SOUTHERN OREGON ROUNDUP cont.

plunking and for fishing by drift boat.

The steelhead rivers in the Coos Basin are running high and muddy with the recent rain. The West Fork Millicoma River will become fishable first followed by the East Fork Millicoma and South Fork Coos rivers. Several steelhead swam into the fish hatchery on the West Fork Millicoma River this weekend. Steelhead anglers are having success fishing eggs or yarn balls along the bottom or by fishing a jig suspended below a bobber.

TAHOE

Anglers Dodge Weather for Macks

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE- Most anglers that hit Lake Tahoe are nailing mackinaw, of all different sizes. Some are average size keepers in the 3 to 4 pound range, while double digit monsters show too.

For a limit of keepers trolling deep water with either dodgers and minnows or Gulp! Minnows is the way to go. This approach can result in a larger fish, but most of the fish being caught deep are 6 pounds or less.

For a shot at a big mack, but less action overall, pulling plugs from the surface to 50 feet deep is a good approach. For slow trolling Flatfish work well, while Rapalas, Yo-Zuris and other minnow plugs producing at faster speeds.

“ I hit Tahoe between storms and did pretty well while top lining Rapalas. I trolling the Cave Rock area for a total of 6 hours and landed mackinaw that weight 7.4, 9 and 11.57 pounds. I let all the fish go,” disclosed Ray Jennings of Carson City, Nv.

Mickey Daniels of Mickey’ s Big Mack Charters has been enjoying solid action at the north end of the lake. Mickey’ s clients have been hooking mackinaw up to 6 pounds. Some fish are being kept for the table while the others are tagged and released.

Mickey hooks his fish on a variety of offerings including Shasta Tackle Kok-A- Nuts teamed with Sling Blade Dodgers.

TRINITY LAKE / RIVER

Trinity Lake Kicks Out Rainbows

WEAVERVILLE – Trinity Lake has been productive for planter-size rainbows near the dam on recent trips, but it’ s la late starter because of the fishing down on Shasta and Whiskeytown is so good early on in the year, reported Jeff Goodwin, fishing guide.

“ With an increased limit of salmon on Trinity Lake( 10) per person, Trinity will surely gain more popularity this season with anglers who are on a meat run,” he said.“ I’ ll also be fishing Lewiston Lake this summer, but with very low flows right now, fishing will be slow until the spring releases begin.”

“ The same goes for Keswick Reservoir, which like Lewiston, fishes best when there is current on those bodies of water,” stated Goodwin.

Trinity Lake is holding 2,447,650 acrefeet of water, 74 percent of capacity and 97 percent of average.

Few anglers have been fishing for steelhead on the Trinity River lately as the season winds down. For late season steelhead, use nightcrawlers, roe, spinners, spoons, Glo Bugs, plugs and flies from Lewiston down to Del Loma.

Expect to hook wild and hatchery steelhead in the 4 to 6 lb. range, with an occasional larger steelhead in the 7 to 8 lb. class.

- Dan Bacher

WEST DELTA

Bait Anglers Prosper, Trolling Hit & Miss …

PITTSBURG- Fishing ranges from good to frustrating depending on what species you focus on and how you choose to go after them. Bait anglers are doing well on both large and average size stripers. Trollers are struggling to hook stripers. Sturgeon anglers are

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Theresa Dreher was trolling Donner Lake with Shaun Rainsbarger this March when this huge mackinaw came knocking.

Photo courtesy of SHAUN’ S GUIDE SERVICE, Truckee.

experiencing fair to good action depending on the day.

Captain Hayden Mullins of Dragon Sportfishing has been fishing large live and dead baits for stripers that range from 8 pounds on the small end to 40 plus on the upper end.

“ There are lots of big fish in the system. You’ ve just got to find an area that is holding big fish and then you’ ve got to have the patience to wait out the bites,” said Mullins.

For a limit of keeper size fish in the 18 to 25 inch range standard Delta cut baits such as shad and sardines are working as the fish gear up for the spawning run.

Unstable weather and areas of grass have combined to hamper trollers. You can catch bass trolling, but the action is highly variable with good fishing one day and tough fishing the next. Once the water

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temperature hits the middle to upper 50’ s the trolling bite will come on strong.

Sturgeon anglers willing to invest some time in waiting out bites are hooking keeper size fish. Roe and eel have been the top performing baits.

Big largemouth bass in the 6 to 10 pound range are being caught. When the weather is stable swimbaits are working. When reaction baits fail to produce, anglers turn to jigs and jumbo Senkos for their strikes.

SOUTH FORK / WILD HORSE LAKES

Shore Anglers Bag Big, Bold‘ Bows

ELKO- The thin ice that was covering the lake is quickly melting away at South Fork Reservoir. Any ice that is left is extremely unsafe.

Fishing continues to be just fair, but those fish being caught are ranging from 15 to 22 inches with the occasional 25 inch fish being reported. Most anglers are having some success with PowerBait or worms, while fly rodders should be using chironomids, hares ears, prince nymphs and buggers. Sherbet PowerBait fished using a slip sinker off of the bottom about 25-30 feet from shore seemed to work the best.

Wild Horsee Reservoir is in limbo as it is covered with unsafe ice and little to no open water for shore fishing. With the warmer temperatures forecast, some water may start to open up. Call ahead for water conditions before heading up to the lake.

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