Unpredictable stripers can fuel frustration

Mike O’Donnell could see the dorsal fin of a large striped bass parting the Colorado River’s cold waters as the fish hunted down its breakfast. On the menu was rainbow trout, most likely a tender morsel released by folks at the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery in time for the long holiday weekend.

O’Donnell, president of the Nevada Striper Club, picked up a rod fitted with a trout-imitating swim bait and let it fly. The cast was perfect, and the large bait landed just ahead of O’Donnell’s intended target. As he reeled in the bait, the striper pulled off the trout he was following and began pursuing O’Donnell’s bait instead. O’Donnell watched excitedly as the striper closed the distance. He steeled himself for the monster hit he expected to feel at any time. But the anticipated jolt of a hungry striper never came. For some reason, the big fish turned its nose up at O’Donnell’s bait and swam away.

“I thought for sure he was going to hit it,” O’Donnell said. “His back was out of the water the whole time. It was a good-size fish, probably a 20-pounder, maybe 25.”

During their foray, O’Donnell and his partner saw a couple of other large fish cruising for trout, but they couldn’t get the fish to take what they offered.

“We just couldn’t get on ’em,” O’Donnell said. “They’re there. There’s definitely fish there. I heard somebody got a 40-pounder, maybe a 45. I don’t know how true that is.”

While some anglers might take days such as the one O’Donnell had personally, he recognizes that it’s all part of fishing. If things were any different, the sport probably would be called catching instead.

At Lake Mead, live threadfin shad always have been an effective striper bait because the small, silvery fish long has been the primary food source for striped bass. But things are changing at Lake Mead, and that might no longer be the case. Gizzard shad have made their way into Lake Mead, and guys such as O’Donnell are finding them to be a productive bait option.

“That’s what I’ve been fishing the last couple of tourneys, and I’ve placed,” he said.

Like threadfin shad, the gizzard variety can be caught using a cast net, but keep in mind that to be legal in Nevada, a cast net can have no more than a 4-foot radius. O’Donnell likes to hook shad through the nose; others hook them near the dorsal fin. Either way, he recommends leaving your drag loose so a striper can swim away with your bait and have time to swallow it. With a tight drag, stripers can easily rip the shad off your hook.

■ STOCKING PLANTS — Nevada Department of Wildlife stocking plans call for Tuesday trout plants at Lake Mead through Dec. 28 and every Friday beginning Jan. 7.

Plant locations will be Hemenway and Crawdad Cove until January, when Boulder Harbor will be added to the list if the water level and temperature permit.

At Lake Mohave, trout plants will take place at Placer and Powerline coves through December. Thereafter, Aztec Wash will replace Powerline Cove on the schedule.

Additional plants will be made at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave on Jan. 18, Feb. 1 and 15 and March 1.

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 he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.