03-07-2010, 08:06 PM
[font "Calibri"]Finally made it to Vegas last week and after a long work week I decided my first fishing trip of 2010 would kick off at Willow Beach[/font]
[font "Calibri"]Walked the shoreline between the two stocking areas for an hour to see if any striper were still cruising the area. Saw a couple 50+ fish trout schools along the bank near the fish hatchery, but nothing else. I didn't have a trout license so I decided to rent a boat for half a day. According to the marina, 4 stripers were caught Friday between 12-15 lbs at marker 39. I decided to make the 20 minute ride down there. BTW if you're in the Vegas area and have never made it to Willow Beach, I highly recommend it just for the scenery. I was amazed! By the time I made it to Marker 39, the wind had kicked up and was blowing from the North at about 15 mph. My poor 16' rental had no chance. I made a couple drifts on both sides throwing topwater and a Stump Jumper, but didn’t see any signs of life. I slowly made my back to the Willow Beach area stopping occasionally to fish some of the cliffs and reefs. In a last ditch effort I trolled the channel around the hatchery with no success. [/font]
[font "Calibri"]I couldn’t let a skunk stand for my first fishing day, so I headed to Boulder Harbor around dusk. Had several blowups on a Sammy and finally caught my first and only fish of the day on a sardine. Small skinny striper, just over a pound.[/font]
[font "Calibri"]Fishing here is a lot different than the East Coast fishing I grew up with. I plan to hit Echo Bay and a few other areas over the next few weekends. If anyone has a backseat open, I’m more than willing to share expenses.[/font]
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[font "Calibri"]Walked the shoreline between the two stocking areas for an hour to see if any striper were still cruising the area. Saw a couple 50+ fish trout schools along the bank near the fish hatchery, but nothing else. I didn't have a trout license so I decided to rent a boat for half a day. According to the marina, 4 stripers were caught Friday between 12-15 lbs at marker 39. I decided to make the 20 minute ride down there. BTW if you're in the Vegas area and have never made it to Willow Beach, I highly recommend it just for the scenery. I was amazed! By the time I made it to Marker 39, the wind had kicked up and was blowing from the North at about 15 mph. My poor 16' rental had no chance. I made a couple drifts on both sides throwing topwater and a Stump Jumper, but didn’t see any signs of life. I slowly made my back to the Willow Beach area stopping occasionally to fish some of the cliffs and reefs. In a last ditch effort I trolled the channel around the hatchery with no success. [/font]
[font "Calibri"]I couldn’t let a skunk stand for my first fishing day, so I headed to Boulder Harbor around dusk. Had several blowups on a Sammy and finally caught my first and only fish of the day on a sardine. Small skinny striper, just over a pound.[/font]
[font "Calibri"]Fishing here is a lot different than the East Coast fishing I grew up with. I plan to hit Echo Bay and a few other areas over the next few weekends. If anyone has a backseat open, I’m more than willing to share expenses.[/font]
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