August and September 2004

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wayne gustaveson

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LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

SEPTEMBER 30, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3570
Water Temperature: 70-72 F

Water levels are stable while water temperatures are poised ready to plunge into the 60's. Striped bass will be basking in their preferred temperature zone for the next 3 weeks. The best fishing of the fall is near.

Stripers continue to feed on the surface morning and evening in the lower lake. The action is mostly found in the main channel but some schools are now venturing into the canyon mouths. Cruising the main channel each morning from 6-8 AM provides the best opportunity to find a school on top. Waiting in one spot to see a boil is less effective. Schools are moving around the big bays and through the long expanses of channel. They are not in the same spot each morning. Use binoculars to see splashes marking a distant boil. Cruise quickly to the boil site and cast from a safe distance to keep the school from sounding. Using the electric trolling motor on high is the best way to keep pace with rapidly moving schools that are constantly moving away from the boat. Super long casts with surface lures or shallow running crankbaits to feeding fish is the best technique. After the boil subsides drop spoons in the boil area to catch more stripers and other species.

Morning boils have been found at the confluence of Wahweap Creek and main channel, mouth of Navajo and into Navajo Canyon 2 miles, main channel near Labyrinth Canyon, Padre Bay, Last Chance Bay and Canyon, Rock Creek, and up the main channel all the way to Dangling Rope. Stripers range in size from 1-10 pounds and they are all chasing shad with a vengeance.

Evening boils happen in many of the same places from 6-7 PM. It seems that surface action begins when the shadow of the setting sun falls across the lake. The fish are all on the same schedule no matter which lake location they occupy.

Uplake from Rainbow Bridge there are a few quick boils during the same low light periods but most feeding is done subsurface. Stripers are found on the first terrace at the edge of the deep main river channel. Depth is usually 40-70 feet. The best technique is dropping slab spoons on the school immediately when seen on the graph. Schools are moving rapidly searching for shad and are hard to stay over. Stripers at depth usually have full stomachs so a quick reaction bite is the best approach. Fast trolled lures, rapidly retrieved spoons or crankbaits resembling fleeing shad are the most likely techniques to elicit a strike.

Smallmouth bass are hanging on prominent rocky points particularly at the mouths of canyons and coves. Throw a quick moving reaction bait to find which points are holding bass. Then probe the depths off the end of the point with plastic tube baits to catch bass. The quick moving tube will attract a reaction bite from fish already full of shad. Bass fishing is good in the same areas where stripers are boiling. Fish the shoreline after a striper boil to get smallmouth.

Catfish, walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass are commonly being hooked on spoons while jigging for stripers. Startled shad fleeing from stripers cause feeding opportunities for other species. Find a school of shad under attack to maximize your catch. Sometimes an extra half-hour spent looking for stripers will place you in an area where fishing success is enhanced for all species.

Night fishing with submerged lights may be the best technique to catch fish over the expanse of the lake. Expect that to get even better as the moon darkens.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

SEPTEMBER23, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3570
Water Temperature: 71-73 F

We had some very welcome rain and wind that slowed fishing momentarily. Now the weather is moderating and we expect the good fishing results of last week to hold up for a few more weeks.

In the lower lake look for morning and evening striper boils anywhere from Glen Canyon Dam to Dangling Rope. Boils will vary from large to small, very quick to just a few scattered splashes. Any sign will show you where to fish. If stripers are not busting the top then throw shallow running cranks or drop spoons to the bottom. Stripers are gorging on shad and will eat your lures if you can find their feeding table. When a school is in the vicinity I think spoons jigged off the bottom or reeled quickly up through the water column are the most effective technique.

Suspended stripers can be caught with long-line trolling gear, downriggers, or by casting. Any means of putting a shad imitator in front of a hungry striper at mid depth may work. Seldom used lures that haven't been wet for a long time may work now. Try stump jumpers (3/4 ounce), white marabou jigs (3/4 ounce), spinner baits, and suspending crank baits.

