First Time to Powell Questions

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Mizzou&Montana

Mizzou&Montana

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Good Afternoon,

My name is Brian and I am a Park Ranger in West Yellowstone, MT. During the government shutdown I traveled to Page, AZ and really enjoyed myself. I made up my mind to come back in the spring to fish. I am planning on going to the North end of the lake around Bullfrog, Utah from April 29th to May 3rd. I grew up in North Missouri and fished for crappie and largemouth bass. Braid line across the board with white grubs and white spinnerbaits, just basic country boy pond fishing. I have traveled to Lake of the Woods, Ontario to fish for smallmouth/Muskie/Northerns/Walleye every year for the past decade. While I'm dialed in on those area's I'm looking for some advice on how Powell fishes and some tips that might save me time and improve my trip. Basically I'm curious on how unique the fishing is at Lake Powell vs. fishing techniques for SM/Crappie in other places.

1.) Can I run a 6' tippet of Fluorocarbon on my braid and be successful? If so what test strength?

2.) Best Chip for my Hummingbird Helix 9? Lakemaster I assume? Best Map? (I like a physical Map)

3.) Best Smallmouth lures, I prefer to catch them on my fly rod, or on tubes. Is brown a generic color of choice? or is Chartreuse sometimes a winner?

4.) Is that time frame a good one to target Crappie? I don't plan on keeping any fish, but man do I miss catching crappie! Such a superior fish to these uppity trout.

5.) Camping at Bullfrog is my plan, do they have dock space for a fee to leave your boat at night and charge your trolling motor? Or do I need to pull it out each night and charge it at the campsite?

6.) I have a Crestliner VT-17 bass boat with a 60 4 stoke, is that enough boat if waves come up on the lake? Its handled 3 foot rollers on Lake of the Woods before but it wasn't anything I'd want to do again. How bad can it get?

7.) If any locals wants to meet up and fish at Powell I would be happy to trade an opportunity to fish Yellowstone Lake for Laker Trout and Yellowstone Cutthroats. Or give advice on elk if anyone is lucky enough to draw a tag in 361 or 362 Montana.

Also, if I am missing anything, please feel free to add tips and advice I'm not asking about. Yellowstone opens tomorrow to vehicular travel, wish me luck!


Sincerely,
Brian T
 
1, I usually run a 10lb leader as its strong enough to hold a big fish and I am still able to break off when needed.
2, the lakemaster chip is a great help for me. Also the fish n map is also helpful and has the main channel bouys and the names of the canyons listed.
3, typically fish the south end but throw a single tail or hula grub 90% of the time in either a shad or crayfish color and catch pretty much everything that swims in the end of April and first of May.
4, both the Crappie and bass are getting rrady to spawn or starting to.
5, not familiar with bullfrog but seem to remember someone mentioned that they have slips for rent on a daily basis. Maybe someone else can confirm that for you.
6, how bad it gets is subjected to how brave or foolish you choose to be. They had winds last year that sank houseboats and overturned them on the beach. I personally sit out anything above 25 mile hr winds.
We'll be camping in Halls from the 27th to the 3rd and planning on a day in the Escalante Arm and a day in the San Juan and north to good hope as well as weather permits, so if you spot a Triton escape with a Waynes words flag stop by and say high maybe we can point each other in the right direction.
Most of all watch for shallow water and have a great trip, it's a very attractive and addictive place.
 
Answers:
1. I'd suggest you buy a 100-yard spool of 8-lb.-test fluorocarbon line. I like Spiderwire fluorocarbon but there are a lot of good runs. I generally tie on 15 to 20 feet of fluorocarbon leader to the Fireline or braid I'm using. That's a lot cheaper and more efficient than buying fly rod fluorocarbon leader tippet material. Bring your nail knot tool as it will help you greatly in splicing the leader to your braid. Use two nail knots tied back to back which is a double uni knot. It's the best and easiest splice knot I know, especially if you use a nail knot tool.

2. Can't answer that one.

3. Yamamoto Shad Shaped Worms - best for drop shot fishing
Yamamoto Senko - best fished weightless and wacky-rigged (hooked in the middle instead of through the nose)
Yamamoto Series 40 (4-inch) curly tail grub fished on a 3/16 to 1/4 oz. jig head
Yamamoto 4-inch Kut Tail worm fished on a drop shot, shaky head or Texas rig either hooked through the nose or wacky rigged
Tubes (3 to 4-inches)

The best colors are watermelon, watermelon/white laminate and natural shad. At times chartreuse can be very good. As for fly rod lures I'd think a big olive wooly booger fished on a sink-tip line right on the bottom would be a pretty good crayfish imitation and should get some strikes. I know other guys like Clouser minnows and leech patterns, but I'm not the expert on fly fishing Lake Powell.

