Local anglers have some luck with stripers at Lake Mead

Thursday, March 21, 2002 | 9:45 a.m.

NEVADA DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

Typical late March fishing is now being found in Lake Mead with the action for striped bass being fair to slow while largemouth bass fishing is showing some encouraging signs as the fish are preparing to spawn.

Boaters have had sporadic success for stripers by fishing deep with baits such as anchovies and sardines. Anglers have reported to the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) that they have had some luck for stripers around Fish Island and the Meadows in the Overton Arm.

Fishing in the Boulder Basin has generally been slow for stripers, although some boaters and shore anglers have enjoyed some recent success. A school of stripers that was found at Sand Island has apparently moved to Black Island and boaters have been catching them with anchovies.

Last week's rainbow trout plants provided very little fishing success because the fish did not stay in the areas where they were planted. Only a few trout were caught at Hemenway Harbor and Pumphouse Cove while there was no success at Horsepower and South Saddle coves.

The four locations will be stocked by NDOW on Friday, which will be the last plants of the season.

Anglers who were competing in a largemouth bass fishing tournament on Saturday and Sunday had poor results. The winner of the tournament caught five bass that had a combined weight of 14 pounds.

Angler Don Sollberger told NDOW that over the weekend he graphed a large school of striped bass that were near the sandy point across lake from Cottonwood Cove Marina. He also said that a boater caught a 17-inch rainbow trout with a jig near the power line north of Cottonwood Cove.