By Loren Brooks

It was a tough day on the lake on Tuesday, April 3. Some of the fisherman went early, (perhaps the moon chart was considered). Others were out on the water by 10:00 am, and then those that were lonely, (left back at the Park) decided to get out on the lake by noon. Well it didn’t matter what time they got there, it was a slow day.

I had my daughter and friend Dave, out there by 10:30 am in the Overton Arm. We spotted 10 other captains in the Overton Arm. We were discovering it didn’t matter what time you got there, the fish were not biting. We talked on cell phones and on channel 5, discovering that Pat & Stan had one fish; Wayne Beard and family had 3; Roy, Don and Lee had two; Jewels and Delaine had two; John the Jet (who came at noon) had one; and we had one.

Laura’s fish looked like a three pounder, but it was only two pounds. I mean every one we talked to, including Bill and Bob (the boat that got the 42.2 pounder in March) had only two or three fish. Lures and anchovies had no magic on this beautiful, windless, glassy water of Overton Beach.

The previous Thursday and Friday, everyone had found fish in big numbers.

Tom & Charie came out in a bigger boat this week. The last time they were out, they got caught in a wind storm, and decided never again to be in a little boat because of “them-there waters”. When water is that scary, they had to abandon ship.

For every one’s information, Last Friday, the Game Warden checked all the boats, (except for one) for compliance with boating regulations, and for current fishing licenses. You missed one Warden. As we chatted with Warden Geise, he encouraged the out-of-state fishermen to buy the new Nevada “Out of State” license which has dropped in price to $29.00, ($20.00 cheaper than Arizona). He also warned that the “umbrella rig”, which is starting to be used in Lake Mead, is illegal. He suggested everyone check the proclamation to be sure they are in compliance with the number of hooks allowed on one pole.

Everyone has just about given up on the Overton Beach boat ramp being opened this spring. What a surprise that would be to have a chance to launch our boats at Overton.

Well let me tell you what happened later in the afternoon on April 3. By two o’clock we still only had one fish.

Then the fish started to bite. We started hearing the cry on the radio, and from our shouts across the water, “FISH ON”. We had two sets of “doubles”, and between 3:00 and 4:00 pm, we caught six nice big 2 & 3 pound fish.

And the same for the rest of the boats. Jewel and Delaine Roberts, caught 9; Stan & Pat caught 8, and John the Jet caught 4. In the one hour between 3 and 4 o’clock the fish finally started biting. Who knows when it’s dinner time for the Striper. It was a fun day for those who stuck it out until 3:00 pm. The cleaning table was working good at the Echo Station and we got a photo of our seven fish. My daughter Laura was mighty happy to catch 5 fish.

Good luck to all of those who can get out again soon. Keep your lure in the water, the “Waters of Life”.