Jicarilla Fish Weblog

Fishing Report 4-28-09

The good old spring wind has made its presence known lately at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. However, despite the gale force winds, several folks did have success over the weekend. The hot lakes were Enbom and Mundo, but Stone produced a few large trout to hardy anglers. The water quality is in good shape and water clarity is excellent at Stone and Mundo, and improving at Enbom. The Stone Lake Open is just around the corner (5/8,5/9,5/10) and interested anglers should send in their entries ASAP. For more info on the Stone Lake Open please view the announcement in the fishing menu on www.jicarillahunt.com.
Mundo Lake is fishing very well with virtually anything. According to reports, the Rainbows are biting on bait, lures, and flies. The average size is around 12” with some fish up to 18” reported. Anglers are getting into several fish per hour. The bait most frequently reported is powerbait (no specific color), but worms and fireballs are getting action also. A wide variety of beadhead nymphs (size #16-#12) are getting the best bite for flies, but woolly buggers in black and green are working as well and offer a better chance of doubling up on Bass and Trout when fishing near the shorelines. The Bass fishing is still slow for the most part though. The chironomidae (lake midge) hatch continues to grow in numbers at all three lakes and may offer some dry fly action at Mundo and Enbom if calm early morning and evening conditions exist. Again I haven’t heard anything from the cat fishermen, but I suspect that the bite should be improving now that we are firmly in the 50’s for water temperature. Spinners (panther martins, rooster tails etc.) and small lures like castmasters and daredevils are getting a consistent bite for Rainbows.
Enbom is picking up quite well as the water continues to clear up. The average Rainbow is coming in around 9-10” but a few of the larger 14-18” fish are showing up here and there. Powerbait and worms are taking 2-3 fish per hour with more action at times. Spinners are also taking fish in a wide variety of colors, but should be relatively small to increase the hook up to bite ratio. As usual in Enbom, flies are getting a good bite fished behind a water bubble or with a fly rod. Many of the more common nymphs (pheasant tails, princes, hares ears, copper johns) have been successful, as have woolly buggers in black and green. Enbom Lake is our most protected lake from the wind and should be considered if you get blown off of Stone.
The fishing is tough at Stone Lake, as it often is, but some very nice fish have been caught from shore, float tube, and by boat. The water clarity is excellent and the temperature is hanging around 52°F. Damsel fly imitations have been reported by several anglers, but several other fly patterns have also caught fish. These patterns include leeches, green wooly buggers, egg-sucking leeches in black and purple, prince nymphs, and chironomidae patterns like zebra midges. One angler also reported substantial success (4-5 fish/day) trolling lures. Daredevils in the classic red and white, castmasters in silver and orange, and spoons in silver orange and chartreuse have all been reported by anglers fishing from the shore. There have been a few cruisers hanging around the east shore and the north shore, but the spawn appears to tapering off to some degree. However, if the wind is down, it is certainly worth your time looking for these fish along any shoreline with a rocky (shale) substrate. Persistence pays at this tricky fishery so good luck and keep your line wet.
We have extended the deadline for receiving entries to the Stone Lake Open via check to Wednesday May 6th. We will also be accepting cash entries at Stone Lake on Thursday may 7th (3:00-6:00pm) and all day on Friday May 8th (practice day). If you have questions please call Kevin Terry at the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department (575) 759-3255.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 4-21-09

