Trout fishing and Gig Bobbing on New Mexico's Hopewell Lake

I ventured out to Hopewell Lake today, a modest-sized alpine lake in the Tusas Mountains, that lies 50 minutes west of Taos on Highway 65. I brought along my new NRS Gig Bob, an 8’ inflatable fishing pontoon boat, which fits nicely into the back of my Ford Ranger. There is no boat ramp at Hopewell, so you can slide your boat into the water pretty much anywhere you like.

The Gig Bob is made of drop stitch construction, which means the boater can pump it up beyond 5 psi without fear of over inflation. This makes for a stiff and sturdy boat to row and you can stand and cast on it. I carried the 45 pound boat down to the water without much problem. It's far easier to carry by oneself than an inflatable kayak and especially a canoe. I rowed around the north end of the lake for a few minutes. Despite the steady breeze, the Gig Bob raced across the flat lake water, and I was amazed by how well it tracked. As I pulled on the Cataract oars, the bow stayed pointed straight ahead without that herky-jerky motion that I’m used to with short rafts on the river.

I set up my 7’ casting rod with a crankbait lure and began casting and retrieving as the breeze pushed the Gig Bob to the north end of the lake. The trout were feeding on the surface and jumping a good 6 inches out of the water. Within the first minute of casting, I had my first hit, but I didn’t set the hook quick enough, and the trout was off as quick as it was on. So, I started setting the hook sooner and managed to land one. Upon netting the lake trout, I noticed the fish was bleeding around the mouth, and there was another piece of monofilament wrapped around its jaw. Then I realized that my hook had snagged the other line, and the fish had never actually swallowed my crank bait. This little fighter had broken the line of a previous fisherman with the hook and much of the line still in its mouth. With my forceps I pulled out a small jib that was deep in the fish’s throat. I managed to free the trout from its entanglement, and I released it. The trout turned over on its back for a moment, but it soon regained its strength and slowly swam away.

I spent the rest of the morning rowing to the south end of the lake and then drifting and casting my way back to the north end. It's a nice way to spend the morning. You get to row for a bit, which is good exercise, and then you can drift and cast your way back to the other end of the lake. By noon the thunderclouds were overhead, and it looked like it could turn nasty, so I got off the lake and carried the GB back to the Ranger, deflated it, rolled it up, and headed home.