A 15-pound Mackinaw trout caught at North Lake Tahoe

By Don Quilici

• BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said, "I feel like I have a snow shovel attached to my right hand.

We haven't seen any fishermen here due to all the storms. It's been really quiet.

We are just staying inside where it is warm and safe."

• BLUE LAKES, NEV: The 2005 season will open on June 11.

• CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: No report. S.R. 88 was closed, off and on, most of the week due to the snowstorms.

• FT. CHURCHILL COOLING PONDS, NEV: The 2005 season will open on Feb. 12.

• HINKSON SLOUGH, NEV: The 2005 fishing season will open on Feb. 12.

• LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750) reported: "We got about three inches of fresh powder last night (Monday), and they haven't plowed yet.

I stay off the road with the rest of the Endangered Species in this kind of weather.

Most of our snow melted yesterday.

If anyone went fishing in this weather, they are crazy, they are crazy!

The water level is really coming up fast. The last time I checked it was at 110,000 acre feet."

• MASON VALLEY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, NEV: The 2005 season will open on Feb. 12.

• PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Doug Ouellette of the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113) reported: "Pyramid has some snow, but nothing like we got in Reno and Carson City.

There are people going fishing at Pyramid and they are catching fish.

One die-hard fly fisherman has been doing very good with large streamer flies at The Block House, The Cattleguard and Wino Beach."

In addition, before all of these storms,

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

The boaters were trolling with Lyman, Apex, Flatfish and Kwikfish lures.

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

Fly fishermen were using black or purple Woolly Bugger, Woolly Worm or Pyramid Popcorn Beetle flies.

• RED LAKE CALIF: No report. S.R. 88 was closed, off and on, most of the week due to the snowstorms.

• 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.

As weather allows, fly fishing for rainbows is producing some nice catch and release trout in the Redding to Anderson area.

PT's, and Micro May Fly patterns were working well.

Red Bluff: The King Salmon fishing season comes to a close on the 14th.

Fishing for Kings, before the storms, was fair to good in the Balls Ferry area.

Our clients were catching chrome King Salmon, 15-25 pounds, average.

Flatfish (T-50's & T-55's) and bouncing roe were the best bet, both were producing King Salmon.

• SILVER LAKE, CALIF: No report. S.R. 88 was closed, off and on, most of the week due to the snowstorms.

• SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero reported catching and releasing nice bright Steelhead trout.

Fishing from the Forks of The Smith down to Social.

Using Sparrone Steelhead eggs, first in the morning.

Bouncing roe is your best bet.

Steelhead are averaging 10-15 pounds.

Some days, we are hooking 8 fish.

We'll be fishing for Steelhead to March 30.

Also catching some action on the Chetco River.

• LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "Believe it or not, we went out the other day, between storms, and one of my clients caught a 15-pound Mackinaw.

We were trolling in shallow water for Rainbow trout when the Mack hit.

I thought that he had caught a large Rainbow until he brought it in, next to the boat, and we could see it.

It was caught on Herring Dodger flasher blades and a large lure.

Slick (Bob McCulloch of Carson City) and I will be in San Francisco for the boat show all this week and then we will be in Sacramento, all next week for the Sport Show.

When I have been getting out, we have been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and tagging and releasing the smaller ones.

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): No report.

• LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: No report.

• LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Barbara St. Denis reported that her husband, Gene, has been kept busy plowing and shoveling the deep snow.

She estimated about 6-7 feet of snow in their front yard.

He has fishing charters for Thursday and Friday and has been busy trying to clear off the boat ramp at Cave Rock Landing.

He was there on Monday for eight hours trying to clear off about 5 feet of snow from the ramp.

• TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck Fields at Topaz Lake Marina (775) 266-3550 reported, "We've got about three feet of snow here at the lake.

We got about eight inches of new snow, last night (Monday).

There have been no boats on the lake and I haven't seen any shore fishermen."

• TOPAZ LAKE: The Topaz Lodge General Store at (775) 266-3337 reported that it's been slow because of the weather. We have not had a fish turned in since Jan. 8.

• WILDHORSE RESERVOIR NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472 said, "About the same report as we had for last week.

The ice on the reservoir is about 10-12 inches thick and the ice fishing is great.

The trout are hitting off and on, all day long.

The Perch are really hitting just before dark.

They are catching lots of Perch, 6-12 inches.

They are jigging with white-colored, Crappie jigs with the hook tipped with a small piece of worm.

The best fishing is down by the dam or by the island."