Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3823 Oct 25-Nov 8 | Page 29
Oct 25 - Nov 8, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 23
27
Pyramid Lake Trout Action Is Underway!
I
f you haven’t noticed, Pyramid
The action is often hot, and the fish
Lake is getting a ton of ink these
will range from 2-20 pounds. You
read that correctly, “20 Pounds.”
days. I’m one of the guys who can’t
Huge trout that fight like Chinook
stop writing about it. If you are sick
salmon will be caught.
of reading about Pyramid
Pretty much anybody that
Lake, and you’re wondering
pays their dues will catch
if this lake is just a bunch
at least a couple trout over
of over-rated hype, then
the ten-pound mark during
you must make the trip and
an early season trip, and
sample it for yourself.
a few lucky anglers will
This is the world’s best
encounter a true behemoth
cutthroat trout fishery, and
that will tip the scales in
there’s really nothing else
the 20-25 pound range. Not
even close to it. Not only is
to mention, it will “get old”
it the world’s best cutthroat
catching tons of 18-23”
trout fishery, but it’s also
shakers.
one of the all-around best
A good sonar unit is the
fishing destinations on the
by
key to vertical jigging with
entire globe. Chances are if
you’re reading this, you live Mike McNeilly spoons like the P-Line
Laser Minnow. Another
within driving distance, and
you owe it to yourself to fish this gem. good option is to look for schools of
Tui Chubs balled up on the surface
Pyramid Lake’s season started on
and cast a ¾ ounce chrome or gold
October 1. Early in the season boat
Kastmaster into the fracas.
fishermen catch 95% of the fish for
Cast the spoon into the school and
the first month and a half or so. The
let it flutter down, if the line ticks, a
first week will be nothing short of a
trout has eaten the spoon; reel down
blood-bath. If you’ve ever watched a
and slam the hook. Don’t get compla-
Youtube video of guys poke-poling
tuna, that’s kind of what it will be like cent on the hook-set. The next fish that
eats could be a Chinook size trout.
if you find the right conditions of Tui
All your tackle needs to be in top
Chubs (the lake’s dominant baitfish)
order. If knots or leaders are frayed,
and hungry trout feeding on them.
These trout will be circling the chubs avoid complacency and re-tie. Bent
hooks should be replaced with new
like aquatic wolves; just looking to
ones. Don’t get cheap on the hooks
pull a weak or injured chub from the
either. Premium Gamakatsu and
herd. One to two ounce P-Line Laser
Owner hooks will hook and land more
Minnows in chrome with a green or
fish, and the extra cost is a small price
blue back will be absolutely irresist-
to pay. Leaders should be on the stout
ible to these bruisers.
FISH SNIFFER
COUNTRY
SUTTER MARINE IS YOUR DEALER FOR
Boats
side. 15
pound
Maxima
Ultragreen
or 17-20-
pound test
Fluoro-
carbon
is a good
choice.
Trollers
also catch
plenty
Mitch Rolston landed this impressive 12-pound Pyramid Lake cutthroat in
of fish,
early October while camping at the lake.
and the
Photo courtesy of ERIC VANDAGRIFF, Foresthill.
opening
month
of the season is a great time for lazy
for a few seconds and let the 4-6 oz.
trolling to pay off. Without a doubt,
sinker slowly drag the lure back to the
more big fish are caught at Pyramid
bottom.
Lake by trollers diligently working the
Cutthroat are notorious followers,
bottom structure than any other gear
and this rising and falling of the lure
fishing method.
with speed-ups and slow-downs draws
Fly fishermen probably catch more
strikes from otherwise suspicious fish.
big fish than anybody, but that’s
Plus, this method works best with the
another article entirely. The larger
rod in hand, and its way more inter-
Pilot Peak variety of fish don’t seem to active than just mindlessly trolling
be as structure oriented as the smaller
with a lure on a downrigger. Not that I
Summit Lake fish that are also found
don’t do my share of brainless trolling,
in the lake.
as I am occasionally known to just
The Pilots are more likely than
shut my brain off and drag lures from
the Summits to be found in 80 feet
time to time.
of water suspended 50 feet down
If you’ve been longing to catch a
pestering balled up schools of Tui
salmon sized trout, the fall of 2019 at
Chubs. This makes them a very
Pyramid Lake is probably your best
forgiving target for casual trollers that shot in the entire country or maybe the
just put a rod down 50 feet and drag
world at doing so.
a lure such as a 4” Lyman or an Apex
New Easy Rider Sportfishing
around. It really can be that simple for
the first month or so of the season.
Departures from Berkeley Marina
As the water cools, the baitfish will
disperse, and the casual troller will
3712
see declining scores, but early in the
season laziness pays off. Once the
baitfish disperse, it’s more important
to bang your lures against bottom
structure such as downrigger ball
N ow B ookiNg
eating tufa rocks.
SALMoN, HALiBUT, BASS
Of course, working the bottom in
LiVE BAiT TRiPS
October will definitely catch plenty
of fish as well. A great way to slowly
Rock & Ling Cod and Sturgeon
work the bottom is to put a U20
Reservations & Information
Flatfish on a three-way rig just like
(707)422-2050
you’d use for salmon trolling on the
captainjgallia@neweasyrider.com
Sacramento River. I even like to use
www.neweasyrider.com
a spreader bar as
it keeps my leader
from tangling with
the sinker dropper
line.
I like to run the
Flatfish back about
4-5’ from my
Located just 35 miles north of Reno,
spreader bar, and
Pyramid Lake is home to some of the
I like to feel my
best sport fishing on earth. Discover
sinker tap bottom
all that Pyramid Lake has to offer.
at least once every
30 or so seconds. I
really like utilizing
this method from
a tiller drive boat
as kicking the
outboard in and out
of gear is important
in maintaining
bottom contact. I
like to put the boat
in gear and troll
forward for 10 or so Discover Pyramid Lake Online at:
seconds. This will
www.pyramidelake.us
cause the lure to
rise off the bottom.
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I then like to throw
3822
the boat in neutral
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3823
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