side of "The Nets."
In addition, Russ Leifsen of Douglas County recently caught a 14-pound, 4-ounce Cutthroat while trolling a Chartreuse spoon in the Hell's Kitchen area.
RED LAKE CALIF: Dave Kirby said all of the higher elevation lakes should be really be iced-over after last week, but he advises everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.
SILVER LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby said all of the higher elevation lakes should be iced-over after last week, but he advises everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:
Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "Fishing has been awesome! We not catching super big fish but we are catching a lot. Our biggest last week was 7 pounds.
We've been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and I've been tagging and releasing the smaller ones.
I've been tagging and releasing an average of 10 Mackinaw a day, when we can get out.
I troll 250-550 feet deep in the deep-water area in front of Carnelian Bay and King's Beach.
We are using 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) said: "The fishing is a little slow at Cal Neva Point and Dollar Point. The best trolling is at 120-250 feet with a short leader, silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.
The larger Mackinaw are down deeper at a depth of 200-300 feet."
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis reported the bite has been steady at the Ski Run Shelf and the Ski Run Mound. He is trolling with 160-240 feet deep with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.
He said he took out Doug Busey of Douglas County and a friend on Saturday.
They caught a total of 12 Mackinaw, up to 29 inches.
Other fishermen are picking up Mackinaw while toplining between Camp Richardson and the Tahoe Keys.
LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis reported that fishermen are picking up more fish while toplining.
The largest last week was a 9-pound Mackinaw.
He is trolling at a depth of 160-240 with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.
Some small rainbows and an occasional small Mack are being caught by shore fishermen from the Cave Rock boat landing.
St. Denis reminds boaters that the Cave Rock boat ramp can be very icy.
You should have four-wheel drive or tires with chains to launch your boat due to those icy conditions.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472 said, "Heck, it's toasty warm up here, right now (Monday).
It's trying to snow and the temperature is 32 degrees.
That's the first time we have been above freezing in the last eight days.
One night last week, we got down to -22 degrees.
We've got about 4-5 inches of real hard ice on the reservoir and it is plenty thick enough for ice fishing. In fact, yesterday we had a bunch of snowmobiles running around on the reservoir."
