Please Help!

[Mead_Stripers]

Gentlemen:

I posted a thread last week about the Boulder Basin at Mead seeking some advice and info about the striper fishing in that area. [Thanks Tim for your previous response to my post.] A group of friends and I are taking a houseboat out of Callville Bay on August 23rd. I know many of you fish the Nevada side, and I would greatly appreciate your insight to the following questions:

1. Where should I fish? [I have a houseboat so I'll be fishing from the back while it is anchored to the shoreline. The houseboat is 59' long.]

2. Attached is a satellite map/photo of the area I'm looking to anchor and fish. There are three yellow markers, which I have placed on the map to designate (1) Upper Gov't Wash; (2) Lower Gov't Wash; and (3) Hole 33. How accurate are my markers?

3. Is there still good striper action at Hole 33?

4. Is there anywhere to anchor a houseboat near Hole 33?

5. During the day, is there a lot of boat traffic? If so, are they recreational boaters or fishermen?

6. Are there any other alternative spots for good striper fishing where I can anchor a houseboat to the shoreline? [For example, how is the Upper and Lower Gov't Wash in terms of striper fishing.]

7. Are there a lot of shore fishermen and campers along the Upper and Lower Gov't Wash?

8. What depth are you finding stripers? I'm assuming they go deep during the day. If so, how deep?

9. Is it "really hot" on the lake? Does the wind help cool you down?

10. Is it worthwhile to fish during the day while the houseboat is anchored to the shoreline?

11. How's the fishing at Boxcar Cove or Crawdad Cove?

I realize I've asked a lot of questions but I just want to make sure I cover all my bases. Thanks again for any feedback or advice you may have for me.

Best regards,

Paul
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[BigE]

[cool]Hey Mead_Stripers, you can catch stripers at the 33 hole but as for a place to anchor you may want to do so else where. The 33 hole is very popular with alot of shore fisherman. and most of the good points to fish at will have them there. The same goes for gov't wash. Also there are alot of jetskiers that launch from the shore at gov't wash and those washes just to the east. The boat traffic can get thick over the weekend but not so during the week. At most it will be guide boats at sand island. It does get hot on the lake but it doesn't feel hot. I go out in my floattube for 2.5-3 hours when it is over 100 degrees. Just use good sunscreen and have plenty of cold water to drink. I've taken my jetski from calville thru the narrows and have seen alot of nice coves and cuts where other houseboats have anchored. And when you go thru the narrows it really opens up. Also keep an eye open for bighorn sheep at the backs of the coves. My wife and I saw a total of 17 last weekend while on our jetskis. Two different groups with one big ram in each group. I'm sure someone else can chime in for other info. Good luck and maybe I'll see you on the water.
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hey BigE,

Thanks for your response. So was I accurate in placing the various markers on the satellite image? I'm not sure exactly where Hole 33 is? Do you think it will be difficult to anchor a houseboat in the Hole 33 area for the night? Do you think there would be good fishing there at night? Any good fishing around Sand Island? I would really like to hear more about your venture through the Narrows. I didn't get the impression that there were many areas to anchor a houseboat. Is the water deep off the shoreline? How bad is the wake in the Narrows? I'm assuming that there's a lot of boat and jetski traffic that go through the Narrows, right?

Thanks again for any info or advice.

Best regards,

Paul
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[BigE]

[cool]Hey Mead_Stripers, 33 hole is alittle more to the left of your marker. If you look on the shore where the parking areas are it is off of the middle one. Alot of people also night fish off 33 hole as well. I've read that there is good fishing around sand island but I have not fished it myself; too far to kick the tube. If you go northeast of calville there are alot of small bays and coves to park a houseboat also and the water can be deep. It would just be a matter of cruising around and checking out. There can be alot of traffic and some waves in the narrows but they don't seem to affect the houseboats I've seen going thru. I've gone thru the narrows only a few times but have seen houseboats(not a lot)parked in some of the coves. If you want to park your houseboat by 33 hole then consider the small bay on the north side cresent island. It is no longer an island cause of the drop in water, but I've kicked around it and have caught both largemouth and striped bass. A few weeks back there were stripers slurping the surface off the north and south ends of the island.
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hi BigE,

