50-60 fish per angler at East Carson River

BISHOP, CALIF. AREA:

Sabrina Lake: Rick and Patti Apted of the Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425): It's all about the colors and once again, it's a good thing the colors are so outstanding around the lake, cuz the catching is still on the slow side - so while you're not catching - the sights are breathtaking.

Catching is still hit and miss, but it's pretty much the same things working.

Fishing the inlets with nightcrawlers, Power Bait or Salmon eggs removed a few limits from the lake along with trolling lead core line using flashers and nightcrawlers alone or Woolly Buggers. Those catching off the shore were using Power Bait and nightcrawlers or catching the grasshoppers hopping all over the place. You may want to try grasshopper mini-jigs. The best is still drift fishing using nightcrawlers or Power Bait. Don Roberts of Valley Center nailed a 4-pound rainbow on a jig.

Temperatures dipped a bit from the beginning of the week to the end. We were in the high 40s low 50s Sunday with the evening low at 35 degrees. The following campgrounds have closed for the season: Four Jeffrey Pines, Willow and Mountain Glen on the South Lake side. Camp Sabrina and North Lake on the Sabrina side. The remainder are expected to stay open until October 30 with Bitterbrush Campground (the first campground you hit coming up the hill - the new one) staying open all year round with NO potable water during the winter.

BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): We had snow above 9,000'. The road is open and the fishing is fair. It's cold camping up there, as you can not have a campfire now.

CARSON RIVERS, CALIF:

East Carson River: Todd Sodaro and Chad Machado of the Carson River Resort (877-694-2229): The state planted about 2 weeks ago, and the county planted 500 pounds last Friday (half of the fish were regular-sized planters and the other half were big ones, up to 10 pounds in size). The water has been picture perfect (it came up about 4 inches over the weekend but is not murky). The fly fishermen are "destroying" the fish (catching and releasing) with 50-60 fish per fisherman being caught on Prince Nymphs and Woolly Buggers. They are catching as many fish as they want. One angler had a 7-pounder straighten out his hook on a Prince Nymph.

West Carson River: Dave Kirby reported: The water is low and clear. It was planted last Friday with the last plant of the year by the county. Lots of fish but not very many fishermen. The fall colors are in full swing.

EAGLE LAKE, CALIF: Steve and Mark Hamilton of Carson City reported: We returned from a 5 day fishing trip to Eagle Lake. We caught fewer fish than same time last year, but the average size of the fish was bigger. Three of us fished at a time mornings and evenings. The best fishing was from sunrise to 10 AM and 4:30 PM to sunset. We caught 30 fish total, most in the 2 1/2 lb range. A half dozen were over 3 lbs, several in the 4 lb range and one whopper that went 5 lbs caught by my oldest daughter. We used a variety of trolling methods and baits. The locals told us that red dogs and silver shiners were working, but we had our best luck while slow trolling a threaded worm behind Sep's mini flashers. We cooked and ate fish at the cabin and brought a bunch home for the smoker.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Wiggin's Trading Post at Chilcoot, Calif. (530-993-4683): Bank fishing remains good at the dam and at Lunker Point. Nightcrawlers are working best, just floating them a little off the bottom. Trolling remains good through the Narrows with nightcrawlers and flashers.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Valerie at Crosby's Lodge at (775) 476-0400: Some of the new changes are a 3-day fishing license ($24), a 10-day license ($49). The one day is still $9 and the annual is still $74. There is a new youth license with four categories (Daily: $5, 3-days: $12, 10-days: $29 and annual: $49.

The size limit has changed to two 17-20 inch keepers or one 17-20 incher and one over 24 inch keeper.

We had two 7-pounders (one caught at Hell's Kitchen), two 6-pounders (one at Hell's Kitchen and one at Warrior Point) and a 4-pounder, all caught from boats with green, yellow or silver spoons or Flatfish lures.

Most of the fishing action has been on the northwest end. Lots of boats but not a lot of fly fishermen yet.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: George and Carla Molino of the Pyramid Lake Store at (775) 476-0555: The Opening morning was not bad but that afternoon was slow. Guys from shore were catching fish at places like Wino Beach and Block House. The boats covered lots of ground and some boats did very well.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Chris and Jeri Grellman of Hog Charters in Sparks at 358-5199 (home) or Chris at 221-4014 (cell): We had 11 fish on opening day, over by Hell's Kitchen, and our biggest was 23 inches. Fishing is slow and the water is dirty looking, especially up by Warrior Point.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV: Jim Hartfiel of Just Rite Fishing at Pyramid Lake at (775) 575-7850 (home) or (775) 813-3411 (Cell): Fishing was slow on opening day: George (Pyramid Lake Charters) had 11 fish for a double booking, Chris (Hog Charters) had 11 fish for 12 hours and I had 5 fish for 5 hours. The lake is turning over and the water is green and ugly with a surface temp of 68 degrees. The fish are in deep water.

