My long time freind and team tournament partner Bob Figueria and I began our journie tuesday morning bright and yearly for Nevada.Only making one stop on the way there for food and gas 9 hours later we arived at the Sunset Station Casino.This 21 story 111,000 sq.ft monster casino was the perfect begining to our trip,and they treated the bassfisherman like gold.Sunset station had the hole 5th floor of the parking garage reserved for us,they hired a security gaurd and brought in 160 electrical outlets to charge our boats.After getting everything to our room the boat covered rods ready,we headed to the casino to find some grub.After eating wings,steak felling pretty packed up decided to head to the room for a little chill'n by the tube and looking over the topo to put a game plan together so we could utilize our prefish time in the best way possible.We decided to fish the main lake area on the first day and the Overton arm on the second(overton was what I was looking forward to.I had heard dirty water and a forest of wood).We put the boat on the water and the fist thing I saw was super clear water and brush,I was thinking money Nichols spinnerbait so got my Castaway STM7 with the white on silver spinner tied on out and ready for action.We headed down the lake to what we thought was a good looking area for 70 deg. water temps that are droping.The first spot we pulled into wa a creek arm with about 100yards of bank point to point.The brush in this area was perfect for blades.I had the blade on while Bob was ripping a rogue.After the first 15min. I had a short striker that came back and hit it a second time,about a 2 1/2lb'r (a good fish for Mead)this was our first site of a Mead bass and we were pumped.The fish came about half way up the creek but the bank had a little more vertical grade then the rest we just fished.As we continued to the back of the creek no bites then back out the other side and abain about half way up Bob changed to a blade and second cast "HOOK UP" about a 14"r not so bad since everyone had said the bite has been really tough.After that creek we decided to look for more water with that vertical bank with wood.The next area I had a short striker and that was the end of our blade fish as the next hour and a half and no fish.We decided to go deep and find some rocky points. The water is so clear on this lake you can see the ledges on islands and point as the drop off from 30ft.On one of those ledges I got one about 2lbs on a spider jig in about 40ft.that was the last bite of the day,off the water at 5:30 what a long slow day on the water.

Prefish day 2 no sun a little cloud cover we were excited to fish the Overton arm as we towed the boat there,cause the boat ride was some 55 miles away from our launch ramp,and we are glad we did as the wind got pretty bad at the end of the day.Once we saw the water color (about 5ft vis) and brush everywhere.We looked at each other with the same thoughts"its like a totally diffrent lake"and we were right we flipped fish on purple zipper worms all day shaking most of the fish off instead of setting the hook to save for the next day.At about 1:00 we were set on where we wanted to fish and what we would do, so we decided to stick the next few fish just to get more pumped and head out.We knew it was a gamble if the wind picked up on tournie day but thats Vegas.

Tournie day #1 no wind yeeee ha!We are 129th boat out and have a 1 hour boat ride a head of us to our water as we get there boats are all over in the wood but there is enough to go around.We start on the first set of tree's and began flipp'n the first 1 1/2 hours only gave us one 14"r and a dink.As we continued down the bank the camera boat came up to us and asked if we were on fish,I was on the front and looked over with a smile "allways on fish size is the what we need right now" the boat followed us for a while then left as we couldnt get a bite.another hour and not a bite we moved to the other side of the river I threw a blade and my next 6 casts produced 3 dinks.Ok I 'm pumped now I'm getting bit.Bob jumped in the back of the boat and told me to get to work so a blade'n I go I work an area to a set point then back,on the way out I stuck a 3.25lbr keeper # 2 in the boat and less then 2 hours before we have to leave,but look out Im fired up.We proceeded down the bank as my blade is in the air Bob says thats a spinner spot then "Hook Up" # 3 in the boat.2 casts later another one on the blade #4 ,right after that Bob loose's one on the zipper worm a couple minutes later he flipp's our 5th.We finish the bank wiht no more fish then began our long ride back to Calville Bay.We make a few stops near the weigh in area and Bob picks up one on a rip bait and one crank'n.We cull our fish out after weigh in's we sit in 9th spot(WOW).All we could think was we are in the first flight on day 2 we get out of the water and have our dinner and sleep for another day.

Tournie day # 2(final day) all I can say is sun,sun,sun and slow slow fishing.We got back to our water I began with the blade and had a bunch of short strikers.By the end of the we had caught only 5 fish for 6+lbs 3 on blades 2 flipp'n.Over all 16 1/2lbs gor the event. 19lbs got a boat (ouch)

The lack of experience on this lake didnt hurt until the high pressure moved in and we needed some deep water at the end of the event we ended up tied for 25th spot and second in our region behind Dave Gleibe (finshed 2nd over all) one angler away from going to Texas.I had a great time at this event and learned to much to type.I look forward to the next time I have to go back to Lake Mead.

I thank my sponsor flipp'n lures for putting us in the sweet casino and Castaway and Okuma for there support over the last year.

John
Thanks for the killer write up! That's a good fishin story in any book and you guys were right in there from the sound of it. I really think that it won't be long before you're the guy winning the bote!

-Rob

I'm impressed! Way to go. You'll get that boat yet.
And ditto what Rob said, great story!!

Chris

That was a great story John. You had me pumped up and motivated. Dude it sounds like you guys had a killer time…Way to go.
You might not of took first out there on Mead but your still #1 with us.

By reading some of the topics and threads here in the forum can you guess how Clearlake was for most of us? Enough about that Are you going to make Whites’ Slough?

Talk to you later…

I will be at Whites the way I see it if I want the anglers of the year title this year,I have to beat Darce by about 20lbs,I'll be bringing out all the weopons for this event.I will probally be getting a room in stockton somewhere.see ya there

(just kidding -- although, if you have ROOM for us all...) ;-)

- jeff

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