calling all lake mead boaters! nevada

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jjacobs007

jjacobs007

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Finally finished my Seaswirl restoration. Been to callville a few times boat runs good. Talked to Clifford pirch says he might not fish the us open this yr. He hasn't missed it in 10 yrs.but he's doing good on the bassmaster elite series.
 

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sam60

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jjacobs007 said:
Finally finished my Seaswirl restoration. Been to callville a few times boat runs good. Talked to Clifford pirch says he might not fish the us open this yr. He hasn't missed it in 10 yrs.but he's doing good on the bassmaster elite series.
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That's great jj! Glad to see the progress.
 
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fishrdan

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Looks like this thread is drying up like Lake Mead :cold:..... (I'm to blame also)

I went fishing out of Echo this weekend and it's gone from bad to worse out there as the low water launch ramp is down to 1 lane, the other lanes are blocked off as I imagine they haven't put down concrete slabs there yet. Also, the 1 lane that's open is kind of bumpy as it looked like the slabs are not laid even. I wouldn't plan on launching anything big out there, but I didn't have any issues with my 18'er.

The fishing was so-so and we got 9 stripers for 5 hours, more BS'ing than fishing.... But it was a good trip none the less. It looked like there was algae all over out there as I noticed a skiff on the water. I took went out to Mohave a few days later and the water was pretty darn clear, compared to Mead.
 
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tt600

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Fishrdan, Lake Powell is calling your name. I was slaying the stripers in boils last week and it was going up 7 inches a day. Plus plenty of shade in the canyons.
 
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TUCK53

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My first trip to Lake Mead was 57 yrs ago . I was 5 yrs old . *Ovtn************* Landing and Lake Mead Marina were the only marinas on lake.
No Caville, No Echo til later, Hemmingway was no harbor but Boulder Beach had a floating swim dock. NoTemple Bar built after Echo Bay. Mudsuckers and Waterdogs and Big Shad were used for bait and only available in *Ovtn************* and sometimes at *Ovtn************* Landing I dont think Lake Mead Marina even had live bait back then , For you guys that might remember Ivan Jones and Hob and Jim the Fulton Bros were guides out of *Ovtn************* back then. Those men were the pioneers of Lake Mead. They new everything above and below the lake . Ivan would fly his plane rigged to haul bait fly to 2 -3 times a week to Colorado to bring back live bait to *Ovtn*************. There were NO stripers anywhere Colorado river system No Lake Powell We wouild go to Mead 5 -7 times a year back then LAKE MEAD was a JEWEL and PRISTINE The fishing was unbelievable for Cats, Crappie, and Largemouth Bass and I mean LARGE laremouth bass avg 3 -4 lbs The RUBBER WORM had not been invented yet. The fishing was so fabulous it didnt matter where you drop anchor (Virgin, Muddy, Fish Island,Sandy Point, Anchor Cove, Glory Hole, Blacks Point, Goat Island, and many many others. It didnt matter the fish were everywhere and all the time. I remember one trip leaving **Ovtn************ Landing still dark and going all the way just this side of Grand Wash, pass Iceberg Canyon to a spawning bed area and we culling bass in the first hour. It didnt atter if wind blew or not fishing was unbelievable Back then I think limit was 10 bass maybe it was more.. Cats were 20 and no limit on Crappie. Going by the Temple and Haystacks to me ( i was young they both looked towering). Years later ( after Temple Bar built) my brother was Harbor Master at Temple Bar Marina for 4 yrs. Back when Lee and Farrah (Majors) were married and stayed in the trailer park at Temple and I hear he still has a place there.

Lake Mead has had its lake levels high and low levels thru the years but the overall condition of our once fabulous lake is so SAD as to how Mead was years ago No Ovtn************** Facility at all and Echo well sounds like she is gone too. South Cove using air craft track or mud to launch. I now live in Kingman and have not been to Mead in 2 1/2 yrs. I will be going out to my special old friend soon as my Pontoon gets back from Tracker factory ( had structural failure) to see
first hand . Mead will always be THEE most special place in my life. I am as my Father /Mother and Brother we all were/ are directly connected to Mead. She may never be like it once was but our LAKE MEAD is still be the No.1 to me I have all the old 8 mm films of many many trips over the years
A cherished treasure all the memories on film.. My memorys are still crystal clear of all the trips.
 
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sam60

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Thanks for sharing the history TUCK53....cool lake for many and great memories for all.
 
