Echo Bay report 05/04/2011

[lvfishingdude]

Well i was finally able to go fishing after making my move to our new place. I was so happy to read the weather report the day before saying the temp was going to be 91 with n winds from 5 to 10. Well the report had it wrong until about 12:00pm when the 4-6 foot waves stopped and the lake turned to glass.

*SIDE NOTE FROM ANOTHER POST* - If only I had a kayak i would of battled the 4-6 foot waves... j/k
*ANOTHER SIDE NOTE* - my new Humminbird 595 Down Imaging Fish Finder is AWESOME!

I took a new neighbor fishing with me that had never caught a fish on lake mead in his life. in about 30 minutes he caught 5. I finally decided to catch one which was 2 lbs.

all together a weird weather/but fun fishing day.

*NOTE* - all fish were filled with SHAD!!! KEEP EATING BOYS!





*FUNNY NOTE* - I told my neighbor to keep putting sunscreen on when he started to feel hot as the day went on.... he now has a Free Tank Top Shirt courtesy of the sun

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[MFCoop]

Awesome report, good haul! What vicinity in the Overton arm was that? Where you just trolling your bait, or where you using your new fish finder to find balls of shad and work that area?

Figures that when it is not that hot out in the beginning of the day there is mad wind and then when its 90 out its calm and it feels nice when you can actually find a breeze.

[lvfishingdude]

way north in a place i call "THE FLEMISH CAP". I call it that because in the movie The Perfect Storm the question is asked "Why are we going to the Flemish Cap" captains response " BECAUSE THATS WHERE THE FISH ARE!"

I was chasing bait on the fish finder, trolling the entire time. But it seemed the stripers were everywhere around the boat. It was so good at one point, i had my neighbor let out line and the minute he hit the clicker the pole already had a fish on it.

I pretty much only troll. During the summer i have my spinning rod on stand by if a boil breaks out, but I have always caught more fish trolling. No downriggers, planers, or anything, just free line with lures that either dive or float.
Here is a link to a video i made 2 years ago when i still had my 14' lund. it basically shows how i do it
[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjwIescER6I&feature=youtu.be"]http://www.youtube.com/...amp;feature=youtu.be[/url]
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[Telbone]

Lvfishingdude,

Nice report and glad you got into some fish . I read the same report before I went to Sunnyside. Calm my a$$. Same thing, wind stopped a bit before noon just as I was leaving. Made me want to put back in, but I had a soccer game and a doctor's appointment later that evening so I went ahead and left. Glad you were able to get a nice second half of the day fishing.

I think next time I head out for striper I am only going to bring my 9wt fly rod and really start concentrating on learning to get those guys. Since I am not a purist and I had no one to show me the ropes with the fly rod, I have been bait and lure fishing the striper at mead until I get comfortable with my knowledge of the species. It has been my thoughts all along to then take that knowledge and apply it to fly fishing. There is only one reason I prefer the long rod over conventional tackle and that is the fight you get with the fish. I love landing a fish on fly gear... any fish. My next favorite is ultra light tackle fishing and on up...

Anyhow, glad you had a nice trip bro... keep them coming.

Later,
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[lvfishingdude]

We used to try to make a trip to sunnyside a one day trip but to enjoy it, you have to make a weekend of it. I love fishing up there, that is one of the places you do have a chance to catch a large trout or even largemouth bass.

My dad and I were trolling for trout and he hooked into a 8lb LMB a couple years ago. We pretty much only go there for a holiday weekend or if we get a itch to get out of town and suffer in the wind tunnel that is known as Sunnyside....lol.

You will learn the fight of a non-schoolie striper after you lost it, you will wish you had your bigger gear. I don't fish with tackle that should be only for ocean fishing, but i use between 12-20lb test line, line counting crankin reels, and whatever good heavy pole i find in the bargin bin at walmart. *I got tired of breaking 100+ poles, and have found that the poles in that trash bin work just as good and you don't get as mad if one breaks*

When i say they break it is usually USER ERROR on my part which makes me even more .
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[Telbone]

Lvfishingdude,

The set up I am using for fly fishing is a 9wt rod with an LC-13 shooting head tip meant primarily for ocean fishing. I have a large arbor reel with a couple hundred yards of backing plus running line and shooting tip. I handled several Dorado's in the 40 plus pound range a few years back on similar gear. I am not worried one bit about my ability to land the fish... my problem is getting one of those big ones to bite a fly so I can play with them .