The same striper catching conditions hold true at Bullfrog/Halls. Find a school of stripers on the 40-60 foot terrace above the submerged main channel. Be prepared to present a shad spoon quickly to a striper school seen on the graph. Take advantage of the opportunity before they move on. The spoon may be jigged off the bottom and then reeled quickly to the surface to be presented to suspended stripers.

Best fishing spots seem to be in or near the main channel from Halls to Wahweap. I may be wrong but I think this is the first time in recorded history that upper San Juan and Colorado inflow at Farley/White Canyons are not the place to be. I would fish in Padre Bay, Last Chance, Rock Creek, mouth of San Juan to Cottonwood, Slick Rock, Bullfrog Bay, and Stanton Creek.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

SEPTEMBER 16, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3570
Water Temperature: 73-75 F

Our recent sampling trip helped solve the mystery of non-boiling stripers. Shad are thick over the old Colorado River streambed and the feeding canyons pouring into the Colorado. At night shad spread out across the open water above the submerged channel at a depth of 25-45 feet. Shad concentration gets heavier closer to the inflowing Colorado River. While shad are present at all locations, Good Hope has the most and Bullfrog is next. As uplake stripers feed they herd shad and trap them against the submerged canyon wall or just trap shad against other striper bodies as they feed in a pack. Shad are large and plentiful and it is not necessary for stripers to use the surface as a killing field. Some small quick boils do occur at first light but most feeding is deep.

In the lower lake, shad schools are plentiful but less frequent than uplake. Stripers are most effective feeding on shad at the surface so they drive schools to the top each morning from first light till 8 AM. Then stripers go deep to rest and feed.

In both locations striper attacks separate shad schools scattering shad in all directions before they can regroup into their comfortable school. This is the key catching stripers and the reason for the lengthy explanation.

Here is the fishing technique that works so well over the whole lake. If a quick boil is seen near shore position the boat in 40-60 feet of water. Stripers leave the surface and follow the bottom contour to the first break or flat before the cliff cascades into the main channel. Deep feeding stripers regroup on the terrace at 40-60 feet. These striper schools must be located on the fish finder. Just follow the breaking edge of the creek channel until fish are marked. When stripers/shad are graphed, drop a jigging spoon to the bottom. If stripers are close (5 feet) to the bottom, vertically jig the spoon up and down.

If stripers are suspended any further off the bottom then use the speed-jigging technique. As soon as the spoon hits bottom reel it back to the surface as fast as possible. When the lure comes into view, open the bail and let if fall back to the bottom and repeat the process quickly when fish are on the graph. The lure "burning" toward the surface mimics a single shad in panic-mode trying to find its school. Speed jigging is absolutely the best fishing technique for stripers right now from Slick Rock Canyon upstream to Good Hope Bay. Injured and frightened shad are the main diet of both bass and stripers. With such an abundance of food, lures that look and act like a preferred shad meal are the most effective.

Some anglers are struggling to get a bite while others in the same bay even using the same lure are catching all the fish they want. The difference is bringing the lure quickly from bottom to top past suspended stripers. The best spoons this week were Wallylures, Hopkins Shorty, and Cabelas spoons in the ¾ to 1.5-ounce size.

Trolling works to locate suspended stripers but when a school is found, speed jigging spoons is a more effective and productive approach.

Bass are still on points extending into the main channel and susceptible to topwater lures and shad imitating crankbaits.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

SEPTEMBER 9, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3571
Water Temperature: 74-78 F

Fishing fortunes have shifted from Bullfrog to Wahweap. Previous Septembers have shown just the opposite with best fishing in mid to upper lake areas. But now the lower lake takes center stage. The only clue to explain the switch is that average shad size is a bit smaller downlake making shad easier for stripers to catch.

Striper boils are springing up morning and evening and at random times during the day from Antelope Canyon to Rock Creek. Two to seven pound stripers are caught each CALM morning from first light to 9 AM. Morning wind keeps the boils down. If wind does blow a few boils may be seen in protected areas where calm spots occur. Sometimes the morning breeze dies after 8 AM. Boils will happen in the first hour right after the wind calms. Check shady coves near main channel for these late feeding fish.