4. I'll have to pass. I catch a few crappie from time to time, mostly towards the backs of canyons where there is some brush, but I don't target them.

5. I'll have to pass again as I fish the lower lake exclusively and no little about the facilities at Bullfrog/Halls.

6. Your boat should be fine. If the wind starts coming up move back close to the ramp. If your boat could handle Lake of the Woods, it should work OK on Powell if you're careful.

7. I'm retired and always looking for new fishing partners. If you want to fish the lower end out of Wahweap sometime let me know.

Ed Gerdemann
 
Ed's right on. #2 Lakemaster with current downloads. Targeting Crappie has been tricky for me but when I find a submerged tree or sagebrush, a light colored crappie jig can be awesome. It's so easy to snag so a vertical jigging works good. A generic map showing all the canyons will work but not as a navigational guide, the lake is new to about everybody cause of water elevation but fred's liquor map, Stan Jones map and of course google earth should keep you from gettin lost. The wind is the great question. Stay out of the bays and always have a leeward escape plan if it starts getting witchy. A 21' is just as spooky as yours in a wind storm. Both can submarine or take water over the gunnels. Just take it easy and don't push it. You will have a great time with just a little bit of common sense. Tight lines.
 
Edward Gerdemann said:
Answers:
1. I'd suggest you buy a 100-yard spool of 8-lb.-test fluorocarbon line. I like Spiderwire fluorocarbon but there are a lot of good runs. I generally tie on 15 to 20 feet of fluorocarbon leader to the Fireline or braid I'm using. That's a lot cheaper and more efficient than buying fly rod fluorocarbon leader tippet material. Bring your nail knot tool as it will help you greatly in splicing the leader to your braid. Use two nail knots tied back to back which is a double uni knot. It's the best and easiest splice knot I know, especially if you use a nail knot tool.

2. Can't answer that one.

3. Yamamoto Shad Shaped Worms - best for drop shot fishing
Yamamoto Senko - best fished weightless and wacky-rigged (hooked in the middle instead of through the nose)
Yamamoto Series 40 (4-inch) curly tail grub fished on a 3/16 to 1/4 oz. jig head
Yamamoto 4-inch Kut Tail worm fished on a drop shot, shaky head or Texas rig either hooked through the nose or wacky rigged
Tubes (3 to 4-inches)

The best colors are watermelon, watermelon/white laminate and natural shad. At times chartreuse can be very good. As for fly rod lures I'd think a big olive wooly booger fished on a sink-tip line right on the bottom would be a pretty good crayfish imitation and should get some strikes. I know other guys like Clouser minnows and leech patterns, but I'm not the expert on fly fishing Lake Powell.

4. I'll have to pass. I catch a few crappie from time to time, mostly towards the backs of canyons where there is some brush, but I don't target them.

5. I'll have to pass again as I fish the lower lake exclusively and no little about the facilities at Bullfrog/Halls.

6. Your boat should be fine. If the wind starts coming up move back close to the ramp. If your boat could handle Lake of the Woods, it should work OK on Powell if you're careful.

7. I'm retired and always looking for new fishing partners. If you want to fish the lower end out of Wahweap sometime let me know.

Ed Gerdemann
Click to expand...
Do you live in Page?
 
If you are looking for a fly fishing experience I personally would bring 2 sixes and 2 eights, floating and sinking line on each. The eights are for stripers and carp and the sixes for everything else. Yes, you can land a striper or big carp on a six but it is not much fun. For flies, bring enough for all levels of the water column. This time of year I think the only surface fly I would try would be a gurgler right up on the shoreline rocks. You will need patience for the bigger smallies down deep, and even so at 20 + ft you don’t get a lot of good stripping with the belly in the line, even a depth charge 7+inch per second. Searching patterns take more time with a fly rod so if you search with a spinner and then use a fly rod when you get on fish that could make your day more fun. Chunky shoreline rock going into the water should draw your attention. Smooth walls going into the water...not so much. Like any body of water you can have a hot fly one day and the next it is completely off, so don’t be afraid to switch out frequently till you find the on switch. My starters would be clousers, White, chartreuse and olive/root beer flash. Copper and root beer flash do well on LP, and I often throw a few grizzly hackle in my clousers. Try tying up a white with a peacock herl top and some middle silver flash. I have not had the best of luck with crawdad patterns. Small puglisi unweighted flies are go to as well. Small bonefish flies tend to attract carp, and a simply tied marabou on a jig head will get crappie jumping. Any kind of bugger, darter or such will work for smallies. Last, I do fish with a five weight so if that is what you have it will be fine, the only issue is that sometimes working rockpiles you pick off a lone striper and it is hard to turn their head on a 5. Have fun, most underrated lake in the world IMHO.

