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Hey guys.... I need some help again. A couple years ago, you guys were awesome about hooking me up with info on Rapalas for trolling at Strawberry. Well, this time, I'm going to be fishing Mead.... FROM SHORE. [unsure] My fiancee's dad was going to take us out trolling or just bass fishing in his boat, but that plan has fallen through for whatever reasons he has.... now, we're going to be going down to the lake to let the dogs play.... joy..... [unimpressed] At least I'll get on the water..... Um, haven't gotten my waders patched yet so the tube won't be the answer, unless you guys think the water will already be warm enough for shorts and fins in a tube. I kinda doubt it though. Anyway, I need to know what kind of fishing I can expect from shore at Mead, and if I'm pitching tubes and small minnow baits along the shore, will those be effective fishing techniques? Can I catch bass on topwater if we get there early enough?? Bassrods, UTBass, TubeDude, any of you other guys who have input on Mead, can you throw me a bone here? I'd appreciate it fellas.... Also, does Mead have cats and can I catch them just pitching bait from the shore?? I'm taking a sensitive but pretty stout bass rod with me and my Sahara reel with 8lb test on it... hopefully that works... I guess it'll have to.....
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When will you be down there?
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I'm leaving tonight but we probably aren't going to the lake until Saturday I'd guess. I will have access to a computer down there too so I'll be able to see recommendations on lures, areas and so on if I can log on down there. I'm not sure where her dad fishes.... I think he trolls for fish but I'll be walking and casting from shore because the boat situation fell through.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Fishing for stripers this time of year is chumming and bait fishing. The problem is that being mobile to locate fish is the key. you need to find the fish, chumm like heck, and drop your bait, usually anchovies. Pontoons don't give you that kind of versatility. Hopefully, your toon is equiped with sonar.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Hole 33 is a very poplular place but there are fish all over the lake. Get a Lake Mead map and look for the easiest access points to the shoreline. Most will require some hiking. There are several undeveloped roads that access the lake and can be used to drive right to the shoreline.[/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]If you don't mind chasing other species than stripers, you might consider the Overton Arm where the Crappie and Cat fishing this time of year can be stellar. Hope this helps.[/size][/black][/font]
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[cool][#0000ff]I haven't fished lake Mead since the 60's. What I do remember is that there are a lot of cats around the shoreline, but maybe not this early in the year. Could be good for crappies if you find some sunken brush or stickups.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not sure what shape the lake is in after the recent weather patterns. That is always the kicker. Go ahead and take some plastics and try fishing from deep to shallow on gravel banks. Just might be a stray bass or two.[/#0000ff]
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March was one of the harder times of year to fish Lake Mead for me when I lived there (1993-2003), but I'll try to help if possible.
1. LMB are available this time of year, but you need to get to suitable holding structure and that usually means a boat. Most of the public beach and lake areas around Las Vegas are somewhat devoid of good holding spots. Government wash has a few areas accesible by foot that I liked to fish in March, but it can be tough. The Overton arm has better opportunities if you want the drive. Try Fire wash up there. It has good structure and the bass are in there this time of year. You do need 4wd though to get to it.
2. You can hook up with some stripers now. Use crankbaits or cut anchovies usually fished deep. It is hit and miss in March however. BLM covered that pretty good.
3. Lake Mead has excellent cats but they really don't come on for about another month. You may hook one up with cut bait fished deep.
If I were you I would go to the Overton arm and fish one of the coves there. Your fishing chances are better and if the fishing stinks, Valley of Fire is worth the visit. Let us know how you do.
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I've done my share of fishing at Mead from shore for stripers this time of year. It's easy to get skunked, however, here's my advise, take it or leave it, but if you take it, don't blame me if you don't catch anything.
The first thing I would do is go down to Hemenway Harbor. From there you have two options:
Option 1: Not sure if they still do it, but NDOW used to plant trout every weekend by a fishing peer down there. The stripers would come in periodically throughout the day and try to get a few trout. They never would come in real close to shore however. You can long line some anchovy or cast jerk bates resembling trout. There were usually other long liners down there. When a school would come through you could end up with several guys hooked up at the same time. When the bite would happen (other guys hooking up) I’d usually leave my bait in for another minute. If I didn’t get hooked up I’d real it in quick and grab my other pole with a trout like jerk bate on it and start working the entire area with it. I caught more stripers casting the jerk bate while the bite was on then I caught on the anchovy.
Option 2: From Hemenway Harbor drive as far toward the Hemenway Wall as you can and then grab your gear and your anchovies and start walking toward it. There’s deep water off Hemenway Wall and it’s a great place to long line. Any deep water spots between Horsepower Cove and the wall are options. You can see the deep (dark blue) vs. shallower (pale blue) water spots along the shoreline in the images below and some of the points I used to fish (red Xs). You can’t actually fish the wall because it’s too steep, but I think the closer you get to the wall the better, however, the beach gets steeper and less comfortable the closer you get to it. If you just don’t want to walk the distance or you want a relatively flat beach area, Horsepower Cove isn’t too bad.
When I long lined I would get my bait out as far as I could by using a big water bobber completely filled with water.
line –- bobber (sliding) –- bead (sliding) –- swivel –- 3 to 5 ft leader – hook and bait
The weight of the water bobber allows you to chuck bait into the next county yet after it hits the water it doesn’t sink fast like a lead weight of similar weight does. A fast sinking lead weight can and often does strip bait off a hook. With the water bobber you just need to watch and make sure the bait doesn’t come off the hook while the rig’s in flight.
Good luck!
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] Dang fiance!!!
] Clean water doesn't matter to me really... as far as catching fish anyway. So, I doubt we're going to be fishing,........ Maybe just go down and check out the lake. We'll probably wind up going to Mead because her dad wants to look at renting a year round slip up there for his boat so I may take my rod just to mess around by the boat docks and see what I get. Might get a bass, or a crappie or something.