Hawaiibassfishing Forum

If catching large numbers of fish is important to you , then Las Vegas is the place to go.

We met Capt. Mark (Adventure In Angling) at 4:45 AM on a "cool" 105 degree July morning , jumped in the boat, and headed out for some stripe bass action. Lake Mead has hundreds of small coves. In the first light of dawn we could hear, then see, the stripers chasing shad on the glassy surface. The water boiled with fish all around the boat. We each grabbed a rod and cast to the feeding fish. Hookup. A triple. Over the next two hours it was non stop action. We lost count of the triple hookups. It was common for at least two of us to be fighting fish at the same time.

Capt. Mark had surface lures and jerk baits tied on to spinning outfits loaded with 8 pound test line, just right for the 1 to 5 pound stripers. The day before I had been given a "sample" of a new lure by Ima-Japan at the I-CAST show. A Farina 90F, silver with a pink back. Naturally I just had to test my new lure. In short order it began to show the battle scars of many strikes. Once I even landed two fish on my one lure. One fish on the front treble hook and a second fish on the back hook. Those beautiful Japanese lures work like a charm.

How many fish did we catch? I have no idea. The limit on Lake Mead is 20 stripers per person per day. We caught more than that in the first two hours. Cleaning and packaging your fish is included. Since we were staying in a hotel we released all our fish. We also stopped to take pictures, rest, and drink lots of water. With all the hot fishing action, we hardly noticed the hot weather. LOL

As the sun came up, the fish went deep and we started dropping metal spoons. First you locate a school of fish then free spool the spoon down to them. The action remained fast and furious.

Capt. Mark suggested I return when the weather is a little cooler and the schooling fish are in the 6 to 12 pound range. Can you imagine catching over 100+ fish that big? No wonder Capt Mike says if you don't catch....you don't pay.

Hey Stan, Nice pics. I heard about your Las Vegas adventure at Nervous water and now you've added something for me to do there.

They suggested we try returning in cooler weather when the 6 to 11 pounders were schooling. It was wild exciting action.... next time I think I'll take an 8wt fly rod and a sinking tip line. It was non stop action.... you can't believe the amount of fish you could catch if puting numbers on the board is the kind of fishing you like.

Stan

Sounded like a lot of fun! I may try to get in on some striper fishing next time I'm in Vegas if I have any money leftover! I thought that Lake Mead was a dead lake already, but I guess I was wrong. I remember seeing about a hundred big carp on a feeding frenzy there a few years ago.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell (in UT) are both amazing striper fisheries. I grew up fishing there atleast 4 times a year. When the water is cooler the fishing is unreal. The big stripers stay down when the surface temp is really hot. As soon as the surface temp drops below 75 the big boys come out. A buddy of mine that guides on Lake Powell said that most boats land over 100 fish per day. Since there is overpopulation in Lake Powell Fish and Game ask angelrs to keep all fish caught. Which isn't a bad charge considering that Stripers are great eating. One of my favorites.

It is also a great largemouth fishery as well.

Great report Stan. I am moving home and gearing up for the Fall bite at Lake Mead. Thanks for getting me stoked on it.

Capt. Mark, ( http://www.adventureinangling.com/ ) He has a "Hawaiian" photo page on his web site.....Anyway, he was telling me that carp fishing with a fly rod is really catching on at lake Mead. I can't imagine a 20 pound carp on even an 8 wt rod myself. He was telling me about one guide who always "feeds the carp" in one cove with corn and Cheetos brand corn chips. You know, those orange puffed kind. When the carp are in a feeding frenzy sucking those Cheetos off the surface, you just toss in your fly...... and what fly? They use a soft orange ear plug.

Stan

I have seen buys that fish under blackberry trees with flies that look like blackberries. What a blast that looks like.

Just wait till the Rosie Apples start dropping in the water up on the north fork.... talk about drawing in the catfish.. The avacado crop was wiped out this year by all the rain. I don't see any on any of the trees. Catfish love them too. The strawberry guava are all ripe in our yard. (jelly making time) I wonder if they are ripe up on the south fork? I know they attract the pigs, I would guess the catfish like them too.

Aloha,
Stan