It's trout time in Lake Tahoe

Looking to catch a trout the size of your leg this winter...without having to go to New Zealand to do it? Well, here's what you do: Just wait for the series of storms to settle down and then take an easy 1 ½-hour ride up I-80 to Lake Tahoe. Late winter/early spring is prime time to hook monster rainbows, browns and macks up there - and the scenery isn't bad, either!To get you started on the right track, I recently spent the day with one of the lake's best anglers, Joby Cefalu of Mile High Fishing Charters in South Lake Tahoe, and picked his brain a little about fishing Tahoe this time of year. He's a big fan of jigging most of the year, but says trolling is the best way to catch all three species in the same day, so that's what we'll cover this time around. TOPLINE TROLLING: In the winter months, Tahoe's rainbows and browns usually cruise very near the surface and close to shore. They'll patrol rocky outcrops and sandy drop-offs in search of baitfish and that's where you topline trollers need to concentrate your efforts. Some of the most productive areas in February and early March include Nevada Beach, Baldwin Beach, Kings Beach and Cave Rock. "Since the trout are feeding on smaller fish at this time, I like to use baitfish imitations like broken-back Rebels and Rapalas and jointed Kwikfish," Cefalu said. "Bright patterns like silver, white and fluorescent orange or green all work well and I like to slather my lures in scent just for good measure. I'll use stuff such as Pro Cure, Smelly Jelly and Dr. Juice. I don't use any weight or downriggers to get the baits down I just run them on straight mono, so we're probably fishing no deeper than 10 feet below the surface."Cefalu uses planer boards to spread the lures out away from the boat, but he says they are not mandatory. "Planer boards are advised, but you can go directly off the back of the boat, too," he says. "The clarity of the lake dictates, however, that you run your lures a minimum of 150 feet behind the boat to avoid spooking the fish."When he toplines for trout in the fall and spring, Cefalu drags his lures at speeds up to 3 miles per hour. The fish are less active in the winter, though, and that means trolling speeds need to be reduced to the 1-2 mph range.The rainbows and browns anglers can expect to catch while fishing this way typically run 2 to 5 pounds, but fish up to 10 pounds do show up now and then. It is important to note that fishing is not allowed within 100 yards of any tributary stream mouth from Oct. 1 through July 1, so you need to pay attention to where you're trolling. The problem is, in the winter, the streams are mere trickles and are difficult to see, so a good map of the area is a must to have on board. DEEP TROLLING: While Tahoe's mackinaw can be caught up near the surface in the winter on occasion, deep water trolling is the most consistent way to get at them. "In the winter, the macks school up pretty tight and you'll find them primarily on the bottom near structure," Cefalu said. "The bottom of Lake Tahoe is like an underwater mountain range and I like to fish the peaks of the humps and hills. Since the water is extremely cold in February, it takes a slow presentation to get the fish to hit I usually troll anywhere from .8 to 1.2 mph."Early in the morning, he trolls Flatfish up to size U20 in glow-in-the-dark patterns and then switches over to fluorescent colors like hot pink, chartreuse and white as the sun gets higher. If the fish don't like the plugs, he'll try live minnows. When using plugs, flasher blades are not necessary, but when trolling live minnows, Cefalu uses a string of No. 9 silver blades ahead of the bait. Tahoe has no shortage of mack-holding subsurface structure. Some of the best places to find fish this time of year are Ski Run, Cave Rock, Edgewood, Camp Richardson, Eagle Rock, Dollar Point, Sugar Pine Point and the Tavern Hole. Keep an eye on the depthfinder and thoroughly work over any significant breaks, drop-offs or peaks that hold fish. SAFETY: If you plan to fish the lake in the winter out of your own boat, pay very close attention to the weather and get off the water quickly if it starts to kick up. There's no need to take chances out there! A good way to learn the ropes is to go fish with a guy like Cefalu. He can be reached at Mile High Sportfishing, (866) 752-3474, or on the web at www.fishtahoe.com. xJ.D. Richey is a 1986 Placer High graduate, and his outdoors pieces have been published nationally. He can be found on the Web at www.thesportfisher.com>