Best Opening Day since 1997 flood at Topaz Lake

BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): Tell everyone that we said "Happy New Years."

CAPLES LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that the ice fishing has been OK but there are not a lot of reports due to the windy conditions.

DAVE LAKE, CALIF: Iced over with a thin layer of ice too thin for ice fishing. Do not walk on the ice. The road has been plowed part way up the east side of the lake.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): There is ice on most of the reservoir. We have had varied reports as to the thickness of the ice, so please use caution. There is some open water to the left of the dam in the cove near Cottonwood Campground.

LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Missy at Burke's Market (Closed on Mondays) at Silver Springs (775-577-2750): We have some ice along the edges. The Reservoir is wide open, although the water level is low. We are hoping to see some people out here, but it is supposed to be windy and snowy later this week.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Valerie at Crosby's Lodge at (775) 476-0400 reported: Our biggest fish was a 12-pound, 2-ounce (31 inches long) Cutthroat that was caught by Aaron Brown of Reno from a boat at Hell's Kitchen. In addition, we checked in three 9-pounders, one 7-pounder, one 6-pounder and two 5-pounders.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Andy at the Gilly Sporting Goods Store in Sparks at 358-6113: Pyramid Lake is doing pretty fair at the south end, mostly for fly fishermen from shore at the Block House or at Popcorn. They are using white, Chartreuse or pink Woolly Bugger flies. There have been a couple of 9 ponders and lots of 8 pounders.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: George Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555 reported: The fishing has been pretty decent. There have been some nice fish caught in the last few days.

On Dec. 29, there was a 7-pounder caught from my boat (Pyramid Lake Charters) by Randy Evans of Reno, while trolling an Apex lure, a 7-pound, 2-ounce Cutt from shore and a 6-pound 5-ounce Cutt from a boat. On Dec. 30, a 6-pound, 15-ounce, a 6-pound, 13 ounces and a 6-pounder, all from boats. On Jan. 1, a 7-pound, 14 -ounce from shore, a 7-pound, 9-ounce from a boat by my friend Bill Storey, and a 9-pounder caught and released by a fly fisherman.

RED LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby reported that there is plenty of ice. On the 29th, young Max Fladby of Valencia, Calif, caught 2 nice brookies on nightcrawlers while his grandfather, from Gardnerville, caught 3.

RED LAKE, CALIF: Doug Busey of Douglas County reported 12 inches of ice and excellent fishing with lures.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Dave Jacobs/Hank Mautz (Professional Guide Service) (800-355-3113): Late fall salmon fishing was fair this past weekend with few salmon being reported after the last rains. Late fall salmon fishing remains open from the Deschutes Bridge downstream above the Red Bluff diversion dam. Back-bouncing sardine wrapped K-15 or K-16 Kwikfish lures in silver or gold color combos has been best bet. Back bouncing roe tipped with a Quickie puffball has also produced late fall salmon 12-20 pounds. Traditionally the biggest salmon of the year are caught during the late fall season with some salmon already weighed in over 50 pounds in December. Anglers have just a couple of weeks left for a shot at a true trophy. Fishing is closed to salmon fishing from the Red Bluff Diversion dam downstream and will re-open for salmon in mid July, 2007.

SMITH RIVER, CALIF: Hank Mautz of Professional Guide Services (800) 355-3113: Steelhead fishing started to wind up over the New Year's weekend and looks like weather conditions will be favorable all week with some light rain expected on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Fishing for Steelhead 8-12 pounds was good from both a drift boat or the bank with Steelhead spread out throughout the entire system. Best bets have been side drifting roe with a Quickie puffball from both the boats and the bank. A few big fish of over 20 pounds were weighed in this past weekend. Steelhead fishing will continue through March with January and February being productive months.

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:

Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): Fishing has been good to excellent dependent on the day. We have been trolling at 150-340 feet with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows. I've been fishing at Cal-Neva Point, Dollar Point and Sugar Pine Point. I've been locating the fish and then trolling in "figure eights." We've been catching 2-10 fish per trip.

LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: I've been trolling at Ski Run Shelf. We have been trolling at 180-340 feet with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and live minnows. The jiggers are jigging in water 160-240 feet deep, with White Star jigs or Squid jigs (tipped with a live minnow) at both Ski Run Mound and Camp Richardson Shelf.

LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: Toplining has been good for mostly Macks, some rainbows and 2 browns in 15-60 feet of water at Sand Harbor, Deadman's Point, Logan Shoals, Cave Rock, and Elk Point. We are using silver/black or rainbow Rapala lures. The Countdown lures have been working the best. Shore fishing at Cave Rock is slow to good.

TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775) 266-3550 reported: It was our best Opener since the flood of 1997. We checked in one fish over 7 pounds, one fish at 6 pounds, two that were over 5 pounds and four at 4 pounds. Many, many fish over 2.5 pounds.

Most of the big fish were caught by boats trolling at the north end. They were trolling with Chartreuse or orange or Fire Tiger Rapala or Needlefish lures. Some smaller fish were caught while trolling with Silver flasher blades and worms.

The shore fishermen were catching fish with Chartreuse or orange Power Bait.

The guy who won $880 on Opening Day is back out here, today (Tuesday), and he is still trolling backwards.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: Our weather is beautiful. There is no wind, it is sunny and it is 40 degrees (Monday afternoon). We have 14 inches of ice on the reservoir.

The rainbows are running 16-20 inches. The trout are down shallow (6 feet) and the perch are down about 15-20 feet.

Fish with small, white-colored, lead-head jigs with a plastic tail, together with a tiny piece of worm, mealworm or cocktail shrimp 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.

There are about 30 fishermen out on the ice, right now. Tell everyone Happy New Year from all of us.