By Loren Brooks

Stan Brown shows off a nice Striped Bass he caught Friday, on the “128” in the Overton Arm of Lake Mead.

Fishing was fun on Saturday January 7. We (John, Boyd, & myself) used the Lucky Craft 128; a black “hot lips by Storm”; and the black “Michael Jackson” lure in trolling for Black Bass and SM Bass. The 4 striped Bass were a bonus.

Black was the color, trolling at about 2.5 mph. Boyd did lose a black broken body Rapalla because of old mono line on a spinning reel when another freight train took a liking to the lure.

The wind whipped up on us at 1:30 pm so we bee-lined it for the dock, and were back in the park by 2:30 pm. The wind was clocking about 20 mph by the time we got back to the Park. Lake Mead is no place to be when that wind out of the North comes roaring down the Overton Arm.

No anchovy bait was used on this occasion. We were up in “Carolyn waters”, in the Muddy/Virgin river, and got 13 bass. I call it “Carolyn Waters” named after my daughter who loves the beauty of Fish Island and the Virgin.

I finally caught some fish! After three trips of getting skunked, I wound up with the biggest, and the most, not that it really matters. The “128” was temping the big ones. I’m glad I had a good grip on the rod, a couple of time, when Mr. Big came by on the Overton Express. I had “Spiderwire” as the line and it also served as the leader. No lead line involved and no snap swivel. I’m sure mono line would have broke when Mr. Big struck at 12 mph.

Boyd is my witness on three strikes that did not connect with the “128” treble hooks on the Gray Ghost. I will get the correct name on the Michael Jackson lure, which turned Boyd and John into “believers”.

There seems to be an abundance of shad. Shad were airborne on several occasions. The Grebe are currently doing their mating dance, which seems a little early. It must have been the 66 degree temperature and glassy surface that brought on the romance. If you watch these birds during the dance, they both walk on the water side by side in their courtship.

Pray for the fish, and the hopes of opening Overton Beach Marina.