any new mexico spearfishermen out there
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crazyc
Contributor
Joens,
I used to do quite a bit of spearfishing in NM, my favorite and most successful being Elephant Butte down in T or C.
I used to do quite a bit of spearfishing in NM, my favorite and most successful being Elephant Butte down in T or C.
Sorry to dissapoint, but that's one venue of diving (among others) I haven't tried yet.
Sounds like fun though. What are the typical catches?
Sounds like fun though. What are the typical catches?
blueabysss
Registered
Go spearfishing without tanks and you'll have a challenging and exhilirating experience. You 'll feel like saying "tanks? no thanks"
Hi joens
Lakes over here ar pretty sad right now.
I am at Heron Reservoir every other weekend all summer form Memorial to Labor day.
It has Kokanee as well as some other species of salmonids. Unfortunately, it is very low. I did some diving for our sail club over Labor Day Weekend. Vis was a whopping couldn't read the SPG with it and the light against the mask. But that was at the inlet and after a rain. I'm gooing to try to get there right after the ice thaws & before runoff. We did some sailing down by the dam, and looked for the surface like it was lot better. Pretty deep at that end of the lake. Our start line pin is in the channel in the middle of the lake and is in +100 ft of water.
Another place that I've heard may be worth checking out is Navajo Res near Farmington. Don't know much about the lake. The tailwater below the damn has one of the best Rainbow trout sections in the country. but spearfishing would be completely out of the question. I've thought about "drifting" it with a camera though. There are some really deep holes, and I've been told of a couple particular ledges that holds some big browns. Be an intersting excursion.
Lastly, the most likely place is, as crazyc mentioned, Elephant Butte. I sail there spring and fall. Was there 2 weeks ago, and maybe there tomorrow night to race Saturday.
It's waaaayyyy down. Since this drought started about 2-3 years ago, the clarity has gone in the dumper. 3 years ago, close to shore you could see fish (carp!) at the bottom in 12-15 ft of water at the marinas. Now you can't see the end of your arm.
There's been an issue with farm waste/runoff from above, and the lake hasn't had enough water turnover to flush it out. Consequently, it has a very nasty algae problem. Don't know if you've seen it, but it's that flourescent day-glo stuff. The state says it's OK, but I know people whose dog got sick from swimming in it. I won't even stick my hand in it if I don't have to. Not a good situation.
I haven't been there, but I had heard that Ute is about the clearest reservoir in the state. Sandy bottom, and mostly fed through sandy topography from what I understand. So you're probably getting about as good as we have there for now.
Haven't been there in years, and don't know if it's too far, but there's a lake in western Nebraska called McConaughy. I've seen vis in some of the coves on the north side of the lake up to 30-40 feet., but it's got water level problems right now, too. Trout, white/striper cross, & catfish there.
I'll have to check the rules about spearfishing for Kokanee here in NM. It's snagging season for them right now I think.
You still going to try to make it to that DIR-F class in April? I can't make a commitment to it righ now. May be able to make it, but it'll be a last minute decision if so.
Lakes over here ar pretty sad right now.
I am at Heron Reservoir every other weekend all summer form Memorial to Labor day.
It has Kokanee as well as some other species of salmonids. Unfortunately, it is very low. I did some diving for our sail club over Labor Day Weekend. Vis was a whopping couldn't read the SPG with it and the light against the mask. But that was at the inlet and after a rain. I'm gooing to try to get there right after the ice thaws & before runoff. We did some sailing down by the dam, and looked for the surface like it was lot better. Pretty deep at that end of the lake. Our start line pin is in the channel in the middle of the lake and is in +100 ft of water.
Another place that I've heard may be worth checking out is Navajo Res near Farmington. Don't know much about the lake. The tailwater below the damn has one of the best Rainbow trout sections in the country. but spearfishing would be completely out of the question. I've thought about "drifting" it with a camera though. There are some really deep holes, and I've been told of a couple particular ledges that holds some big browns. Be an intersting excursion.
Lastly, the most likely place is, as crazyc mentioned, Elephant Butte. I sail there spring and fall. Was there 2 weeks ago, and maybe there tomorrow night to race Saturday.
It's waaaayyyy down. Since this drought started about 2-3 years ago, the clarity has gone in the dumper. 3 years ago, close to shore you could see fish (carp!) at the bottom in 12-15 ft of water at the marinas. Now you can't see the end of your arm.