Boils are found mostly in the main travel lane of the main channel. The feeding burst may last from one minute to an hour depending on the day. The very best boils recently were on the first calm day following a two-day windy period.

Fishing is still decent mid and upper lake, including the San Juan and Escalante, with an occasional striper boil and lots of opportunity to graph striper schools and catch them on jigging spoons. Short coves near the main channel or points extending into the channel are good starting points. Any place a boil is seen or has been reported is a good bet for graphing and jigging.

At all lake locations smallmouth bass are waiting on main channel points for stripers to drive a shad school near shore. Anglers can take advantage of shad-eating bass by casting shad imitating baits across each primary point jutting into the main channel. Hop from point to point and cast topwater or shallow running rattletrap type baits. On my last trip each primary point produced at least one smallmouth bass that could not resist my Lucky Craft Sammy walking along the top.

Cooler temperatures mean bass and stripers will feed heavily as they stock up on plentiful food before winter. Expect fishing to continue to improve from now through mid October. The Fall fishing peak will happen as water temperature dips into the 60's. Weight of both bass and stripers is increasing rapidly with the fall feeding binge in full swing.

Catfish are hitting each night on sandy substrate in shallow water.

September is perhaps the best month for enjoyable weather conditions. This year is no exception.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

SEPTEMBER 1, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3572
Water Temperature: 75-80 F

Full moon has quieted the waters north of Bullfrog while the waters south have begun to boil.

Striper boiling action has temporarily calmed from Bullfrog to White Canyon. The most abundant shad/striper population resides in the upper reaches of Lake Powell and perhaps there is just too much to eat. For whatever reason there is much less activity than has been seen for most of the month. Expect the boils to start again as the moon wanes. This is a temporary lull that will reverse quickly.

Bass fishing has improved lakewide for those using surface lures and other shad imitating baits. If using plastic try white tubes fished erratically in the shallows or flukes zipped along the surface. Shallow running hard baits like rattletraps and shad raps are working near points and reefs.

From Bullfrog downstream stripers are chasing shad with a vengeance. Boils are strong from first light to 9 AM. Look at Rincon, Buoy 60, Rock Creek, Padre Bay, mouth of Navajo and mouth of Antelope canyon.

Perhaps the shad population, which may be less abundant in these locations, has become vulnerable or more visible to striper schools. For whatever reason boils in the lower lake are as good as they have been for a long, long time. This activity will probably fade as quickly as the uplake boils resume. Hopefully the lower lake will continue to boil through Labor Day. After that expect stripers to leave the open bays to feed in the backs of coves and short canyons.

For those fishing the upper lake be aware that stripers have not left but are still in the same locations as they were last week when boiling. Look for them on the fish finding graph and drop spoons into the school. When not actively boiling stripers can still be caught as they sulk in the depths. Bait may work in the shade of steep walls.

September will mark a resurgence in the smallmouth bass fishery. Expect bass fishing to improve dramatically in the next few weeks.

Catfishing is still great.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

AUGUST 26, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3573
Water Temperature: 74-79 F

Despite lower lake levels launching prospects have improved with a new private ramp open at Antelope Point. Sheets of pipe matting have been placed on Wahweap main and Stateline boat ramps. Bullfrog ramp is still a challenge but launching is possible for fishing boats. Big boats should launch at Halls Ramp.

The big news is a long awaited dip in surface temperature. Bath water conditions are no more. Water now measures in the mid 70's, energizing fish and signaling the start of the fall feeding frenzy. The best fishing for the year is still ahead in September and October.

Striper boils have emerged in many more locations. It is no longer necessary to wait at the mouth of Halls or Stanton Creek. Those fish are still boiling but there are just as many stripers hitting the surface uplake and down. Uplake boils are found in the main channel from buoy 105 to 119. Downlake boils are seen from Annies Canyon to the mouth of the San Juan. The San Juan has consistent surface activity in Cha and Neskahi Bay. And now boils have emerged in the Narrows from the dam to Navajo Canyon. Some boils are moving out of the channel and into the cuts but main channel is the center of activity. Look for ravens, grebes and coyotes to tip off out-of-the-way boil locations.

