Hello fellow anglers. Welcome to the end of the Wolf moon. I am thankful it's over. A great sight to see and experience. But not if you want to catch fish. As many know, in the summer during a full moon. The fish tend to feed more at night, which turns the fishing way down during the day. But in the winter months. Trout are already lethargic and are already less active in colder winter months, so even slight changes in water temps and light can disrupt their feeding patterns. I experienced this last week at Topaz lake while fishing with my better half, Renee. We did get a few fish on, but were gone within a short time of reeling. The two trout Renee got to the boat were barely hooked in the bottom lip. As with all lakes, even frozen ones. The fishing, or should I say "the biting" during the day tends to go slow to nil. By this weekend, the fishing biting should pick up. I spoke with a few anglers that were not as productive as we were last week. Here are a few tips for lake winter fishing. We trolled in 8 to 12 feet of water, versus 15 to 30 feet of water we do in the spring and summer months. I slow my trolling down to 1.8 mph and use a J5 or and J7 jointed Rapala. I have also had good success trolling a cinnamon leach wooly bugger fly. For shore anglers, try various lengths on your leaders. Start off with a 12 inch,  then go up to an 18 or 24 inch leader. Inflate your night crawler to get it off the bottom. I also like to use a little trout juice for either trolling or bait fishing. But the best advice I can give is, know your bottom when trolling. Learn the lake and find where the brush line or drop offs start and end. As most anglers know, on Topaz Lake there is a large willow bed on the south end of the lake. If you find it by accident, you will lose hardware. But it can also become your friend if you learn how to use it. I also must admit, this last trip to Topaz. I was out-fished by a 4 to 1 ratio. What can I say, I taught her well.

CAPLES LAKE: Many anglers have been getting out on the ice. With our clear days, expect to hear a little rumble on the lake. Direct sun causes expansion and contraction. Always use caution on any frozen bodies of water. Because of the full moon, the catching was fair but not exciting. Most anglers were jigging small spoons or kastmasters. Lures are effective and also keep you moving to help with circulation. Other anglers were using a half of a night crawler either just off the bottom or a few feet down in the hole. The Caples Lake Resort is open for cabin rentals and dining. You can ski at Kirkwood in the morning and ice fish in the afternoon. For more information go to capleslakeresort.com.

RED LAKE:  The lake had 12 inches of ice as of last week. A few anglers have reported in with a few small trout using  gold Kastmasters.  The parking area behind the dam is open. Note: do not park in front of the snow cannon.

EAST CARSON RIVER ALPINE COUNTY: The flow rate was down to 89 CFS this week. The fishing has been slow. Best action for spin casters has been with small Panther Martin spinners. Fly anglers have been using  wooly buggers or a midge pattern. For more information, stop by the Carson River Resort.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR: I did not fish the lake over the last 2 weeks, nor have I received any reports from fellow anglers. Warning, do not use the dirt road if you do not have a high clearance 4 wheel drive. and drive slow on the paved road, some areas may be icy.

TOPAZ LAKE:  The lake level  is slowly rising at about 3-6 inches a week. The Douglas County boat ramp is open and has only the middle dock in right now. Use a little patience and courtesy launching and coming back in. Shore angling was slow this last week. Most anglers were fishing the south end with powerbait or night crawlers. Trollers were using flashers and worms or Rapalas.

LOCAL URBAN PONDS: Most of our local ponds are covered in ice each morning. Do not attempt to walk on them as the ice is thin and very unstable. Also a reminder to keep your dogs on a leash around them. We do not want any accidents.

MOUNTAIN PASSES: Ebbetts Pass is closed. Monitor pass is open right now.

BLUE LAKES ROAD- BURNSIDE LAKE-WOODS LAKE-WOLF CREEK ROAD: All closed.

Good luck on your next fishing adventure. remember to let someone know where you are going and when you will return. Always bring plenty of water and put a few snack bars in your glove box and warm clothes and a blanket in your back seat or in the trunk. You never know when you may be stuck on the side of the road. If you get a picture of your catch, send it to [email protected]. Hope to see you on the waters or the ice soon. Good fishin' and tight lines