Fish Sniffer Magazine Volume 44 Issue 02 | Page 19

FRESHWATER REPORTS :

CONTINUED FROM PG 16

LAKE SHASTA

downriggers . Rainbow trout are stealing the show this month , with reports suggesting some of the best fishing in quite a while for both size and quantity . Trollers are finding success at depths of 10-20 feet , particularly near the McCloud River Arm and Pit River confluence . Quality fish in the 3 + pound range are common . The key as usual is to find the shad . Proven setups include trolling spoons like Hot Ticket , Optimizer Jr ’ s and Speedy Shiners paired with dodgers or flashers at speeds of 2.2-2.5 mph . Don ’ t ignore spoons with bright colors like orange and pink colors . Bumping up the speed to 2.6-2.7 or even higher can coax a big trout into attacking your lure ! Shore anglers near Jones Valley and the Sacramento River Arm are also scoring with spinners , spoons , or Power Bait tipped with salmon eggs .

For those chasing big browns , late winter is prime time on Lake Shasta . The main body from the bridge to as far as Toupee island remains a hotspot , with fish staging near creek mouths and rocky points . Browns are holding closer to the surface this time of year — often in the top 15 feet — but some big fish are being tempted from deeper waters ( 60 + feet ) using downriggers . Effective presentations include larger spoons like Trinidad Tackle Optimizers or Brad ’ s Super Baits stuffed with tuna . Rapalas in green and also orange colors have produced well lately . J-11 size jointed Rapalas are a good choice when run near the surface and over points . The bite picks up in early mornings , and anglers report healthy browns averaging as much as 3-4 pounds . Patience and persistence are key , as these wary fish demand precise depth control and natural baitfish imitations . Landlocked King salmon fishing is also showing signs of life , though it ’ s not as explosive as the trout bite right now . Anglers are picking up occasional Kings scattered across the lake , often mixed in with trout catches . The best action is coming from deeper waters — 80-100 feet — near the dam and main lake body . Trolling dodger / flasher setups with Brad ’ s cut plug combos or large plug-cut baits mimicking shad has produced fish , particularly at first light . While the bite is slower than peak summer months ( June- September ), the Kings that can be caught are impressive , ranging to 3 pounds or more . Downriggers or Chinook Divers are essential to reach these depths , and anglers willing to put in the time can be rewarded .

Tips and Techniques - Trout : Focus on shallow trolling ( 5-30 feet ) with side planers or divers in the winter , transitioning to deeper thermocline depths ( 60 +) as spring warms the surface . Spoons , spinners , and Rapalas patterns are top producers . - Salmon : Target deeper zones ( 80 + feet ) with downriggers . Early mornings are critical , and shad-imitating lures

Patty Poling of the Redding area shows off a typical Shasta Lake rainbow caught trolling an orange / copper Speedy Shiner at 15 feet deep and 2.8 mph .

Photo courtesy of Ron Hower , Lake Shasta or fresh bait like shad or anchovies behind flashers work best . - Gear : A fish finder with temperature readings is invaluable for locating the thermocline and bait schools . Trolling speeds of 2.2-2.5 mph keep lures in the strike zone . - Regulations : Check CDFW rules for bag and size limits — typically 5 trout ( rainbow / brown combined ) and 2 Kings per angler — to ensure compliance and sustain the fishery .

- Ron Hower , Shasta Lake Fisherman .

LAKE TAHOE

Best fishing at Tahoe is in the afternoon in the winter !

Kim at Tahoe Sportfishing said the fishing has been solid this winter , but the last few weeks the weather has been so tough that the boats haven ’ t been able to get out much . The best fishing time is

in the afternoon when the sun has been on the water for a few hours and the mackinaw come up a little shallower . That is true unless the wind , rain and snow strikes again as it has frequently this February . She said the have been averaging 4 to 12 fish per trip , with most being between 3 and 6 pounds . Two folks went out on Wednesday and they landed a total of 9 mackinaw . They are primarily fishing minnows at depths between 100 and 200 feet . When you can get out the lake on a nice day , it is like fishing in the middle of a gorgeous postcard !

TRINITY RIVER

The Water is High , but the Steelhead are biting !

Alex Cross and The Trinity Guide are fishing the upper area of the Trinity River near the Steel Bridge . The flows are very high , but the clarity is good and the steelhead

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are willing . He and his clients are landing between 1 to 5 fish per day , averaging 3 to 7 pounds . They are flyfishing with nymphs , rubber legs and various beads . The fishing is good right now , but he expects it to just get better as the river drops into better shape and warms up a bit .

- The Trinity Guide

TRUCKEE / LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVERS

Stonefly Hatches Should Begin Soon

TRUCKEE - Since last week ’ s storm pushed through , we have seen the flows on the Truckee River stabilize , sitting at just under 300 at Glenshire Bridge and at a bit over 500 at the Farad gauge . These are ideal flows for this time of year , and this coupled with a week of weather in the upper 50 ’ s should really switch on the bite . The rain brought with it a bit of tint to the water , hopefully making the fish a bit less on edge and willing to take some larger offerings . The weeks leading up to these storms , we were putting a strong emphasis on “ Little Black Stuff ” down to a size 20 or 22 . This should have changed since this storm , but if in doubt , the smaller flies are always worth a try . As we approach the month of March , we should begin to see the first big hatch of the year start up : The Skwala Stonefly . We have already heard reports of this bug hatching on some of the lower elevation rivers in the area , which means that the Truckee is not far off . These size 8-10 stoneflies are a double cheeseburger to a trout that ’ s been eating salad most of the winter . Skwalas are not only great options to fish under an indicator but can also provide some excellent topwater fishing if conditions align . We have been fishing these nymphs with moderate success over the last few weeks , but as soon as we begin to see the first few adults begin to hatch , they should be a top choice for anyone fishing the river through the spring . Other bugs of note this week would be crayfish , little black winter stones , BWO ’ s and midges . Fly patterns imitating any of these aquatic insects will all be options for those heading out here in the coming weeks . As of today , the Little Truckee River remains closed out due to snow on the road . While this may change with the warm days ahead , there will still likely be patches of snow and ice on the road and we don ’ t recommend passenger vehicles attempt to make it out here and instead focus on fishing the main river , which is in great shape . We also feel it ’ s important to note the significance of giving this highly pressured fishery a break right now to give the fish and riparian habitat some time to recover before a long summer ahead .

- Miles Zimmerman , Trout Creek

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