Mead in March!!!

[Mead_Stripers]

I'm starting a new job on April 1st, which means that I'm going to be taking a few weeks off in March in between jobs. And that can only mean one thing....I'm going to Mead. Probably gonna do another 8 day fishing trip. Why 8? Because a week wouldn't be long enough.

I'm ecstatic! Not just because I'm going to Mead for 8 days but because I'm finally getting the "heck" out of "hell"...i.e., LA. I know...some people love LA, and good for them. But me personally, it was a huge mistake moving here. There's just something wrong with the people here. A lot of rude and stupid people in LA. Not to mention the crime...I'm in awe as to what people can get away with in LA. It's quite actually. But my new job is in Irvine so that means I'm going to be moving to Irvine or Newport Beach. Can't wait.

Anyway, it's all about the 8 day trip now. I am looking at leaving late Friday night on March 2nd with a return date of March 10th. Not sure if I'm going to do the houseboat again. It all depends if I can get enough relatives and friends to go. Otherwise, we'll just rent a fishing boat.

Well, more details to come. Hope you are all doing well.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Mead_Stripers]

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Sorry to hear about your trip. Perhaps, I can give you a couple tips for next time but first I need to know a few things:

1. Where were you fishing at Mead?
2. Boat or shore?
3. What were you using for bait?
4. Did you chum? If so, what did you chum with?
5. Finally, what time were you fishing?

Hopefully, I can help so that you'll have a great trip next time.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Kelpy]

I was too lazy to login last time. . .

I saw TONS of carp, killed a pile of them. . . and saw 3 channel catfish.

1. I was fishing at government wash
2. I was swimming
3. Was using a speargun
4. Yes, I chummed with anchovies, carp, corn, dogfood (had quite the chum bed going)
5. I fished from 9am to 5 pm . . . can't spear after dark.

Any help on locating schools of fish would be appreciated. They don't have to be feeding just within about 35 feet of the surface. I suppose a boat with a fish finder would be my ticket???

Later, Kelpy

P.S. I know that you fish at temple bar a lot. What is the water clarity like over on that end? I don't like diving dirty water and it's hard to find where stripers bite that it's not dirty or has lots of alge bloom. . .
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hi Kelpy, here are my comments, which I hope you will find useful:

1. Government Wash is a good place to fish. I've seen several boils there. However, I would recommend that you fish Hole 33. Baysport knows the area well so hopefully he can give you some insight as to how to find the exact location. Last Memorial Day Weekend, my friends and I took a houseboat and deck cruiser out of Callville Bay. One late-afternoon, my friends and I set out in the deck cruiser to locate Hole 33. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find it. There are several buoys out there, and it was hard to tell if we were at the right place.

2. Swimming? Well, too be honest, I don't know how willing the stripers are to come close to someone swimming in the water. They might have been there but they just didn't want to get close to you especially since you were in the water. But then again, I could be wrong. I would recommend shorefishing or using a boat. I only know of a couple good shorefishing places. The only one I am aware of in the Boulder Basin is Government Wash. A lot of cars pull up right to the shoreline and fish the boils.

3. Well, using a speargun is more fun but I think you would catch more using a traditional fishing pole. Hey, but to each his own. I'm just not sure you're going to be reaching any stripers if they're trying to avoid you.

4. Aww...now I know why you got TONS of carp. Corn...Dogfood... that's like a dinner bell for carp. I chummed with catfood once and next thing you know...instant carp. I'm telling you...stick with anchovies and anchovies alone. You don't need anything else to chum with. Because if you do, you may get certain species of fish you don't like. I've always had the best success with anchovies. When I fillet all the stripers I catch, they inevitably have a good amount of chum in them. They should learn not to be so greedy.

5. Here's another problem...I've fished during those times and personally, the fishing is pretty slow during that period. That is unless you can find some really hungry stripers. I find that the best fishing times are before and after those times. Stripers get especially aggressive at night. I've seen stripers investigate and swim my anchovy all day but come sunset....bam. Fish on! But I guess if you want to continue to spear fish, you're just going to have to find the really hungry stripers.

Nah, you don't need a fish finder. I'm telling you I've hit coves throughout Mead. I'm talking Boulder Basin, Overton Arm, and Temple Basin. You just have to find a cove where the water is relatively deep. Maybe it's just the houseboat, I don't know. But wherever I go, the fishing is great at night. Maybe it's the boat lights combined with the generator noise. The stripers come to us. You just have to chum till they come. I have never just sat in any cove, and wondered if I was going to catch a striper. Admittedly, sometimes it takes longer in some coves than others. That's why it is so important to chum occasionally. I throw the chum about 20 feet from the back of the houseboat. Then I throw some at about 10 feet. Directly below the boat, I hang a little homemade cage that holds 6-8 smashed anchovies. It's a small cage that I hang down about 10-15 feet. I know I've said it a million times but fishing is best at night...especially when it comes to stripers. They travel in schools so if you catch one, you know more are coming. Also, they move around a lot so you want to make sure that you keep bait in the water. If you don't have bait sitting there, they'll lose interest and move on.