The bugs are hatching, the turkeys are gobbling, and the fishing is getting better and better on the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. The spawn is on at Stone Lake, with large spawners congregating on the shale ledges off of the north shore and the east shore known as Manghani Point. The water clarity is excellent at Stone Lake and the temperature is creeping up steadily into the low 50’s. This is a good opportunity to sight fish for large trout from the shoreline at Stone. Mundo has been producing some nice fish in the 14-17” range, with the average around 12”. Enbom is still off color with a rusty hue, but the year’s fish have been stocked and they should be on the bite in the near future. All in all, the fishing is improving at the Jicarilla Lakes but should be considered fair in general.
Mundo Lake is still clearing up, with an opaque greenish hue and visibility to 4-5 feet. The chironomidaes are hatching in the mornings in decent numbers. Anglers have had fair success with flies, lures, and bait. The best fly reports are on black and green wolly buggers and various beadhead nymphs including princes, hares ears, and copper johns. The lures reported are castmasters in silver and blue and panther martins. The hybrid fly/lure the “pistol pete” has also been fished effectively at Mundo. Green and yellow powerbait are the colors most reported from the bait anglers. There isn’t any news on Bass or Catfish this week.
Stone Lake has excellent clarity with 6+ feet of visibility. Cruising spawners have been sighted and effectively fished on the north shore and the east shore (Manghani Point). The fishing is tough for these picky fish but they have taken a few different fly patterns and lures. The males are a bit more aggressive and seem to be enticed more often than the fat females they are vying for. However, both males and females in spawning condition were caught over the weekend. The successful lures include blue fox spinners, daredevils in red/white and chartreuse/orange, and castmasters in silver and orange. Fred Lucero a tribal member and Dulce local caught a beautiful 22” 6 lb. female with a blue and silver blue fox spoon, from the north shore on Saturday. The flies that have produced include orange and pink egg patterns, purple egg-sucking leeches, green salamander streamers, green beadhead wolly buggers, and damselflies. Chironomidaes are hatching in good numbers, but haven’t been fished much (as far as I know) and should certainly be in your fly arsenal for Stone. I had the opportunity to guide two raffle winners at Stone on Sunday and we had a blast sight fishing to cruisers on Manghani Point. We hooked fish on egg sucking leeches, egg patterns and had the best luck with damsel fly patterns and a chartreuse beadhead wolly bugger. Len Furmanek a Stone Lake vet and his son Andrew got in on the action Sunday evening each catching fish on an olive beadhead wolly bugger. Len’s fish was a beautiful female in spawning condition that measured 22” and 6.5 lbs and Andrew caught a male that measured 21” and weighed just over 4 lbs. Soon we’ll have some great new photos up in the photo gallery on the. www.jicarillahunt.com website.
A few fish have been caught at Enbom Lake despite poor visibility and a rusty color to the water. The water quality is fine though, with good oxygen levels (90% saturation). We stocked approximately 5,000 8” Rainbows on Thursday (4/16). A few of these fish and a couple of the larger 14-18” fish that were previously stocked have been caught. The best reports were on flies including wolly buggers and beadheads. The bite on bait was very slow at Enbom over the weekend.
Things are picking up at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. We are looking forward to the upcoming “Stone Lake Open” on May 8th, 9th, and 10th. Camping season is here at last, so remember that camping is free with your Jicarilla Fishing Permit. Have a great week and even better fishing.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 4-14-09

Tough times continue for anglers at the Jicarilla Fishing Lakes. Fishing has been slow all around with bait, lures, and flies. There were several groups of anglers at both lakes over the weekend. The few reports that I did receive were not very encouraging. In Fact, as far as I know there wasn’t a single fish landed at Stone Lake over the weekend. A few trout have been caught at Mundo, but the fishing is still considered slow. Enbom Lake has been stocked, but the numbers are still low and fishing is slow. We are receiving a load of catchable sized Rainbows (8”) on Thursday (4/16), and they will be stocked into Mundo and Enbom. The local forecast is calling for off and on rain and snow showers through Saturday (4/18) and temperatures in the high 40’s to low 60’s.
Mundo Lake is still clearing up slowly with temps in the high 40’s. A few trout have been caught with lures primarily. One angler reported a 16” Rainbow using an orange and silver castmaster. Worms, salmon eggs, and powerbait are fishing slow with the occasional bite on the bottom. A few fish have also been taken on flies including wolly buggers and beadhead nymphs. There have not been any catfish reports this week, but the year’s first Bass was caught on the south side with a white spinner.
Stone Lake is still very tough for anglers with flies and lures. Several groups of anglers were skunked over the weekend, and I did not receive any reports of success. The water is still clearing up, but visibility is good and the water temps are creeping up towards 50°F. I spent an hour on the north side of Stone Monday morning looking for cruisers. I did not see any spawners, but I did hook and land a nice 20” 4lb. Male in spawning condition. I was using a purple egg-sucking Leech form the shore with a full sinking fly line. The fish hit approximately 15-20 feet from shore in the area known to produce spawners this time of year. I hope this is a good omen for things to come, but in the mean time we’ll continue to watch.
Enbom has been stocked with over 500 big (14-18”) Rainbows, and will be stocked on Thursday with approximately 5,000 8” Rainbows. Fishing should be decent by early next week after these trout acclimate to the lake. Have a great week, and keep your lines wet.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Fishing Report 4-7-09