TR
 
Last edited:
TR. said:
If you are looking for a fly fishing experience I personally would bring 2 sixes and 2 eights, floating and sinking line on each. The eights are for stripers and carp and the sixes for everything else. Yes, you can land a striper or big carp on a six but it is not much fun. For flies, bring enough for all levels of the water column. This time of year I think the only surface fly I would try would be a gurgler right up on the shoreline rocks. You will need patience for the bigger smallies down deep, and even so at 20 + ft you don’t get a lot of good stripping with the belly in the line, even a depth charge 7+inch per second. Searching patterns take more time with a fly rod so if you search with a spinner and then use a fly rod when you get on fish that could make your day more fun. Chunky shoreline rock going into the water should draw your attention. Smooth walls going into the water...not so much. Like any body of water you can have a hot fly one day and the next it is completely off, so don’t be afraid to switch out frequently till you find the on switch. My starters would be clousers, White, chartreuse and olive/root beer flash. Copper and root beer flash do well on LP, and I often throw a few grizzly hackle in my clousers. Try tying up a white with a peacock herl top and some middle silver flash. I have not had the best of luck with crawdad patterns. Small puglisi unweighted flies are go to as well. Small bonefish flies tend to attract carp, and a simply tied marabou on a jig head will get crappie jumping. Any kind of bugger, darter or such will work for smallies. Last, I do fish with a five weight so if that is what you have it will be fine, the only issue is that sometimes working rockpiles you pick off a line striper and it is hard to turn their head on a 5. Have fun, most underrated lake in the world IMHO.

TR
Click to expand...
TR I thought you were from Colorado, where did you learn Greek.
 
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Brian,
Give me a call -- I might be in the area that Monday, and would be happy to show you a few things -- I also know one of your fellow rangers -- Bruce James -- he worked in Yellowstrone for a number of years -- you might have crossed paths
Dave -- 970-640-7976
 
davew said:
Brian,
Give me a call -- I might be in the area that Monday, and would be happy to show you a few things -- I also know one of your fellow rangers -- Bruce James -- he worked in Yellowstrone for a number of years -- you might have crossed paths
Dave -- 970-640-7976
Click to expand...
Thanks Dave! I will be sure to contact you in the next day or so. I believe I met Bruce a time or two, he was stationed more around Old Faithful/Canyon Village Area.
 
Mizzou&Montana said:
Good Afternoon,

My name is Brian and I am a Park Ranger in West Yellowstone, MT. During the government shutdown I traveled to Page, AZ and really enjoyed myself. I made up my mind to come back in the spring to fish. I am planning on going to the North end of the lake around Bullfrog, Utah from April 29th to May 3rd. I grew up in North Missouri and fished for crappie and largemouth bass. Braid line across the board with white grubs and white spinnerbaits, just basic country boy pond fishing. I have traveled to Lake of the Woods, Ontario to fish for smallmouth/Muskie/Northerns/Walleye every year for the past decade. While I'm dialed in on those area's I'm looking for some advice on how Powell fishes and some tips that might save me time and improve my trip. Basically I'm curious on how unique the fishing is at Lake Powell vs. fishing techniques for SM/Crappie in other places.

1.) Can I run a 6' tippet of Fluorocarbon on my braid and be successful? If so what test strength?

2.) Best Chip for my Hummingbird Helix 9? Lakemaster I assume? Best Map? (I like a physical Map)

3.) Best Smallmouth lures, I prefer to catch them on my fly rod, or on tubes. Is brown a generic color of choice? or is Chartreuse sometimes a winner?

4.) Is that time frame a good one to target Crappie? I don't plan on keeping any fish, but man do I miss catching crappie! Such a superior fish to these uppity trout.

5.) Camping at Bullfrog is my plan, do they have dock space for a fee to leave your boat at night and charge your trolling motor? Or do I need to pull it out each night and charge it at the campsite?

