Willow Beach: Tales of the haves and have-nots Nevada fishing report

Swaters have a mind of their own when it comes to fishing. They have the unique ability to humble one angler while making another look like the guru of all things fishing.

I still can remember standing waist deep next to my dad in a cold mountain lake high in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Just down the way was a wader-clad angler who reeled in fish after fish while we waited anxiously for the bite that nevercame.nomatterwhatwe threw, the only action we saw was the movement our constant shivering gave to our fishing rods. Blue jeans and tennis shoes just don’t cut it when it comes to staying dry and warm while wading.

Looking back, there was a good chance we never would have felt the bite of a nervous fish had one decided to take our bait. We kept fishing until the cold turned to hurt and then left empty-handed. As we hiked back toward camp, I couldn’t help but wonder how the fish in that lake knew to bite only our neighbor’s bait. Or why the fish stayed only where he was fishing.

Throughout the years, I have experienced this phenomenon on various waters, including in Southernnevada.

Sandwiched between Lake Mead and Lake Mohave is a stretch of the lower Colorado River that tests the skills of the most experienced anglers. Technically, it is the upper end of Lake Mohave, but because the water flows through Black Canyon, it maintains the characteristics of a river. Therefore, most people still refer to this part of the lake as the Colorado River.

About 12 miles below Hoover Dam, the river takes a wide, sweeping turn to the southwest. Here the river flows clear, so clear that when there is little wind, one can see the bottom in 30 feet of water. This is Willow Beach, and in the corner of the bend is a marina called by that same name. Here one can launch a boat, rent a boat or kayak and catch fish. But not just any fish.

Willow Beach is home to rather large striped bass. Fish pushing past the 10-pound mark are common, fish weighing more than 20 pounds aren’t unheard of, and every now and again an angler will reel in one that weighs more than 30 or 40 pounds.

Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? The problem is, Willow Beach is one of those waters that humbles one angler and makes another look like a guru of all things fishing. It seems like there is no middle ground. Either you catch fish at Willow Beach, or you don’t.

In recent weeks, there have been several reports of anglers weighing in fish at more than 10 pounds. In the marina store, you will find a bragging board with a long list of anglers who have caught double-digit stripers and their bait of choice. Almost all are using some variation of a rainbow trout imitation ranging from affordable to ouch in price. Trout imitations make sense because in this part of the river the striped bass feed on stocked rainbows.

With hopes of getting rid of some of the Willow Beach humility I have earned over the years, I loaded up the kayak Monday morning and headed south.

When I pulled into the parking lot, the river was glass smooth and inviting. I tied on an LA Slider and started paddling. I slow-trolled the

■ Lake Mead — The striper bite is steady. Anglers have had success fishing the cove entrances for striped bass in the early morning and switching to deep diving lures after the heat of the day has warmed the surface waters. Trolling with shad has worked for many through Las Vegas Bay area and outside Boulder Beach.

■ Lake Mohave — Largemouth and smallmouth bass are more active at points with vegetation reaching out into the water. Some fishermen are having success from kayaks and fishing for striped bass using anchovies or swimbaits. One angler caught a 33-pound striped bass last weekend outside Willow Beach using a topwater lure. Most fishermen will use swimbait or poppers.

■ Laughlin — Striped bass action has been reported below Davis Dam and through casino row. Anglers are using anchovies and also hoping for catfish bites. Any shore fishing is going to be more difficult with weeds growing thicker. Anglers fishing from a boat have had success past the vegetation using poppers and trout swimbait for topwater lures.

■ Las Vegas urban ponds — Fishing was slower this past week because of the heat. The best action is still early morning trout imitation in a grid pattern, working my way back and forth. First north to south and then east to west. At one point, I caught the silvery glow of good striper swimming along the channel bottom on the Nevada side of the river. Was he a 10-pounder? Probably not, but a good fish nonetheless. I was just too slow and missed the opportunity.

After more than two hours of exercise, I packed up and called it a day, taking with me another helping of Willow Beach humility. Luckily, nobody else was catching fish, either, so there were no gurus of all things fishing. Or so I thought.

Then on Tuesday afternoon, I checked the Willow Beach Facebook and after sunset for most of the ponds.

The sunfish are mostly hanging out in the shadows, and catfish are holding in the deeper parts of the ponds.

■ Kirch Wildlife Management Area — Crappie and bass action have been the best, but trout are still hitting in the early morning and evening hours, with the bite sporadic. The aquatic vegetation is still a problem off the dams and around the boat launch areas.

■ Eagle Valley Reservoir — The crappie and bass bite have been the best, but a few trout are still baiting early in the mornings and evening hours. Small jigs for the crappie have been working in a variety of colors, with bass hitting the jigs as well as nightcrawlers along the tules. The aquatic vegetation has been making shore fishing difficult.

■ Echo Canyon Reservoir — The lake’s water level is low as usual for summer, with the aquatic vegetation getting thicker along the shore line. The best fishing action still remains early morning and after sundown for bass and crappie.

■ Events — NDOW will host a free beginners fly-tying class at the Las Vegas NDOW office from 6-7:30 p.m. on July 21. Equipment will be provided. To register, go to ndow.org/education/angler_ed/ Classes/. For more information, contact

Ivy Santee at 702-486-5127, ext. 3503.

page and found a picture of an angler known as Pokey with a 33-pound striper he caught Monday on an unnamed top-water lure. There is a guru of all things fishing at Willow Beach after all.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW.

Any opinions in his column are his own. Find him on Facebook at @ dougwritesoutdoors. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail. com.