Finally made it to Vegas last week and after a long work week I decided my first fishing trip of 2010 would kick off at Willow Beach
Walked the shoreline between the two stocking areas for an hour to see if any striper were still cruising the area. Saw a couple 50+ fish trout schools along the bank near the fish hatchery, but nothing else. I didn’t have a trout license so I decided to rent a boat for half a day. According to the marina, 4 stripers were caught Friday between 12-15 lbs at marker 39. I decided to make the 20 minute ride down there. BTW if you’re in the Vegas area and have never made it to Willow Beach, I highly recommend it just for the scenery. I was amazed! By the time I made it to Marker 39, the wind had kicked up and was blowing from the North at about 15 mph. My poor 16’ rental had no chance. I made a couple drifts on both sides throwing topwater and a Stump Jumper, but didn’t see any signs of life. I slowly made my back to the Willow Beach area stopping occasionally to fish some of the cliffs and reefs. In a last ditch effort I trolled the channel around the hatchery with no success.
I couldn’t let a skunk stand for my first fishing day, so I headed to Boulder Harbor around dusk. Had several blowups on a Sammy and finally caught my first and only fish of the day on a sardine. Small skinny striper, just over a pound.
Fishing here is a lot different than the East Coast fishing I grew up with. I plan to hit Echo Bay and a few other areas over the next few weekends. If anyone has a backseat open, I’m more than willing to share expenses.