Arizona's Fab 4 An off-the-charts bait spawn. Phenomenal bass grow-outs. New flooded territory. In Alamo, Bartlett, Pleasant and Roosevelt reservoirs, Arizona's got some of the best bass fishing in the West. (February 2007) ... [+] Full Article
For fishing over nests or in the brush, Sollberger heartily endorses the Gitzit in colors resembling bluegill and sunfish. He goes light on the lead and rigs them weedless most of the time. His favorite technique is to "throw it on the nest and just sit there and shake it." Sooner or later the fish will get mad enough to go after the bait, but he said you have to pay close attention to what the fish is doing. Sometimes the fish will pick up the tube bait and simply spit it out of the nest without ever letting you feel the movement. Productive colors are pumpkin-green and chartreuse, both with blue, red, green and orange glitter.
Another approach Sollberger recommends is recently revived "drop-shotting" or "down-shotting," a technique that some tournament anglers have been using more often in recent years to entice bites from finicky bass. Simply put, with this technique place your lead at the end of your line and tie your hook into the line about one to three feet above the lead. Sollberger uses a Palomar knot. Nose-hook a soft plastic bait and drop the rig in on the fish.
"You can put a worm there and let your lead lay in the nest and just shake the worm. They'll come over and suck it in when they get mad enough. Sometimes as soon as it hits the water they grab it. Sometimes you got to sit there for an hour and play with 'em until they get mad enough to go over and eat it," said Sollberger who also likes to entice bass with leeches, double-tail jigs and purple lizards.
Jones prefers to use a 7-inch, grape plastic worm and likes to throw jigs in various colors (black/brown, orange/pork, or smoke) while working points.
HOME OF THE 40-POUND STRIPER
Though Lake Mohave offers anglers an opportunity for largemouth bass, the lake is better known for trophy striped bass. In 2001, Allan Cole pulled a 49-inch, 63-pound striper from Mohave that became the Nevada record. Guide John Wood of Angler's Edge says Mohave produces several stripers weighing more than 40 pounds each year.
The best fishing occurs in October and November. As water temperatures drop, stripers start looking for easy meals, such as the rainbow trout planted by the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
Trout attract large stripers, and anglers often catch fish from 15 to 40 pounds when fishing lures resembling planter-sized rainbows. Popular choices include various Rapalas, AC Plugs and Red Fins.
It is illegal to use trout as bait. -- C. Douglas Nielsen
HOTSPOTS
There are three marinas on Lake Mohave: Willow Beach to the north, Cottonwood Cove about in the middle, and Katherine Landing in the south just above Davis Dam. The favored among bass anglers seems to be Cottonwood Cove, probably because of its proximity to the bulk of the largemouth fishing opportunities, its full complement of amenities and a lack of heavy boat traffic. Sollberger and Jones recommend the coves, points and walls from just outside of the marina north to about Nelson's Landing. Much farther north of Nelson's Landing, the water temperature is too cold to hold many bucketmouths and neither fisherman likes the traffic often found at Katherine Landing.
One of Sollberger's favorite fishing spots is the canyon just north of Cottonwood Cove because it offers several brush-lined coves and steep drop-offs tucked behind fish-holding points. Jones said he never fishes any farther than two miles north or south of the marina. Other anglers like to work the waters of Nevada Bay, Arizona Bay and the Arizona side of the upper Cottonwood Basin. Some opt to go as far south as Katherine Landing. On windy days, however, the Cottonwood Basin is not the place to be. The winds on the basin can come up fast, and create large swells that easily and quickly swamp lower profile vessels like bass boats. Late spring days can be very hot; 100-degree temperatures are quite common, so bring plenty of water or sports drinks. Alcoholic beverages are not recommended on the lake because they actually increase the speed at which you will experience dehydration in the desert heat.
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