Fishing Report: Opening Day brings windy conditions to the water; NDOW Trout plants have begun

Hello fellow anglers. For all of you that were out for opening day, it was a challenge wherever you were between the winds and weather. It was exactly like every other opening day.

Each year, mother nature seems to throw a curveball our way on this exact weekend. I have been snowed on, and walked through frozen grasses to get to waters on opening day.

This year, I was not snowed on, but it felt like a minor tornado on Bridgeport Reservoir.

Each day the winds were sustained from 15 to 50 mph. My ocean fishing trips felt calmer than this last weekend. But we did get out for half a day on Saturday before we decided it was too dangerous to stay out.

To give you a little story, I fished with my fishing partner Tom Blotter from Minden. Usually when one of us gets a nice fish on, we call out "Battle Stations." Which means, we reel in all lines (we usually fish with 4 lines out) and stop the engine. Last weekend was different, due to high winds we could not stop the boat.

I hooked into a large brown trout and Tom had to maneuver the boat. As the fish was getting closer, I told him to just steer and I will net the fish myself. As I reached out and netted the fish, the trout went into the net and then swam away from the boat. This caused me to lose my grip on the net and it slipped out of my hands. As soon as I lost all grip on the net, he swam out of the net and we watched the net go behind the boat.

I still had the fish hooked at this time, and Tom turned the boat around to chase the net. We watched the net float away and then it stood up like a bobber and slowly sank into the lake.

We could not retrieve the net, but I did land the Brown trout. It was a beauty of a fish, I took a picture and released him back into the lake. Maybe hoping it would be an offering to allow our net to resurface, but it did not.

I have never lost a net before. This was a lesson I will not forget, but it gave me an opportunity to think on what may happen in the future. So I have come up with a little ingenuity to make my future nets unsinkable. I don't think this will ever happen again, but just in case it does, I am ready.

This also showed me how intelligent fish really are. As soon as I had him in the net, he pulled it away by swimming out. And just as quickly, he swam back and out of the net. This is not just a fish story. It's a true story.

LAKE TAHOE: The Cave Rock boat launch will open this weekend from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Launch at Sand Harbor will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Right now only boats that are tagged for Lake Tahoe will be allowed to launch as inspection stations have not opened in the area yet.

CAPLES LAKE: The ice is melting and I strongly advise to stay off of the lake. There is a little open water along the shore. But I would give it another week to have more access to fish. Campground scheduled to open in June.

RED LAKE: The ice is coming off and will be open soon to shore fish. This time of year it only takes a few days to clear the lake of all ice.

BURNSIDE LAKE: Road is closed.

BLUE LAKES: The road is open to the first gate only.

WOLF CREEK: The road is open to fish Silver Creek and the east Carson River.

WOODS LAKE: Road is closed.

CAMPGROUNDS IN ALPINE COUNTY: Crystal Springs, Markleeville, Turtle Rock are open now. Kit Carson and Hope Valley are scheduled to open mid May. Silver Creek end of June.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR: The lake level is still up and the fishing has been spotty. The lake is still pretty much weed-free. The campgrounds are not open, and there is no due date as of right now. They have been working on the removal of the shower/bathrooms and have had delays. Both roads are open and clear to drive in. For more information stop by the Creekside Lodge.

CARSON RIVER EAST FORK CALIFORNIA SIDE: The water level has been fluctuating with the recent temperature changes. Fishing has been very good. Most angler have had success with green or rainbow Powerbait or salmon eggs right on the bottom. Spinners have been doing well in the mid morning to afternoon. Average trout has been 1-3 lbs, with a few in the 4-5 lb range. For more information stop by the Carson River Resort.

CARSON RIVER WEST FORK CALIFORNIA SIDE: Fishing has been good for 1-3 lb trout. Most anglers have been using salmon eggs or a power egg in the faster waters.

MARKLEEVILLE CREEK: Anglers have been doing well with salmon peach or green Powerbait, or a mice tail.

HIGHLAND LAKES - KINNEY RESERVOIR: Ebbetts pass is still closed.

CARSON RIVER NEVADA SIDE: The NDOW planted the river last week with rainbow trout. They planted in Carson City and Douglas County.

BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR: The lake level is low. Boat launching at the marina is not available, but they are renting boats and the campground is open. We spent 3 days last weekend. I have to tell you. This is one of the cleanest and most friendliest campgrounds around. They have dry camping, full hook ups, they rent yurts and have a couple cabins on the lake. A little wind will not deter me from venturing back up. For those that are not familiar with the weather pattern at Bridgeport, each day gets an afternoon wind. But the fish that are in the lake are worth the trip. There were a few rainbows in the 4-7 lb class with a couple browns in the 4-6 lb class. And there are bigger fish in the lake. Tom Blotter caught a nice 4 lb rainbow. For more information, call the Bridgeport Marina at 760-932-7001.

NDOW TROUT PLANTS: Mitch Pond, Seamans Pond, Davis creek, Wilson Common Pond, Desert Creek, East Walker River, Truckee River.
Good luck on your next fishing adventure.

If you get a photo of your catch, send it to kelsey@carsonnow.org

I hope to see you on the waters. I will be venturing out to Bridgeport res, Walker and maybe the Carson River this weekend.

Good fishin' and tight lines.