FISHING LINE
CATCH OF THE WEEK
Ricky Soto of Santa Fe, caught and released a 19.75-inch, 4-pound, 6-ounce smallmouth bass Saturday at Cochiti Lake. He was using a medium size fathead minnow.
Sara Armstrong of Rio Rancho caught and released a 24-inch northern pike March 15 on the Rio Grande. She was using a swivel-hip grub.
AROUND THE STATE
ISLETA LAKES: Fishing is fair at both lakes for trout. Best baits reported are PowerBait, salmon eggs and worms. Our trout season is coming to an end, and we will be preparing for the catfish season. Catfish are becoming a bit more active and biting on worms. Fishing hours are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. Carlos Trujillo, Isleta Lakes & RV Park
ESCONDIDA LAKE: The first Veterans Fishing Derby will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call Ron Gilworth at 575-835-8123.
NOTES from GAME & FISH
Trout fishing at TINGLEY BEACH’S Youth and Central ponds was rated as excellent by anglers using garlic and salmon peach PowerBait, Panther Martins, homemade dough bait, Pistol Petes, worms and Fire Balls. Anglers using worms and homemade dough bait caught a few catfish. Fishing at the Bob Gerding Catch and Release Pond was fair to good using zebra midges and small leech patterns for trout. Fishing for trout in the ALBUQUERQUE, ALBUQUERQUE SOUTH, CORRALES and PERALTA DRAINS was good using PowerBait, worms, copper John Barrs, zebra midges, elk hair caddis and woolly buggers. Fishing at COCHITI LAKE was fair to good using spinner baits, swim baits, fathead minnows and Texas rigged worms for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing at FENTON LAKE was very good using worms, Panther Martins, Pistol Petes, PowerBait, salmon eggs and leech patterns for brown and rainbow trout. Monday morning water flows on the CHAMA RIVER below El Vado and Abiquiu were 72.4 cfs and 48.9 cfs, respectively. Fishing below El Vado was fair for anglers using small black zebra midges and worms for trout. There were a few hatches coming off in the afternoon hours. Trout fishing below Abiquiu was fair using earthworms, PowerBait, salmon eggs and a variety of small bead-head nymphs. Streamflow on the SAN JUAN RIVER on Monday morning was 343 cfs. Fly fishing action through the high-quality waters was good using red annelids, rootbeers, zebra midges, bead-head pheasant tail nymphs, San Juan worms, scintillas, BWOs and 1/16-ounce white and olive marabou jigs. Trout fishing through the bait waters was fair to good using Panther Martins, marabou jigs, night crawlers and Fire Balls. There have been some decent BWO hatches on the lower river. Fishing at LAKE FARMINGTON was good using Kastmasters, Pistol Petes, PowerBait and worms for trout. At EAGLE NEST LAKE, bank fishing was fair to good using PowerBait for rainbow trout. LAKE MALOYA was completely free of ice and trout fishing was rated as good. Anglers did well using assorted colors of PowerBait with salmon peach reported as working best. Fishing at MONASTERY LAKE was good using Pistol Petes, small streamers, PowerBait and Fire Balls for trout. At ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE, fishing was good using white and chartreuse crank baits, white slab spoons, live shiners and Kastmasters for white bass. Streamflow on the RIO GRANDE below Elephant Butte Monday morning was 1,580 cfs. Fishing was good using liver and stink bait for catfish. At BILL EVANS LAKE, fishing was very good using PowerBait for trout.