Re: calling all lake mead boaters! nevada
I think I am going to Willow Beach next mid-week. Any suggestions on how/where to fish?
I'm heading down there mid-next week too, what are you fishing for?
Trout are stocked on Fridays, then they scatter up and down the river. Either drift and cast lures (Mepps, Panther Martin, Cast Master, etc.) to submerged cover or hit the coves. Willow is plagued with weeds, so bait fishing on the bottom will be hard, need to keep the bait well up off the bottom. The water level is pretty low now, so there isn't much left of most coves and the weeds are pretty thick in areas, but that's where the trout will hide from stripers.
Stripers are all over and it's hard to tell day-day, hour-hour where they will be at. Drifting with the current and casting big plugs works well. I usually troll as more water is covered, but trolling can be frustrating with the weed problem. Your lure will get stringers of weeds on it, killing the lure action. When I feel a rod not "thumping" correctly' I'll yank hard a couple times to try and bust off the weeds, or just reel in. If fishing for big stripers use heavy gear or they will send you packing, 25# line minimum, I use 30-40 mono and 65# spectra. Use lures sized, to the size of fish you want to catch. I use 10-14" lures, but smaller lures work too, I wouldn't go any less than a 6" lure though. Bomber A's are a cheap "get you fishing at Willow" lure. You'll also need a gaff for the bigger stripers as nets are too small and weak, even big nets. I haven't bait fished for small stripers at Willow in 15 years or so, but caught a lot of them on anchovies/sardines before that. The AC Plug website has a LOT of information for big striper fishing at Willow as most guys on that site fish there.
Either way, I would concentrate a couple miles above and below Willow. Be aware of the boating restrictions, no powered boats above the marina Sunday and Monday and then no boats over 65HP (65-70?, something like that) the rest of the week.
