03/21/2015

[StarsnStripers]

Went back to echo this morning and it sure was nice. Just a light breeze and 60 degree water at the ramp. Fished hard for about 6hrs to get four smallies. Two were around 2 1/2 lbs and the other two around 1lb. All on a medium diving silent crankbait in gizzard shad color.Water was around 64 by the time i left around 1 oclock. There was a big sea plane practicing landing in the lake down past what used to be the big islands south of echo. It kinda buzzed me once. Was kinda cool. Curious to see how some other bft guys did this weekend.
Oh ya almost forgot. It must be gettin close to the spawn. The lake is down a foot since last week. Not sure why they insist on dropping the elevation every spring during the spawn but it seems like the norm anymore.
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[wolfs4evr]

DITO! It kills me they start to drop the lake right at the spawn. Poor little guys don't stand a chance. High and dry by the time they hatch.

I've seen that plane doing touch and goes on several different areas of Mead and down on the river just north of Cottonwood. Buzzed us really close too several times today even though we were back in some coves.

Fishing wasn't much better. As far as one can go north pretty much blowed. Waste of time big time! With the water at the current level there just isn't any coves/areas for the fish to go off the main lake.

Slowly but surely we worked our way down the lake but didn't see much activity until almost all the way back to Echo. By this time it was 2pm already. I was ready to kill a fish. lol So I did. I had Madi text her mom/the wife and tell her to break out a package of Stripers. If I can't catch a fish I am going to eat one!

Shortly after that we hit a pretty decent cove and I lost two back to back right at the boat on cranks and then finally Madi caught one on a 1/4oz lipless to break our skunk. I lost another on a drop shot in that cove. Went a hair further and just south of Echo and finally I landed a really nice Smallie. Caught a small LMB after that and lost a really nice smallie on a drop shot.

It for the day. I landed 2 and lost 5. Out of practice I guess. Madi only had the one bite. We found a REALLY nice male on a bed several miles north of Echo and spent a good part of 45 minutes tossing the kitchen sink at him. Drop whatever on his bed and he would do a 180 and put his tail over the offering. Odd. Left him and came back 30 minutes later and tried again for another 15 and called him uncatchable...

Killer weather. Loved the day and Madi is 100% in love with the Bimini. Glad I got it. Though she now fishes less and is on her phone doing whatever.

I stopped something like 5 times going out and 2 or 3 coming back to check the wheel bearings. So far all is good... Keeping my fingers crossed the sanding/grinding I had to do on the spindle from several weeks back was good enough to last the long haul. Thought it was a pinch odd one hub ran 10 degrees hotter than the other but it stayed consistent that way. Must be a pinch tighter assy or something. Both sides were replaced so new bearings, seals, hubs, etc all around.
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[reellittlephish]

Dropping levels at the spawn... the Bureau of Reclamation has no mandate to preserve the fishery. I have seen them kill off generations before.

Trailer Bearings always make me nervous; trailer tires rotating faster.than the truck. I 'm guessing your problems were an anomaly.

Launching from Callville, I haven't gone upstream farther than Middle Point Island in a long time. First place I would have checked is the coves near Middle Point. Spring Tournaments have been won there.

Too bad so so results. it can only get better FYI I am moving and covering water much faster than usual.
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[StarsnStripers]

Hey wolfs how was the water clarity up north? It was weird where I was fishing one cove would be so clear I could see 25' and the next was super murkey. Most bites I got came in murkey water bout 8-12' deep for what that's worth. I couldn't buy a hit on a texas rigged worm or a craw on a jig. I'm still new fishing that way so maybe that's why. What size jig is best in your opinion? I'm using a 1/2 - 3/4 oz. To big maybe? If the weather cooperates I may try hunting smallie beds down on mohave next week.
Good luck everyone!!!
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[wolfs4evr]

~ typical. The further south one gets the cleaner the water gets.

