FISHING LINE

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Jose 3½-pound,Juarez of Albuquerquebrown trout Sept. caught 15 a on 20¾inch, the Chama River. He was using a Rapala. Josh Kitting of Albuquerque caught a 20-inch, 4.5-pound, rainbow trout Sept. 16 at Eagle Nest Lake. He was using a spinner. Kim Skaggs and Amy Roberts of Alamogordo teamed to catch a 26-inch, 8-pound blue catfish on Sunday at Elelphant Butte Lake. They were using a hotdog.

Angelico Chavez of Las Vegas, N.M., caught and released a 27-inch and a 24-inch brown trout on the Pecos River. He was fishing the quality waters and using a red San Juan worm. Nicholas Gonzales and Marcelino Zaragosa teamed to land a 33-inch, 13-pound catfish on Saturday night at Storrie Lake. They were using chicken liver.

Butch Colantonio of Amarillo caught and released a 4.96-pound and a 4½-pound largemouth bass on Sunday at Ute Lake. He was using a top water lure.

Edmund Trujillo of Albuquerque caught and released a 34-inch, 12-pound tiger muskie at Bluewater Lake. At Shady Lakes, York Flynn of Albuquerque used a small glitter tube to catch a hefty 22-inch rainbow trout on Sept. 16. … William Salisbury of Albuquerque caught a 22-inch rainbow trout on Sunday using a worm.

AROUND THE STATE

SANDIA LAKES: Fishing at Lakes 1 and 2 has been good. Anglers have had the most success using night crawlers, stink bait, and garlic chicken livers. We last stocked on Wednesday, with 8,000 pounds of channel catfish. This will be our last load of catfish and we will be stocking rainbow trout soon. Cassandra Espinosa ISLETA LAKES: Fishing at both SUNRISE and TURTLE lakes has been fair to good. Catfish still biting on night crawlers, garlic chicken liver and shrimp. Our last stocking of catfish for this season will occur this week. Some increased activity on trout has been reported; best baits are salmon eggs and worms. Carlos Trujillo, Isleta Lakes & RV Park

SHADY LAKES: The trout are biting moderate, primarily on salmon eggs, worms and spinners. Sizes range from 9-inch, pan-size rainbows up to 18 inches. Both trout ponds are carrying a mix of sizes. The east trout pond is biting the most actively; the water is clear enough to see the big trout available to tempt you. Bass action reports have slowed as perhaps the fish have seen it all by this time of year. Those gigantic bluegill (and a couple of nice-sized bass) are still hanging out at the trout gutting station waiting for snacks. We remain open every day until Oct. 2 with shortened hours. Last day of the season is still to be determined. Jan Phillips, director

NOTES from GAME & FISH: Fishing through the quality waters section of the SAN JUAN RIVER was good using black and brown foam wing emergers, ju jus, small bead-head, pheasant tail nymphs, San Juan worms and crystal flash midges. Fishing through the bait section was good using night crawlers, woolly buggers, copper John Barrs, San Juan worms, jerk baits, PowerBait and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing at NAVAJO LAKE was good using swim baits, spinner baits, tubes, jigs, top water lures, crank baits, jerk baits and Kastmasters for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was good using swim baits, top water lures and spinner baits for northern pike. At FENTON LAKE, fishing was fair to good using PowerBait, worms, salmon eggs, Pistol Petes and woolly buggers for trout. Streamflow on the JEMEZ RIVER near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 15 cfs. Fishing on the upper CEBOLLA was good using stimulators, copper John Barrs and worms for rainbow trout. Fishing on the RIO LAS VACAS was fair to good using ant patterns, worms and salmon eggs. Monday morning water flows on the CHAMA RIVER below El Vado and Abiquiu were 507 cfs and 533 cfs, respectively. Fishing below El Vado was very good using Rapalas, woolly buggers, night crawlers, PowerBait, Panther Martin spinners and Kastmasters for brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout. Fishing above El Vado was good using Panther Martin spinners and Pistol Petes for brown trout. Fishing for rainbow trout at EAGLE NEST LAKE was good using PowerBait from the bank and trolling Platte River specials tipped with PowerBait Streamflow on the CIMARRON RIVER below Eagle Nest on Monday was 7.4 cfs. Fishing was good using BWOs, Royal Coachmen, hoppers, woolly worms, copper John Barrs, bead-head, pheasant tail nymphs, worms and salmon eggs for trout. At ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE, fishing was good using liver, crawdads and shad for catfish. Fishing at BRANTLEY LAKE was very good using crank baits, jerk baits, Kastmasters, top water lures and grubs for white bass. Fishing at COCHITI LAKE was slow for all species.