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Mac the Naw: Start preparing for fishing in 2018

Travis McQuain proudly shows off the 16-inch German brown he caught during a November fishing trip to the Carson River.
Special to The R-C |

Hello, fellow anglers. We are getting closer to the Topaz opening day fishing season on Jan. 1.

There are some important things you can do before the season opens. This is the time to change that line and lubricate your fishing reel.

For California anglers don’t forget to get your new 2018 fishing license. There are a couple ways to get your license. You can get them at your local sporting goods store (when they become available) or you can go online to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.



They are now available to purchase. If you have your old license to reference the license number, this will make the process easier. You can print out a temp copy, then you will receive your license in the mail within two weeks. It’s also important to make sure you choose the 2018 fishing license.

For Nevada anglers, your license is valid until the last day in February.



For you boat anglers, it is necessary to register your boat for the new year. Again, this can be done online at CDFW or NDOW.

Have your old registration in hand to make the process much smoother. Make sure to print out a copy and keep it on your vessel just in case your new tags do not come in the mail by the first of January.

If you need a little fine tuning of your fishing vessel, there is a semi-new face in Minden. Ward MacMonagle, owner of Award Quality Speed and Marine, has opened a shop at 2562 Silver State Parkway, unit C2, which is just off Johnson Lane. He can be reached at 775-690-3483.

This year, the Naw will not be able to join the festivities for opening day, since I will be working to pay off all the lures I bought for Christmas.

Many of the upper lakes in Alpine County are icing up so please use caution, as they are not safe to venture out on.

Here is a small report for our local area:

LAKE TAHOE: Fishing has been very good for good-sized mackinaws and some larger rainbows and browns have been reported. There has been mackinaw action near the Cave Rock area and the Tahoe shelf. Some anglers have been long lining Rapalas from Camp Richardson to Emerald Bay.

SILVER LAKE: The lake has ice forming on it and the boat ramp is not accessible. The ice is too thin to venture out on, so I would wait a few weeks before ice fishing.

CAPLES LAKE: With ice forming on the entire lake, conditions are not stable at this time to ice fish. The resort is closed for the winter season. I will keep you informed of the ice conditions.

RED LAKE: Ice is covering the whole lake, however, it is still very unstable at this time. Do not attempt to ice fish at this time.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR: Many anglers at the lake over the weekend. The lake had some ice forming on the northwest side of the lake. The lake level is still up and the weeds are far and few between. The best action was with a night crawler in the shallow areas of the lake. I fished with Tom Blotter from Minden. We started around 9 a.m. and fished until 3 p.m. and caught approximately 19 small rainbows between us, using night crawlers and small jigs. MacMonagle caught a nice 2.5-pound rainbow last week while fishing near the dam. I met another angler last Sunday who caught a 3-pound rainbow with Powerbait.

TOPAZ LAKE: The lake opens on Jan. 1 and the Nevada Department of Wildlife has planted 11,000 trout since the lake closed for the season. The water level is very high and is expected to be at almost full capacity for opening day.

Good luck on your next fishing adventure. If you have a photo to share, send it to dprice@recordcourier.com and if you have a question or a fishing report for our local fishing area, call the Naw line at 267-9722. Good fishin’ and tight lines.


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