Mac-the-Naw: Topaz Derby off and running

Hello fellow anglers.

Topaz Lake opening day was a great success.

Over 40 fish were weighed in at the general store, with many weighing more than 3 pounds. There were 12 tagged fish that were brought in and $1,200 cash prizes were paid out in the first days of the derby.

Most were caught from shore by anglers using powerbait or night crawlers. My fishing partners Steve Lightfoot and Jonathon Guy caught 10 fish total over two days of fishing.

Those fish all weighed just under two pounds.

The winners for the first week were: Richard Pike from Gardnerville with a 5.12-pound rainbow, second place was Gary Nelson from Gardnerville with a 5.06-pound rainbow trout.

The weather cooperated nicely for all anglers, even though our local forecast was for rain. A word to the wise from an experienced angler: Always make sure that you keep your hands clean and free of foriegn materials. Even the smoke from tending a fire pit can rub off on to your lure or bait and cause you to have a very unproductive day.

Always keep a little bottle of hand sanitizer in your tackle box, or just simply rinse your hands in the lake.

As a note, the ice fishing get together is scheduled for Jan. 30 at Red Lake, weather permitting.

I will keep you updated. If you have any questions in our local fishing world call the Naw line at 267-9722. Good fishin' and tight lines.