VOL . 42 • ISS . 9 |
FRESHWATER |
June 23 , 2023 |
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FRESHWATER REPORTS :
CONTINUED FROM PG 18
spoon jigs both shallow and deep for Lake trout . On one of our latest trips we were trolling deep with a needlefish and we boated a beautiful 12 pound mackinaw which was released . The fish are stacked up and sometimes we have a hard time keeping two rods in the water . The average size fish is 1-7lbs . Expect traffic on the lake to increase as we get closer to the 4th of July and with kids getting out of school . The Lake is full and the current is strong so please practice safety awareness if you jump off your boat and go for a swim .
– Chris Ditter , Sierra Fin Addicts
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TRUCKEE RIVER
Fly Fishers Target Browns and Rainbows
TRUCKEE – The downward trajectory seen on the USGS flow charts is great to see after this extended runoff season this year . However , expect higher than average flows all the way through fall this year , due to the possibility of large releases out of the several lakes that feed the river . Larger than average release will be a good thing for our fisheries . Water flowing in from lakes and reservoirs will provide cold water for the fish and the insects they prey upon . This should make for a great dry fly season later in the summer and through the fall , which is an exciting proposition for a river otherwise known for its nymphing . Pale Morning Duns ; Pale Evening Duns ; Green Drakes ; Green Sedges ;
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Grasshoppers ; and Ants are just a few of the major topwater players on the menu over the next few months , and unlike previous years of hoot owl closures , we expect to have the entire day to fish the river , with some of the best dry fly fishing often happening during the last few hours of light . As for the current conditions , the dropping flows have moved the fish around a bit and we are starting to find fish in some medium speed water , especially along the upper sections of river found upstream of the Boca confluence . When fishing this area , we have started to downsize our bugs a bit and have been finding increased success on size 16 PMD ’ s , size 14-16 Caddis Pupa , or size 8 Green Drake nymphs fished on 4x tippet , but that doesn ’ t mean they aren ’ t ’ still taking the typical runoff bugs when paired with a good presentation . |
Down in the canyon , from the Boca confluence to the Nevada state line , the flows have dropped to fishable levels with Farad sitting at +/ - 2,500 CFS as of today . With the lack of angling pressure , the fish down low have seen over the last few months , this can provide a great opportunity to find some of those Truckee River trophies that haven ’ t seen a fly for a long time . If fishing down the hill , we recommend sticking with the larger attractor nymphs such as worms , eggs , stoneflies and crawdads . You can leave the 5x at home . Using 1x-3x will be your best bet at landing any bruisers you may find in this high water .
-Miles Zimmerman , Trout Creek
Outfitters
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WHAT ’ S HOT continued from page 2
Casey ( left ) and Brody Code show off some chunky kokanee at the Kokanee Power New Melones derby weigh-in station in Copperopolis on June 3 . Their fish were caught trolling from Rose Island south using mostly Apexes and Paulina Peak Flutter Bugs at 1.3 to 1.5 miles-per-hour . The weight of their three biggest fish propelled the team into eleventh place in the event .
Photo provided by Kokanee Power
Richard Contreras ( right ) pilots the Brian Thomas Team ’ s custom-wrapped boat across the tranquil surface of New Melones Lake on June 3 . Their team came in second place at the Kokanee Power event with a monstrous 7.37 pound three-fish bag .
Photo provided by Kokanee Power to get out there land some tasty landlocked sockeyes . Be sure to visit www . KokaneePower . org to view upcoming derbies and events . grabbed the net and lunged to the back of the boat while Jim piloted us forward . The fish made several runs before I could get a good look at it . I was hoping it was a big kokanee … but no … it was a trout ! We were all disappointed that it wasn ’ t a nineteen-inch kokanee , but it was a nice trout that we hoped would put us into contention for the big trout side pot . Only a few minutes later in the glimmer of early daylight , Jim was able to boat a nice kokanee over seventeen inches in length ! The morning bite shut off around 9:30 am , so we made our way north with one big kokanee and three smaller fish in the box . Knowing we needed at least three kokanee over seventeen inches to be in contention , we started working a peninsula and hooked fish right away . For whatever reason , I couldn ’ t keep them buttoned to my hooks . I must have lost at least seven fish after getting my rod out of the downrigger clip . Despite my inability to land fish , we put two more quality seventeen and eighteen-inch kokanee into the net , putting us into good standings back at the weigh-in table . As the teams lined up , it was evident that one of the guys a few places behind me in line had a great day on the water . James Franco of Epic Fishing Vibes had a bag of what looked to be massive kokanee . In this case , looks were not deceiving . James and his team posted a colossal three-fish total of 7.64 pounds , pushing them to the top spot in the team event . I contacted James to ask about his day . He said that the bite really turned on after noon in the Bear Creek arm . His team was able to boat seven fish over 17.5 inches on the day ! Any lures with pink or purple worked great , and the Apex lure caught many of the fish trolling at about 1.3 miles-per-hour . In addition to winning the main event , they also landed the big kokanee for the day at a whopping 2.87 pounds ! There was another huge turnout for this Kokanee Power event , which included 165 anglers on 70 teams . Kevin Smith of Kokanee Power indicated that this year ’ s derby featured the largest kokanee ever weighed in at New Melones . There were twenty-four fish over seventeen inches in length , including seven fish over eighteen inches ! With New Melones turning out massive kokanee this early in the season , there are bound to be fish over twenty inches landed later this summer . I for one am chomping at the bit to get out this August when the big hook-jawed males school up down deep . Whether it be New Melones , or any of our other Northern California kokanee lakes , now is prime time
Adult Leaderboard - 3 Kokanee total ( pounds ) James Franco , Jim Franco , & Denise Franco 7.64 Brian Thomas , Richard Contreras , & Chris Miller 7.37 Jack Schultz , Joe Aksamit 6.71 Jim Brittain , Jack Naves , & Kyle Cobb 6.38 Rich Crispi , Bob Hamilton , & Chad Terrell 6.13 Joe Smith , Danielle Limme 6.10 Jay Winchester , Harold Garabaldi 5.92 Dan Cowan , Chuck Holman , Jerry Knight , & Will Moore 5.66 Kyle Wise , Mike Tripp , & Ty Harris 5.51 Kirk Emge , Jerilyn Emge , & Tom Oliveira 5.47 Casey Code , Brody Code 5.36 Justin Ross , Mike Polcar 5.35 Sean Flanagan , Patrick Flanagan 5.35 Mike Giovacchini , John Zeman 5.24 Tim Hill , Warren Frederickson 5.14 Big Kokanee Side Pot - 1 Kokanee ( pounds ) James Franco , Jim Franco , & Denise Franco 2.87 Brian Funkhouser & Eric Lengyel 2.73
Big Trout Side Pot – 1 Trout ( pounds ) Matt Gil , Bethany Gil , Mike Gil , & Petti Gil 5.13 Tyrone Beard , Steve Anderson , & Kevin Enos 2.24
Junior Leaderboard - 1 Kokanee ( pounds ) Daniel Clark 2.29 Alex Thomas 2.24 Aubrey McLennan 1.67 Mason Cetinich 1.49 Emma Vengley 1.43