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ince 1981, Lake Mead has been the site of the
West’s most prestigious bass fishing tourna-
ment – the WON BASS U.S. Open, drawing
the who’s who of competitive bass fishing to battle for the coveted title each year.
The fishery is known to all as “the Great Equalizer”
as it challenges all angler’s strengths and experiences
that enters its waters.
For veteran angler, Gary Dobyns, the West’s
all-time money leader, it is no different. Lake Mead
is a site of true competition that plays to or hinders
anyone’s forte. To conquer the lake and claim a U.S.
Open crown was a longtime goal for Dobyns and one
he checked off his list in 2009.
Dobyns has more than a win to his credit; he has
consistency.
After 17 U.S. Open entries, he has earned a top-10
in all but three of the years that he fished. While he
may not win ‘em all; he shows a remarkable pattern of
bass catching prowess on the intimidating desert lake.
For Dobyns, it is a love/hate relationship with
Mead.
“I love to fish tournaments on the lake; but I hate
to fun fish there,” he said. “I hate it because it is always
a tough challenge. I love it because it is one of the
fairest lakes that we have in the west for competition
and that is why I wanted to hold the Wild West Bass
Trail (WWBT) championships event there.”
SCORCHING TEMPS BREED CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS
The long- lasting summer days stretch far into fall at Mead. Anglers will brave 100 – 115 degree days to battle for bass in tournament competition on the fishery at this time of year and think nothing of it. It is part of the allure for
the Open and for anglers invited to the WWBT fall championships on the lake.
It is a given to prepare for the high temps, yet there are many other ways an angler can prepare themselves for a fall fish hunt on Mead.
Here are a few suggestions that Dobyns shared:
PRACTICE
The year that I won the Open, two things were different. One was practice. I practiced a lot. I practiced for 10 days. It gave me insight into what was happening on the lake and gave me a bunch of different spots to go to. I ended up not having to go to the same spot twice during the event.
I don’t have the time to practice like that every year and I know a lot of guys don’t have time to practice that much either; so, keeping your practice to a smaller area can be better when you have limited time.
The lake is so big and it can get overwhelming to try and take on too much. You can use mapping and pick out a couple of areas that play to your strengths and go practice in those areas or you can pick out areas that the winning fish often come from – Vegas Wash, Temple Bar, towards the end of the Muddy river and Gregg’s Basin and practice there.
There are fish all over Lake Mead. Pick an area and fish it. Don’t run all over and waste time, if you don’t have it.
Courtesy of Gary Dobyns
FALL 2017
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