This week's stocking report

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This fishing report, provided by Bill Dunn and the Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

CATCHES OF THE WEEK:

If you have a catch of the week story or just want to tell us about your latest New Mexico fishing
experience, send it to us at fishforfun2@hotmail.com. We may include your story in our next report.

• Clayton Lake: April 24, Mikey Montoya of Clayton caught a 7.5-pound walleye. He was using a jig.
• Quemado Lake: April 25, Deadmond, of Mesa, Ariz., caught and released four 30-inch tiger muskies. He was using a 10-weight fly rod and casting a seven-inch streamer on a clear intermediate sink line.
• Conchas Lake: April 28, Autumn Weber, age 10, of Rio Rancho caught a 4-pound walleye. She was trolling a wonder bread color Wally Diver.
• Navajo Lake: April 28, Steve Hammond of Farmington caught and released a 6.15-pound largemouth bass. Mark Williams of Los Alamos caught and released a 6.04-pound smallmouth bass.
• Heron Lake: April 25, Eric Garcia of Espanola caught a 31 ¾-inch, 16 ½-pound lake trout. He was using a White Hare jig at 33 feet. Mikey Archuleta of Espanola caught a 23 ¾-inch, 7 ½-pound lake trout. He was jigging a white tube at 33 feet.
• April 28, Mike Alvarado of Santa Fe caught a 16.8-pound lake trout. He was using a flatfish. Dan Brophy of Los Alamos caught a 16.9-pound lake trout. He was using a silver spoon.
• Bluewater Lake: April 29, Randy and Peggy Walts of Albuquerque caught and released a 36-inch tiger musky. They were trolling red eye lures at the time.
• Ute Lake: April 29, Everett Stanley of Dalhart, Texas, caught and released a 4.20-pound largemouth bass. He was using a senko. 

For catches of the week, include name, date, and location, type of fish, length and weight if possible and bait, lure or fly used.

May 1

Northeast

Cabresto Lake: The lake and campground will be closed for about six months beginning May 14 while the dam is reconstructed.
Charette Lakes: Fishing was very good using Power Bait for limits of trout.
Cimarron River: Hot spot for trout: Fishing was very good using size 16 copper John Barrs, BWOs, worms, salmon eggs and PMDs. Water flow below Eagle Nest Lake as of Monday was 23 cfs.
Clayton Lake: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait and homemade dough baits. One big walleye was taken on a jig. See catches of the week. We had no reports on other species. Due to low water conditions, only small boats, kayaks and canoes can be launched.
Conchas Lake: Hot spot for walleye and white bass. Fishing continued to be very good using crank baits, minnows, grubs and sassy shad for walleye and white bass. Fishing for crappie was fair using minnows, crank baits and small jigs. One group of youngsters ages 12, 10, 8 and 7 caught a total of 48 fish. It was a mixed bag of walleye, white bass, smallmouth bass and crappie. They were trolling white crank baits. Fishing for smallmouth bass was good using jerk baits, tubes, minnows, senkos and crank baits in shallow water. We had no reports on other species. The surface water temp was in the low to mid 60s.
Coyote Creek: Trout fishing was very good using Power Bait. A few trout were also taken by anglers using worms, salmon eggs and small bead head nymphs.  
Eagle Nest Lake: Fishing was good using Power Bait, olive wooly buggers, homemade dough baits, jigs, worms and spinners for a mixed bag of perch, northern pike and rainbow trout. The pike fishing was very good for anglers using Rapalas, Kastmasters and Bombers. Anglers did well from boats and from the bank. There is a pike tournament this coming weekend. For more info call (575) 377-6226.
Gallinas River: Trout fishing was good using spinners, worms and Power Bait.
Lake Maloya: Trout fishing was good using corn, salmon eggs, worms, Pistol Petes, spoons and Power Bait. 
Maxwell Lake 13: Fishing was fair using green Power Bait for rainbow trout. We had no reports on other species.
Monastery Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Morphy Lake: Fishing was good using Power Bait and homemade dough bait for trout.
Pecos River: Water flow near Anton Chico on Monday was 255 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using tungsten bead head nymphs and worms.
Red River: Water flow below the hatchery was 138 cfs. Trout fishing below the hatchery was slow with just a few fish taken on copper John Barrs and worms.
Rio Grande: The water flow Monday at the Taos Junction Bridge was 633 cfs. Trout fishing was fair using spinners, night crawlers and jerk baits. We had no reports on other species.
Shuree Ponds: Closed for the season. Opens July 1.
Springer Lakes: Fishing was fair using minnows, cut bait and Rat-L-Traps for northern pike. With the water release for irrigation, it has become difficult to launch boats. We had no reports on other species.
Storrie Lake: Trout fishing was fair for anglers using corn, cheese, Power Bait and homemade dough bait for trout up to 14 inches. Fishing for catfish was slow.
Ute Lake: Walleye fishing picked up some this past week as anglers did well using bottom bouncer/worm combinations and deep running crank baits in 20 to 30 feet of water.  Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was fair-to-good using senkos, chigger craws and smallie beavers. The smallmouth bass were in less than six feet of water while the largemouth bass were in six to ten feet. Fishing for crappie was fair-to-good using minnows in the brush at 10 to 12 feet. Fishing for white bass was at best sporadic with a few good sized fish taken on crank baits, jig and minnow combinations and curly tail grubs. The surface water temp on the main lake was in the low 60s.

