Lake Powell Fish Report 8-24-10

• Category: Fishing Reports

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Ambassador Guides Clients Mike & Family

8-24-10

Annual Houseboating Fishing Trip

Lake Powell Fish Report

 
By: Wayne Gustaveson                         August 25, 2010

 
By: Wayne Gustaveson                         August 25, 2010
Lake Elevation: 3635                Water Temperature 77-80 F

Lake Powell Fish Report By: Wayne Gustaveson August 25, 2010 Lake Elevation: 3635 Water Temperature 77-80 F The main lake fishery is evolving once more. There is still a separation of shad from the striped bass population but that separation is working to the advantage of the angler. Stripers are hungry making them very vulnerable to angling. At first light this morning we found a few stripers chasing shad near shore. It was not a boil but the splashes observed were obviously made by a handful of stripers. Casts with a shallow running crankbait to the splash rings confirmed 3-4 pound stripers were feeding on top in the predawn light near shore. That action was short lived but soon replaced by a whirlpool of tiny stripers running along the shallow shoreline. These 6-12 inch fish were working the shad schools over in the brush. The tiny tigers would readily hit a 4-inch shallow running crankbait and put up a tremendous struggle for their size. The amazing part was the entourage of 20-40 stripers chasing each hooked fish back to the boat. A glance at the graph confirmed that these fish were schooled under the boat in 20 feet of water. We dropped spoons down to the waiting fish and they immediately began playing volleyball with our spoons. Catching was fast and furious. Later at the fish cleaning station we found that these smaller stripers had more shad in their stomachs than any of the large stripers. After losing contact with the small fish we ran toward the back of Warm Creek. In the middle of the bay near the floating restroom we saw more isolated splashes. Surface lures cast to the splash rings were ignored but the graph indicated a huge school of fish below the boat. Spoons were deployed and stripers (2-5 pounds) were caught every cast for over an hour. Some fish would hit within visual range right under the boat while others were 60-90 feet deep. We just let our spoons free fall waiting for the line to stop or twitch, at which point we took up the slack and set the hook. Spoon fishing is now wide open. Only a few stripers are finding shad while the rest of the school is eagerly hitting anything resembling a shad. If I could only use one lure right now it would be a spoon. This strategy will likely hold for the rest of the year. Bait fishing is still excellent both at night and during the day when stripers have quit chasing on top and go deeper to rest. Stripers are still boiling at Hite for the last 2 hours of daylight each evening. Water temperature is beginning to fall. It will be another two weeks before bass return to shallow water. For now smallmouth bass are still down at 20-35 feet. Largemouth are in the brush. Both species want the bait worked slowly and fairly deep. It takes a while to convince them to bite but they will cooperate with the patient angler. Bass fishing will improve dramatically when water temperature cools another 10 degrees. Catfish and sunfish are still ready and willing. The forage shortage that is beginning makes it wise for all anglers to keep most of the fish caught. Striped bass, 9-12 inch smallmouth, and walleye should all be harvested. Largemouth and crappie should be released as their numbers will decline with a decrease in brush shelter next year. Every small striper caught should be kept as they are the most efficient predator in the lake right now.

Lake Powell Fishing Report 8-18-10

• Category: Fishing Reports

 
By: Wayne Gustaveson                         August 18, 2010
Lake Elevation: 3636                Water Temperature 78-82 F
 
Adult stripers are now separated from shad forage in the main lake.  Predation from all game fish has been intense and very effective for the past two months.   What shad are left have moved shallow into the warmest water with brush where adult stripers cannot effectively follow. Small yearling stripers still chase shad on the surface each morning and evening but large boils are confined to the inflow areas and to isolated coves where stripers have close access to deep cooler water.  There will be another short boil season when water temperature drops in late September but for now fishing techniques must change.
 
While boils have ceased, catching stripers became much easier.  Adult stripers are hungry and very willing to eat bait presented to them in holding areas.   The classic holding spot features very deep water, such as a steep cliff along the main river channel, which ends suddenly in a shallow flat area, or an isolated rock slide. Stripers without shad search for crayfish which are found under rocks in shallow water.  They hold in deep water and make quick feeding trips to rock slides and shallow rocky flats.   Just think of areas that have produced good striper fishing in early May when bait fishing is good. All those spots should now be in play once more.
 
Expect to find striper schools holding at the dam, buoy 3, buoy 9, buoy 12 (Warm Creek Wall), Navajo Canyon, mouth of Labyrinth, Last Chance near main channel rock slides, Rock Creek mouth. At mid lake the mouth of Lake Canyon, slick rock points near Lost Eden, mouth of Halls Creek, Bullfrog Bay (Dome Rock) and points upstream from Moki Wall.
 
From Good Hope bay upstream shad are still available so striper boils continue. The same is true in the upper San Juan.  Stripers are in prime condition where shad are plentiful.  Condition is still good in the lower lake but stripers are no longer growing. Average fish weigh 3.5 pounds.
 