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TUCK53

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Be nice to hear some other early times adventures and stories from way back from some the other old gents I am sure there still a few left Even sombody that work on the dam or NPS on lake I do remember several time getting to ride with the Captain on oh less see Ceasers Galley largest boat on lake at that time. I think it was near 60" feet Then there was Tropicana, boy she was sleek and graceful powerful too and oh yes the Thunderbird Wow All cherry wood she was probably close 55 footer All the hotel mini yatchs were at Lake Mead Marina and had there own private long slips All were air conditioned and full crew complinent always They were real nice to me Got to ride on all several times I guess they were just keeping everything top shelf and running You know getting fueled up or dump out.
No boats out there like that now I dont believe Too Bad All had big diesels ( i guess) and sounded so Harley's on water they did ! Boy if those boats could talk
Just think of stories they would have to tell Good and Bad Last I heard fellow named Pratt (who rebuilt Ovtn before NPS closed it down) had biggest boat on lake All steel she is /was and was moved down to Hemmingway You all heard about the 24 hr move from Ovtn to Hemm to TBar Moved the entire marina including all boats at one time 1 mph Historic event on Mead 53 TUCK
 
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12vMan

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Good to have an old timer on the site TUCK53! Thanks for the stories and keep 'em coming!

I have a place at Temple Bar. I've been going to Mead since the 70''s east of the Narrows since the 80's. Lee Major's place in Pickle City is gone now, as are the days when he used to come into the bar and restaurant just like any other guy. Real down to Earth and incognito. The NPS won't let the houses in Pickle City be willed down to the next generation, so when someone leaves for whatever reason they demolish it to eventually get the area back to a natural environment.

Ron Pratt, who owned the Marina at Over..when it was closed was a great guy. He did all of the improvements. Before he purchased it he was at Echo. We would see him in the bar singing karaoke sometimes, although I never did...;). His big boat was the only one at Echo that was Diesel powered, so he brought in his own tank to fill from. Then when the Over.opportunity came up he jumped on it. He ended up at T Bar when the marina was dissected. After a few years he sold the 3 story houseboat "Prime Time" to the Davis family, who still are there.

One of the original 'houseboats' on the Lake was at Over..and came to T Bar as well. You probably saw it. It has all the comforts of a houseboat except an enclosed cabin. It's been called many named over the years - Bikini Club is the most well known.

Temple Bar itself has a lot of history. It was founded in 1945. Our first next door neighbors when we got our current place there, were married at Temple Bar in 1960. They moved on several years ago and I heard he has since passed on. Some good friends from my neighborhood in So CA were married at Ann Margaret Beach in 1999. That was a great wedding. I had to pick up the minister at Over..in my boat and bring him down. Sad that today, a once huge beautiful sandy beach with a nice protected cove behind it, Ann Margaret Beach is just another rocky hillside with a lot of memories.

I still spend a lot of time at the lake. There is a beautiful sandy peninsula just 3 miles north of the Marina and gas prices at the land pump are very good. It would be a perfect place for a nice day on the lake with your patio boat. :thumb:
 
sam60

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12vMan is the Master of Lake Mead Photos....just sayin'
 
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12vMan

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This just posted from the NPS:






[h=5]Lake Mead National Recreation Area - National Park Service[/h] 5 hrs ?




Launch Ramp Status
Launch ramp construction is complete at Echo Bay, Boulder Harbor, Hemenway Harbor, Temple Bar and South Cove. Construction is 95 percent complete at Callville Bay. All locations now have solid concrete ramps all the way to the water.
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I was just at Temple Bar over the weekend and they have the metal ramps down. 2 lanes with good launching, but the solid concrete ramps for that Marina is incorrect.



 
sam60

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12vMan said:
This just posted from the NPS:






[h=5]Lake Mead National Recreation Area - National Park Service[/h] 5 hrs ?




Launch Ramp Status
Launch ramp construction is complete at Echo Bay, Boulder Harbor, Hemenway Harbor, Temple Bar and South Cove. Construction is 95 percent complete at Callville Bay. All locations now have solid concrete ramps all the way to the water.
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I was just at Temple Bar over the weekend and they have the metal ramps down. 2 lanes with good launching, but the solid concrete ramps for that Marina is incorrect.
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Hi 12v. Just curious, did they do anything to the West side of the launch where the drop-off grade was the steepest? Tight corner before.
 
12vMan

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sam60 said:
Hi 12v. Just curious, did they do anything to the West side of the launch where the drop-off grade was the steepest? Tight corner before.
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If you mean up where the concrete is, no. When the water level is high enough where you can launch on the concrete ramp, the west side is steeper because the water goes around that side of the ramp and like you say, you have to launch out at an angle. The bigger boats like that side when it's up.

Presently, the ramps on both sides of the dock are about the same. Someone told me to use the west side because it's supposedly a little deeper on that side right now so I did and had ho problem at all.
 
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