Morning and evening twilight are the best time to look for surfacing fish. Guaranteed boils only happen for the first and last hour of the day. Boils are much less predictable when full sun is on the water. Bass and stripers may feed on the surface any time they choose but daytime boils are random.

Bass are chasing shad with stripers morning and evening. During the day try casting a shallow running crankbait across rocky points or drop a bulky plastic grub off the end of the point in 25 feet of water. Bass fishing is getting better but will improve much more in September.

Catfish are hot on sandy beaches at night. Hang a fishing light in the water or a lantern on the back deck to attract shad and game fish. If fishing in less than 30 feet of water only catfish will be caught. If water depth is more than 40 feet then stripers may be taken.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

AUGUST 20, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3575
Water Temperature: 77-82 F

Results of our August shad sampling trip indicated strong shad numbers over the expanse of Lake Powell for the third consecutive year. These results are unprecedented in recent times. Forage fish exceed dietary needs of most fish right now. The result is a healthy, vibrant, growing population of game fish in which most individuals will grow longer and put on more weight during the next two months.

There is a down side. Fat fish are fussy eaters. Prey selection consists of fewer items and feeding periods may happen only when the pizza delivery truck (shad school) arrives. That means fishing may be slower especially while the water is still warm. Dropping water temperatures trigger a feeding response in game fish preparing for winter. Expect excellent catch rates from September through December.

Current fertile water conditions responsible for super shad abundance result in rapid oxygen use. Much of the deep water layer between 40 and 90 feet is oxygen poor. Fish are forced to find a resting place with cool temperature and adequate oxygen. Some great looking fishing spots may not hold any fish due only to lack of oxygen. The oxygen-poor / warm-water zone is most pronounced at the upper end of the lake. Stripers in this area do not have a cool water resting zone and appear less robust then those downstream. They have more forage but may not be able to utilize shad as well in the constant warm water where they live. Stripers are bigger and healthier downstream from Good Hope Bay and better yet below Rincon.

Fishing is still all about STRIPER BOILS. Slurps are no more. Surface feeding episodes are less frequent but much more violent and longer in duration when they do occur. In other words, "You Can Miss Them." There may be an hour-long boil in Good Hope Bay that goes unnoticed if you are in another location. Timing is often random which further complicates the hunt. But, find the boil and the fishing trip is a success. Find two and it's a dream trip.

A boil can happen anytime - anywhere. If you check these locations morning and evening the chances of success are high. Here are my best guesses for this week:

Buoy 59-60 - dawn to 9 AM - numerous pods of fish stretch over a long distance. Look in morning shade after full sun.

Rincon - downstream from floating restroom. Fish on eastern shoreline in morning. Fish in shade as sun climbs higher.

Halls Creek channel - Consistent boils have long occurred where narrow channel opens into Halls Bay. Most popular spot. May have to share these fish with other boaters.

Stanton Creek to Halls buoy field. Fish surface consistently each morning and evening at twilight.

Lower Good Hope Bay (Buoy 119) - Boils are random. They will come up sometime but at times of their own choosing.

Two Mile to White canyon - Many fish here with many more shad. Fish feed at their own convenience. Boils are random but large and long.

Tackle is your choice. Shad are large and stripers are taking full size lures. Cast near an actively feeding striper and it will hit your surface lure. Bass will be near the striper boil and can be caught on the boil fringes or near shore during and after the boil.

Catfishing is excellent.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

AUGUST 12, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3577
Water Temperature: 79-84 F

Launching is a challenge at all ramps except Halls Crossing which still has a viable concrete ramp. Bullfrog and Wahweap ramps vary from hard packed sand to old asphalt. It is wise to have a 4WD tow vehicle and to carry a tow strap so you can help others that may get stuck while retrieving their boat. That will get your boat in the water more quickly and perhaps make a new friend in the process. Helping inexperienced boaters launch will ease ramp congestion.

