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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Bill Dyroff's Fishing Line Fishing Weather Report Submit Your Fish Story

Fishing Line



       CATCHES of the WEEK: Sunday at Stone Lake on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, Joe Unterberg of Albuquerque caught a 26-inch, 9-pound rainbow; he was fishing from the bank and using a brown Woolly Bugger with a casting bubble. Recently, on the San Juan River, Catherine Carpenter of Kirtland caught a 24-inch brown.
    ........ AROUND THE STATE .......
    NAVAJO LAKE: As of Wednesday. Action has picked up slightly for snagging kokanee salmon — but still not good. No other fishing reports.
    Doris Goode, park superintendent
    SAN JUAN RIVER: Flowing Wednesday morning at 487 cubic feet a second (was at 500 cfs last week). Clear to the bottom, crystal clear. Very good in the Quality Water for catch-and-release of 14- to 20-inch fish, mostly rainbows. Best reports include Chamois Leeches, egg patterns, Abe's Midge Masters and Fluff Baetis flies. Best dry fly has been the Cut Wing Baetis. Best in the Bait Water for 10- to 14-inch rainbows, some larger, plus 16- to 20-inch browns — with salmon eggs and Red Wigglers.
    David Israel at Abe's
    JICARILLA LAKES: As of Tuesday. Day temperatures have been reaching 60 degrees under sunny skies and mild winds — and this trend is expected to continue through the weekend. ENBOM LAKE, which had been the hot spot lately, has had a significant decline in catch rates and numbers over the past week — probably the result of our effort to fish-out the lake before winter hits. The current catch rate is hovering at around 1.5 fish per hour. We had several reports of fish hitting short on both flies and lures. But the best action has continued on small lures like Panther Martins and flies including damsel flies and Woolly Buggers (brown, olive and black). PowerBait is still working, but the fish seem to be hitting very short — you may want to reduce the size of the bait and hook to improve hook-ups. MUNDO LAKE is fishing fair for 11- to 12-inch rainbows. This is the last week for the docks at Mundo. Fishing at STONE LAKE has been fair at best — and the only reason it is considered fair is that there are some big fish getting caught on flies and lures. Catch rates have been miserable, and the successful angler either put in long hours or simply had good timing. It would be fair to say the average fishing day at Stone is two to three strikes in 5-plus hours. However, big fish hunters are encouraged to give it a shot. On Sunday a 26-inch rainbow was caught (see Catch-of-the-Week section above). Worth repeating — hard hours are needed to be successful at Stone. The best reports suggest some success with big olive Buggers with flash. A repeating theme this week in every report is fish the weed lines, especially from the east boat ramp north.
    Kevin Terry, fisheries biologist, Jicarilla Game and Fish
    HERON LAKE: As of Monday. The lake and Willow Creek remain closed to kokanee possession until Nov. 13 — while the N. M. Department of Game and Fish has its annual collection of kokanee spawn for the state hatchery. For the few fishermen out, bank fishing near the dam and near La Laja boat ramp has been good for 14-inch-average rainbows, some to 17 inches, on PowerBait and salmon eggs.
    Marilyn Morrison, Stone House Lodge
    RIO CHAMA below EL VADO: Flowing Monday at 150 cubic feet a second — same as last Monday and the river still has a murky green color. Fishing has been generally good for 16- to 18-inch brown trout. We had one reliable report of a 23-inch rainbow and a 20-inch rainbow caught on an orange, jointed Rapala downriver from our cabins.
    David Cooper, El Vado Guest Ranch
    ISLETA LAKES: As of Tuesday. The lakes were stocked quite heavily with two stocking events of rainbow trout last week. Another load of rainbows (2,500 fish) is planned to be stocked in the lakes tomorrow (Nov. 4, Wednesday). Anglers are leaving the lakes with full bag limits of rainbows. As water temperatures continue to decline, less and less channel cats are being taken; however, anglers continue to catch a few each day. Please observe winter hours — now 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Chris Martinez, Aquatic Consultants, for Isleta Lakes
    TINGLEY BEACH: As of Tuesday. Trout fishing at Central and Children's Ponds has been fair for rainbow trout. Best reports are from anglers using salmon eggs and worms. Look forward to the Red River Hatchery stocking these ponds with 1,500 rainbow trout, averaging 12 inches, by this weekend. Trophy trout fishing at the South/Catch-and-Release Pond is good. Best reports from anglers using white leeches and size 20 Scuds.
