Another $500 rainbow caught at Topaz Lake

By Don Quilici

BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said, "We've got some patches of fog this morning (Tuesday), but you can see some areas of sun.It's pretty quiet, up here, at this time of the year."

CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the ice fishing was fair this last weekend.There are about 4.5 feet of ice on the lake. Two fishermen each caught two Mackinaw trout on worms.

CHIMNEY CREEK RESERVOIR, NEV: Was completely covered with 8-10 inches of ice last Friday and Saturday. You need four-wheel drive because of more than one foot of snow on the roads.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): "Ice fishing continues to be great. Nightcrawlers are the best bait to use. You can snowmobile across the lake, now, so Lunker Point is a good spot to fish as well as the dam area."

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR. CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the road department told him that he road is not plowed to the reservoir.

Reservoir is iced over, but the thickness is unknown. Use extreme caution if venturing out on the ice.

LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750) reported: "We got a little bit of snow last night (Monday) and that plus all of the dense fog has really made it bitter cold out here.

The reservoir is still coming up, it's at about 120,000 acre feet and it is not frozen. I've been told the ramps are useable, call State Parks at (775) 577-2226 to be sure.

There were a lot of fishermen over the weekend. There are Wipers being caught by the dam."

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Doug Ouellette at the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113) reported: "The shore fly fishermen have been doing OK with either dark Woolly Bugger or foam Beetle flies.

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

The boaters are trolling a little deeper with Lyman or U-20 lures.

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

Overall, it has been a little on the slow side.

They are getting about 4-5 fish per day, but there have been some nice fish in the 22-24 inch class.

One fly fisherman caught an 8-pounder the other day.

The water is still cold. We need for it to warm up. The fishing should be real good in April."

RED LAKE CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the ice fishing was pretty quiet over the weekend. There are about 3-3.5 feet of ice on the lake. In addition, Doug Busey of Douglas County reported catching two Brook trout.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448) said, "As weather allows, fly fishing for rainbows is producing nice catch and release trout in the Redding to Anderson area. PT's, and Micro May Fly patterns working well.

SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero reported now fishing for nice bright Steelhead trout, 8-12 pounds. Averaging 2-5 fish hookups per day. Some days are better than others. Fishing is up and down.

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "We've been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and tagging and releasing the smaller ones. We're not catching anything big. I troll in 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 has been excellent. We are trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at a depth of 160-280 feet."

LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: "Ski Run Shelf and Camp Richardson have both been excellent for Macks.

We are trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at a depth of 160-280 feet. Ski Run Mound has also been good for jigging with White Star Jigs tipped with a minnow, early in the morning."

LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: "The local guys are toplining at the Logan Shoal buoys for Macks and rainbows. They are trolling in 20-25 feet of water with silver/black, No. 11 Rapala lures or No. 9 Count Down Rapala lures.

Fishing as been good for Macks 2-7 pounds, when trolling silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at 150-220 feet.

TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck Fields at Topaz Lake Marina (775) 266-3550 reported, "Man on man, are we fogged in, today (Tuesday).

The ice in the middle of the lake is all gone. The shore fishing has been good and the boats have also been doing good.

Yesterday (Monday), Colton Harner, Curt Harner and Mark Gwaltney of Carson City caught 8 rainbows. The largest was 2-pounds, 15-ounces. They were trolling with Fire Tiger Rapala lures.

Ken Rader of Carson City caught a 3-pound, 8-ounce and a 2-pound 12-ounce trolling with nightcrawlers. There was a 2-pound, 10-ounce caught from a boat."

TOPAZ LAKE: Donna at the Topaz Lodge General Store at (775) 266-3337 reported "The fog has been coming and going this morning (Tuesday).

We have had quite a few fish checked in, here at the store.

Yesterday afternoon, Lou Best of Topaz caught a tagged fish worth $500. It was caught from shore with a Rapala lure. The rainbow was 2-pounds, 6 1/2 ounces (18 1/4 inches). Lou caught a total of four fish and his son got skunked.

Clay Johnson of Gardnerville caught a 4-pound, 12-ounce rainbow (21 inches)."