Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3811 May 10-24 2019 | Page 26

24 May 10 - 24, 2019 MAP FEATURE VOL.38 • ISS. 11 Collins Lake is full to the brim and spring rainbow trout, black bass, crappie and redear fishing is in full swing. Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. Ryan Thomchik Wins NTAC Event with 8.07 Rainbow at Collins Lake T he NorCal Trout Anglers Challenge Tour returned to Collins Lake on April 13 – and as usual, the parade of big fish at the weigh in didn’t disappoint the 250 anglers participating in the event. “What a way to go into the summer period,” said Vince Harris, president of Angler’s Press Outdoors the NTAC’s hosting organization. “We saw a total field of 250 on a beautiful day, with a ton of beautiful rainbow trout caught.” “Anglers are looking forward to the break, but will be anxious to get back at it for the final event of the season in mid-October at Lake Pardee,” he added. Although anglers landed fish while tossing out PowerBait, nightcrawlers and other bait off the bank, boaters caught the most trout while trolling with nightcrawlers, Kastmasters, grubs and other offerings at the Sierra Nevada foothill reservoir located just over an hour northeast of Sacramento between Marysville and Grass Valley, Ryan Thomchik won first place in the adult division of the event by catching an 8.07 lb. rainbow trout. He landed the fish while trolling a nightcrawler near the surface. Dave Soucy placed second with his 6.93 lb. rainbow. The long time Collins Lake angler was trolling a Kastmaster near the surface in the lake’s southeast corner when he hooked the giant. Soucy and his brother Jeremy Edson landed a total of five trout during the day. Kim Sidvers placed third in the event with 6.7 lb. fish hooked on a plastic grub at 11 feet deep. The fourth through tenth place winners were (4) Steve Leal, 6.24; (5) Larry Yerion, 5.77; (6) Thor Olson 5.6; (7) Tom Morgan, 5.16; (8) James Townley, 3.86; (9) Larry Valder- rama, 3.69; and (10) Mic Dina, 2.34. Eighteen anglers weighed fish in the youth division. Derek Carlson won first place in the youth division with a scrappy 2.95 lb. rainbow trout. Moises Blanco finished second with a 2.4 lb. trout, while Eva Edson finished third in the youth division with a 2.11 lb. rainbow. The fourth through tenth place winners were (4) Lee The adult division winners of the NTAC event at Collins Lake on April 13 Haskins, pose with their checks along with along with Sheldon Bright of the Fish Sniffer and Vince Harris of Angler’s Press. 2.09; (5) Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. Jeremy Phillips, tipped. 2.06; (6) Jacob Carr, 1.94; (7) Natalia Sponsors of the event included Gone Smith, 1.64; (8) Maci Haskins, 1.55; Fishin’ Marine of Dixon, Lasher Elk (9) Wesley Conn, 1.55; and (10) Gus Grove Ram, the Fish Sniffer, Thomas Grimmett, 1.4. Lures, Silver Horde, Yo-Zuri, Mack’s “Although the competition only Lure/Shasta Tackle, Hot Spot/Apex, weighed in trout, I saw a few large Rapala, Luhr Jensen, Dick Nite Spoons, crappie as well, all caught trolling trout Yakima Bait, Berkley, Pro-Cure Bait rigs less than 30 feet deep,” commented Scents and Fisherman’s Warehouse. Ed Palma of the Collins Lake Resort in Daiwa is sponsoring the 2019 NTAC his report on the event. “Ed Elefante Daiwa Angler of the Year Award. caught a crappie from his kayak on a For more information about Angler’s crankbait.” Press, call Vince Harris, Angler’s Press, “If you have a kayak or canoe, (916)768-0938. now through mid-May and again in The lake was full at press time, September & October are the perfect spilling 1 inch over the spillway. The times to launch,” added Palma. “For surface temperature was 59°F and the one thing- it’s beautiful and most days water clarity was mostly clear. are calm and for another fishing the top Located on Dry Creek, a tributary of waters is productive all around.” the Yuba River, Collins is a 1600-acre “Crappie moving up from the winter lake and recreation area featuring 12 deep are a harbinger of the lake’s shift to miles of shoreline. spring ecology. It’s not just a warming More than 50,000 rainbow trout are temperature, in spring the combination planted in Collins every spring and of recent inflows and more daylight with fall, meaning that Collins Lake has the deeper light penetration mean dissolved largest private planting program north oxygen in the top 30ft are at peak,” he of Sacramento. Thousands of these trout are trophy- sized, planted at 3 to 8 Ryan Thomchik won first place in the adult division of the pounds and growing even larger. Collins NTAC event by catching an 8.07 lb. rainbow trout The resort, in cooperation with the while trolling a nightcrawler near the surface. Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.