Gov't Wash - A blunt report

[ihuntforfish]

8:00 - Approaching Gov't wash's main launch area, watching seagulls bomb a school of shad on the furthest back corner of the cove.
9:00 - On the water (with 3 other anglers in separate kayaks), throwing a cast net--no shad. Throwing Swimbaits--nothings. Throwing Crankbaits--nothing. Throwing Rat-l-traps, poppers, spooks, rip baits--nothing.
11:00 - Repeating the same steps as 9:00 but moving along the shore towards the open body of the Lake--TONS of gizzard shad jumping, possibly a few striper in the mix.
12:00 - 2:00 - Made our way to the farthest reaches of the Wash, throwing a cast net fervently--nada. Casting all of the the above mentioned lures--nada. Watching the water with structure scan and and sonar...nothing.

Summary: No shad found despite cumulative casts with a 4' cast net along the majority of the easterly shoreline of the LV Wash. No sport fish landed, but several believed to have been seen in 14' of water in the wash. Many, many carp in coves. It is definitely that dry-bleed time of year...can't wait for spawn.
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[reellittlephish]

What size are the Gizzard shad?
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[ihuntforfish]

Massive lol easily mistaken for an average size striper
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[wolfs4evr]

Identical to my trip a couple weeks back...

Better luck next time.
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[MOJAVE_RED]

Hey guys , on 1-29 (weds) Took the kayak out for the first time in 2014 . Launched from Gov't wash about 10;30 am . The night before i had replaced several trebble hooks on some old lures also adding feathered trebble hooks to a few. Paddled out of the wash but followed the north shore heading to 33 . The second cove down from Govt , gizzard shad everywhere and from a distance looked like a boil . I was able to paddle right in the center of the shad . They were huge , the schools i spotted all looked to big to be dinner. most looked to be around 12 " or bigger . i spent about 40 mins casting dif. lures ect at and around the stop and go Gizzard action and Nothing. now im just being pushed by the slight breeze toward 33 hole but still about 20 to 30 feet off shore . i started going through the crank baits that i changed the trebbles on the night before to see how they ran , one after another couple casts and switch . Then got a nice hit from a decent striper on a white crank bait ( one of the cranks i added the feathered trebble to) no deeper than 15 ft. 2013 was a tough fishing year for me compared to just a year before , not many fish and there was absolutely a lack of size all year long . i'm hoping this first trip out is sign of better fishing in 14. the fish was set free right after its photo op.
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[reellittlephish]

No arguing the Gizzard Shad are prolific. I read they spread from an initial planting at Lake Havasu all the way throughout the Colorado drainage to Mexico in 9 months.

Gizzard Shad average life span is 2 or 3 years. So maybe what we are seeing right now is a species numbers imbalance between Striper populations and shad....

I wonder why bigger stripers haven't targeted them...or have they? A 20lb striper could eat a 12" gizzard shad I'd think. and with water temps in mid 50's the big boys could come shallow...So where are they?

Returning to the thread topic...I haven't heard of anyone doing well catching anything right now.
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[StarsnStripers]

Ive seen way smaller than a 20lbr eat pretty big stockers and not to mention my giant magnum A.C. plugs down on the river. Ive caught 6lbrs on it down there...There aint no scared in a striper.
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