San Carlos Reservation Fishing Tanks

[jjwilli1]

About 5-10 miles before Seneca Lake and Salt River Canyon there is a unmarked service road heading East into the San Carlos Res, there are about 4 tanks (Highway Tank, Upper Highway, Canyon, & Sycamore Tank) within a couple miles of the highway. Does anyone know if these are stocked or has anyone fished these with success? Specifically for small mouth?

 

I do not have the proper 4x4 vehicle right now to go deep into the mountains to my usual fishing tanks so I need something closer to the highway. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bonecollector]

I believe thats the 1300 rd., could be wrong. Im not positive if those tanks are stocked or not.

Maybe send Apache7mm a pm on here or maybe he'll see this and chime in.

[jjwilli1]

I believe thats the 1300 rd., could be wrong. Im not positive if those tanks are stocked or not.

Maybe send Apache7mm a pm on here or maybe he'll see this and chime in.

 

Bonecollector do you happen to know of any other stocked tanks close to main highways on the Res?

[azruger]

I don't believe they have been stocked in years. They used to have some great trout at upper highway tank. Nor sure I'd they still stock them at all.

[jjwilli1]

I don't believe they have been stocked in years. They used to have some great trout at upper highway tank. Nor sure I'd they still stock them at all.

 

 

Yeah I am hearing the same thing, I guess now the bigger deeper ponds are self sustaining but that no small mouth are in those ponds only large mouth, cats, and some trout. I find that really odd since I have caught small mouths in ponds up there before. Guess I will have to check it out for myself...

[bonecollector]

 

I believe thats the 1300 rd., could be wrong. Im not positive if those tanks are stocked or not.

Maybe send Apache7mm a pm on here or maybe he'll see this and chime in.

 

Bonecollector do you happen to know of any other stocked tanks close to main highways on the Res?

Not really sure man.

[lefty]

I believe most of the tanks around point of pines lake have fish in them, not sure if they still stock them, I can't remember the names of the tanks but I've caught smallmouth, largemouth and trout in them, point of pines can be good for trout too

[Apache7mm]

The only place on the Rez that has Smallmouth is the Black/Salt River which should be turning on here very soon, there have never been any Smallmouth stocked in any other locations on the Rez unless it was done unlawfully.

 

Highway Tank dries up regularly so not much effort is made to stock it, Upper Highway Tank can get good for Largemouth Bass, Tanks Canyon used to have good Largemouth and Big Channel Cats, Brushy Basin Tank should have good Bass and Catfish, Sycamore Tank has small Bass.

 

Most tanks are self sustaining and the last time we stocked LMB in any of the tanks was 2009, other than that we regularly stocked a wide range of the tanks with mostly CCF.

 

DAN

[standman]

We used to fish Tanks Canyon all the time. Been years since the last time. Caught a lot big bluegill, bass and catfish.

 

Brian

[bonecollector]

Used to fish Bonnie tank all the time when I was growing up. Caught some big cats out of there on bluegill

[azruger]

I second bonnie tank. Lots of crappie in there also. And some large bluegill. I know of a guy who has caught crappie there this year.

[jjwilli1]

Great thanks guys, Im going to hit up Upper Highway and Brushy Basin Tanks then! Hopefully can pull a string of LG Mouth like Apache7mm

[jjwilli1]

The only place on the Rez that has Smallmouth is the Black/Salt River which should be turning on here very soon, there have never been any Smallmouth stocked in any other locations on the Rez unless it was done unlawfully.

 

Highway Tank dries up regularly so not much effort is made to stock it, Upper Highway Tank can get good for Largemouth Bass, Tanks Canyon used to have good Largemouth and Big Channel Cats, Brushy Basin Tank should have good Bass and Catfish, Sycamore Tank has small Bass.

 

Most tanks are self sustaining and the last time we stocked LMB in any of the tanks was 2009, other than that we regularly stocked a wide range of the tanks with mostly CCF.

 

DAN

 

Dan if you dont mind sharing with us which tank did that string of LG mouth come from, and how long ago?

 

Thanks,

[jjwilli1]

So we hit up quite a few tanks this weekend, most of them had very stained water from the runoff, the water was just a muddy milkshake so fishing was terrible.

At a couple of the tanks me and my buddy caught about 30-40 bass In a few hours but not a single fish was over 10 inches long. These are what we call stunted tanks, which is when there are too many fish in a small body of water but not enough food to go around, so 99% of the fish will never grow.

The only way to fix the problem is to kill off half the fish population, and until that happens 99% of the fish in that tank will never grow past 12 inches, a fish could be 5 years old and only 10 inches long. However, if you kill off half the population those 10 inch fish will be 2-3 pounders the following season.

 

Unfortunately I dont see the San Carlos wildlife department doing this or allowing anyone else to do it either. Sucks but the fish are starving in stunted tanks so will bite anything you throw, fun for the kids and girls...