Fishing report: Troll deep to bring up those stripers

Friday, March 4, 2005 | 10:11 a.m.

NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE

Most who have been fishing in the Boulder Basin have said that fishing has been slow and the majority of striped bass they have caught recently are thin. However, one fisherman reported that he brought 10 chunky stripers to his boat on Sunday at Las Vegas Wash. Another boater said he caught a thin 13-pound striper outside B-5 Cove.

Many boaters are now trolling deep to catch stripers. Shore anglers are fishing with anchovies, picking up a small number of fish around Hemenway Harbor.

Creel census clerks working at cleaning stations in the Overton Arm over the weekend did not see any stripers. Competitors in a weekend largemouth bass fishing tournament said the fishing was slow.

Walt deMattos, NDOW creel census clerk, said the water level has increased enough to allow boaters to return to the Virgin River area. He believes that the mild weather may make for a good weekend of fishing at the lake.

Last week's rainbow trout plants did not taker place until Sunday because of a delay in delivery from a commercial hatchery in Oregon. This week's plants were scheduled to take place today at Hemenway, Horsepower, North Saddle and Pumphouse coves.

One angler said many people fishing at Willow Beach recently have hindered their success by using hooks that are too large and putting too much bait on the hooks. He said he has had success using size 18 treble hooks baited with orange PowerBait just large enough to cover the hooks.

Fishing continues to be slow for striped bass around Cottonwood Cove.

Dan Maes, NDOW area technician, said anglers have been catching rainbows that range from just under 12 inches to 18 inches. Most of the fish caught range 13-14 inches.

LICENSE RENEWAL TIME

Anglers and hunters are being advised by the Nevada Department of Wildlife that their 2004 annual fishing and hunting licenses expired on March 1, so now is the time to purchase licenses for the 2005-06 fishing and hunting seasons.

"Nevada's license year runs from March 1 through the end of February. So hunters and fishers who purchase their license now will maximize the value of their purchase by having the license in effect for the entire 12-month period," said Kathy Teligades, NDOW regional license office supervisor.

She said there has been no change in the cost of licenses from last year. Annual resident adult fishing licenses are $29 while hunting licenses are $33 and combination hunting and fishing licenses are $54.