Fishing on the Jicarilla Lakes remains SLOW. A few Rainbows have been caught at Mundo Lake, but the fish are few and far between. We haven’t received any good news from Stone yet, despite several attempts over the weekend and on Monday. Snow melt runoff is all but over at the lakes with a trickle still coming off Elk Creek into Stone Lake. The clarity is improving at all three lakes, but Enbom is still murky compared to Stone and Mundo. The years first trophy load of fish will be stocked into Enbom and Mundo lakes this week, with approximately 500 lbs. of 16-20” fish going into each lake. These fish should be acclimated and biting by the weekend.
Mundo Lake is steadily clearing up, with visibility around 3-4 feet. The bite has been very slow for trout with bait, flies, and lures. Several boats have been out trolling the lake with little success. Several anglers have reported catfish caught on liver and stink baits on the southeast side of the lake near the big dead tree. There have not been any reports of Bass thus far. The water temp remains cool at around 45°F. Unforeseen setbacks on dock installations have slowed us up, but there should be at least one dock out by the weekend.
Stone Lake is fishing miserably slow for the few good folks that have given it a shot. There have been several boats, as well as shoreline anglers throwing both lures and flies with very low success ( a few bites have been reported). The water quality is in good shape with clear water (4-6ft) visibility. The water temperature is little below average at 44°F, and the good spring hatches really haven’t begun. There were only a few Chironomidaes coming off this morning, and they probably not worth fishing quite yet. The cruisers that frequent the north shore are still missing in action, but we are watching for them. Right now we are playing the waiting game at Stone and will report any significant changes. The action should pick up soon so please stay tuned.
The Jicarilla Game and Fish Department is pleased to announce the first annual Stone Lake Open fishing tournament. This will be a three day (5/8, 5/9, 5/10) catch and release event with cash prizes. Entry fees will be $200.00/ participant, and includes an annual Jicarilla Fishing Permit. For more information please view the announcement under fishing reports on the www.jicarillahunt.com website or call Kevin Terry at the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department (575) 759-3255.

Kevin Terry
Fisheries Biologist

Stone Lake Open
Fishing Derby

May 8th, 9th, &10th 2009

The Jicarilla Game and Fish Department is pleased to announce the first annual Stone Lake Open Fishing Derby. The derby is going to be a semi-competitive (FUN!!!!) 3 day event with cash prizes. The event will be held beginning Friday, May 8th and continue through Sunday, May 10th 2009. Entry fees for the event will be $200.00 per individual participant. This $200.00 entry fee will include your 2009-2010 Annual Jicarilla Fishing Permit!!
Cash prizes will be awarded on a percentage breakdown, with $170.00 out of every $200.00 entry fee going directly into the cash prize pot. Entry fees, via check or money order, must be received by the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department no later than Monday May 4th, 2009. An entry form can be downloaded from the www.jicarillahunt.com website under the fishing menu. Make the check or money order payable to the "Stone Lake Open". Mail the entry fee and the completed entry form to the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department at Po Box 313 Dulce, NM 87528. Call Kevin Terry at the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department (575) 759-3255 if you need the entry form faxed or mailed to you directly. Anglers that wish to participate in the event and use their Annual Jicarilla Fishing Permit prior to the event, may fill out the entry form and register ($200.00) in person at the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department (Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm) on or after Monday April 6th 2009.
The Stone Lake open/Invitational will be a catch and release event based on the Stone Lake Special Regulations (see 2009-10 Fishing Proclamation on www.jicarillahunt.com). This means that participants may only use barbless artificial flies and lures. Participants may fish from boats (No Wake!), float tubes, kayaks, or from the shore. More than one participant may fish from a single boat, but every individual must hook and land their fish completely on their own. Once a fish is landed it will be placed in a mesh catch bag (provided) and held in the water until an event official reaches the angler and assumes possession of the fish. Participants will alert officials using flags to indicate that they have a fish in possession. Officials will be spread out in regions around and on Stone Lake. Every official will have data sheets with the participants’ information on them. They will record the fish lengths (mm) and transfer the information to the data sheets. Cash Prizes will be awarded after the event based on the accumulative tally of these fish lengths.
Camping at Stone Lake will be FREE!!! to participants of the Stone Lake Open. There will be portapotties at several locations around the lake. The phone # for the Jicarilla Inn Best Western is (575) 759-3663 and reservations should be made ASAP if you prefer to stay in the hotel. There is a local grocery store, liquor store, and several restaurants located in Dulce.

Please call Kevin Terry @ (575) 759-3255 With Any Questions

SCHEDULE:

Thursday May 7th, 2009
12:00 – Dark- Camp Set Up / Practice
3:00pm-6:00pm – Sign up @ the East Side Boat Ramp.

Friday May 8th,2009
Practice Day
6:00am - Dark- Practice Fishing Stone Lake. Staff will be on site to answer questions.
7:00am-12:00pm - Sign up @ the East Side Boat Ramp.
7:00pm-10:00pm – Bonfire Meeting to discuss derby and a Hot Dog cookout with Refreshments. (last chance to sign in)


Saturday May 9th, 2009
Day 1 Comp.
7:00am-11:00am- Fishing
11:00am-1:00pm- Lunch on your own
1:00pm-7:30pm- Fishing

Sunday May 10th, 2009
Day 2 Comp.
7:00am-2:00pm- Fishing
3:30pm-Awards Ceremony at Lake. Snacks/Refreshments provided.



This Event is designed to be FUN!!!! Details on percentage breakdown, and entry updates will follow. Come on out and win some CASH!!!!!!