Fishing Report, Jan. 31
■ LAKE MEAD – Although the weather still is on the chilly side, fishing has improved. One lucky angler caught a cooler of striped bass while using a Berkeley shad imitation at the north end of Echo Bay. Another reeled in a 22-pounder while throwing a half-ounce Phoenix spinner bait in the shallows, and a 7-pound largemouth bass was caught in the same area. Trolling with Rapalas near the Virgin River inlet has proven successful for largemouth and striped bass. In the Vegas Wash area, anglers are finding success with live gizzard shad. Fish in the 5- to 6-pound range, as well as one that pushed past 12 pounds, have taken the bait.
■ LAKE MOHAVE – High winds and cold temperatures deterred many anglers earlier in the week, but they still are catching big fish in the Willow Beach area. A couple of striped bass weighing in at 17 and 22 pounds hit an AC Plug near mile marker 49. As the warmer temperatures return, fishing is expected to improve.
■ URBAN PONDS – Weekly trout plants by the Nevada Department of Wildlife are providing good fishing action at the urban ponds. The fish are hitting PowerBait, night crawlers and most small lures.
■ KIRCH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA – Little has changed this week. The ice remains about 6 inches thick on Haymeadow and Cold Springs reservoirs near the boat launches, but warming temperatures have created pockets of open water on both reservoirs. Anglers should be wary. The ice on Dacey and Adams-McGill reservoirs is thin and unsafe. Anglers can find fishable water along Dacey’s dam. Roads are frozen in the morning and muddy in the afternoon, but access should not be a problem.
■ EAGLE VALLEY RESERVOIR – Incessant rain has kept anglers away from the reservoir this week. The snow has melted off, and several inches of water are on top of the ice, making conditions unsafe for fishing.
■ ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR – Rain has created unsafe ice conditions, though the situation is expected to improve as the weather cools.