There's been an issue with farm waste/runoff from above, and the lake hasn't had enough water turnover to flush it out. Consequently, it has a very nasty algae problem. Don't know if you've seen it, but it's that flourescent day-glo stuff. The state says it's OK, but I know people whose dog got sick from swimming in it. I won't even stick my hand in it if I don't have to. Not a good situation.
I haven't been there, but I had heard that Ute is about the clearest reservoir in the state. Sandy bottom, and mostly fed through sandy topography from what I understand. So you're probably getting about as good as we have there for now.
Haven't been there in years, and don't know if it's too far, but there's a lake in western Nebraska called McConaughy. I've seen vis in some of the coves on the north side of the lake up to 30-40 feet., but it's got water level problems right now, too. Trout, white/striper cross, & catfish there.
I'll have to check the rules about spearfishing for Kokanee here in NM. It's snagging season for them right now I think.
You still going to try to make it to that DIR-F class in April? I can't make a commitment to it righ now. May be able to make it, but it'll be a last minute decision if so.
Umm, is that the Heron Reservoir in the Rio Grande basin? I saw a report a couple of years back that talked about mercury there - and i just found something on it again (from 2000 - nothing recent). Umm, don't eat the fish from there too often, eh?
The algae you describe may be golden algae. There's an article on this at the following site that you may find informative. It's a fair sized PDF with pictures, and the article you might want to read is at the top of page 8.
http://www.fisheries.org/aznm/Fall02news.pdf
Menwhile - you're quite right to keep your dog (and hands) out. There's a lot of toxic freshwater algae out there, some worse than others.
HTH. Cat
The algae you describe may be golden algae. There's an article on this at the following site that you may find informative. It's a fair sized PDF with pictures, and the article you might want to read is at the top of page 8.
http://www.fisheries.org/aznm/Fall02news.pdf
Menwhile - you're quite right to keep your dog (and hands) out. There's a lot of toxic freshwater algae out there, some worse than others.
HTH. Cat
Probably the one. It's actually on the Chama River which drains to the Rio Grande. It's fed via a tunnel system form the San Juan drainage. It's an east slope lake (to the Atlantic) that is fed primarily with west slope (to the Pacific) water.
As for Mercury, not really an issue for me. I'm a flyfisherman. Haven't intentionally killed a fish in over 15 years. Strictly catch and release. Don't want to deplete my recreation!
See a lot of people fishing Heron, and snagging this time of year. Hadn't heard anything about the mercury though it's very possible. A lot of gold mining in the late 1800's in that area, and mercury was used pretty indescrimantly at that time.
I do know of a section of the Red River about 80 miles east of Chama that has a stretch that is totaly dead, and has been for a fewof decades due to mining runoff.
Unfortunately, a lot of that along the continental divide in NM & CO.
Took a look at that link. Don't think that's waht is at Elephant Butte. Haven't been any reports of fish kills, and that WOULD make the local news, as well as be topic for discusiion in the Bar at the lake.
But it's not a good situation in any event.
Thanks
As for Mercury, not really an issue for me. I'm a flyfisherman. Haven't intentionally killed a fish in over 15 years. Strictly catch and release. Don't want to deplete my recreation!
See a lot of people fishing Heron, and snagging this time of year. Hadn't heard anything about the mercury though it's very possible. A lot of gold mining in the late 1800's in that area, and mercury was used pretty indescrimantly at that time.
I do know of a section of the Red River about 80 miles east of Chama that has a stretch that is totaly dead, and has been for a fewof decades due to mining runoff.
Unfortunately, a lot of that along the continental divide in NM & CO.
Took a look at that link. Don't think that's waht is at Elephant Butte. Haven't been any reports of fish kills, and that WOULD make the local news, as well as be topic for discusiion in the Bar at the lake.
But it's not a good situation in any event.
Thanks
newt
Registered
Hi,
I grew up in Las Cruces and now diving in Utah. We have a few lakes that may make the grade- Flaming Gorge has some wall dives and 50 ft vis, although I do not know if it will be open this year for diving. Lets keep talking and maybe find the best places to dive in the rockies.
I have also heard great things about Lake Mead (nevada). Any ideas on how low it is? If the reservior drops 150 ft or so, we should be able to dive on the B-29 down there.
I grew up in Las Cruces and now diving in Utah. We have a few lakes that may make the grade- Flaming Gorge has some wall dives and 50 ft vis, although I do not know if it will be open this year for diving. Lets keep talking and maybe find the best places to dive in the rockies.
I have also heard great things about Lake Mead (nevada). Any ideas on how low it is? If the reservior drops 150 ft or so, we should be able to dive on the B-29 down there.
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