Northwest

Abiquiu Lake: Fishing was fair using minnows in 14 to 20 feet of water for walleye. Fishing was fair using minnows, tubes and jigs in 10 feet of water for smallmouth bass. Anglers trolling crank baits caught a mixed bag of trout and smallmouth bass. Red craw crank baits seemed to be working best. We had no reports on other species.
Albuquerque area drains: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Animas River:  As of Monday morning flow near Cedar Hill was 1,430 cfs. Trout fishing was slow.
Bluewater Lake: Trout fishing was fair using Power Bait, homemade dough baits, spinners and salmon eggs. Fishing for tiger musky was very good using large crank baits, spinners and swim baits. The surface water temp ranged from the low to mid 50s.
Chama River: Monday morning water flows below El Vado and Abiquiu were 494 cfs and 642 cfs respectively. Trout fishing below El Vado was fair using Panther Martins and night crawlers for brown trout up to 17 inches. Fishing below Abiquiu was slow.
Cochiti Lake: Fishing here has really turned on this past week. Anglers are doing well using buzz baits, crank baits, tubes, creature baits and large Fish Creek spinners for northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. A few white bass were also taken by anglers using crank baits, grubs and spinners. The water is clearing.
El Vado Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Fenton Lake: Hot spot for trout: Fishing was very good using worms, Power Bait, homemade dough baits, bead head nymphs and olive Pistol Petes for trout up to 16 inches. Worms were the best bait.
Heron Lake: Fishing from boats was good using jigs, spoons, tubes, flat fish, Rapalas and Panther Martins for lake trout. Anthony Martinez of Albuquerque didn’t get in to the big ones but had a good day on April 29. He caught and released 9 lake trout in the 2 to 4 pound class while using a white tube with cut bait. Kokanee are starting to show up as a few were taken on spinners and jigs. Trout fishing from the bank was fair using Power Bait and corn.
Jackson Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Jemez Waters: Water flow on the Jemez as of Monday morning was 178 cfs and murky. Fishing was slow here and on most Jemez streams. On the Rio Cebolla below Fenton Lake trout fishing was slow but there were a few small fish taken on worms and nymphs.
Lake Farmington: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait. We had no reports on other species.
Manzano Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
McGaffey Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Navajo Lake: Hit the backs of coves for some good crappie fishing. Best baits this past week were crappie jigs and minnows. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair using perch and crawdad colored crank baits and clauser minnows in fairly shallow water. Fishing for northern pike was slow with just a few taken by anglers using crank baits and spinner baits. Water surface temps dropped considerably over the weekend and were in the low to mid 50s.
Ramah Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
San Juan: Water flow below Navajo Lake as of Monday morning was 487 cfs. Trout fishing through the Quality Waters was excellent using RS2s, chocolate foam wing emergers, small white streamers and dead chickens. Through the bait waters, fishing was good using worms, Power Bait, jigs and jerk baits. You might want to get up here in the next couple of weeks before the flows rise to 5,000 cfs. The current schedule is to begin the increased flows May 13, ramp up to 5,000 by May 16, stay at that flow for seven days and then ramp down for three days.
Santa Cruz Lake: Trout fishing was fair-to-good using homemade dough baits, Power Bait, spinners, small crank baits, salmon eggs and corn.
Seven Springs Brood Pond: This water is open to fishing for youths under the age of 12 and
an excellent place to take the youngster and get them interested in fishing. The pond was
recently stocked and should offer a great fishing experience.
Tingley Beach: Trout fishing at the Central Ponds was fair using Power Bait, salmon eggs and worms. A few bluegills were caught by anglers using worms. We had no reports on other species.  Fishing at the Catch-and-Release Pond was slow.

