Q-Tip: Ice fishing derby

There will be a three-day, ice-fishing derby at Wildhorse Reservoir in Northern Elko County on President's Day Weekend, Feb. 16-18.

If you are interested, here is some useful information:

Drive east from Carson City on U.S. 50 to Silver Springs. At Silver Springs, take U.S. Alt. 95 north to Fernley. At Fernley, take I-80 east to Elko. In Elko, take Nevada S.R. 225 (The Mountain City Highway) north to Wildhorse Reservoir. This will be a trip of about 364 miles (one-way).

Contact the Wildhorse Resort for the current "hot" spots.

Dig a small hole (10 inches or less in diameter, as per Nevada fishing rules and regulations) with an ice auger. You would be well advised to use a gas-powered model rather than an manual auger due to the thickness of the ice. Be sure to take a small piece of carpet to stand on to help keep your feet warm.

Use various baits such as worms or worms with red salmon eggs or worms with a kernel of corn or worms with party-sized marshmallows. You can also be successful by jigging small, bright-colored lures or small white jigs.

Rainbow trout, German brown trout, Tiger Trout, perch, black bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie and perch.

The season is open year round, any hour of the day or night.

The limits are five trout, 10 mountain whitefish and 15 warmwater game fish, of which not more than one may be black bass (the minimum size for black bass is 15 inches).

There is no limit on perch.

From March 1 through June 30, only "catch and release" fishing is allowed for the black bass.

Registration fee is $25 daily or $60 for the three days.

Daily payoffs for each day: The longest trout wins $300, the second longest trout takes home $200 and third place wins $100.

There will be two tagged fish which are worth $5,000 each.

Derby fishing hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday.

Food will be available on the lake each day: Chili dog ($4), bowl of chili ($3) or jumbo hot dogs ($3).

There will be an ice-sculpture contest which will be judged on at 2 p.m. on Monday. First places wins $100, second wins $50 and third wins $25.

call Dennis Dunn or Steve Epling at the Wildhorse Resort at (775) 758-6472.