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Mac the Naw: Heat is on, fishing is strong

Doug Busey
Special to the Tribune
Jim Brock from Texas and his daughters display a 12-pound, 13-ounce mackinaw caught on Aug. 6 aboard Tahoe Sport Fishing’s Hopper I with Captain Scotty.
Courtesy Photo |

Hello fellow anglers; the heat is on and the fishing is good. Last week, Renee and I went in another direction. We headed down to Walker, Calif. — and what a great little town. We stayed at the West Walker Motel, a quaint little place we have admired for many years. And to our advantage, it was located right across the street from the best barbecue for miles around. Mountain View Barbeque is famous for its smoked pork ribs, brisket and one heck of a burger. You can’t miss it, just look for the smoker out front that is going 24 hours a day. As for the motel, we stayed in the Cowboy room, which had all the amenities you would need and was clean from top to bottom. They also have an Australian room, a Wizard of Oz room and many more.

The first night of fishing was great, but the catching was not as good as we would have liked. After a long day of fishing and stuffed from barbecue, we sat out in front of our room and enjoyed the blackness of the night. The only thing we did not like was that all the crickets went to bed at about 10 p.m. The next day, we set out to fish the West Walker and Little Walker rivers and somehow ended up in the ghost town of Bodie, Calif. No fishing in Bodie, but a great place to go back in time and see how people lived 100 years ago. So if you ever need a change of scenery, check out the Walker area. There is something for everyone to enjoy in just a short drive. For more info, call West Walker Motel at (530) 495-2263.

Now for our local report:



LAKE TAHOE: Kokanee action has turned on hard, with anglers fishing from Camp Richardson to Emerald Bay. Captain Larry on the Hopper II took out the Beck family from Pennsylvania and caught a limit of nice kokanee; Steve Beck caught a 12-pound mackinaw on the same trip. Jim Brock from Texas was fishing with Tahoe Sport Fishing on another trip and caught a nice 12-pound, 13-ounce mackinaw. Both the mackinaw and kokanee action has been rated as very good fishing from the west shore. For more info call Tahoe Sport Fishing at (530) 541-5448.

CAPLES LAKE: Lake level is starting to drop an inch or two per day and fishing has slowed down a little. Most shore anglers have had better luck by the spillway or dam area using Powerbait, power eggs or worms. Don Lewis from Sacramento, Calif. was trolling a fluorescent white and red needlefish in the middle of the lake and caught a 3-pound rainbow; he also hooked into a huge mackinaw and lost it right at the boat when trying to get it in. There have been a few more rainbows come in in the 2-to-3 pound range. The general store and marina are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the county boat ramp is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. With hotter weather coming in, Caples is the place to cool off and fish. For more info call Caples Lake Resort at (209) 258-8888.



RED LAKE: Lake level is still good and the lake is still green. I talked to one angler that caught a couple small rainbows using Powerbait, but I personally will wait until ice fishing season.

BLUE LAKES: Spoke with Daniel Goff from Minden, Nev. last week. Daniel and his family visiting from Texas spent a few days camping and enjoying the woods around the area; they fished a little and had no success. The lake level is down considerably, but that did not stop them from having a great adventure.

The Blue Lakes area is located off Highway 88 out of Hope Valley and there is more than just fishing in this area. They have camping, hiking, biking and a few off-road trails to venture out on. I personally have ventured to seven lakes just within a few miles of the Blue Lake campgrounds. I spoke to another angler who told me he caught two small rainbows out of his canoe a couple weeks ago.

EAST CARSON RIVER CALIFORNIA SIDE: Planted two weeks ago by California Department of Fish and Wildlife along with Alpine County Fish and Game Commission. Fishing is still good and many anglers have caught and released more than 15 fish a day, mainly small rainbows. Glenn George from Grass Valley, Calif. caught a 7-pound, 10-ounce rainbow, while David Brack also caught a 7-pound, 10-ounce rainbow using a Thomas Buoyant spoon. Fly anglers have been doing well with an Adams Cripple and a red Copper Jon No. 18.

For more info call the Carson River Resort at (530) 694-2229.

WEST CARSON RIVER: Water level is low and fishing has been spotty. Many anglers are catching small rainbows around the bridges; if you want to get the bigger fish you will have to walk into the areas less fished. CDFW has finished planting for the season but Alpine County Fish and Game has not; they are scheduling a plant towards the end of this month. For more info call Creekside Lodge at (530) 694-2511.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR: Water level has come down a little and the weeds are plenty. On the west side of the lake, you might want to use a heavier line just to get out of the weeds. Fishing has been fair for early morning or evening anglers; Tony at Alpine Cafe said anglers have been throwing all-white mice tail or gold Panther Martin spinners by the dam with good success. The east side of the lake is less weedy and is better for bait anglers. The campground and boat ramp are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more info call Alpine Cafe Bait, Tackle and Supplies at (530) 694-1900.

Good luck on your next fishing adventure. If you get a photo of your catch, send it to dprice@recordcourier.com. If you have a question in our local fishing area, call the Naw Line at (775) 267-9722.

Hope to see you on the waters. Good fishin’ and tight lines.


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