time keeping up with the vast schools of smallmouth that very often live in open water, traveling with the lake’s large population of striped bass.
BEYOND THE NARROWS
As anglers travel away from the Lower Basin eastward, there is a narrow channel known as The Narrows that connects the Boulder Basin to the area of Mead that is known as the Virgin Basin.
Marina and the tire reef entering the marina usually holds a resident population of bass.
At the northeastern side of Temple Bar is the area known as Gregg Basin. Gregg Basin is connected to the Temple Basin by the Virgin Canyon, or what is commonly known as the second set of narrows.
The Virgin Basin is home to fishing destination such as the Gyp Beds, Little Gyp Beds, Bonelli Bay, and Middle Point. Middle Point is where the Virgin River, Echo Bay and Muddy River meet the Virgin Basin.
The next basin to the east of the Virgin Basin is Temple Basin, or what many anglers refer to as Temple Bar. Temple Bar is home to Temple Bar Marina and Resort and fishing destinations such as the Haystack Cove, Napoleon’s Tomb and Jawbone.
Many tournaments have been won out of the Temple Bar area and anglers are encouraged to check out Temple Bar Marina as it is also serves as a drop- off location for tournament released bass. A lot of local bass clubs hold tournaments out of Temple Bar
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DID I MENTION THAT LAKE MEAD IS HUGE?!
According to Uribe, the run from Callville Bay to Gregg Basin take approximately 45 minutes, if the water is calm. Add in the fact that Mead is known for having windy days and the run to Gregg’s Basin can take upwards of an hour to 90 minutes or more. Lain likes to run his Mercury powered Ranger Z521 to Gregg Basin; because according to him, the bass that live in the area are far less pressured and thus easier to catch.
ECHO BAY
With water levels continuing to drop throughout the fall, many of Mead’s bass move off the banks into slightly deeper water.
As the cooler temps take hold, Mead’s bass can usually be found on the flats and sandy cuts. However, with all of the fishing pressure connected to year-end events and championships, plus the wind and cooler weather, the fish may move out a little bit deeper into 10- to 12-foot zones.
According to Angler’s Marine and Nitro pro Todd Woods, one of the most important factors at Mead is knowing that you cannot fish the same spot twice on Mead.
“A lot of anglers who do well on the first day of tournaments on Lake Mead will not fish the same areas on day two,” Woods continued. “People make
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