Since the wife and kids decided to go visit grandma in Utah, I was left to my own devices over the weekend. I knew that I needed to clean the garage, work on the pool, and make a run to the dump, but I also has some serious free time on my hands. So, Friday after work I loaded up the kayak, crank-baits, and my cheap Coleman cooler (hope to by a Yeti Hopper soon) and headed out to Lake Mead. I opted to fish in the Boulder Basin area as I'd seen some boils out there when I was sailing with a friend last week. The weather was hot and the wind was horrible, but I still went out hopeful that conditions would improve.
After loading the kayak I was able to sneak through the litany of weekend wakeboard boats blaring horrible music and get out onto some open water. As it turned out, I was much safer in the channel with the boaters that I was out in the open with the wind. After fighting the wind for 45 minutes or so I gave up and found a little cove tucked away from the white caps. What impressed me though, was that my kayak really stood up to those large waves very well. At no time did I worry that I was going to tip over, despite the waves from boaters and the wind. Some swells were a couple feet deep, and the kayak handled them very well. For the price of this kayak, you can't really go wrong, but I'll have a gear review on the kayak later.
After 30 more minutes the weather really started to calm down, so I headed out into the open water to target some submerged vegetation where I'd hope some largemouth would be hanging out. I'm totally new to targeting large mouth and smallies, and I've never fished with anyone who knows how to catch them. Needless to say my efforts were futile, but that's the great thing about fishing, as long as your learning and becoming a better fisherman you'll get to where you want to be one day. Anyway, as I was out in the open a Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) Conservation Officer, read Game Warden, pulled up to check my license and Aquatic Invasive Species tag. Turns out I had both, and after some pleasantries he thanked me for my cooperation and was on his way. I was happy to see NDOW was out patrolling as Lake Mead's fishing pressures seem to be very different than when I fished here as a kid with my grandpa and dad. Some conservation, education, and enforcement should be effective in keeping the shorelines clean and ensuring folks aren't exceeding limits, I hope anyway.
As the day moved on the temperature cooled a bit, the wind died way down, and I started to see some action on the surface. I tried a top water lure that resembles a shad, but came away with no hits. Then I went back to fishing with a Bass Pro boss shad, see link below, in the shad pattern. After two missed hits I hooked up with a Striper. What he lacked in girth and size he made up for in fight. After a few pulls on the drag of my Mitchell reel I was able to bring him aboard. He fought well and made a decent run at the end, so he took a minute to recuperate. He took off after a few seconds. My family and friends frequently ask why I don't keep my stripped bass as they're amongst some of the best fish for eating. I tend to practice catch and release on all species when it comes to fishing. Something about leaving the fish to another day leaves me feeling good. Maybe I'm just lazy and don't want to go through with the work to make a nice fillet. Either way, my catch was released to see another shad.
As the sun began to set the action picked up a bit, but I knew that without proper lighting I'd be at risk of getting hit on the water. I did have my Barebones Forest Lantern and I turned it on as I paddled back to the launch ramp. Some fisherman were launching as I paddled in and I asked them if I was visible with the lantern. They were pretty impressed with it and asked to look it over. These lanterns are electric, rechargeable, and are incredibly handy. Made me glad I'd brought it with me, although I am looking at a lighting kit for my kayak so that I can get out earlier and stay later, especially during the winter season.
As I drove home I felt like a lucky guy. I was able to drive less than 10 minutes, arrive at a major lake, and spend a couple hours fishing and enjoying some scenery. As always, good gear made the trip enjoyable and a success. Here's hoping that future trips will prove to be just as fun, but perhaps with the addition of my first large mouth or smallie!
Gear I took on my outing:
https://www.lifetime.com/gallery/water-sports/fishing-kayaks/sport-fisher-kayaks/90121
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Boss-Shad/product/1206280436364/
http://www.pelican.com/us/en/product/watertight-protector-hard-cases/micro-case-series/standard/1060/
http://www.barebonesliving.com/p/3/Forest-Lantern
http://www.barebonesliving.com/p/57/Scout-Flashlight
http://www.smithoptics.com/us/Root/Men%27s/Sunglasses/Elite-Tactical/Hideout-Elite/p/HDTPPGY22BK
http://www.cabelas.com/product/boating/canoes-kayaks-small-boats/fishing-boating-life-jackets%7C/pc/104794380/c/104710680/sc/104328180/cabela-s-deluxe-adult-flotation-vest/733800.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FN%3D1105205
http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/tackle-storage/tackle-bags%7C/pc/104793480/c/104777280/sc/104619780/cabela-s-fishing-utility-bag/1282004.uts?destination=%2Fcategory%2FTackle-Bags%2F104619780.uts#tabsCollection
https://www.shopbubba.com/shop-all/bottles/bubba-16-oz-hero-sport-bottle-active-shocking-pink/
After loading the kayak I was able to sneak through the litany of weekend wakeboard boats blaring horrible music and get out onto some open water. As it turned out, I was much safer in the channel with the boaters that I was out in the open with the wind. After fighting the wind for 45 minutes or so I gave up and found a little cove tucked away from the white caps. What impressed me though, was that my kayak really stood up to those large waves very well. At no time did I worry that I was going to tip over, despite the waves from boaters and the wind. Some swells were a couple feet deep, and the kayak handled them very well. For the price of this kayak, you can't really go wrong, but I'll have a gear review on the kayak later.