6.) I have a Crestliner VT-17 bass boat with a 60 4 stoke, is that enough boat if waves come up on the lake? Its handled 3 foot rollers on Lake of the Woods before but it wasn't anything I'd want to do again. How bad can it get?

7.) If any locals wants to meet up and fish at Powell I would be happy to trade an opportunity to fish Yellowstone Lake for Laker Trout and Yellowstone Cutthroats. Or give advice on elk if anyone is lucky enough to draw a tag in 361 or 362 Montana.

Also, if I am missing anything, please feel free to add tips and advice I'm not asking about. Yellowstone opens tomorrow to vehicular travel, wish me luck!


Sincerely,
Brian T
Click to expand...

I note you go by Mizzou and Montana. Did you go to the University of Missouri? I'm a graduate from there. In fact, I grew up in Missouri.

Ed Gerdemann
 
Some great advice on those posts. I don't fly fish and we fish the lower part of the lake but we fish for bass every year about the end of April. We try to plan our arrival at the peak time of the bass spawn. We don't do anything special. We've fished almost the same way for 40 years. Tube jigs in smoke or brown are our preferred lure on 8 lb. line fished slowly on the bottom in riprap or the backs of canyons around any structure we can find. The tube jig will catch crappie and walleye as well. We like the light line because Lake Powell is so clear. Have a great time on your trip.
 
Mizzou&Montana said:
Good Afternoon,

My name is Brian and I am a Park Ranger in West Yellowstone, MT. During the government shutdown I traveled to Page, AZ and really enjoyed myself. I made up my mind to come back in the spring to fish. I am planning on going to the North end of the lake around Bullfrog, Utah from April 29th to May 3rd. I grew up in North Missouri and fished for crappie and largemouth bass. Braid line across the board with white grubs and white spinnerbaits, just basic country boy pond fishing. I have traveled to Lake of the Woods, Ontario to fish for smallmouth/Muskie/Northerns/Walleye every year for the past decade. While I'm dialed in on those area's I'm looking for some advice on how Powell fishes and some tips that might save me time and improve my trip. Basically I'm curious on how unique the fishing is at Lake Powell vs. fishing techniques for SM/Crappie in other places.

1.) Can I run a 6' tippet of Fluorocarbon on my braid and be successful? If so what test strength?

2.) Best Chip for my Hummingbird Helix 9? Lakemaster I assume? Best Map? (I like a physical Map)

3.) Best Smallmouth lures, I prefer to catch them on my fly rod, or on tubes. Is brown a generic color of choice? or is Chartreuse sometimes a winner?

4.) Is that time frame a good one to target Crappie? I don't plan on keeping any fish, but man do I miss catching crappie! Such a superior fish to these uppity trout.

5.) Camping at Bullfrog is my plan, do they have dock space for a fee to leave your boat at night and charge your trolling motor? Or do I need to pull it out each night and charge it at the campsite?

6.) I have a Crestliner VT-17 bass boat with a 60 4 stoke, is that enough boat if waves come up on the lake? Its handled 3 foot rollers on Lake of the Woods before but it wasn't anything I'd want to do again. How bad can it get?

7.) If any locals wants to meet up and fish at Powell I would be happy to trade an opportunity to fish Yellowstone Lake for Laker Trout and Yellowstone Cutthroats. Or give advice on elk if anyone is lucky enough to draw a tag in 361 or 362 Montana.

Also, if I am missing anything, please feel free to add tips and advice I'm not asking about. Yellowstone opens tomorrow to vehicular travel, wish me luck!


Sincerely,
Brian T
Click to expand...
5. http://www.lakepowellmarinas.com/ma...rossing-north-lake-powell-ut/overnight-slips/
Overnight slip rental is available, I've not used it, unsure about electric hookups but there is a contact option from that link so you can ask. Be aware. it is quite a distance from the camping area to the marina slips, maybe more than a mile?, so you will still have to drive over (I sleep in my truck's rooftop tent, so if I have to move the truck, it's just as easy for me to launch after putting everything away). There is an RV campground with hookups and a different campsite with nice concrete pads but no hookups, too.
6. When I was shopping for a fishing boat for Powell, I had the same question, and was advised 17-18 feet minimum, and there is no "big enough". As noted above, even houseboats can get beached/sunk in unpredictable and violent summer storms. WeatherUnderground and Windfinder are useful apps for trip planning. There is an old thread on WW that discusses safe wind levels- basically 20-ish mph and up is a good time to be off the water. Powell is different than a normal lake (in many ways, but also) due to the "sloshing back and forth" wave action which can create unpredictable and magnified waves.
 
