Clear blue skies are magnificent but there is also something wonderful about gathering storm clouds; the whole new color pallet they bring and the swirling winds that propel them.  We wake to thick grey clouds on the horizon dropping sheets of rain between us and the mountains.  One line goes through leaving clear skies then another line forms.  We are at home not out on the lake so it is amazing-rather than frightening- to watch.  By evening we have full blown thunderstorms with lightening and hail.  The temperature drops to 60; practically frigid!  We did squeeze in a bit of a hike between storms. 

Never a washout day fishing.  Each day brought a few stripers and/or large mouth.  Not a bang-up week for fishing but no one else in camp did much better.

Trolling took us east through the narrow canyon cut by the Colorado as far as South Bay.  It is a beautiful ride between towering cliffs with narrow side bays.  The views have made up for the marginal fishing.  Dips in the 66 to 71F water have helped us through the 95F+ degree days.  It has been a good stay     

All the marinas around Mead have had to adapt as the lake has settled in 100+ feet below the original plan.  They have moved this one way out into the lake compared to original construction and they have extended the ramp several times.  The whole place is in a bit of disarray but important stuff is in working order so we make the long drive to water’s edge, back onto the very flat angle ramp, and push the boat off the trailer.  Ok, that’ll work.  Let’s go fishing.

A wild burro stands on the ridge above us, completely uninterested in our activity.  The lake is smooth and the sun bright but pleasant for now.  It is 8AM.  We glide to the east upriver past the river bank bluffs.  Just as we are settling in and bait in the water a burro lets go a deafening bray…the classic hew-haw several times over.  Another answers from not far off.  We had no idea they were there.  I spot the closest one not 30 feet up the bank.  It will be an hour before I see the other fellow.  Their color is very close that of the mottled brown/tan/grey bank.        

We drown worms for an hour or so with not even a hit even though we see fish around our bait.   It is wonderfully quiet.  I can hear the wild burro chewing and the crunch of his hooves as he moves on the rock.  Birds sing from the cliff tops.  It is wonderfully relaxing; but the fish are not biting and that just won’t do.  We pull in our lines and try trolling.  That’s it!  The little fellows just need to be annoyed a little.  We catch a total of 5, three smallmouth and two striped bass.  I caught three of them, but who is keeping score?   It is fun but it’s getting too hot and we need to get out of the sun.  We are back in camp by noon enjoying our shade and a very light breeze.   

We are trying a new campground in Lake Mead Recreation Area on the arm to the east where the Colorado River enters the lake.  It is more remote, claimed to have great star viewing night sky, typically lightly used and with bluffs (the features inspiring the name, Temple Bar) along the shore.  It is a long climb out from Mohave and at the mountain pass two big horn sheep pose on the ridge…very cool.  Desert stretches out before us in its muted browns and grey green.  Brilliant patches of fuchsia prickly pear blooms and yellow desert poppies provide magnificent accents.    Another hour or so and we start the long decent to Temple Basin.  It is remote.  It is lightly used.  It is pretty.  We will see if the fish are biting here!

We settle into a site with some shade – another unique thing here.   Trees are pretty rare in these desert campgrounds and this one has huge eucalyptus, olive, the ever-present oleander, and even a few palms.  Kent positions us to take advantage of sun for the solar but still get some benefit of the shade.  The forecast is to hit triple digits this week and we are in a non-powered campground.

Slight disappointment, there are bright dusk to dawn lights on the bath houses in camp.  Low humidity does bring us wonderfully clear skies but we have to walk a bit out of camp to get away from tramp light.  It is worth the walk.  We have to ignore the glow of the Vegas light dome to our west – some 44 miles away; but, the sky is still amazing.      

Mohave lake is very clear and we can see the fish all around our bait but they just are not biting.  The wind is nearly non-stop which is great for cooling but wind waves make just running to explore very difficult.  We use our last day here to make modifications to the boat trailer to move the contact point where the boat rides on a roller to reduce the risk of new damage as we haul it.  We load it up and it seems like an improvement.  Time will tell.

Burros bray and quail call as our stay comes to an end.  

Kent did a little catching, a pan fish and one nice bass.  I mostly drowned worms and enjoyed the view.  We are off the lake by noon as it is well on its way to 90 and the bright sun is blazing.  We pull the plug when we come off the lake and ta-da: no water for the second day in a row.  Repairs confirmed.  For now, it is a great afternoon for relaxing in the shade with a cool drink. 

We watch Gambel’s quail scurry around camp and their locating calls float from among the oleander all around us.  At dusk I hear the bray of wild burros.  We just have to go find them!  From the edge of the campground we spot them hanging out in the hills.  Very cool.  Day one we fish the bays on the opposite shore.  Fishing is pretty unproductive but a lone big-horn sheep makes its way along the shore above us.  He is a bit wary and notices every sound we make but doesn’t hurry off so we get to watch as he eats his way to the next ridge.      

It is a short hop of less than 100 miles up the Colorado to Davis Dam on the south end of Lake Mohave.  We wind our way through the sprawling development of Bullhead City/Laughlin and on to the NPS campground at Katherines Landing.  No problem getting a site even though it is Easter weekend.  A forecast that includes lots of 90+ days might be affecting occupancy.   Our plan?  Check out the fishing and do some loafing.  We have to work on the boat trailer a little too…..     

Richard of Skip’s Prop Shop made the welding repairs.  It looks it bit lumpy and gnarly but its inside where no one will ever see it.  Kent sprays all along the inside of the repaired area with Flex Seal “As seen on TV” for good measure then reassembles the interior.  The boat is good as new, we hope.  We head off to Katherine’s Landing on Lake Mohave tomorrow where we will check it out for sure.  If we had to have boat trouble seems like Lake Havasu City was a better place than many to have it.      

Ends up with the most maintenance!  As you might think, it is not a good thing when you come in off the lake and remove the plug 10 or 15 gallons of water runs out!  Close inspection reveals a couple small cracks and a leak path along the keel.   Rats, and the timing sucks.  We are just starting a 4-week stint along the Colorado with plans to boat Lake Havasu, Mohave Lake and Lake Mead. 

Kent is, as we speak, dismantling the interior of the boat to get to the suspected leak.  There is a shop here in Havasu that did outboard motor work for him a few years ago and says they might be able to make the required repairs.  Stay tuned.