Scotts Flat:
The Thrill Of Victory
The Agony of Defeat!

by Cal Kellogg
March 11, 2005

Trout fishing during the dead of winter is often a feast or famine proposition. On one hand, the trout are shallow and easily accessible from both boat and bank. If you find them in a feeding mood, fishing for chunky holdovers and even grizzle-toothed trophies can be outstanding.

On the other hand, low water temperatures and inclement weather can make the trout sluggish and unresponsive. My Dad and I experienced both sides of this coin in a week's time, while fishing Nevada County's Scotts Flat Reservoir.

Dad and I visited the lake for the first time this year on January 28. The weather forecast called for unsettled conditions and possible snow showers. When we arrived at the lake's boat ramp around 9:00 am, we were greeted by a light drizzle. Undaunted, we grabbed our gear and set up on a point east of the boat ramp, where a deep water channel meets a shallow flat.

I rigged one rod with a worm suspended six feet under a slip bobber. On the second rod, I fished an inflated crawler floated 24 inches off the bottom on a slip sinker rig. Dad fished Power Bait on a slip sinker rig on his first rod and on the second he soaked Pautzke salmon eggs.

For five hours, we endured winds and icy rain, while experimenting with rigs, lures, jigs, and flies. By 2:30 p.m. despite our efforts, we'd drawn a blank. As the rain turned into a hard hail, we decided it was time to go.

Once we got our gear to the truck, the hail had given way to snow that was quickly blanketing the parking lot.

I bought a new set of snow chains back in October. Since I was visiting the Sierra on a day with snow in the forecast, you would think that I'd be sure my new chains were in the truck, right?

Of course not, I left them in the garage where they would be of no help at all! Well to make a long story short, we slipped and slid our way back to Highway 20, where we were greeted by the sight of an approaching snow plow, which we gladly followed back to Nevada City.

Anxious for a rematch, and with sunny skies in the forecast, Dad and I made a return trip to Scotts Flat in February. Once again we arrived about 9 o'clock and headed for the point east of the boat ramp. The sun felt great and I started shedding layers of fleece almost immediately.

Dad baited both his rods with Power Bait. I opted to fish worms, with one suspended beneath a slip bobber and the other inflated and presented on a slip sinker rig.

Just after I got my baits in the water, Jerry Mccormack and Steve Moore pulled up to the boat ramp in their pontoon boat with two husky rainbows they had taken while trolling large Rapalas for browns. After several minutes of conversation, they headed back out on the lake and I returned to my rods.

For an hour or so we fished without a bite before I decided to check my bait. Reeling in the rod with the slip sinker rig, I felt a solid tug as if a trout had taken a swipe at the worm. Looking the worm over, it appeared as if a trout had grabbed it. Thinking it was time for a change in strategy, I clipped off the slip sinker rig and tied on a blue and chrome Cripplure, reasoning that the trout wanted something moving.

On my third cast, a 13 inch rainbow slammed the lure and instantly went airborne. After working the fish to the shore I quickly released it and resumed casting. About 10 casts later, a second pan-sized rainbow grabbed the lure about 15 feet from the bank. As I released the second fish, Dad changed one of his bait rigs for a gold Panther Martin spinner. On Dad's fourth cast, he nailed a feisty 'bow of his own.

At that point I thought we were really onto something, but try as we might we couldn't temp another strike. For whatever reason, the bite shut down as quickly as it had began. We experimented with lures and bait for a couple of hours without results before calling it quits. It sure was nice to be out in the sunshine, so much so that the trout we caught were only a bonus to a great day in the Sierras.

Holdover rainbows and browns continue offering anglers action at Scotts Flat and the fishing should only get better as spring approaches. For information on fishing the lake call Scotts Flat Lake at 530-265-5302.