Bass fishing is still good most days for those that fish drop-shot or Carolina rigs with soft plastic baits down to 30 feet.  Fish slowly to entice a bite from curious bass.
 
Catfish are very willing to eat and provide great sport near camp in the evening hours. Numbers of visitors have diminished making the lake more attractive for anglers.  With the change in shad forage it is now recommended that all stripers caught be kept. It is time to save shad once more. “Catch and Keep” stripers for the benefit of all fish species in Lake Powell.

Lake Powell Fishing Report August 4, 2010

• Category: Fishing Reports

By: Wayne Gustaveson                         August 4, 2010
Lake Elevation: 3636                Water Temperature 80-84 F
 
Stripers and shad are in transition mode again. “Slurps”, where stripers casually eat tiny shad and ignore most angler offerings, are coming to an end. Shad have grown some, but more importantly stripers have ranged a bit closer to shore and found larger forage to eat. Size of shad found in striper stomachs has doubled in a week’s time. These larger shad are harder for stripers to corner and catch.  That makes stripers much more aggressive in pursuing shad and much more likely to hit lures.  All of this equates to good times for anglers who love to use surface lures. Striper “boils” have now started.
 
In July there were countless numbers of finicky pods of complacent stripers popping up randomly throughout the day. Now there will be fewer surface disturbances seen but those that do come up will hold more fish with a larger appetite. Timing will be much the same with early morning and late evening being most productive. But there will be boils found at random times and locations throughout the day.
 
It is now wise to have a rod rigged with a full size surface lure that can be cast long distances.  When fish come up the rod can be quickly deployed and a fish caught as soon as the boat nears the surfacing fish. If the first fish is landed quickly enough a second can be caught from the same school.  Boil duration will increase with each day in August. 
 
Best location for boils is Good Hope Bay but this transition period will make fishing exciting and productive over the length of Lake Powell. Expect to find boils close to the main channel in all canyons. Stripers will not go toward the back of the canyons and coves until later in the month or until September if open water shad numbers hold out that long.
 
Not all splashes will be made by stripers. One-pound smallmouth have seen tantalizing shad schools and moved out into open water.  Bass usually feed individually or with 2-3 friends. Small groups of surfacing fish in shallow water near shore will likely be boiling bass. They provide great sport on surface poppers and shallow running jerk baits.  Largemouth will also come to the surface to feed.  Run buzz baits, stick baits and poppers over submerged treetops at first light in the morning for largemouth action.
 
Walleye are still found in large numbers in the tree tops from Bullfrog to Hite. Trolling the edge of the tree line in 30 feet of water with medium diving lures that run just above the tree tops is very effective.
 
Catfish and sunfish are often ignored because of the glamor of their larger cousins but these smaller fish provide great sport for youngsters just learning how to fish.  Lake Powell is a great place to teach kids how to fish because their efforts will be rewarded within a short time. Sunfish can be seen swimming around trees and near boats. They can be caught on a small worm-baited hook.  Teaching children how to fish is a worthy goal for any family trip.
 
Remember to clean drain and dry your boat before coming to Lake Powell. It is still mussel free and will remain that way if all boaters practice good mussel defensive practices.

Lake Powell Fishing Report 7-28-10

• Category: Fishing Reports

 
By: Wayne Gustaveson                         July 28, 2010
Lake Elevation: 3636                Water Temperature 82-87 F

The best feeding period is the last two hours of daylight.  On calm evenings it is possible to catch 10-25 surface feeding stripers. If the pesky afternoon wind blows there are not a lot of fish caught. 
 
Expect to see quick little pods of 5-10 stripers busting the surface and then going right back down.  If the schools are larger or the small school comes back up a number of times then it is possible to catch more fish. The southern lake is pretty quiet with only a few stripers caught per day.  Catch rate is more respectable in the San Juan and at Red Canyon in Good Hope Bay. 
 
It is possible to find a resting school of stripers that will respond to bait.  Stripers favor a few deep resting spots and can be caught in good numbers at depths of 30-70 feet. Find stripers on the graph, chum heartily and then drop bait to the depth that stripers were seen. This action is spotty as stripers really prefer to go in search of shad.  They may be resting in a deep holding area one day and be gone 3 miles up channel the next.
 
Expect real boils to begin in mid-August after shad have grown larger.
 
Bass fishing follows the same pattern.  Fish are deep and not very cooperative.  Little smallmouth are still shallow and will provide consistent action, but larger fish are as deep as 35-50 feet. All of this will change as surface temperature declines a few degrees and the full moon wanes. This week best fishing will be found on calm evenings during the last two hours of daylight.
 
Catfish and sunfish are not affected by full moon. They still provide fast action for kids of all ages on live worms near camp.