Tournaments

All tournaments start at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and end at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday unless otherwise noted.

All fish must be caught with rod and following the Nevada Fishing Regulations.

A total of four fish can be weighed in upon completion of tournament.

Contestants may launch at any time during the tournament from any location on Lake Mead.

All weigh-ins are held at the Las Vegas Bay picnic area unless otherwise noted.

All contestants must pay entry fee and carry a copy of the entry form as well as a copy of the National Park Service’s permit conditions on their boat the tournament. Electronic copies are acceptable.

Tournaments are kill tournaments so there is no need to keep fish alive after being caught.

Anglers can win the big fish pot and also place in the tournament. Big fish counts towards total weight.

If you have any questions, please email the Tournament Director here.

Tournaments – GUT CHECK

All Contestants must mark their fish to be weighed with a yellow plastic tag. Tags will be provided at the meeting and at the weigh-in. Using a permanent marker, write your full name on each tag then number each tag 1 thru 4.

Fish will be weighed one at a time, starting with your biggest fish as number 1. Next is fish number 2, 3 and finally your smallest fish as number 4.

Procedure: After weighing fish number 1, NDOW will take your fish and measure it. Then you may proceed with fish number 2 and more if you have them (in order).

Also part of a gut check is an angler survey. You will be asked when you started how many hours on your motor (boaters) and when you quit fishing. After the all fish have been weighed and measured, NDOW will take all the fish to the cleaning station for the “gut check”.

During the “gut check” they will cut the fish open and determine male or female and stomach contents will be ascertained.

You are responsible to retrieve your fish or find a home for them after the completion of the “gut check”. You are welcome to make arrangements for a fellow angler to take your fish but you must inform the tournament director.

Printable version of the tournament rules and overview (PDF)

1. All participants must be a Nevada Striper Club member in good standing at the time of the contest, or a one-time participant in the Buddy Program.
2. All participants must possess a valid fishing license.
3. All Nevada Striper Club and Nevada Division of Wildlife regulations must be obeyed. Failure to adhere to regulations will result in disqualifications. Any and all citations received during the tournament may result in disqualification.
4. All contestants must know and understand the conditions of the National Park Service’s special use permit and sign a document provided by club prior to starting tournament.
5. By entering any Nevada Striper Club tournament, the participant agrees to inspection of his/her creel by the designated Tournament Director or his assignee.
6. All protests regarding rule infractions must be made in writing to the designated tournament director or to a board member prior to weigh-in. A committee of three board members will determine disqualification eligibility.
7. Anyone operating a boat of floatation device in an unsafe manner may face disqualification. 3 board members will investigate the issue and make a decision that will be final.
8. Any participant convicted of operating a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a Nevada Striper Club tournament will forfeit his/her membership for the remainder of the tournament season.
9. All fish must be caught in designated waters using a conventional rod and reel (no netting or spearing of fish will be permitted). Fishing or netting shad is prohibited inside marina or harbor markers.
10. Non-contestants will not be permitted to ride in a participant boat (children not requiring a fishing license will be excluded from rule) without prior approval of the Tournament Director or board member.
11. No contestant shall tie a boat or any other floatation device to any marker buoy, anchor buoy or tires. A boat or other floatation device may only be tied to its own anchor line. Exception: an invited contestant may tie up his boat to another contestant for company and friendly fishing.
12. All fish being held as a catch will bear a mark assigned to the holder of said fish at time of entry into the contest. A person fishing alone will still be required to mark his/her fish. Each person fishing together will use a different mark.
13. Fish must be stored using plenty of ice. Old or discolored fish will not be accepted. The Tournament Director’s decision is final.
14. Ties will be decided by order in which participants signed in at the weigh-in.
15. Exchanging fish with anyone not in the tournament during a tournament is strictly forbidden. Participants found guilty of this rule infraction will be disqualified. The sharing of bait (live or dead) is only permitted between tournament contestants. Bait fish may be given to non-participants only upon leaving the water.
16. The Tournament Director determines weigh-in time to be at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday at the Las Vegas Bay picnic area; next to the #2 cleaning station. Any contestant not signed in by 11:00 a.m. will be disqualified and any fees paid forfeited. Special circumstances may be considered at the discretion of the Tournament Director. Must be off the water by Sunday 10:00 a.m.
17. Up to four fish may be presented for weigh-in. A contestant may win both total weight and big fish categories. Big Fish is included in total weights.
18. Tournament dates and times will be pre-determined by the officers and board of directors. The schedule will be published in the Nevada Striper Club’s newsletter, website, and/or announced at the monthly meeting.
19. Golden Rule: All tournaments are run on the honor system and good sportsmanship. Have fun catching lots of fish. That’s what this is all about!

