NORCAL FRESH REPORTS

NORCAL LAKE REPORTS: Pyramid Lake kicks out another 14 pounder BY PAT YOUNG/WON Staff WriterPublished: Mar 10, 2010

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Northen Cal PAT YOUNG Lake Reports RENO — A Reno angler, fly casting on the south end of Pyramid Lake, hooked the fish of a life time — a 14 1/2-pound cutthroat. The south end of the lake, in an area known as the “Nets’, has been producing for fly casters and shore anglers as the water begins to warm up. “Travis Lee of Reno weighed in a 14-pound, 9.6-ounce cutthroat this past week,” said Jared Coleman at Crosby’s Lodge. “He was fishing down at the South Nets and was using a black pattern fly. Fishing has been good this past week for fly casters and trollers alike. Besides the 14 pounder, we’ve weighed in three 11 pounders, two 10 pounders and three 9 pounders since last Monday.” Sherri Mendes at Eagle Eye Charters reported that all their trips this last week caught 25 to 35 fish a day. She said that every trip usually scored a cutt’ in the 9- to 10-pound range and that their biggest fish last week was an 11 pounder. Her husband, Joe, has been trolling 30 to 40 feet deep using FlatFish and Apex lures. Carla Molino at the Pyramid Store said that fly fishing was improving at the North and South Nets. Fly casters reported that the fish were really biting in the windy weather when casters were being knocked off their ladders and getting waves up over their waders. Come on guys, no fish is worth your health or your LIFE!! Remember the 6th Annual Ken Hembree Hook, Line and Sinker Classic this weekend, March 13-14, at Crosby’s Lodge sponsored by KKOH and KBUL radio. $17,500 in cash and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers, including a Crestliner/Honda worth $7500 for first place. Ice fishermen need to use caution at Davis Lake BY PAT YOUNG/WON Staff Writer PORTOLA — With the warm days and nights seen in the Davis Lake area over this past week, the thickness of the ice is starting to thin more rapidly as spring approaches and ice fishermen need to use caution when venturing onto the surface of the lake. “We had some day-time temps in the high 40s, low 50s and night-time lows into the 40s this past week and the ice at Davis Lake is really starting to thin,” said Ed Dillard at Dillard’s Fishing Guide Service. “When it stays warm like this day and night, the ice will melt one to two inches a day. There is a lot of snow on top of the ice and some people mistake it for solid ice. You can put your weight on this snow cap and break through quite easily, so ice fishermen need to be more vigilant this time of year as we transition into spring. The ice around the edges of the lake can be very soft and this is where most problems occur right now.” “Fishing is still very good at the dam,” said Dillard. “The best rig to use is still the one I’ve been recommending for the last few weeks. Put a sinker on the bottom of your line and add an 8- to 10-inch dropper with a size 16 treble hook about 12 to 16 inches up the line (like a catfish rig). Put a small ball of Power Bait on the hook that only covers two of the bends of the hook leaving one exposed. Trout will suck this tiny ball of bait right down to the back of their throat and the exposed hook gets them almost every time. This rig works great on short biters or finicky eaters.” Dillard still recommends suspending the bait off the bottom, sometimes as shallow as 15 to 20 feet deep over 45 to 70 feet of water. The average rainbows have been running 12 to 17 inches with a few bigger fish to 20 inches. Caples Lake producing quick limits for ice fishermen KIRKWOOD — Despite two feet of new snow falling at Caples Lake this past week, ice fishermen were still able to catch limits of browns and rainbows at the dam and the spillway. Fishermen need to come prepared to dig through 5 to 7 feet of snow and ice to hit water or to clean out an old hole. “Fishing hasn’t changed here at all this past week,” said Kelly Keith at Caples Lake Resort. “Lodge guests have been going out on snowshoes and getting limits of fish in about an hour using Power Bait, worms or jigged Kastmaster spoons. Lots of people have been fishing near the dam and spillway and doing well. Some anglers have actually set up tents on the ice and spent the weekend. I just hope they haul all their trash out and don’t leave a mess!” Most of the fish are pan-sized browns and rainbows from the massive plants made by the DFG and EID this last year. Some small Mackinaws have also been caught. Oroville Lake bass and coho action is still red-hot BY PAT YOUNG/WON Staff Writer OROVILLE — With all the main launch ramps now in operation, boaters have no problem getting on Lake Oroville to take advantage of the ongoing red-hot bites for both bass and coho salmon. With spring just around the corner, fishing on this lake is set to get even better. “The bite at Oroville is red hot for both bass and coho,” said John Lackey at Feather River Outfitters. “The Anglers’ Choice Pro-Am was won by Chris Zaldain with 27.01 pounds and there were lots of anglers weighing 12- to 13-pound limits in each day. The better fish were hitting ripbaits in shallow water. With the lake coming up 30 feet in the last month, the fish have been moving onto the bank to take advantage of all the new food sources.” Lackey mentioned that the recent run of warmer weather and warm rains have started to melt some snow and very cold water is running into the river arms. Anglers fishing up in the river arms need to slow down their presentation due to the cold water or move down into the main lake where the water is warmer. Several anglers checked in with Lackey this past week reporting good action on the bass and coho. Wayne Peterson of Oroville picked up nine bass to three pounds while fishing up in the Middle Fork down to 20 feet with 5-inch green pumpkin Yamamoto grubs. Kevin Foley of Oroville caught 13 bass to three pounds fishing green pumpkin Senkos in 25 feet of water on the main body and Middle Fork. Jeff Leger landed eight bass to 21⁄2 pounds in the North Fork while working green pumpkin Zoom lizards in 15 feet of water. Lackey said that numerous anglers reported that the coho were “everywhere” and hitting worms, minnows and white spinners, like RoosterTails and Panther Martins. The cohos are now running about 13 inches with some up to 15 inches. Rollins Lake is set to receive another DFG trout plant this week BY PAT YOUNG/WON Staff Writer COLFAX— The DFG is scheduled to dump another load of catchable rainbows into Rollins Lake this week, the third so far this year. Though the lake is reported to be a little muddy from all the rain, the trout are starting to bite for trollers. “We are finally starting to see some reports of anglers picking up some trout here at Rollins Lake,” said Joan Carty at Long Ravine Campgrounds. “We heard that one boater caught and released a 2-pound brown trout while trolling at the dam. My husband, Steve, was out this past week and picked up two nice planter rainbows trolling in the main body of the lake.” John Wadden at Will Fish Tackle reported that Rollins Lake was a little muddy, which was slowing down the fishing. He said that once the water cleared up a little more, the bite would pick up, especially now that the DFG is making more plants.