Columnist Paula Del Giudice: Local anglers set for Lake Mead fishing tourney

PAULA DEL GIUDICE has been an outdoors freelance writer, author and photographer for 13 years. Her column appears Wednesdays.

FOUR SOUTHERN Nevada professional anglers won't be getting much sleep this week as they anxiously await the beginning of the U.S. Open bass tournament slated for Lake Mead next Monday-Wednesday. Lake Mead has been off-limits to them since Sept. 9, but they'll have two days to pre-fish the tournament, along with the rest of the 164 pros and 170 amateurs, on Friday and Saturday.

John Murray of Boulder City will be defending the U.S. Open title he won last year. Byron Velvick, also of Boulder City and winner of the U.S. Open in 1990 and 1996 (one of only two anglers to win two U.S. Opens), will be trying to add a third title to his list.

Henderson angler Danny Branscum, winner of the 1997 Red Man All-American, also will compete, as will 1993 U.S. Open champion Pat Donoho of Las Vegas.

Conditions have changed at Lake Mead recently with storms taking the reservoir near its full capacity. In addition, the shad spawn this year was smaller than normal and that has had an impact on fishing conditions.

"El Nino has stalled the shad spawn," Branscum said. "Last year the fish were shallow. This year I expect the fish to be found both in deep water and in shallow water."

Branscum was on his way to the Red Man All-American in 1997 when his wife went into labor with their little boy. His wife's pregnant again with their second child, but the baby isn't due this week.

"I guess I'll have to look for a tournament in February," Branscum said, "since that's when the baby's due."

According to Branscum, the high water levels will remove any hometown advantage local anglers might have because the fish will be in new spots.

"Conditions at the Lake are awesome," Velvick said. "The water's really high. That spreads the fish out. Areas that haven't had fish before will have fish. The fish that have stayed deep will migrate into the new areas."

Both anglers are expecting largemouth bass to be working crawdads and bluegills more than the shad, given the shad spawn was so thin.

Usually a two-pound average per fish for the limit allowed to be weighed has won the tournament. But this year, Velvick predicts the winning average will be closer to 2 1/2 pounds.

Velvick is trying to keep an open mind about his strategies going into the tournament. Some anglers, he explained, get so caught up in what they think will happen, they don't adjust for current conditions.

"I'll make all my adjustments based on what happens during the two days of pre-fishing and the first day of the competition," Velvick said.

The 1998 U.S. Open, sponsored by WON BASS, will feature more than $340,000 in cash in prizes, including a first prize of $100,000.

Last year, Murray won the tourney with a three-day total of 40.72 pounds for 18 bass (3 limits, 6 fish each day) to win the $50,000 top prize. The big bass of the tournament, 4.35 pounds, also was taken by Murray, earning him a fully equipped $28,000 Ranger boat and trailer.

In addition to facing some of America's best bass anglers, the local fishermen will be angling against at least 10 of Japan's finest bass anglers.

Daily weigh-ins will begin at 2 p.m. at Callville Bay Resort & Marina in the Lake Mead Recreation Area. The public is invited to attend.

* WILDLIFE BOARD MEETING: The Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife (Game Board) will meet at 7 p.m. tonight in the Pueblo Room at the Clark County Office Bldg., 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. Agenda items include: elk incentive tags, deer tag allocation, NDOW's biennial budget, establishing whitefish limits in Elko County, removing daily and possession limits on yellow perch in Wildhorse Reservoir in Elko County, recommendations for a black bear hunt, recommendations to the Law Enforcement Committee of the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners and recommendations for primitive areas on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

* COMMISSION MEETING SET: The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners will meet on Friday, Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at NDOW's state headquarters, 1100 Valley Road in Reno. Agenda items will be those discussed at the Clark County Game Board meeting scheduled tonight.

* WHIN Meeting: Wildlife and Habitat Improvement of Nevada (WHIN) will hold its monthly meeting Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the OC-Lee Building in Las Vegas. For more information, contact Kevin Picardo at 734-8721.

* WOMEN FLY FISHERS: The International Festival of Women Fly Fishers hosted by the International Women Fly Fishers Association is scheduled Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at the Sun Valley Lodge in Sun Valley, ID. The agenda includes workshops from famed women anglers (including Maggie Merriman), casting demonstrations and, of course, fishing. For more information, contact Betsey French at (406) 995-2102 or Cindy Scholl at (970) 328-1216.

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