A 12 and 13 pound Cutt caught at Pyramid Lake

By Don Quilici

• BLUE LAKES, CALIF. AREA: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930) said, "it is brutally cold, up here (Woodfords General Store).

I had -1 degree at my house this morning (Monday).

It rained on Friday and then turned to snow, and we had one heck of a great snowfall.

I had 9 inches right here at the store and then when I got home that night, I had 15 inches on the table in my backyard.

Surprisingly, the higher elevations has less snow than us.

Up at Sorensen's, they only had about 6 inches.

This storm was definitely an "east side" storm.

All of the higher elevation lakes should be iced-over with this terrible cold, but I would advise everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.

I had no reports of any fishermen anywhere this last weekend because of the weather."

• CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby said all of the higher elevation lakes should be iced-over with this terrible cold, but he would advise everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.

Doug Busey of Douglas County reported that the lake was about 2/3 frozen, with some open water showing in the Wood's Creek area.

he said that if you do try to walk in there, use extreme caution due to the heavy snow and large boulders in that area.

• DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Lots of Christmas tree cutters on Friday and not very many fishermen.

A heavy snowfall on Friday night which seriously restricted travel in that entire area.

• LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy Swain at Burke's Market at Silver Springs (775-577-2750) reported: "Last Friday night, we went to Fallon to see the movie "The Polar Express, and I was wishing some of that North Pole snow would come down to us.

Boy Oh Boy, did it ever. Sometimes you get what you wish for.

It started snowing during the night and snowed until 11 a.m.

We still have 6 inches of snow on the ground. We have not had snow like this in the last 7 years.

It got down to -2 degrees last night (Monday) and if anyone is out there camping or fishing, they have to be from the North Pole."

• PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Doug Ouellette of the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks (358-6113) reported: Pyramid is the "go to" place in the winter when it gets cold and everything ices up.

They trollers are using Lyman, Apex, Flatfish and Kwikfish lures.

They are trolling about 50 feet deep at Pelican Point, Spider Point and Warrior Point.

The jiggers are jigging at those same locations and they are using Gibb's minnows.

The fly fishermen are using black or purple Woolly Bugger, Woolly Worm or Pyramid Popcorn Beetle flies.

The fly fishermen at "The Nets" are catching about 6 fish per hour.

Quite a few 24 inchers being caught there, with a report of a 13 pounder and a 12 pounder being caught last week.

• RED LAKE CALIF: Dave Kirby said that all of the higher elevation lakes should be iced-over with this terrible cold, but he would advise everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.

• SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Kirk Portocarrero of Outdoor Adventures Sport Fishing, Redding, Calif. (800-670-4448) said:

Redding to Anderson: Water flow is 4,300 CFS.

Fly fishing for rainbow trout is on hold for now as winter weather approaches. Picking up a few fish spincasting. Practicing catch and release.

Red Bluff: Fishing for Kings is now, up and down. Still catching a few nice King Salmon, 8-12 pounds. An occasional 30-40 pound Salmon.

Limits some days.

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

Watch for December to produce even larger Kings.

Any rain will be welcomed and bring more fish into the area.

King salmon season will remain open until January 14, 2005.

• SILVER LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby said all of the higher elevation lakes should be iced-over with this terrible cold, but he would advise everyone to stay off the ice until it reaches a safe thickness.

• LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Mickey Daniels of Mickey's Big Mack Charters (800-877-1462) said: "We've been catching our Mackinaw trout early in the morning and I've been tagging and releasing the smaller ones.

I troll 250-550 feet deep in the deep-water area in front of Carnelian Bay and King's Beach.

We are using 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) said: "The weather has been on the cold side (-6 degrees on Sunday night).

The fishing is a little slow at Cal Neva Point and Dollar Point.

The best trolling is at 120-250 feet with a short leader, silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.

The larger Mackinaw are down deeper at a depth of 200-300 feet.

• LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis reported that the best fishing is currently by toplining at the Ski Run Shelf.

He is trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.

His clients are catching German browns, up to 6 pounds, and Mackinaw, up to 9 pounds.

• LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis reported the Mackinaw trout are small to medium-sized in this area, with nothing big being caught.

Troll at a depth of 180-220 with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows.

Some small rainbows and an occasional small Mack are being caught by shore fishermen from the Cave Rock boat landing.

St. Denis reminds boaters that the Cave Rock boat ramp is now very icy.

You should have four-wheel drive or tires with chains to launch your boat due to those icy conditions.

• WILDHORSE RESERVOIR NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472 said, "It's Bikini weather, up here. It got down to -15 degrees here at the resort and -20 degrees, down at the reservoir.

The reservoir froze over last night (Monday), and as cold as this weather is, you might be able to get out onto the ice, this coming weekend.

We have about 4 inches on snow on the ground, with another 4 inches that melted off.

Saturday a guy from Elko and his wife really hammered the fish. They caught 10 rainbows that weighed a total of 25 pounds, after being cleaned.

They were fishing from shore with worms about three feet below a bobber."