    Rebecca Houtman, Tingley Beach curator
    SHADY LAKES: The lakes are now closed for the 2009 season. We will reopen in February of 2010 — on weekends, and weather permitting.
    Jan Phillips, director of Shady Lakes
    SANDIA PUEBLO LAKES: As of Tuesday. Fly fishing at the "Catch-and-Release Pond" is excellent. Anglers continue to catch up to 15 fish per day. Angling at the Harvest Lakes is also excellent. Anglers continue to fill their bag limit of five fish with trout averaging 15 inches. Last Wednesday (Oct. 28), 500 12- to 18-inch rainbows were stocked in Lake #1 and 350 in Lake #2. See the lakes attendant for other information and rules/regulations regarding catch-and-release. NOTE — As part of our winter program, Sandia Lakes will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; and winter hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m..
    Michael Bridges, manager, Sandia Lakes Recreation Area
    SANTA CRUZ LAKE: As of Monday. Water level is below the boat ramp and the ramp is closed. Fishing has been fair for 12-inch-average rainbows from the bank. Best with PowerBait.
    Gerald Martinez, Bureau of Land Management at the lake
    NOTES from GAME & FISH: As of Tuesday, except where indicated otherwise. RIO GRANDE flow Monday morning at Taos Junction Bridge was 376 cfs (was 360 last week). Trout fishing was fair using Copper John Barrs, Woolly Buggers, San Juan Worms, salmon eggs and spinners. A few northern pike were taken on jerkbaits and spinners. Water flow of the CIMARRON RIVER below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 26 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using Beadhead Hare's Ears, spinners and salmon eggs. RED RIVER flow below the hatchery was 59 cfs (63 cfs last week). Trout fishing was fair using Woolly Buggers, San Juan Worms, worms and salmon eggs. Fishing at COCHITI LAKE was slow for all species. Fishing pressure was very light. Water flow on the JEMEZ RIVER as of Monday morning was 22 cfs (32 cfs last week) near Jemez Springs. Fishing on the Jemez was fair using salmon eggs, egg patterns and Parachute Adams for trout. Fair to good at UTE LAKE using slab spoons and blade baits at 35 to 40 feet for walleye and white bass. Slow to fair using slab spoons and cut bait for catfish. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth was slow to fair using crankbaits, drop shot worm rigs and jigs. Trout fishing was slow at FENTON LAKE. Fishing pressure was light. Slow to fair at QUEMADO LAKE using PowerBait, worms and spoons for trout. Slow to fair using jerkbaits, large streamers and spinners for tiger muskies. Fair at ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE using pearl-white and white crankbaits and slab spoons for white bass. Slow to fair using crankbaits and creature baits for largemouth bass. Fishing for catfish was slow to fair using live bait and cut bait. Fishing for striped bass was slow with a few caught on live bait, jigs and umbrella rigs. At BILL EVANS LAKE, trout fishing was fair using Woolly Buggers, salmon eggs and PowerBait. A few small bass were taken on worms, Woolly Buggers and poppers. Trout fishng was fair at GRINDSTONE RESERVOIR using PowerBait, salmon eggs, Pistol Petes and spinners. BLUEWATER LAKE is closed until Spring of 2010. The main area of the park is scheduled to open on March 1.
    Bill Dunn's Report for the Department of Game and Fish
    EAGLE NEST LAKE: As of Monday afternoon. Snagging has been good for 17-inch-average kokanee salmon — especially at the dam area and the south boat ramp area. A few 14-inch rainbows have been taken trolling a Panther Martin or a Platte River Special fly, either one baited with PowerBait. No reports on any kokanee caught by trolling. Good for 14-inch-average rainbows from the west bank and from boats off the west bank with PowerBait, salmon eggs or roe sacs — and good for perch with worms.
    Sue Finley, Mountain View Cabins
    SPRINGER AREA: As of Monday. The water level at SPRINGER LAKE has been raised, and the ramp is usable. No reports on any fishing. The season at MAXWELL and CHARETTE LAKES is closed until March.
    Jim Angel at Sky Chief in Springer
    MALOYA and LAKE ALICE: As of Monday. Fishing has been good at MALOYA for stocker-size rainbows, 9 to 12 inches — mostly on orange, green or pink PowerBait. Fishing action has been slower at LAKE ALICE than at Maloya — but still considered good for the same size fish and with the same baits.
    Leila Haver, park ranger
    SUMNER LAKE: As of Monday. Moderate fishing pressure — but fishing continues slow for all species. No water is being released.
    Derek Drew, park ranger