Outdoors with Don Q: Reminder of waters closing September 30

This is my annual reminder that a number of nearby fishing waters will be closing for the year at sunset on September 30. Those waters include the following:

Fort Churchill Cooling Ponds:
How to get there: From Carson City, drive east on U.S. 50 to the Weeks cutoff, which is just a few miles west of Silver Springs.
That cutoff will be just past a school on your right side. Turn right onto the cutoff and drive to its intersection with Alt. U.S. 95. Turn right onto Alt. U.S. 95 and drive south toward Yerington.
One mile past Wabuska (where you cross the railroad tracks) is Sierra Way (a paved road) on your left.
Take Sierra Way a short distance to the parking area at the ponds. The water is owned by NV Energy and that area is open to the public through an agreement between the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and the power company.

You can only fish from the shoreline. Wading or the use of boats or other floating devices is prohibited. Fishing is prohibited from the center dyke and in the posted areas. The limit is 15 game fish, of which not more than 2 may be Black Bass. Minimum size for the Black Bass is 14 inches.
Fishing hours are one hour before sunrise to two hours after sunset. This is a warm water fishery that (with luck or skill) can produce good numbers of Channel Catfish and Black (Largemouth) Bass.
The season will re-open the second Saturday in February 2014.

Hinkson Slough:
How to get there: Take the first dirt road on your right, while driving on Sierra Way toward the Cooling Ponds.
Drive south on that dirt road until you reach the (Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area (MVWMA) headquarters Building.
At that MVWMA headquarters, there is a large informational board with a map that directs you to Hinkson Slough.
The slough limit is 2 trout and 15 warm water fish, of which not more than 2 may be Black Bass. Minimum size for trout is 16 inches.
Artificial flies or lures only.
The season will re-open the second Saturday in February 2014.

North Pond:
How to get there: Take the first dirt road on your right, while driving on Sierra Way toward the Cooling Ponds.
Drive south on that dirt road until you reach the MVWMA headquarters Building. At that headquarters, there is a large informational board with a map that directs you to North Pond.
The North Pond limit is 5 trout and 15 warm water fish, of which not more than 2 may be Black Bass.
If Bass are kept at the MVWMA, they must be smaller than 11 inches or larger than 14 inches.
Fishing hours are any hour of the day or night.
The season will re-open the second Saturday in February 2014.

Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area:
Applicable open waters (Bass Pond, Beaver Slough, Crappie Pond and the Walker River), all located on the Wildlife Management Area (MVWMA).
How to get there: Take the first dirt road on your right, while driving on Sierra Way toward the Cooling Ponds.
Drive south on that dirt road until you reach the MVWMA headquarters Building. At that headquarters, there is a large informational board with a map that directs you to all of those waters.
The limit for all waters is 5 trout and 15 warm water fish, of which not more than 2 may be Black Bass. If Bass are kept at the MVWMA, they must be smaller than 11 inches or larger than 14 inches.
Fishing hours are any hour of the day or night.
The season will re-open the second Saturday in February 2014.

Hobart Reservoir:
It is a small high-mountain reservoir between Carson City and Lake Tahoe.
How to get there: To reach Hobart, take the dirt road in Ash Canyon (on the west side of Carson City) to a chain across the road near the summit of the mountain. That chain marks the boundary of the Nevada State Park vehicle-prohibited area. From the chain, it is about a one-mile hike, downhill, to the reservoir. However, remember that it will be about a one-mile hike, UPHILL, back to where your vehicle is parked. You’ve been forewarned!

Hobart is best when fished from a float tube or small, inflatable raft in the very early morning or the very late afternoon/early evening.

You can catch Eastern brook, cutthroat, rainbow or Bowcutt trout. Its fishing hours are one hour before sunrise to two hours after sunset. The limit is five trout, only one of which may be longer than 14 inches.
Fishing is restricted to artificial flies or lures with a single barbless hook. No overnight camping is permitted. The season will re-open on May 01, 2014.

Topaz Lake:
How to get there: This bi-state lake is located along U.S. 395 on the Nevada-California state line, about 40 miles south of Carson City.
It contains Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout, Bass and even Carp.
From a boat, some of the better fishing is by trolling down the middle or along the far shore line with flashers and worms or small Rapala lures.
From shore, most fishermen use Power Bait, worms or Salmon eggs.
Fishing hours are one hour before sunrise to two hours after sunset.
The area within the jetties of the Topaz Marina is closed to fishing.
The limit is 5 Trout, 10 Mountain Whitefish and 15 warmwater game fish of which not more than 5 may be Black Bass.
The lake will re-open New Years Day 2014.

Finally:
If you have a desire to fish any of these waters, you better hustle because you are running out of time for the year 2013.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can’t tell you about my most unusual catch while fishing at Topaz Lake.
If he grins and says, "It was the time that Don was spincasting with lures and on one cast accidently caught the wing of a seagull that was flying past him," he could be the person who helped me free the squawking bird.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com