RED LAKE, CALIF: Dave Kirby: The fishing is OK, even though the water is still murky. One angler limited out on Saturday on brookies with small Daredevil lures.

SACRAMENTO RIVER, CALIF: Dave Jacobs (Professional Guide Service) (800-355-3113):

Rainbow Trout: Fishing for wild rainbow trout on the lower Sacramento or Sac River from Redding downstream below Anderson has started to improve this week with a better trout bite and a few Fall Steelhead mixed in as reported by trout guides on conventional spin gear. River releases are dropping now as they do every year at this time. Trout guides are reporting better fishing for wild rainbow trout 1-3 pounds with the occasional big trout of 4 plus pounds from Redding downstream near Red Bluff. Both hatchery and wild Steelhead have been hooked from Redding down river below Red Bluff. Most rainbow trout have been over 16 inches with some in the twenty plus inch class. Twenty plus rainbow trout hook-ups a day are a real possibility this time of year while trout fishing with a few larger adult Steelhead mixed in per day as reported by trout guides. Fall salmon are moving upstream and trout fishing will only improve through October and November. Trout fishing has been best side drifting small Glo Bugs in various egg color combos and/or live cricket or crawler's with a Quickie Puffball have worked well for. Trout fishing has also been good by back trolling small Hot Shots 50's or small K-4/K-5 Kwikfish in various color combos.

Salmon Season Update:

All Central Valley rivers are now closed to salmon fishing to protect the Sacramento River Fall Chinook Salmon. The Salmon season will re-open on November 1st and remain open until December 31st, 2008. Angler's will be allowed one salmon per person and Salmon fishing will be allowed from the Red Bluff Diversion Dam downstream to Knight's Landing. Very large Fall Salmon have been seen this year and very large Salmon could be returning for the late Fall fishing season as reported by Sacramento river salmon guides.

LAKE TAHOE - North Shore: Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): Best Mackinaw fishing in years. We are getting limits in 1-2 hours. The Macks are averaging 4-6 pounds, with the biggest going up to 16 pounds. Every trip there is a 7-8 pounder or bigger. I have been trolling 80-220 feet deep. We locate the fish on the fish finder and then troll Dodgers and a live minnow in a "Figure Eight" pattern. I've been trolling at Dollar Point and Cal/Neva Point, Dollar Point and Sugar Pine Point.

UPPER TWIN LAKE, CALIF: Annett's Mono Village (760-932-7071): A 5-pound, 5-ounce brown on yellow Power Bait, a 4.5 pound rainbow on a nightcrawler and a 3-pound, 11-ounce rainbow on a worm. We are emptying our private pond stock into the lake weekly. Kokanee salmon still spawning and the browns are on the move.

VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF: Carolyn Webb of the Virginia Lakes Resort: Weatherwise the week was great for fishing until Friday, when the first dusting of snow hit the Sierra Crest with about 6 inches, and another 9 is expected tonight. It's snowing right now and the sun is shining so it is not sticking to the ground. Trout love this kind of weather, and they don't mind the wind. It's breezy but not enough to stop the watercraft or shore anglers.

Big Fish: John McIntosh of Gardnerville caught a nice 5 lb and a 3 lb Alpers on a silver prism Kastmaster, Greg Tait of San Juan Capistrano caught 2 Alpers, a 2 lb 3 oz and a 6 lb 1 oz on a Hot Shot, and his Dad, Dave, of Mar Vista caught a 2 lb 2 oz Alpers on a red/gold Thomas Buoyant.

Worms, salmon eggs and marshmallows have been doing well along with pink power worms, grubs, meal worms and crickets.

Lures doing great are Hot Shots, Kastmasters, and Buoyant.

Flies bringing up fish are olive, dark rust, brown, and black Woolly Buggers, light gray Sowbug, for fly rodders.

Bubble anglers are doing well on Gray Hackle Peacock, Black Gnat red tail, Adams female, partridge and orange and partridge and yellow.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: Fishing has picked up this week. Several people have come in with limits in the 2-5 pound category. Remember the river below the dam is the hot spot with limits of 1.5-2.5 pounders coming in an hour.