Bass and cats are hot items

Friday, May 27, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE

Boaters who want to try their luck at fishing over the holiday weekend may wish to bait their hooks with cut anchovies and fish outside the tires at Lake Mead Marina or try fishing anywhere from the 33 Hole to Anchor Island to the back of Las Vegas Wash. All of those areas have been producing stripers and some catfish during the past week.

There have been reports that stripers are now being caught near the Hemenway Wall in the Boulder Basin. Very few fish have been caught recently at Boulder Beach.

Anglers fishing in the Overton Arm have had success for stripers that weigh from one and a half to two pounds around Fish Island. One angler had good luck last weekend while fly-fishing for stripers in that area. Two shore fishermen caught 16 catfish Sunday while fishing just south of Echo Bay Marina.

NDOW boating officers said that delays are expected when launching boats because of the busy holiday weekend. They ask that boaters be patient and courteous when launching and operating their vessels.

A couple from California caught 140 stripers while fishing from their boat above and below Cottonwood Cove. Most of the fish were a pound or less and were taken with anchovies and squid. Another boater caught 100 stripers, most of which were around 13 inches. The fish were taken about four miles north of Cottonwood.

Fishing was fair for the 40 anglers at Willow Beach for last week's rainbow trout plant. The water level was high and the fish stayed in brush long enough for most anglers to catch two or three.

Trout are being found in the deeper channels that NDOW dug into Adams-McGill last year. Worms and PowerBait as well as flies with olive coloration are being used to catch the fish.

Largemouth bass have become active at Haymeadow Reservoir and are being taken with worms and flies. Trout that weigh up to 3 pounds and black bullheads have been caught as well at the lake.

Large numbers of mosquitoes are emerging at the lakes each day around sunset. West Nile virus has been found on the area, so anglers may wish to use insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites. The campground and lakes are expected to be very busy during the Memorial Day weekend.