A winning formula for an unforgettable day in the Great Outdoors

And this is even one more column.

Fishing at Walker Lake has been absolutely outstanding during that time and is still currently "Red Hot."

If you're a trout fisherman or fisher woman, looking for great fishing at this time of the year, look no further.

My top three choices for the best trout fishing currently in this area are: Walker Lake, Walker Lake, Walker Lake.

Whether you fish from shore, in chest waders, a float tube or a boat, the fishing is awesome. In fact, it is so good, that you would probably have to be some kind of pitiful angler, with horrible luck and no skill, not to have success there.

Normally, at this time of the year, trout fishing in this general area is found at waters such as:

Lake Tahoe (if you have a boat equipped with electronic fish locators and the gear to fish at deep depths).

Pyramid Lake on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. (This lake requires special tribal fishing and boating permits in addition to special fishing restrictions).

Topaz Lake: (where you have the opportunity to catch tagged, planter trout, worth up to $1,000).

Caples Lake: (for ice fishing through about 2-3 feet of ice. Fishing success has been fairly slow this year).

Sparks Marina: (Very popular with lots of retired folks with lots of time on their hands).

Carson River: (low water level and difficult to fish in the winter).

Truckee River: (Ditto).

East Walker River: (Ditto plus it involves a long drive).

And then finally and most importantly, my personal favorite: Walker Lake: (The subject of today's column).

As stated in those previous columns and reports, Walker Lake is located about 15 miles north of Hawthorne and is about a 100-mile drive (one-way) from Carson City.

This large desert lake has great Lahontan cutthroat trout fishing and is well worth the time and effort, needed to travel to that location.

If you've never been there, here is the route we always take:

Drive south from Carson City on U.S. 50 to the "Week's Cutoff Road," just before reaching Silver Springs (this is a shortcut to bypass Silver Springs).

Turn right from U.S. 50 and take the Weeks Cutoff Road to Alt. U.S. 95, just south of Silver Springs.

Then, turn right again and take Alt. U.S. 95 south toward Yerington.

A few miles past Wabuska, turn left onto Miller Way (this is a shortcut to bypass Yerington).

Take Miller Way (AKA Aiazzi Lane) to its intersection with Pete Hendricks Road. (Note: after passing the main entrance to the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area, Miller Way makes a 90 degree turn to the right and changes its name to Aiazzi Lane).

Take Aiazzi Lane to its intersection with Pete Hendricks Road. (at that intersection, there is a white house directly in front of you).

Turn left and take Pete Hendricks Road to its intersection with U.S. Alt. 95.

Turn left onto Alt. U.S. 05 and drive to Schurz to the intersection with U.S. 95.

Turn right and then drive south on U.S. 95 to the lake.

Presto magic: you are there!

To further illustrate the great fishing currently found at Walker Lake:

A group of five of us traveled to Walker Lake last Thursday.

The five anglers were Norm Budden, Don Hettrick, Bob "Slick" McCulloch and Elaine and I, all from Carson City.

We fished in our chest waders from a sandy beach, south of Sportsman's Beach, from about 8:30 a.m. until shortly after noon.

During that time, we caught and released a total of 52 cutthroat trout.

That's correct: 52 trout!

Of the 52 trout caught and released, Don had 14, Elaine 13, Hettrick 9, McCulloch 8 and Budden 8.

Hettrick took top honors for the day with the longest and largest fish, a beauty of about 20 inches.

Note: The majority of our fish were caught prior to 11 a.m., as the fishing success drops off sharply in the late morning, with very little action from then until it picks up again in the late afternoon. So, if you are going to fish at Walker Lake, go early!

When Elaine and I arrived at the lake last Thursday morning, I donned my chest waders, rigged up my fishing pole, selected a Chartreuse/black dot, No. 2 TOR-P-DO lure, put it on my snap swivel, walked down to the water, waded out up to my hips and then cast the lure as far as I could.

After just a few turns on the handle of my spinning reel, BAM! I had a fish.

On my first cast! YAHOO!

I brought it in, carefully released it with my forceps and cast out again.

After just a few turns on the handle of my reel, BAM! I had a second fish on my second cast. Two for two!

However, this one came off, while it was tugging and pulling.

On the third cast, BAM! A third fish. Three for three!

This one was also brought in and carefully released with the forceps.

On the fourth cast, BAM! This, too, came off about half way into me.

Four fish on four consecutive casts!

Unbelievable!

All this time, Elaine was still busy rigging up her fishing pole, back on shore.

When she was finally ready, she waded out into the water, cast a yellow/red dot No. 2 TOR-P-DO lure with the same results: BAM! Fish on!

We had a total of five fish caught before the other three fishermen showed up! Not too shabby!

So, if you like to fish, if you have chest waders, if you have Chartreuse/black dot, yellow/red dot or white/red dot No. 2 TOR-P-DO lures, if you drive to Walker Lake, if you spincast in the morning hours, you too can have a ton of fun.

And if you do, here is a bit of "Don Q" advice: be sure to practice "Catch and Release" fishing.

Keep only what you plan to eat.

You sure as heck don't need to bring home a limit of fish every time you go to Walker Lake.

When you catch one of those cutthroat trout, enjoy the catch but then carefully turn it loose.

Please don't be a "Fish Hog" and kill every fish that you catch.

Turn them loose, unharmed.

It will make the fishing much more enjoyable for you and also for all of the other fishermen to follow you.

Finally, here is a winning formula that is easy to remember:

Walker Lake + late Winter/early Spring + nice weather + good friends + chest waders + sandy beach + TOR-P-DO lures + catch and release fishing = a unforgettable day of fun in the Great Outdoors.

Try it. You'll like it.

I guarantee it.

In fact, do it this weekend.

-- Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you the name of the other primary fish found in Walker Lake.

If he grins, reaches for the money and says, "The Tui Chub, which is the food source for the Lahontan cutthroat trout," he could be one of the regular fishermen found at that lake."