Fish Central

By VINCE HOLSON

The Trinity Journal

All in all, 2008 had its disappointments for fishermen. Trinity River salmon, in a lot of people's opinions, was overestimated and under regulated in the lower Trinity and Klamath locations, which had a negative impact on fishing opportunities in the upper river.

The Willow Creek weir did not receive anywhere near the numbers that were estimated due to the number of gill nets on the Klamath River below Weitchpec. Everybody was waiting for rain for the steelhead to return, but for the most part they're already here and it is turning out to be a normal year with one to three steelhead caught per day on the average. The best time to fish will be after a rain of one-quarter inch or more beneath inflowing streams. The fish will be fewer but larger than in years past.

Trinity Lake produced very nice bass fishing last spring, but with the lower water were congregated on all outlying rocky points and ledge lines especially in the north end, but as of this writing, the dredger piles on the north end are high and dry and it will take some creative thinking to catch bass next year. Not that it can't be done, but just use your imagination and think like a fish.

Lewiston Lake fared better, with fish being caught when they were moving water last spring. Trolling with a Sep's dodger and a threaded on night crawler 18 inches back did very well to catch trout on Martha's Point, around Lake View Terrace, and south of the island at the marina. Three years ago, there was a big fish kill on Lewiston witnessed by fishermen. But we are now seeing bigger fish and more fish in the upper end of the lake which should prove to be beneficial to the Lewiston Lake fishery this coming spring.

The fires started in June put a further damper on the fishing and economic viability of Trinity County and only the future will tell if the tourist industry that we all depend on will be able to make a comeback. It is my personal opinion that with all the government agencies, it can be done a lot better if they get their rear ends out from behind their desks, turn off the computers and get back into the real world and truly listen to what is going on around them.

In a symposium four years ago, I talked to a panel on conditions that fishermen were seeing on the river and was told by a panel member that I didn't have a degree in fisheries biology and didn't know what I was talking about. What was told to them four years ago has now come to fruition this year. I guess if you have a six-year college education, you have the right to lose all common sense.

Trinity River

With the recent snow and rain, the river flows have come up and at the Helena gauging station the flows as of this writing were 610 cfs. This should bring a push of fish into the upper Trinity region. Bait fishermen using either crickets or night crawlers in the riffles where there are deeper water depths are catching fish to 8 pounds, and in a recent scientific experiment, used only browneyed night crawlers because these night crawlers have a tighter more seductive wiggle!

Fishermen using spinners are catching fish using a silver blade/metallic blue body or a gold blade/orange body. The key to this is to let the spinner sink and bounce off the bottom, reel slowly and hold on.

If you are drift fishing or back trolling plugs, use the ever-popular F-7 Vampire Rapalas, or Brad's wiggler in a silver/black combination. In the clear water conditions that we are under, back trolled lures without a rattle tend to work better.

Fly fishing under a bobber - oops, strike indicator - is also catching fish to 8 pounds and stone flies, black wooly buggers with little legs and glo-bugs will work. Prime time for fly fishing is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

With the low water conditions we have to deal with, remember one thing: stealth. The fish are very wary of what is going on around them, and any unusual noise or movements will put them down. Stay away from prime water and make longer casts, and if wading, you don't need to be up to your waist; that's probably where the fish are sitting.

Fish are now in the Lewiston/ Douglas City area and are slowly making their way to incoming streams or the hatchery to spawn.

Lewiston Lake

Water is moving through the lake from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at this time. If you are going to troll, try using Cripplures, Brad's wigglers or the everpopular gold/orange back F-7 Rapalas. There is no need to fish deep for these fish; they will all be in the first 10-feet of water. And if you can keep your trolling speed no more than 1 mile per hour, you will have more hookups than if you go faster. Try fishing around Martha's Point, south end of the marina, and at the north end at the power lines.

Bait fishermen using power bait or an inflated night crawler are catching fish at the rock wall right below the powerhouse and at the fishing docks at and below the marina.

Power bait colors to use are yellow or green. Night crawlers should be blue-eyed and inflated because they just sit suspended in the water and look enticing.

Trinity Lake

Not much to say about Trinity except that it is 117 feet from being full and the only place to launch a boat would be at Minersville, but be careful because of the mud. Remember trucks for the most part aren't amphibious. The trout should be staging to go up all the inflowing streams to spawn, but I haven't been up there. Will try next week. Other news:

The I.S.E. will be held in Sacramento Jan. 15, 16, 17 & 18, and local guide and fishing aficionado Steve Huber will have fishing seminars on the Klamath and Trinity rivers on the 15th and 16th.

Dean Compton, owner of Weaver Valley Market, is now stocking fishing gear at his store and I will be helping with handouts for fishermen to know how to use some of the gear.