FISHING LINE
CATCHES OF THE WEEK
At Shady Lakes, Emiliano Maestas, 16, of Albuquerque, caught a 24½-inch trout Saturday with PowerBait — the record for 2016. … Anthony Ibarra, 11, of Albuquerque, used PowerBait to land a 20-inch rainbow on Saturday. … Eric Maestas, of Albuquerque also used PowerBait to land a 20½inch rainbow trout Saturday. … Rourke Muehlmeyer, 7, of Albuquerque, used a red-green-yellow PowerBait combo to land a 24-inch rainbow Sunday. … Mason Reynolds, 7, of Albuquerque, caught a 24-inch rainbow Sunday, also using PowerBait.
Zion Ulibarri of Santa Fe caught a 20-inch brown trout Saturday on the Chama River. He was using a spinner.
Zeuss Reese of Eagle Nest caught a 22-inch, 4.8-pound rainbow trout Saturday at Eagle Nest Lake. He was using PowerBait.
Darrell Carr of Ruidoso caught and released a 7-pound, 15-ounce, largemouth bass Saturday at Green Meadow Lake. He was using a black and blue chatterbait with a craw trailer.
Saralynn Jaramillo, 10, and dad Frank Jaramillo of Albuquerque, caught and released a 20-inch rainbow trout Friday at Monastery Lake. They were using a worm under a strike indicator.
Joshua James Luna, Jr., 12, of Albuquerque caught a 4-pound kokanee while snagging at Navajo Lake.
AROUND THE STATE
SHADY LAKES: Sunday is the final day for Shady Lakes after 54 years in business. Several big trout over 20 inches were caught over the weekend. Best baits were PowerBaits, Pistol Petes and salmon eggs. Average size remains the 11-inch “catchies,” although inventory is slowly being caught. The bluegill and bass have slowed in autumn with the cooler weather, although there are still reports of a few bass being caught. By this time of year, the bass have seen just about everything thrown at them. It is still my goal that there be a buyer for Shady Lakes who will continue to keep it open for everyone to enjoy. But I do not know what is going to happen. Jan Phillips, director
ISLETA LAKES: Fishing at both SUNRISE and TURTLE lakes is slowing down for catfish; however, on warm days best baits are garlic chicken liver and worms. Some trout activity on salmon eggs and Pistol Petes. Carlos Trujillo, Isleta Lakes & RV Park
HERON LAKE: Fishing remains very slow. A few rainbow trout are being caught from shore by the boat ramp at Ridge Rock. There have been no boats on the water trolling. Although the water level is getting lower by the day, both boat ramps are still accessible and the ramp at Ridge Rock has 50 to 60 feet of ramp in the water. Water is still being released from the dam, but the amount has been reduced from 500 to 100 cfs. Snagging season begins on Nov. 11, and yes, there will be people out there waiting for the legal time to begin. The Game and Fish Department began the “articifial spawn” on Oct. 18, and, according to Karl Moffat, spokesperson for the department in Santa Fe, the egg collection is going better than last year, but nothing close to what we have collected in the past. Any eggs we need to get back to “normal” will be donated to us by the state of Colorado. Don Wolfley, Stone House Lodge
SANDIA LAKES: Fishing at all three lakes has been very good for trout. Anglers have been catching their limits at lakes one and two using gold panther martins, garlic PowerBait, and Pistol Petes. Anglers have been having the most success at the catch-and-release lake using San Juan worms, woolly buggers and bead head drakes. Fishing for catfish is fair to good. Our trout tag tournament begins Nov 2. Desiree Benavidez
NOTES from GAME & FISH: Fishing at TINGLEY BEACH’S Central and Youth Ponds was good using salmon eggs, PowerBait and worms for trout.
Streamflow on the SAN JUAN RIVER as of Monday morning was 438 cfs. Fishing through the quality waters section was good using parachute Adams, RS2s, comparaduns, BWOs, bead-head pheasant tail nymphs, San Juan worms and bunny leeches. Fishing through the bait section was good using spoons, San Juan worms, jerk baits, PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs for trout.
At NAVAJO LAKE, Kokanee snagging was very good near the dam.
Fishing at ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE was fair to good using top water lures, creature baits, Ned rigs, swim baits, senkos, grubs and tubes for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass.
At MONASTERY LAKE, fishing was good using elk hair caddis, PowerBait, salmon eggs and worms for trout.
Fishing at MORPHY LAKE was good using PowerBait, Pistol Petes and small spoons for trout. Closes for the season Oct. 31.
At LAKE MALOYA, fishing was good using worms, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout.
Fishing the CHAMA RIVER below El Vado was good using spinners, San Juan worms, woolly buggers, worms, PowerBait and salmon eggs for brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout.