Fishing report: $10,000 tagged trout escapes without hook at Cave Lake event

Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 | 9:54 a.m.

NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE

CAVE LAKE: More than 400 anglers were at the White Pine County lake Saturday for the annual ice fishing tournament and most had good luck catching stocked rainbow trout.

The participants managed to catch a dozen of the 25 tagged trout, but none caught the tagged fish that would have netted a $10,000 prize. Live worms and crappie jigs tipped with night crawlers caught most of the fish. Currently the ice is 10-12 inches thick.

COMINS LAKE: Fishing is slowing and will continue to get slower the longer ice stays on the lake, according to Chris Crookshanks, NDOW biologist. Even so, anglers are catching trout through ice that is 8-10 inches thick. Live worms hooked on yellow and white crappie jigs are the best bait for catching the fish.

EAGLE VALLEY RESERVOIR: Open water is found at the north end of the lake and anglers are having some success by casting lures to rainbow trout at Copper Point. Ice conditions elsewhere on the lake are unsafe for ice fishing.

ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR: The lake is full and the water is very murky due to recent storm runoff. No anglers have been fishing at the lake because of the poor water conditions.

LAKE MEAD: Fishing continues to be in the winter doldrums and the recent storm and winds haven't improved the situation.

Anglers are still catching rainbow trout in the Boulder Basin following NDOW's weekly plants. A few small striped bass were taken at the stocking sites after the plants and at Las Vegas Wash, but that has been about all of the action that fishers have enjoyed during the past week.

A few dedicated boaters are still taking to the water at Las Vegas Wash and are being rewarded with small numbers of stripers that weigh around a pound. The fish are being taken by chumming and drifting with anchovies.

Several small stripers were caught from shore at the Horsepower Cove fishing dock and Saddle Cove following last week's trout plants.

NDOW creel census clerks said they did not see any anglers over the weekend at fish cleaning stations at Echo Bay or Overton Beach. They said the lack of fishing was likely due to heavy rains that drenched the area Saturday and strong winds the following day.

Trout plants were scheduled to take place today at Hemenway, Horsepower, North Saddle and Pumphouse coves.

LAKE MOHAVE: Poor weather and even poorer fishing has been found recently at the lake with about the only success coming after NDOW's trout plants.

The weekend storm that was followed by several days of strong winds have had a noticeable impact because few anglers have been seen in recent days at Cottonwood Cove or Willow Beach.

Plans called for NDOW to stock rainbow trout today at Aztec Wash. Trout were scheduled to be stocked this morning at Willow Beach from Willow Beach Hatchery.

WAYNE E. KIRCH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA: The area received more than a half-inch of rain last week and the conditions this week have been cold and windy. Winds have caused the ice to come off the reservoirs.

Anglers who have endured the soggy and windy weather have enjoyed fairly good fishing for rainbow trout that weigh up to 2 pounds. PowerBait and live worms are taking the fish.

URBAN PONDS: Fishing has slowed during the past week, but it should be good this weekend because NDOW planned to stock rainbow trout today. Ponds that will be planted were at Floyd Lamb State Park, Lorenzi Park and Sunset Park in Las Vegas and Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City.