I guess I'm trying to figure out whether I should anchor at Sand Island or Hole 33 for Friday night. I see the crescent island you're referring to. You're saying that it is no longer an island but a peninsula now, right? If so, are people fishing off that entire peninsula? What is the depth around that particular area of the peninsula? I would assume it's pretty deep since it was an island at one time. I'm a little concerned with anchoring on the north side of the peninsula though. I don't see any protected cove in that area, and I know the wind can be brutal at times. I'm tempted to navigate the houseboat to the Southeast side of the crescent peninsula...however, if the water level has dropped a lot, then I won't have a lot of room to navigate in there. I may be better off at Sand Island...although there's a good chance that there may be another houseboat or other recreational boaters there. We'll play it by ear. Worst comes to worst, we'll try to anchor at Gov't Wash but from the sounds of it, the water there is very shallow...and the shorelines are filled with other fishermen.

I plan to try out the Narrows on Saturday. Tim Myers advised me that there is a bass tourney over the weekend so I'm going to avoid the whole Northwest side of the Boulder Basin...although I'm sure I'll see plenty of bass boats whiz by us. If you happen to see a houseboat planted on Sand Island or Hole 33 on Friday, August 24th...and you see a bunch of poles in the back, then stop by and say hi. As we get closer to the trip, I should be able to get a houseboat number. Feel free to stop by for a few beers and fresh stripers.

Thanks again for your insight.

Best regards,

Paul
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[BaySport]

You just don't see many big houseboats all the way up in that area. This does not mean it can't be done. The channel side of Cresent Island has a nice cove that might work. You just have to check it out. Your style of night fishing might be productive from that spot.

There just are not that many flat beaches in this area that are necessary for beaching a large houseboat.
BaySport
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[reellittlephish]

Paul,Maybe consider the cove directly east from where you placed the pin for upper gov't Wash. Shallow at about 6 ft there. My vote goes for Crescent Island like Baysport.
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[stripercraze]

Hello Mead Stripers,

The entire lower basin will be tough to anchor in. There are two places that I think might be better. One right after you pull out of Calville Marina, turn right or west. There a few coves down on the right a lot of people anchor up there, but I do not know how the fishing is. Also, down toward the Dam there is Kingman Wash. I have caught fish there and I think it might be possible to anchor. I have not been over there lately. Good Luck and let us know your number in case we go out, we will look you up!
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Stripercraze
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hey BaySport,

Are you referring to the north side of Crescent Island which faces the channel? By the looks of it on googleearth.com, that area of Crescent Island looks pretty good. However, have you ever fished in that area? Do you know if it's deep in that cove? At first glance, I think that that spot would be productive for night fishing.

As for beaching the house boat, I don't need a whole lot of flat beach sand. All I need is about 4 feet because I ram the houseboat ashore pretty hard, and with 10-12 guys pulling the ropes, we should be good to go in terms of anchoring the lines securely.

Please let me know if you recommend any good spots near Hole 33 or other islands where I can beach the houseboat. I would greatly appreciate pics of those areas, if possible.

Thanks again for the advice.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Mead_Stripers]

I think you're right. BaySport's recommendation looks good. Sand Island has a nice cove on it as well. I think the area you pointed out in Upper Gov't Wash will be too shallow for me. If it's 6 feet deep now, it'll probably end up at 5 feet by the time I get out there. I probably need about 20-30 feet to ensure that the stripers will get close enough to the houseboat.

Is it about 6 feet deep all around the Upper and Lower Gov't Wash? If so, I think that rules out that area for me. Thanks for your insight.

Best regards,

Paul
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[Mead_Stripers]

Hi Striper Craze,

I have fished in that area West of Callville. I've fished Hideaway Cove and that general area. The striper fishing there was okay. That's where we caught a huge turtle and a huge carp...off anchovies. I think I'm going to pass on that area. I also think I won't be going to the lower basin, i.e., Hole 33, Upper and Lower Gov't Wash. But based on everyone's advices thus far, I believe Crescent Island or Sand Island would be a good location for me. What do you think? Have you fished either island before?

I looked at Kingman Wash on googleearth.com as well, and I only see one area where I can anchor a houseboat but I think I'm going to be competing with a lot of the recreational boaters for that prime spot. That's not to say the same thing won't happen to me at Crescent Island or Sand Island but I think I have more options in that area versus Kingman Wash. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Best regards,

Paul
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