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Oct. 1 marked the fall opening at Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada. For the last several years now, the fishery has been in a “Perfect Storm” producing some of the biggest Lahontan cutts in the last 80 years!

The explosion of forage in the lake, successful plants and the reintroduction of the Pilot Peak Lahontan’s has produced the best fishing for giant cutts since the 1900's. For the last three years now the fishing has been phenomenal to say the least.

My good buddy, John Werwie, called me this past Fri. to say he had just talked with a mutual friend, Brad Stout, who lives in Sparks right at the lake. He said that from various reports he had received the big cutt count was already at (21) cutts over 10 LBS. and (2) over 20 LBS. just on that Thurs., the opening day!

He was getting ready to make the trip to the lake today. He was meeting up with fellow Brownbagger, Ted Neal, and Bill Blanc for a 4 day trip to the famous lake. I am a bit jealous but really excited for the guys.....hope they bang some big boys! I was originally supposed to hook up with Shawn Parker for a fall trip but it just didn’t work out for us this fall.....hoping next year!

It sounded like the cutts, when you found them, were in suspended in 40-60 feet on bait balls. Trolling with riggers and jigging was the two successful drills right now. As water temps drop, the bait and cutts will eventually work their way in as the thermocline breaks down and they will scatter around the shoreline near the break lines for most of the winter before spawning in the spring.

If you can get to the lake in the next couple of years, I suggest you do so. These cycles sometimes last for several years and usually then decline as conditions change. I have seen this happen to the giant gerrard rainbows at Kootenay in BC and Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho over the last 25 years.....everything eventually cycles!!

Tight Lines,
Rick