Jicarilla Fish Weblog

Fishing Report 2-17-09

This weeks report will be short and sweet. We only received one report this week from Stone Lake, and zero from Mundo. Rosenburg Tafoya caught three Rainbows in a half hour today (2/17) at Mundo Lake, with a white curly tail jig. He also had several bumps on his bait pole while using yellow powerbait. The ice at Mundo is holding at eight inches and the ice is covered with 2-3”s of new Snow.
The one report from Stone Lake indicates that the fishing is still quite slow. One angler on Saturday caught 1 fish in 4 hours with a white curly tail jig and a pink jig head. The wind at Stone Lake was a bit more severe than that at Mundo, and there may be some drifting here and there. The ice at the South end of Stone is measuring 6 inches, and the North end has 8 inches. Please use caution around the aeration holes (200 ft) as they have been expanding in the warming weather.
The roads to the lakes are clear and dry, but the various access roads around the lakes will have mud. Keep this in mind, especially on the warmer days and in the afternoons. Good luck, and please let us know how you do out there.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 2-10-09

This weeks report starts with a big THANKS to all of the anglers that attended our 3rd annual Jicarilla Ice Derby on Saturday (2-7-09). All told, we had 217 contestants on Mundo and Stone Lakes combined. The lake of the day was Mundo which produced the top three heaviest creels. As expected, Stone Lake had the longest fish of the day at 19.5” and 3.5 lbs. This years event raised just shy of $6,000, and the proceeds will be used to purchase and stock trophy class Rainbows in Enbom and Mundo Lakes this spring. The tremendous turnout also promises that next year will be even bigger and better. With that in mind, we are requesting suggestions or complaints from all of you, so that we can do our best to make the 4th annual Ice Derby the best event in the State (www.jicarillahunt.com). A big thanks also goes out to all of our local and regional sponsors that contributed generously to the Derby. These sponsors include Classic Eyewear in Farmington, the Jicarilla True value, the Apache Nugget Corporation and the Wild Horse Casino, 64 Express Gas Station, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Public Relations Office of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
The Adult division had prizes for the three heaviest creels of the day, as well as the longest fish of the day. The battle between first and second was as close as it gets with a difference of three hundredths of a pound. Victor Mora out of Albuquerque ended up on top with 14.55 lbs in a mixed bag of Channel Catfish and Rainbow Trout totaling 26 fish. Anthony Valerio came in a close second with 14.52 lbs. in a mixed bag of Channel Catfish and Rainbow Trout totaling 25 fish. Third place went to Isaiah Foster of Pagosa Springs Colorado with a mixed bag of Channel Catfish and Rainbow Trout totaling 8.5 lbs. The longest fish went to Gary Williams with a nice 19.5” 3.5 lb. Rainbow from Stone Lake. The top three kids were Joetta Waupekenay, Vanaya Garcia, and Zack Mathis respectively. Joetta took the top prize with a nice 18” Rainbow from Stone Lake. Vanaya Garcia took second with a Mundo Lake Rainbow that measured 13.5”s. Zack Mathis took third place with a Mundo Lake Rainbow that went 13”s.
The strategy of the day was to fish near the shorelines with waxworms, meal worms, and jigs. The South and West sides of Mundo proved to be the hot spots. Powerbait, worms, and fireballs also had a fair bite. Most of the folks on the Lakes had at least 1 fish on the ice, with the average around 3 fish per angler. Stone Lake was tough to say the least, with 1-2 soft bites the average. Reports from Stone also indicate that there were several break offs and lost fish. The current status of fishing at Stone would have to be characterized as very slow. The recent storm has left 6-10 inches of new snow, and forecasts indicate that the trend will continue through the weekend. This means that the roads around Stone and Mundo will be snowy and or Muddy. Four wheel drives will be very helpful for the next week or so. If you’re not sure about your vehicle, park on the pavement and walk in to the Lake. Once again, Thank you all for making the 3rd annual Ice Derby a big success, and stay tuned to www.jicarillahunt.com for photos from the event, and www.fishenchantment.com for open forums, contests, and more information on upcoming events around the State.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 2-3-09

The last weekend before the derby proved to be tough fishing at both lakes. At least 10 anglers were skunked at Stone, with only 3 fish reported total this weekend. Mundo faired a bit better, but several anglers hit the zero mark there as well. As things set now, the derby should be a strategic event where the patient angler will persevere. The forecast for Saturday’s event is mostly cloudy with a slight chance (20%) of rain or snow showers. If you are planning to attend the derby, be prepared for the weather with some warm and waterproof gear just in case. There will be food and drink concessions available at Mundo Lake.
Stone Lake was fishing very slow over the weekend. The only success came to a white curly tail jig with a pink head. This angler concentrated his effort on the north shore of the lake approximately 50 ft. from the shoreline. The road on the north side of the lake has been very muddy in the afternoons and requires 4 wheel drive at the least. The access to the south and east sides of the lake are much better. Windy weather combined with warm afternoons has done some damage to the ice around the aerator holes. Anglers should remain at least 100ft from the open aeration holes. The ice thickness is 10-14 inches.
Mundo Lake has been slow with the usual baits for rainbows from 11-14”. Several anglers were skunked at Mundo over the weekend, but a few others did well with jigs. Wax worms are fishing fair and doing better when tipped on an active jig. 1-2 hits per hour is the average right now at Mundo. The ice is 10-12 inches.
We are looking forward to another great event this year with over $2,000 in prizes. Please feel free to contact the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department at (575) 759-3255 with any questions. We’ll see you on Saturday.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist