Toplining Tahoe

     Toplining is how I usually fish Tahoe.  It is a local term for fishing in about the top 30 feet of the water column, usually close to shore.  Hire a guide and they will put you on mackinaw, or lake trout, in hundreds of feet of water with heavy gear that would be at home in salt water.  As fish are dragged up hundreds of feet their swim bladder inflates and they don't fight at all and make for an uneventful battle.  Can you pick out the mack that was caught deep in the pictures to the right?  Catch and release is not an option with these fish.  In contrast, toplined trout put on an exiting fight, often jumping and pulling my 10 foot kayak on a Tahoe version of the Nantucket sleighride.

     Start by finding rocky shoreline.   Sandy bottom is like a barren desert out there.  Good spots are:  Zephyr Cove, Cave Rock, Sand Harbor, Eagle and Emerald points (mouth of Emerald Bay), Meeks Bay, Dollar Point.  Tahoe's clarity is about 60+feet, so if you look under your bout and see rocks, know your on the fish.  Making them bite is your next concern.

     I like a baitcaster style reel on a 8-9 foot salmon/steelhead rod.  Spool up with 6 lb. fluorocarbon line.  I use Berkley Vanish.  Tahoe trout are notoriously line shy.  Fluorocarbon line is invisible under water, and it sinks faster.  It stretches less and absorbs less water than mono, making it an ideal toplining line.    Use a snap to change lures quickly and to get the most action out of your lures.  (not a swivel snap, as these twist your line.)  Have a rod holder.  Keep your presentation close to the bottom.  If your in 40 feet of water fishing 20 feet deep you probably wont get bit.  If your not hanging bottom and losing some lures occasionally then you're not fishing deep enough.  

     Any lure that catches trout could be toplined.  Big lures catch bigger fish everywhere and Tahoe is no exception.  Some guys fish huge saltwater minnow plugs about 12 inches in length, but you'll get more bites with a more modest offering.  I've caught huge trout on small lures too.  Your lure choice should depend on weather conditions, time of day, and depth. Gold, silver, rainbow and brown trout patterns are Tahoe favorites.  Pick an offering that gets close to the bottom.  Start fishing shallow in the predawn hour and work your way deeper as the sun comes up.  Choppy water and low light are good for big, fast offerings.  Clear, glassy water requires slower and  smaller baits.  

     We run long lines in Tahoe.  These are spooky wild trout that wont bite a rapala if they just saw the shadow of a boat go by.  300 foot set back is average.  Shorten that up for tight maneuvering among the buoys.  Maybe go a little longer for slow trolling on glass.  

     Always work with a net.  That trophy on your line took hours of hard work to get there.  Don't lose it boatside.  A "trout" net is way to small.  A medium size net will work for most fish.  After losing a giant mac in my medium net, I now carry a full size salmon net with a telescoping handle.  Trout over 30 pounds swim in this lake, so a net built for chinook salmon is not overkill.