My tippet is usually flourocarbon 12lb. The stipulation for a world record on a fly rod is 15lbs or less tippet so I try'n stay within' those guiidelines just in case [fishon]. I don't really mind getting skunked if I'm learning, so I think I'll be bringing the fly rod more often. If you've never fished with a fly rod, it is amazing how much that light pole protects the line. Also, I feel I could comfortably land any striper that Mead holds on my 6wt. The reason I don't use it is because I cannot throw a big 'nuff fly with it to entice a quality fish. I need the 9wt to get a bigger fly out.

I may hit you up on some trolling tactics. A large part of my fishing on Mead this year has been trolling so I can explore while I fish. Might work out that I can troll 'til I find the fish, then start casting flies at them. Right now my trolling consists of a swim bait(sometimes a spoon) on a swivel out about 150 ft at boats slowest speed. To control depth I use 1oz egg sinkers. I have used up to 4 of them above the swivel. I do have some diving boards and a couple of flashers but I find them to be a pain to use. Though I usually pick up a fish here and there I realize how little I know about the trolling game.

BTW, I learned to build fly rods because of USER ERROR breakage of poles. Usually I'm not even fishing when I break them. Experience has taught me to be more careful with my fishing gear, but inevitably I end up packing up late and in a rush on some trips and that's where stuff gets broke.

Anyhow, have a nice day,
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[lvfishingdude]

i have no disrespect to fly fisherman, it is just not my thing. i guess i don't have the patience for it, probably reason why i troll the whole time....lol

i have taught myself where i can and can't go by trolling the lake consistantly. Also have found where the fish are when the weather conditions are nice and also where they usually go when it is not nice. I love it when i see another boat close to me and they aren't having a great day because they won't change there tactics and I am reeling them in left and right.

i grew up on lake michigan and my parents were good friends with a charter fishing captain, and you pretty much only troll there, so i was taught to be in that same mindset. But i do know everybody is differant and am open to learn differant techniques and areas from just about anyone i talk to.
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[flygoddess]

9 wt and 15 lb!!! Wow! I use an 8 wt and 0X (about 10lb) The rod should take the pull without breaking the tippet...in theory that is. But enough back bone for heavy clousers. I figure if this set up can pull Big old Grass Carp out of the weeds, it should work for Wipers/Stripers
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[vegaskid]

what about a 35-50 lb striper in the river, do you think a fly rod would hold up
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[flygoddess]

People catch Steelhead and Salmon on a fly rod and they get Pretty darn big. I haven't had the pleasure, but I have landed some Big Carp, and that yard of Hybrid on a 6 wt.
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[Telbone]

Hello guys,

I think when one thinks of fly fishing, the picture of a quaint elderly gentleman daintily tossing a dry fly comes to mind.

But that just isn't so any longer. I saw a salt water fishing show a few years ago where they were landing monster tarpon on a 10 or 11 wt rod. Guys are fishing for and landing spiral sharks on fly gear and that is a tough fight with anything you use. I think the fight is not the biggest problem for fly fisherman once they learn to use their rod.. getting a big 'nough fly in front of a nice fish is. That is why I am approaching Mead with salt water tactics in mind.

Flygoddess, I use the 9 wt cuz I am throwing some pretty large flies. I intentionally use oversized fly 'cuz if I don't and any small ones are around then I'll never get my fly in front of anything.. it becomes a dinkfest which is better than catching no fish, but quickly becomes boring... Also, when fishing for carp I typically use 6 to 8lb test... bear w/ me I gave up fly terminology a long time ago so I don't know the corresponding x's and such... to me 8lb is 8lb and I call it 8lb. I routinely handle 15lb common carp with this setup on my 5wt and 6wt. I used to use my 3wt but you tire the fish too much and I try not to kill my catch unless I'm gonna eat it. The reason I use 12lb for striper is very simple. Next time you catch a striper feel down it's body. It's like sandpaper... very course and abrasive skin... can't be good for your tippet, so I use the heaviest I can get a way with.

Lvfishingdude... I took no offense at your reply at all. I took it for the well intentioned warning that I think you meant it to be. I simply replied as I did so that you would see that I knew what I was doing without being confrontational. Also I liked your comment about changing tactics when trolling. It is also the essence of fly fishing. On a trout lake it is very common for me to tie on 10 to 20 flies if need be and/or change fly lines to vary my depth presentations. I too have watched many guys go fishless over the years because they refused to adapt as well. If we ever go fishing remind me to tell you my story about this father/son combo who told me I wasn't a proper fly fisherman last summer....

I'll be honest. Any lack of fish I have at lake mead is simple... I haven't paid my dues yet. I have learned alot from this forum and some of the guys here, but only time on the water is gonna hone that into a consistent catch rate.

Later folks,
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[jebusmc]

I have seen 100+ pound tarpon caught on flyrods. You definately go 9wt with those monsters. It'll handle a 50 pound striper no problem, if the fisherman has the skills to use his gear right that is.
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