Generally speaking jigs are big fish baits. If one is swinging a jig on Mead one is really limiting what one may catch. I have one tied on all the time but the only fish I have ever caught on it have been 4+ pounders. Nice, but far and few in between. Most of mine are 3/4oz. Last year I watched several smaller fish grab it and run. They never made it in the boat. Tossed something smaller to them when they returned and they made it in the boat.

I do ok tossing a finesse swim jig now and then. 1/4oz with a small offering tied on as a trailer. I use something like that verse a spinnerbait in the shallows.

The only plastic bite I had yesterday, other than dropshot, was on a SK craw. (I usually run these as trailers on jigs). I had it rigged alone on a shakey head. He had it and ran but it came back to me minus one craw.
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[StarsnStripers]

Cool thanks for the help.
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[luv2fish78]

Went out on Saturday at sunrise. Launched out of Boulder and went towards the wash. The water clarity was real bad in the back but towards the mouth of the wash the clarity was a bit better. Water temp is already 64 in the morning and by afternoon close to 68. Found quite a few LMB in the backs of coves with a chatterbait all in less than 2 ft water. They were coming out of the cover to hit it. All in all a good day. Smallest are setting up on the clearer water but can be very hard to get to bite at the moment. They will be locked on beds any day.
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[reellittlephish]

Stars,

Commonly, I use ball head Jewell jigs and football Blackjack Jigs. I get the Blackjack jigs at Pro Tackle in Henderson. Most common weight is 1/2oz, but I have some 3/8 and 1/4 oz. I have some casting jigs also but they are no longer available so I won't tease you...just an arkie style jighead. There are some subtleties to the shapes, weight distribution and tie in placement of various jigheads which significantly affect the drop and how easy it is to fish around rock without hangin' up, but finding out what works is trial and error. One of these days I am going to swallow and buy a Biffle hardhead set up.

Below 35 ft or in windy conditions I go to a heavier jig...3/4 or 1oz.

Having made do for many years and countless missed bites, I am convinced your jig rod makes a huge difference. I got a Doybns 733 and I seldom miss a jig fish. There are of course other rods which do just as well...any stick which can handle 1/4 to 3/4 oz.; heavier than that I am using something like Powell 765. Stay away from a soft tip/fast taper stick for jig fishing; you'll miss too many hook sets.

I got a skirt tying set up and make my own jig skirts. That way I am not using what everyone else is using. The tool looks like a set of pliers and the material I order online (Stamina is one outlet). Add garden variety needle-nose pliers plus scissors and you're set. I use fine copper wire to tie the skirt after it is on the jighead. That preserves the skirt collar when fishing scent attacks the rubber collar and flares the skirt also.

On Mead or Mohave, I'll throw the jig anywhere I have a sloping 45° bank or conglomerate bank or up to cantaloupe sized chunk rock on flats. Works good on weedbeds in Mohave.

Jig fishing is slow so I am either being stubborn, targeting specific cover or I'm confident there are fish in the area.

Good fishing.
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[TheWhizzle]

Welcome to the forum Luv2fish - Thanks for reporting!
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[Erawk]

It bothers me to see this happen to the bass every year.

As anglers, we have a special appreciation for the lake and therefore should have a serious interest in water conservation efforts as well.

I do want to point out that water levels falling in spring are due to demand, not an arbitrary decision made by the Bureau of Reclamation. I think it is important as anglers not to view this as an us vs. them scenario. It's really us vs. us when it comes to water.

Spring time means that people are watering their lawns and landscapes more often, filling their swimming pools, and even drinking more water. Private, municipal and agricultural use increases drawing the water down each year at this time. It also just happens to be when bass spawn.

Let this be a reminder to each of us to conserve water in our daily lives. Small savings add up. Don't think that you can't make a difference because you can.

Take shorter showers, turn of the water when you brush your teeth, consider desert landscaping or artificial turf in place of grass.

According to SNWA, most water waste occurs outside in our yards.

http://www.snwa.com/consv/waste_prevent.html

Remember, it's a desert out there... be water smart.

<End PSA> hahah[]


*sp
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[StarsnStripers]

Thanks for the valuable info and advice!
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