MASON VALLEY WMA:
Float-Tube Country
About 65 driving miles southeast of Reno, Mason Valley WMA comprises roughly 14,000 acres of fields, wetlands and ponds. Bass Pond, Crappie Pond and North Pond, like Hinkson, hold bass.

The biggest largemouth recorded from Mason Valley WMA weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces.

Bass fishing at the WMA is best in the spring and fall, said Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Chris Healy. “In mid- to late March, depending on the weather pattern, the ponds start to warm up,” he said. “The bass action starts kicking in.”

But in the summertime, it gets really hot down there, Healy said, and there’s just not that much cover. But in early September, as daytime highs start to drop, the fishing picks up again.

It’s certainly possible to catch bass from shore in Mason Valley WMA, but fishing from a float tube, canoe or kayak is far more productive. Powerboats are legal, but impractical.

The ponds are relatively small. North Pond, at around 200 acres, is the biggest and the only one with a launch ramp. They all average just three to five feet deep.

That shallow water, combined with lots of aquatic vegetation, also influences fishing tactics. Weedless baits are a must; think smaller Texas- or Carolina-rigged worms and grubs, Senkos, small spinnerbaits, 1/4- to 1/2-ounce jigs with twin-tail trailers and -- during low-light hours -- weedless topwaters, like frog baits.

In Hinkson Slough with its crystal-clear water, finesse is key. Stick with 6- or 8-pound line and smaller baits in natural colors and patterns. Paddle or kick quietly and make long, careful casts parallel to the cattails. North, Bass and Crappie ponds aren’t as clear as Hinkson, but they’re still clear enough to demand delicacy.

In Hinkson, only artificial lures are allowed, and the bass limit is two fish with a minimum size of 14 inches.

Bait is allowed at the other three Mason Valley ponds, but the limit is the same. The season is open from the second Saturday in February through the end of September.

From Reno, head east on Interstate 80 to Fernley and then south on U.S. 95 Alt. toward Yerington.

Turn east onto Sierra Way just south of Wabuska, then south onto dirt Lux Lane and follow it to the WMA headquarters, where signs point the way to the ponds.

FORT CHURCHILL
COOLING POND:
Hot When It’s Cold
Immediately north of the WMA, the Fort Churchill Cooling Pond also opens on the second Saturday in February. Bass fishing can be red-hot right from the beginning, said Healy.

Warm water from the nearby power plant enters the pond near its northeast corner and circulates slowly clockwise. During the early season, use a handheld thermometer -- or just your hand -- to find water warmer than 50 degrees.