Printable version of the tournament rules(PDF)

Striped Bass were established in Lake Mead 1969. Since the introduction of the Striper, Lake Mead has become a great fishery for these fish. The largest manmade lake in the US covers 1.5 million acres of land or 247 sq miles and is 112 miles long. When full, the lake has about 550 miles of shoreline.

Listed below are some tips and techniques for the different months of the year. The Striped Bass can be caught year round throughout the Lake with a good chance of catching 20 plus fish most days if you know the Lake well.

January-April

During these months, live bait may still be netted. However, if the bait has gone to the deep water then anchoring in 100-150 feet of water and fishing with anchovies or sardines may do the trick. Jigging in the deep water is another method that can be very productive. Trolling big wake baits or umbrella rigs in depths of 50-100ft also works well.

Baits and lures for this time of year:
Some people use anchovies and sardines. Others use frozen or live shad or even frozen squid. Spinnows, kastmasters, or buck tail jigs work in the deep water. Wake baits such as the Famous “AC Plug” or the Spro “BBZ” work very well casted or trolled.

May-June

During this time of year, early morning top water is possible. Cut bait or long line trolling work as well. Also due to excessive daytime temperatures, night time fishing is preferred and quite productive.

Top water lures such as pencil poppers and zara spooks or anything that you can walk the dog with are great options. Trolling lures such as rattletraps and the storm swim baits are very effective as well.

July & August

This time of year there is early and evening top water action. Otherwise most people anchor up at night under fishing lights and fish with cut bait to avoid the scorching desert temperatures.

September-December

This is a tricky time of year. The Lake will start to turn for the winter and anything is possible. You might be able to net shad, jig the deep water or fish cut bait at any time. Downriggers also work well during this period. The fish could be up shallow in the morning then move deeper as the day moves on. Then this pattern will reverse as night begins to fall.

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How much is an annual family membership in the Nevada Striper Club?

We have a prorated scale that decreases as the year goes on. In March the cost is $30. On August 1st, the cost falls to $20. In November, the cost drops to $10. We do this so people that are interested in joining the club do not have to pay the full price more than halfway through the season.

When is the start of the new season in the club?

The season starts on March 1st and ends February 28th. Just like the fishing season in Nevada. Memberships expire on this date and must be renewed to remain in good standing.

What is the definition of family membership?

A family membership consists of your immediate family (i.e.) spouse, son and daughter. Not siblings, parents or grandparents.

Do you have to have a boat to be in the Nevada Striper Club and fish tournaments?

No, there are many members that do not have a boat and do well in the tournaments from the shore.

Do you have to fish tournaments to be in the club?

No, only about 40% of our members fish tournaments regularly. The other 60% like the camaraderie that the club offers as well as a wealth of information about fishing locally and in surrounding areas. Some members only fish a couple of tournaments a year when the weather is fair.

How many tournaments a year are there?

There are 11 regular tournaments a year and one top 10 fish-off. In February, the top 10 points leaders fish an exclusive tourney for money accumulated in the other 11 tournaments. (Approximately 10% of each month’s tournament pot goes to top ten fund.)

How does the point system work?

When you enter a tournament you get one point. It is added to your total weight submitted. You may weigh four fish in a tournament. Your year-to-date total determines your rank at the end of the year.

What can I get out of the Nevada Striper Club?

The club offers many things for many people. There are many members that have 15 plus years experience on Lake Mead. We also participate in many other community activities such as C.A.S.T for Kids and Adopt-a-Cove. With 12 tournaments a year fished, many anglers become better fisherman year round.