Pyramid Lake Opening Week Report
If a double digit cutthroat trout is what you have always dreamed about catching then Pyramid Lake Nevada is just what the doctor is ordering to cure your sickness. Several fishermen caught 10 plus pound trout, some even caught multiple monsters. The heaviest for the opening week was just over 20 pounds.
Todd M Jeff C
Not speaking for everyone but most boats were catching at least a dozen cutthroat trout per angler each day. If you were fishing the right spot the catch rate went off the charts. Several boats had 100 plus fish on Wednesday . The key is finding the bait fish . The Technique that has always worked for myself is finding fish slightly below the schools of bait. I use side scan sonar, it looks 240 feet to the right and left of my boat giving me the ability to see up to 480 feet of water and letting me know what direction to steer the boat to fish the schools. This is a huge advantage when trolling open water.
Mike S Doug Q
Pyramid is roughly 29 miles by 8 miles . So where should you start. The only place to launch a 18 foot boat or larger is Pelican boat ramp. The fishing has been great within a few miles off the ramp. For some reason the majority of boats will launch and start trolling north to Warrior Point. If you don’t like crowds then I suggest you try traveling south or across the lake if you want to get away from the fleets of fishing boats.
Year in year out, the same lures are still working. Spoons, flatfish, apex, and Lyman lures. There are some new comers that have been making some noise. Large sinking chub flies, articulated jigs from shore and spaz spoons for boaters are enticing trophy trout that had previously been fooled by the good old stand bys.
Photo of a tui chub and a airbrushed lure
Color is another thing you might want to spice up. Using a custom color can definitely put more fish in the boat especially in the weeks after the opener when these cutthroats have seen a million frog colored flatfish go by. Custom air brushing adds that one of a kind look that cutthroats can’t resist but can be a little expensive to purchase all the equipment and product needed to paint you own. A simple way to customize your lure is to use reflective tape or a sharpie pen to add contrast lines and spots. I am a firm believer in customizing your lure.
Matt G
Another technique is to fish structure. Whether the structure is a sand drop off, cluster of rocks or a fresh water spring, I fish them in two different ways. When trolling I want my lure to be within inches of the structure as it passes by or when vertical jigging, I want my jig to pass up, over and all around the structure as I drift by it. Structure fishing can be very effective. But you can loose a bunch of lures. This is a hard gamble to take but the rewards can be well worth the risk.
Justin W
Tail of the tape:
Water temperature is 67 degrees.
35 to 40 feet on suspended fish in open water.
Colors in open water: White, watermelon and chartreuse.
Colors when fishing bait balls. Gold/black, gold/green and gold. The closer you can get to the real color patter of a tui chub the better. Trust me, this can make the difference between catching a few fish or an incredible catch rate while working a school of bait.
The main Forage fish in the tui chub . That’s what the big fish are feeding on. Find the schools of chub and you will find the Lahontan cutthroat trout
Katie S with 3 Double Digit Cutthroats Caught within 2 hr
Brad Stout
