FISHING LINE

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Diego Artiaga, 6, of Albuquerque caught a 38-inch, 15-pound tiger muskie Sunday at Bluewater Lake. It was his first cast, and he was using a large spoon. Tommy Ledoux of Cimarron caught a 44-inch, 24-pound northern pike Friday at Eagle Nest Lake. He was fishing from the bank and using a big lure. Patricia Scanlon of Albuquerque caught a 21-inch, 4-pound rainbow trout at Fenton Lake on Monday. She was using a homemade white mop and fishing from the bank. At Navajo Lake, Brian Stangel of Albuquerque caught and released a 5.31-pound largemouth bass Friday. He was using a Juice Custom Baits swim jig. … Charlie Estep of Colorado caught and released a 4.44-pound smallmouth bass Saturday. He was using a Strike King KVD jerk bait.

AROUND THE STATE

ISLETA LAKES: Fishing has slowed, although some anglers are catching their limits. Baits reported have been stink baits, chicken liver, and night crawlers. SHADY LAKES: The rainbow trout continue to bite. The trout are actively biting on night crawlers, salmon eggs and PowerBait. Trout are averaging 10-12 inches. Bass and bluegill are catch-and-release only. Bluegill activity is strong on plastics and top floater lures.

NOTES from GAME and FISH: Streamflow on the SAN JUAN RIVER on Monday morning was 448 cfs. Fly-fishing action through the high-quality waters was good for anglers using small foam wing emergers, red annelids and small bead-head pheasant tail nymphs. Trout fishing through the bait waters was good using night crawlers, PowerBait, Fire Balls and copper John Barrs. Fishing further downstream anglers reported catching some nice brown trout in the Hammond tract area. They were using woolly buggers. Fishing at NAVAJO LAKE was good using crank baits, jerk baits, tubes, creature baits, jigs, swim baits and senkos for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Fishing was good using swim baits, top water lures, jerk baits, spinner baits and crank baits for northern pike. Fishing was good using worms and grubs for perch. Kokanee snagging was good, with the best reports coming from anglers snagging along the dam area. Monday morning water flows on the CHAMA RIVER below El Vado and Abiquiu were 605 cfs and 893 cfs respectively. Fishing below El Vado was fair using bead-head woolly buggers, muddler minnows, night crawlers and Fire Balls for brown and rainbow trout. Fishing at TINGLEY BEACH’S the Youth and Central ponds was fair to good using PowerBait, salmon eggs, worms and beadhead nymphs for trout. A few catfish were caught by anglers using homemade dough bait and hot dogs. MANZANO LAKE was recently stocked with rainbow trout but we had no reports. Fishing at FENTON LAKE was very good using leech patterns, white mops, beadhead woolly buggers, gold Super Dupers, gold blade Pistol Petes, PowerBait, Fire Balls and worms for brown and rainbow trout. Streamflow on the JEMEZ RIVER near Jemez Springs on Monday morning was 28.6 cfs. Trout fishing on the JEMEZ was good using worms, copper John Barrs and salmon eggs. Fishing on the lower CEBOLLA was good using woolly buggers, Pistol Petes and worms. At EAGLE ROCK LAKE, fishing was good using PowerBait, worms, salmon eggs, Super Dupers, spinners and Pistol Petes for trout. At EAGLE NEST LAKE, fishing from the bank was fair using PowerBait for rainbow trout and good using worms for perch. Fishing at LAKE ALICE was good using PowerBait, Fire Balls and worms for trout. Trout fishing at LAKE MALOYA was fair to good using PowerBait, bead-head pheasant tail nymphs and Pistol Petes. At CONCHAS LAKE, fishing was good using homemade dough bait, cut bait and liver for catfish. Fishing at ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE was fair using jigging spoons and live bait for white bass. Fishing was slow to fair using live bait, jigs, crank baits and creature baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Streamflow on the RIO GRANDE below Elephant Butte on Monday morning was 0.00 cfs. Fishing in the Mesilla Valley Dam area was very good using worms and beef liver bait for catfish. Streamflow on the GILA RIVER on Monday morning was 44.4 cfs. Fishing on the West Fork was fair using small pheasant tail nymphs and brassies for trout. At LAKE ROBERTS, fishing was good using PowerBait, worms and salmon eggs for trout. Fishing at ALTO LAKE was good using PowerBait, Fire Balls and small spinners for trout.