Finally, the water is clearer at the Temple Basin (Temple Bar). The water is worst at Overton Arm. The water in the Boulder Basin. But the water at the Temple Basin is cleaner and clearer. I hardly see any debris or algae blooms. Also, the water is not brown as it is in other areas.

Well, hopefully all this info helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Kelpy]

Where there's a will there's a way my friend. I know that fishing hook and line produces more fish more consistently. It's not always about how many you catch but rather the expierence. . . I don't really need the fish because I did fish the boils a lot last year and still have fish in the freezer. . .

Although for this being my 5th trip out it would be nice to connect with one sooner or later. I saw a 25-30 pounder at willow beach last summer but no love with sticking a shaft in him.

I may have read the regs wrong though and looking now I see that it may be legal to spear after sunset. Have you ever fished under crappie lights? Does the light attract the fish? If so I may have a chance here.

I am going to try the hook and line gig tomorrow tonight so i'll see how that goes. . . Thanks for the tips.
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hey, everyone has their own way so more power to you. Using a spear gun sounds like a lot of fun. That would be pretty sweet if you could land a big one at Willow Beach. I hear a lot of stories about people catching monster stripers down there...especially after a trout plant.

Sorry, I don't know anything about the regs on spear fishing although it would make sense for them to prohibit spear fishing after dark. I've never fished under crappie lights but I have used green glowsticks before. I found that the stripers seemed to afraid of the light. Perhaps, they just don't like green glow sticks. I submerged one at about 10-15 feet and the stripers would swim away from the light. Once I took the light out, the fishing picked up again. I think they don't mind a light above the surfact of the water, i.e., backlight on the houseboat, but I don't think they want any lights in the water. I've heard others have good results with them so again, the stripers may not like the green glowsticks. When I fish from shore at night, my propane lantern seems to attract stripers and small fish (crappie or tilapia) as well as crawfish. I think the hum of the houseboat generator also attracts fish in the area.

So basically my recommendation is use a bright lantern ON the boat, and chum anchovies only. Please let me know how you do. I'm pretty certain if you fish Government Wash or Hole 33 at night, you'll have great results. Just chum till they come, and I am certain they will. Good luck.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hey all:

Looks like we'll be heading out to Mead on March 18th till March 26th. We'll have a houseboat for 7 days...the rest of our time will be spent "shore fishing." I can't wait. I should have final confirmation by next week. The weather should be perfect! We will of course be cruising the waters in the Temple Basin. Feel free to stop by anytime.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Mead_Stripers]

Sorry, looks like plans have changed again. My best friend couldn't make it to the 8 day trip so it's turned into a 4 day trip. Me and three friends will be leaving for Mead on Thursday night, March 22 with a return date of Monday. We'll have the houseboat for 4 days. See you guys on the water.

Best regards,

Paul
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[stripercraze]

There are stripers and catfish. The best bait is anchovies. And for some reason the night is better than the day. My friend just caught a 10.9 lb fish up in that area on march 10th. Good Luck!!

Stripercraze
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hey Jay,

That sounds like fun. Hands down...your best fishing (from shore) will be at night. Please review some of my past posts, which will give you all the details on how to rig your line. Anchovies are definitely the best for shore fishing. The problem, however, is that if you are going to camp without a freezer, your anchovies won't last long. Here's the trick though...even though they may thaw in your ice box, use them to chum and then rub them on any small lures you may have. This should get you good action. Selecting the right cove is also important. If you're going to be shore fishing, make sure you cast all over the place until you find a drop off point. Fishing these drops will definitely increase your chances of catching stripers. Good luck.

Best regards,

Paul
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[stripercraze]

Also if you are camping and you want to keep things frozen. Get a small cooler for your bait and buy a few pounds of dry ice. put the bait in the cooler first then the dry ice. This time of the year two or three pounds should keep your bait frozen until you need it. Under the dry ice keeps things frozen on top of the ice keeps things very cool. Be careful not to touch the dry ice with bare skin.

Stripercraze
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[Mead_Stripers]

That's a great idea. I didn't think of that. Yeah, you definitely want to use frozen anchovies whenever possible.

Best regards,

Paul
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