Fishing is challenging as well. Boiling stripers are the big draw but the randomness of boils makes waiting for them a risky proposition. There are no known boils in the lower lake. Boils will happen in the San Juan near Neskahi but the timing is erratic. Continuing uplake, boils are seen sometime during the day at the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon, Escalante, Rincon, Halls Creek, Stanton Creek, Cedar, Knowles and Good Hope Bay.

When a regular boil is seen stripers will eagerly hit full size surface lures. It is much more common now to see a single striper chasing one shad. Fish areas where single striper splashes are seen with jigging spoons or anchovies. The main striper school is down deep in 30-80 feet of water. Providing food to hungry fish in cool water is a good way to fill the cooler in a hurry. It is best to find the school on the graph before exerting much effort. If the school is elusive then fish near shade and deep water in close proximity to where stripers were seen surfacing.

Smallmouth bass seem to have been forgotten by most striper chasers. The better fishing strategy may be to fish for smallmouth with a split-shot rig. Put a small weight on above the nose-hooked, free-floating green or brown plastic grub. Drag it slowly along the bottom near main slick rock points especially where big rocks are found at depths of 20-30 feet. Smallmouth are ready and willing. Catching bass is a great way to pass the time while waiting for stripers to boil. Have another rod rigged with a Jumpin Minnow or Super Spook Jr. for boiling fish. Don't be surprised to see smallmouth boil where stripers were expected.

Catfishing is excellent in the warm water near camp. Cats can be caught any time of day but are more commonly caught in the evening and after dark. Use live worms, chicken liver, anchovies or table scraps on the sandy beach behind the parked boat. Gentle sandy slopes with water depth of 10-15 feet is ideal.

Fly fishermen are finding willing bass, sunfish and stripers searching for suspended morsels in the warm surface water. Single stripers hitting the surface are ideal targets for fly fishers. Stanton Creek near Bullfrog may be the best location.

LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

AUGUST 5, 2004

By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3578
Water Temperature: 77-83 F

Bright moonlit nights dimmed fishing prospects this past week. There were less boils and tougher fishing conditions for both bass and stripers over much of the lake. Fishing will improve as the moon wanes. Expect perhaps the best striper boils of the year to happen by mid August in the middle portion of Lake Powell centered at Bullfrog/Halls but reaching to the San Juan and Good Hope Bay.

Launching access is acceptable as NPS makes daily efforts to fill in pot holes, build new roads and ramps, and make it easier for all to launch on dirt ramps under low water conditions. Boats are still launching on concrete at Halls. Conditions are more challenging at Bullfrog and Wahweap. Expect adequate launching facilities to be available through the rest of summer and fall due to the efforts of NPS.

Stripers are still boiling at many mid lake locations. Most boils were very quick and stripers had gone deep before anglers could react. There were enough boils reported this past week to delight those that were in the right place. Most stripers caught in boils weighed 2-5 pounds. Larger stripers have gone deeper as the water surface temperature increased and the warm water band got wider. Larger, long-lasting boils were reported at Buoy 63 and Good Hope Bay.

When boils heat up again they will be stronger and longer from Llewellyn to Cedar Canyon. Expect good surface fishing in the San Juan around Neskahi and in Good Hope Bay. As shad grow larger all game fish will be chasing shad in shallow water. Smallmouth bass will herd shad schools and feed with stripers on the surface. Surface feeding fish are the easiest to locate because they can be seen for a long distance.

When not on top, bass can be readily caught with soft plastics fished on bottom at 15-30 feet. Best spots are deep drop-offs quite a ways from shore. Use the graph to find the breaking edge of a submerged flat or terrace. The second submerged break where water depth falls from 20 to 30 feet holds the most bass.

Catfishing is excellent on 10-15 foot deep sandy beaches.

The best striper fishing was found after dark as plankton, shad and stripers were attracted to lights floating on the surface. More detail on night fishing for stripers can be found by clicking on the home page then night fishing.
 
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