Jeremy N.
Active Member
We made the annual fall trip to the southern part of the lake in search of fun and boils. There were 6 fishermen and two children. We got to the lake in the late morning on Wednesday August 23rd and stayed until Saturday August 26th.
We usually hit boils right off the bat this time of year in the bay in front of Wahweap and then into Warm Creek, but this year we struggled to find them the first day. We caught a few here and there on small boils up Navajo, but they seemed to be more like a soft boil or a hard slurp. They were up fast and down even faster. We anticipated a good evening of chasing boils, but again came up short and did not see one boil in Warm Creek, Navajo, or the main canyon to the dam.
Thursday started a little better as we headed up lake and hit a large boil at approximately buoy 13 just after 10 AM. The boil was large and was about 40’ in diameter. The fishing was fast and furious and we managed to pull several fish out of the boil on two separate occasions. After they went down a second time we left and then hit another group of fish at about 15.5. We pulled several fish out of it again and then headed north.
As we came to the island between the main channel and Gunsight, we hit a huge boil that spread across approximately 30 yards. They were large healthy fish that hit hard and fought even harder. We spent about 30 minutes chasing them and then headed up to Face Canyon where we chased 4-5 separate boils in the bay over the next hour. We pulled up in the shade at the famous 25 wall and dropped some anchovies. The only unhealthy fish we caught was caught here. It was approximately 24” long and as skinny as they come. My mother also caught a healthy 5-6 lbs striper on an anchovy there as well.
We then headed back to Gunsight to find a beach for the kids to play on and see if we could locate that large group again. We spent the afternoon on the beach and then fished one boil and then headed south, but again saw only a few quick boils.
Friday we decided to head back towards Gunsight and Face Canyon to see if we could get into the boils again. As we came to the island, we were again greeted by the large boil from the day before. We snagged a few fish and then headed back to Face. We got skunked in Face Canyon and again drowned chovies at 25 while we ate lunch. On the way back to the beach at Gunsite, I decided to head around the island, into Padre and then through the small Cut into Gunsight. As we came through the cut we hit a boil and then went from boil to boil after that for the next few hours. We filled my boat cooler and then went to the beach to clean fish and allow the kids to play in the sand. As we sat on the sand, we watched several boil going throughout Gunsight, most boils were between the island and the Buoy with Gunsights name on it.
At about 3 pm we headed back into the bay and chased boil to boil until 7:30 pm when we called it a day. I have never observed boils go all day like that, even with all of the boat traffic. It was a blast.
Saturday our intentions were to do the same thing and head up to Gunsight, but as we rounded the corner from the Castle Rock cut area to the main bay in Warm creek at 08:00 AM we found ourselves surrounded by several different boils all over the place. The boils were between the main channel and the corner to Castle Rock. The fish were spread out everywhere. We spent several hours going from boil to boil, catching fish after fish. It was a great finish to the trip.
All the fish we caught were healthy 2-4 lbs fish with great firm fillets. In all each of us took home several full gallon sized zip lock bags. I hope this helps someone find some fish. Good luck.
We usually hit boils right off the bat this time of year in the bay in front of Wahweap and then into Warm Creek, but this year we struggled to find them the first day. We caught a few here and there on small boils up Navajo, but they seemed to be more like a soft boil or a hard slurp. They were up fast and down even faster. We anticipated a good evening of chasing boils, but again came up short and did not see one boil in Warm Creek, Navajo, or the main canyon to the dam.
Thursday started a little better as we headed up lake and hit a large boil at approximately buoy 13 just after 10 AM. The boil was large and was about 40’ in diameter. The fishing was fast and furious and we managed to pull several fish out of the boil on two separate occasions. After they went down a second time we left and then hit another group of fish at about 15.5. We pulled several fish out of it again and then headed north.
As we came to the island between the main channel and Gunsight, we hit a huge boil that spread across approximately 30 yards. They were large healthy fish that hit hard and fought even harder. We spent about 30 minutes chasing them and then headed up to Face Canyon where we chased 4-5 separate boils in the bay over the next hour. We pulled up in the shade at the famous 25 wall and dropped some anchovies. The only unhealthy fish we caught was caught here. It was approximately 24” long and as skinny as they come. My mother also caught a healthy 5-6 lbs striper on an anchovy there as well.
We then headed back to Gunsight to find a beach for the kids to play on and see if we could locate that large group again. We spent the afternoon on the beach and then fished one boil and then headed south, but again saw only a few quick boils.
Friday we decided to head back towards Gunsight and Face Canyon to see if we could get into the boils again. As we came to the island, we were again greeted by the large boil from the day before. We snagged a few fish and then headed back to Face. We got skunked in Face Canyon and again drowned chovies at 25 while we ate lunch. On the way back to the beach at Gunsite, I decided to head around the island, into Padre and then through the small Cut into Gunsight. As we came through the cut we hit a boil and then went from boil to boil after that for the next few hours. We filled my boat cooler and then went to the beach to clean fish and allow the kids to play in the sand. As we sat on the sand, we watched several boil going throughout Gunsight, most boils were between the island and the Buoy with Gunsights name on it.
At about 3 pm we headed back into the bay and chased boil to boil until 7:30 pm when we called it a day. I have never observed boils go all day like that, even with all of the boat traffic. It was a blast.
Saturday our intentions were to do the same thing and head up to Gunsight, but as we rounded the corner from the Castle Rock cut area to the main bay in Warm creek at 08:00 AM we found ourselves surrounded by several different boils all over the place. The boils were between the main channel and the corner to Castle Rock. The fish were spread out everywhere. We spent several hours going from boil to boil, catching fish after fish. It was a great finish to the trip.
All the fish we caught were healthy 2-4 lbs fish with great firm fillets. In all each of us took home several full gallon sized zip lock bags. I hope this helps someone find some fish. Good luck.