After 30 more minutes the weather really started to calm down, so I headed out into the open water to target some submerged vegetation where I'd hope some largemouth would be hanging out. I'm totally new to targeting large mouth and smallies, and I've never fished with anyone who knows how to catch them. Needless to say my efforts were futile, but that's the great thing about fishing, as long as your learning and becoming a better fisherman you'll get to where you want to be one day. Anyway, as I was out in the open a Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) Conservation Officer, read Game Warden, pulled up to check my license and Aquatic Invasive Species tag. Turns out I had both, and after some pleasantries he thanked me for my cooperation and was on his way. I was happy to see NDOW was out patrolling as Lake Mead's fishing pressures seem to be very different than when I fished here as a kid with my grandpa and dad. Some conservation, education, and enforcement should be effective in keeping the shorelines clean and ensuring folks aren't exceeding limits, I hope anyway.
As the day moved on the temperature cooled a bit, the wind died way down, and I started to see some action on the surface. I tried a top water lure that resembles a shad, but came away with no hits. Then I went back to fishing with a Bass Pro boss shad, see link below, in the shad pattern. After two missed hits I hooked up with a Striper. What he lacked in girth and size he made up for in fight. After a few pulls on the drag of my Mitchell reel I was able to bring him aboard. He fought well and made a decent run at the end, so he took a minute to recuperate. He took off after a few seconds. My family and friends frequently ask why I don't keep my stripped bass as they're amongst some of the best fish for eating. I tend to practice catch and release on all species when it comes to fishing. Something about leaving the fish to another day leaves me feeling good. Maybe I'm just lazy and don't want to go through with the work to make a nice fillet. Either way, my catch was released to see another shad.
As the sun began to set the action picked up a bit, but I knew that without proper lighting I'd be at risk of getting hit on the water. I did have my Barebones Forest Lantern and I turned it on as I paddled back to the launch ramp. Some fisherman were launching as I paddled in and I asked them if I was visible with the lantern. They were pretty impressed with it and asked to look it over. These lanterns are electric, rechargeable, and are incredibly handy. Made me glad I'd brought it with me, although I am looking at a lighting kit for my kayak so that I can get out earlier and stay later, especially during the winter season.
As I drove home I felt like a lucky guy. I was able to drive less than 10 minutes, arrive at a major lake, and spend a couple hours fishing and enjoying some scenery. As always, good gear made the trip enjoyable and a success. Here's hoping that future trips will prove to be just as fun, but perhaps with the addition of my first large mouth or smallie!
Gear I took on my outing:
https://www.lifetime.com/gallery/water-sports/fishing-kayaks/sport-fisher-kayaks/90121
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Boss-Shad/product/1206280436364/
http://www.pelican.com/us/en/product/watertight-protector-hard-cases/micro-case-series/standard/1060/
http://www.barebonesliving.com/p/3/Forest-Lantern
http://www.barebonesliving.com/p/57/Scout-Flashlight
http://www.smithoptics.com/us/Root/Men%27s/Sunglasses/Elite-Tactical/Hideout-Elite/p/HDTPPGY22BK
http://www.cabelas.com/product/boating/canoes-kayaks-small-boats/fishing-boating-life-jackets%7C/pc/104794380/c/104710680/sc/104328180/cabela-s-deluxe-adult-flotation-vest/733800.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FN%3D1105205
http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/tackle-storage/tackle-bags%7C/pc/104793480/c/104777280/sc/104619780/cabela-s-fishing-utility-bag/1282004.uts?destination=%2Fcategory%2FTackle-Bags%2F104619780.uts#tabsCollection
https://www.shopbubba.com/shop-all/bottles/bubba-16-oz-hero-sport-bottle-active-shocking-pink/