• Note: The new Nevada fishing license year began March 1. You can now purchase your licenses and necessary stamps on the Internet at www.ndow.org.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): "We had a few humans, here at the store, over the weekend, but overall, it was pretty quiet. Saturday, the weather was gorgeous."
DAVE LAKE, CALIF: Last Saturday, the west side of the lake and the dam area were covered with a very thin layer of ice. The ice is too thin to be on.
Among the shore fishermen on the east side, Don Quilici of Carson City caught an 18-inch Northern Pike on his first cast of the day with a orange/black dot No. 2 TOR-P-DO lure. For the rest of the day, both he and his wife, Elaine, got skunked.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Jerry at The Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113): No report.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): The lake is nearly all clear of ice. Reports of nice large trout caught on nightcrawlers. Boat ramp at Lunker Point is very accessible. Road is good around lake. Crystal Point good fishing.
HINKSON SLOUGH, NEV (on the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area): Elmer Bull of NDOW reported that two retirees from NDOW (Rich Ellington and Tom Atkinson) fished from their float tubes last week. Ellington caught and released 14 rainbows (up to 18 inches) in 6 hours. He was fly fishing with Midge flies, just under the surface.
INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the back road to the reservoir was open and there were a number of fishermen over the weekend. Russ Wickwire of Woodfords caught a 10.25 pound rainbow on Friday with a Kastmaster lure and 8-pound test line. He was fishing from shore on the northeast side of the reservoir. Roy Rodger and Wick Coves of South Lake Tahoe each caught a 2-pound rainbow on Sunday with white Power Bait from shore.
LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market (Closed on Mondays) at Silver Springs (775-577-2750): "Wow, have we got lots of water, now. The reservoir is at about 250,000 acre feet. We're going to change the name from Lahontan Reservoir to 'Lake Lots of Water.' There were all kinds of people out fishing on Saturday but no one checked back with us. Remember that we are now running a weekly contest for the biggest fish. Just catch a nice fish, bring it in, tell us some fish stories, and we'll take your picture. If yours is the biggest fish of the week, it will win a nice prize."
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Jerry at the Gilly, "Pyramid is doing pretty good at the South Nets and at Spider Point for the fly fishermen. They are catching some nice 8-9-10 pounders with either brown or black/red tail Woolly Bugger flies. Bring your fish in to be registered and photographed for a drawing at the end of the season for a fly fishing rod and reel combo worth more than $800."
PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Don Quilici and Don Hettrick of Carson City and Rich Bachle of Fernley trolled at Pelican Point, last Thursday. They caught and released 24 trout, up to 23 inches. They were trolling 40 feet deep with orange or Fire Tiger colored lures.
• SACRAMENTO RIVER: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448: Water flows are currently at 15,000 CFS.
Rain has arrived and expecting heavy rains for the next few days.
Up until Friday, have been drifting the Redding to Anderson stretch for wild rainbows.
Fishing has been good.
Practicing all "catch and release."
Using No. 14 or No 16 Prince nymphs, No. 16 Micro Mayfly nymphs and Fox's Poopahs.
• SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero: Still a bit cold but picking up a few trout near the surface to 30 feet deep, around the McCloud Arm.
Tolling, using bright colored lures, pinks and greens, on these overcast days.
Watch for fishing to improve as we move towards March and April, and the temperatures get warmer.
Houseboaters, take advantage of our boat to boat service. We'll pick you up right from your houseboat!
• SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero: "Rain is what the Smith River and the Chetco River needed, and that is just what we got, lots of rain, expected to last through the week. Water high now. When water level lowers, we should have good Steelhead fishing, hopefully by the weekend. Fishing from The Forks to Ruby."
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:
Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462): "Fishing was "slow" last Saturday, we only caught and released 17 Macks! The fishing has been very good, when we can get out.
We have been getting our Mackinaw trout early in the morning, and tagging and releasing the smaller ones.
We have been catching lots of fish, but nothing big.
I've been trolling 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): "Good fishing on every trip, when the weather lets us go out. We have been trolling for Macks with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows at depths of 120-280 feet, along the edges of the drop-offs. I've been fishing Agate Bay, Cal Neva Point and Dollar Point."
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: "I've been trolling at Ski Run Mound, Ski Run Shelf and Camp Richardson. We have been trolling 180-300 feet deep with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows."
LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: "Shore fishing and toplining are producing an occasional rainbow (up to 6 pounds) and mostly Macks in the average size range. The shore fishermen are catching an occasional rainbow or Mack at the Cave Rock Landing with live minnows.
TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck Fields of the Topaz Lake Marina (775) 266-3550 reported: "It's raining and the wind is coming up (Tuesday morning). The fishing has been OK, but there has hardly been anyone out due to the weather of the last 4-5 days. They caught some fish over the weekend. The trout ran 1-1.25 pounds and there were no limits reported. Fishing has slowed down."
TRUCKEE RIVER, NEV: Jerry at the Gilly: "The Truckee is blown out with all of the rain. It probably won't be fishable for almost a month."
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Linda at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: "It's balmy, up here. It is 35 degrees, right now (Tuesday).
It was rainy last night with lots of wind.
The ice is still at least 2 feet thick.
Perch fishing is good and trout fishing is fair.
The trout are about 6-8 feet below the ice and the perch are down about 20-30 feet, on the bottom.
Fish for the trout with lures like Kastmaster or with nightcrawler and slowly jig, up and down.
Fish for the perch with small, white-colored, lead-head jigs with a plastic tail, together with a mealworm or party-sized marshmallow on the hook. Drop that combination down to the bottom, bring it up about 1-2 turns on the reel handle and slowly jig, up and down."