Venturing on Sierra ice to fish or skate

According to Webster’s Dictionary, “Ice is water frozen solid by cold.” Well, with the arrival of winter weather in this area, we certainly have plenty of water frozen on our creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and reservoirs.

A word of warning, however: None of the ice in Western Nevada is considered safe at any time in winter. If you want to ice fish, you're going to have to head into the Sierra or areas of Eastern Nevada where some lakes freeze over and are thick enough to hold people.

So, if you’ve never tried fishing through the ice, here’s some information that should be more than enough to get you “hooked” on this winter sport:

When to venture out on the ice:
The following are generally accepted, ice-thickness, safety guidelines:
One inch of ice: STAY OFF, STAY OFF, STAY OFF!
Two to three inches of clear, blue ice: Will support one adult walking.
Four inches thick: Considered safe for ice fishing.
Five inches: Needed for snowmobiling.
Eight inches: Needed to support a car or light truck.
Ten inches: Needed to support a medium weight truck.

For the record:
Because I am a big chicken when it comes to the possibility of breaking through the ice on a river, pond, lake or reservoir, I want at least six inches under me before I begin venturing out onto an icy surface.
Also remember that currents under the ice and slush on the ice may affect the thickness of that ice in different areas.
Be careful, be careful, be careful out there; and when in doubt, do as I do: Don’t go, stay home!

What to wear:
You will need insulted waterproof boots, thick woolen socks, layered clothing (thermo underwear, pants, long sleeve shirt, sweater, hooded sweatshirt, heavy coat with hood), wool cap, warm gloves, hat, and equally as important: sunglasses and sunscreen if the sun is shining.

What to take:
If you’re like me, take plenty of munchies, tasty food, and hot drinks (coffee, tea or hot chocolate in a thermos jug).
Don’t forget to take a piece of rug to stand on, while you’re out on the ice, or your feet will get very cold, very fast. Take a folding chair to sit in while waiting for some action, and a plastic bucket to put your fish in after they are caught (if you’re lucky!)
Heck, even take a portable radio to listen to your favorite tunes.

Be sneaky but legal:
If you’re really sneaky like me, you will also have a portable, battery powered, depth finder/fish locator.
I have a “Buddy III” which I can stick down in the hole in the ice, and then see down to 240 feet and out to 120 feet on the side.
Plus it also give me the distance to any fish that it locates.
It’s almost like cheating, but what the heck, it’s perfectly legal.

Extra items:
Don’t forget to have an ice scoop to clean slush out of your hole in the ice.
And, have a sled that you can use to carry all of your fishing gear, clothing, food and drinks out onto the ice.

Fishing license:
Most importantly, you need a fishing license. Don’t forget to have it.
I have an annual Nevada fishing license with a second rod stamp and I also have an annual California fishing license with a second rod stamp.

Ice auger:
Obviously, you need an ice auger (manual or gas operated).
If you don’t have one, you need a friend or relative who has one.
And, if the ice is more than three feet thick (a common occurrence at the lakes at the higher elevations), you will need an extension on your auger.
I dig two holes a short distance from each other to take advantage of being able to fish with two rods at the same time.

What to use:
Have a small ice fishing rod and reel. I can use two rods with my second rod stamps, so I have two rod and reel sets where the rods are only about 3 feet long and the reels are loaded with 6-pound test line.
How to fish:
After your hole is dug in the ice and all the slush is removed from the water, slowly jig up and down with all kinds of different, small, shiny or bright-colored lures such as Daredevils, Kastmasters, Phebes, Mepps, Super Dupers, Thomas Buoyants or TOR-P-DO’s.
You can also jig with other things such as nightcrawlers, Power Bait, Salmon eggs, cocktail shrimp, mealworms or kernels of corn.

Where to fish:
Your best bet is to fish in California waters such as:
Red Lake, Caples Lake and Silver Lake, which are all located along California S.R.88, south of Carson City.
Davis Lake located just north of Portola.
Frenchman Reservoir, which is only a few miles north of Chilcoot.
Boca and Stampede Reservoirs, just east of Truckee.
A current favorite:
Red Lake is a personal favorite and it is about 35 miles south of Carson City.
Be advised that its parking area is also a very popular destination for cross country skiers. So, if you don’t arrive early, you could be out of luck finding a parking spot for your vehicle, especially on a weekend.
When fishing at Red Lake, fish near that parking area, close to the shoreline, in fairly shallow water areas (8-10 feet of water).
You can catch Eastern Brook, Lahontan Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout.

A former favorite:
For many years, our small group of Carson City ice fishermen would travel to Wildhorse Reservoir each winter to fish for perch and rainbow trout.
However, some years ago, the Wildhorse Resort closed its doors as did the motel in Mountain City, and there were no longer any overnight accommodations in that entire area of rural, northeastern Nevada.
That together with the introduction of Wipers, which preyed on the perch and decimated that species, has made that annual trek a thing of the past.
We had a ton of fun, while it lasted, but we no longer ice fish at Wildhorse.

Finally:
Why not give the sport of ice fishing a try.
It sure beats sitting around the house, watching TV programs with all their dumb ads, while waiting for the warm weather of summer to return.
Ice fishing is fun and who knows, you might even catch a fish!
Just remember to be careful when venturing out onto a ice surface.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can’t tell you about my top two favorite ice fishing methods.
If he grins and says, “Don jigs with a small red-white striped TOR-P-DO lure on one pole and has a nightcrawler on his other pole,” he could be one of my usual wintertime fishing partners.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor photographer. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.