Southwest

Bear Canyon: Fishing was slow for all species.
Bill Evans Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Caballo Lake: Fishing slowed considerably this past weekend. A few walleye and white bass were caught by anglers using minnows. Fishing for catfish was slow with a few taken on stink bait and night crawlers.
Elephant Butte: Fishing was fair using tubes, small swim baits, jerk baits and crank baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Fishing was fair using minnows, sassy shad, crank baits, grubs, jigs and spinners for white bass. Fishing was slow to fair using minnows and jigs for crappie. Fishing was fair using chicken liver and stink baits for catfish. We had no reports on other species. Surface temps on the main lake ranged from 54 to 66 degrees.
Escondida Lake: Trout fishing was slow-to-fair using salmon eggs, Power Bait and Pistol Petes.
Gila River: Water flow on the Gila as of Monday was 72 cfs. We had no reports from anglers this week.
Glenwood Pond: Trout fishing was good using Power Bait.
Lake Roberts: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Quemado Lake: Fishing for tiger musky was good using large streamers and swim baits. Fishing for trout was fair using Power Bait and wooly buggers.
Rio Grande: Water flow below Elephant Butte on Monday was 1,080 cfs. Fishing was fair using grubs, minnows and jigs for walleye and a few white bass. We had no reports on other species.

Southeast

Bataan Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Bonito Lake: Trout fishing was good using Pistol Petes, homemade dough baits, salmon eggs, Power Bait and corn.
Bosque Redondo: Trout fishing was fair using worms, salmon egg/corn combinations, salmon eggs and Power Bait.
Bottomless Lakes: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Brantley Lake: Anglers are to practice catch-and-release for all fish here as high levels of DDT were found in several fish.
Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Fishing was slow for all species.
Grindstone Reservoir: Fishing for trout was good using spinners, Power Bait, salmon eggs, Pistol Petes and corn.
Jal Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.
Lake Van: Trout fishing was slow but there were a few fish taken on worms and Power Bait. We had no reports on other species.
Oasis Park Lake: We had no reports from anglers this week.  
Pecos River: Water flow on Monday below Sumner Lake was 139 cfs. Fishing was slow for all species.
Perch Lake: Trout fishing was slow but there were a few caught by anglers using Pistol Petes, and Power Bait.
Ruidoso River: Water flow at Hollywood on Monday was 5.3 cfs. Trout fishing was slow.
Santa Rosa Lake: Fishing was fair to good using minnows, jigs, grubs, sassy shad and crank baits for a mixed bag of walleye and crappie. Most of the fish were caught in less than 15 feet of water. Fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass was fair using crank baits, tubes, senkos and chigger craws. We had no reports on other species. The water surface temp was in the mid to upper 50s.

Sumner Lake: Fishing was good using crank baits, minnows, worms, night crawlers and jigs for walleye. Fishing was good using crank baits, jerk baits, jigs and sassy shad for white bass. Fishing was good using tubes, chatter baits, jerk baits, crank baits, spinner baits and jigs for smallmouth bass. Fishing was good using minnows and jigs for crappie. Action was good from the bank as well as from boats. The surface water temp ranged from the high 50s to the mid 60s. The only boat ramp accessible at this time is the east side ramp.

Recent national articles have touted a resurgence of vacation home sales around the country, especially in upscale markets. While I can't speak to the Santa Fe market, the Taos real estate market is still in the doldrums, with few buyers in the area.  However, we're entering the busy summer tourist season, and I hope to see a few more buyers this year, as last year was a pretty lean real estate year.

Taos came late to the national fall-off in sales that began in 2007, so I think we'll be a little behind in this apparent trend to returning vacation home buyers.  There is good market news for other ski areas, such as those in Colorado and Idaho.  While many of my past vacation home buyers expressed an interest in using a property management company to manage their home as a vacation rental, it usually ends up moving to the bottom of their list, as they're enjoying it too much.  While it is a second home, a Taos real estate property has always proved to be a good investment, and resort realty in general has fared well in the past.

Northern New Mexico is an annual destination for many, and those visitors end up making up the bulk of our vacation home buyers.  Visit the Taos area, check out our real estate market and let Gallery Realty of Taos be your real estate company and buyer only agent.  A Taos vacation rental is a great investment, but you'll probably end up keeping it all to yourself.

While the number of sales seems to be in an uptrend, the price ranges are predominantly under $300,000.  Higher priced homes are still not showing any positive upward movement.

This article says 2011 was a great year for vacation home sales and it's expected to continue.  I know that activity on my website and searches have picked up.  It seems that Taos usually lags the rest of the country going down and up, so maybe we'll see some improvement this year.

Prices are down, interest rates are at historic lows, and tourism is pretty healthy for rentals, so we'll see.

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