TR. said:
If you are looking for a fly fishing experience I personally would bring 2 sixes and 2 eights, floating and sinking line on each. The eights are for stripers and carp and the sixes for everything else. Yes, you can land a striper or big carp on a six but it is not much fun. For flies, bring enough for all levels of the water column. This time of year I think the only surface fly I would try would be a gurgler right up on the shoreline rocks. You will need patience for the bigger smallies down deep, and even so at 20 + ft you don’t get a lot of good stripping with the belly in the line, even a depth charge 7+inch per second. Searching patterns take more time with a fly rod so if you search with a spinner and then use a fly rod when you get on fish that could make your day more fun. Chunky shoreline rock going into the water should draw your attention. Smooth walls going into the water...not so much. Like any body of water you can have a hot fly one day and the next it is completely off, so don’t be afraid to switch out frequently till you find the on switch. My starters would be clousers, White, chartreuse and olive/root beer flash. Copper and root beer flash do well on LP, and I often throw a few grizzly hackle in my clousers. Try tying up a white with a peacock herl top and some middle silver flash. I have not had the best of luck with crawdad patterns. Small puglisi unweighted flies are go to as well. Small bonefish flies tend to attract carp, and a simply tied marabou on a jig head will get crappie jumping. Any kind of bugger, darter or such will work for smallies. Last, I do fish with a five weight so if that is what you have it will be fine, the only issue is that sometimes working rockpiles you pick off a lone striper and it is hard to turn their head on a 5. Have fun, most underrated lake in the world IMHO.

TR
Click to expand...
Thanks for the great info! I've got 4Wts, 5wts, 6wts, 8wts, and 10wts so I'll probably bring the 5,6, and 8.
Edward Gerdemann said:
I note you go by Mizzou and Montana. Did you go to the University of Missouri? I'm a graduate from there. In fact, I grew up in Missouri.

Ed Gerdemann
Click to expand...
class of 2007. I grew up in Trenton Missouri
 
Edward Gerdemann said:
I'm from Farmington, MO. My dad still lives there. I graduated with a BJ from Mizzou back in '75! :)

Ed Gerdemann
Click to expand...
Lots of MO connections here! My wife grew up in Sainte Genevieve, graduated from SMSU. We just bought a place in the hills between Sainte Genevieve and Farmington on 20 acres with a private 60 acre lake! Beautiful right now.....the brutal humid summers, ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy/oak will keep me away for while though!!!
 
Dorado said:
Lots of MO connections here! My wife grew up in Sainte Genevieve, graduated from SMSU. We just bought a place in the hills between Sainte Genevieve and Farmington on 20 acres with a private 60 acre lake! Beautiful right now.....the brutal humid summers, ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy/oak will keep me away for while though!!!
Click to expand...

I don't like winter and summer in Missouri. That's why I live in Arizona. I also think Lake Powell is far better fishing than anyplace back there although Bull Shoals is still very good. No place back there will produce the numbers of fish Powell produces. :)

Ed Gerdemann
 
Dorado said:
Lots of MO connections here! My wife grew up in Sainte Genevieve, graduated from SMSU. We just bought a place in the hills between Sainte Genevieve and Farmington on 20 acres with a private 60 acre lake! Beautiful right now.....the brutal humid summers, ticks, chiggers, and poison ivy/oak will keep me away for while though!!!
Click to expand...
LOL, I love Missouri and it will always be home, but you hit it on the head...
Humidity never bothered me, ticks and chiggers are no fun, but I can live with them, but Poison Ivy is why I left and can't move back...
 
Sent you a private message. Also a graduate from Missouri, Missouri Western in St Joseph.

Lots of great information already here shared for you.
 
BarzArz said:
LOL, I love Missouri and it will always be home, but you hit it on the head...
Humidity never bothered me, ticks and chiggers are no fun, but I can live with them, but Poison Ivy is why I left and can't move back...
Click to expand...

I don't miss the Tornado's and Ice Storms.
Miss the family, Lake of Ozarks, Bull Shoals, and loved a lazy canoe trip in the summers. Plus the BBQ Selection in KC.

OK, and the Bass Pro Shops return outlet in Springfield.
 
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