Lake Powell Fish Report – July 10, 2019
Lake Elevation: 3618
Water temperature: 76-85 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson http://www.wayneswords.com or Wayneswords.net
Slurping stripers are still very active in the Southern lake from Wahweap to the San Juan. Get up early to beat the boat traffic and head uplake always on the lookout for a small surface disturbance. Stripers in a tight school are chasing small shad and the feeding event is visible for 100 yards or more in calm water. Watch for gentle splashes and an occasional fish breaking the surface. Approach the slurp quickly, stop in casting range and turn the boat to the side so all can cast to the slurping fish. The first cast must land in front of, or beyond the rapidly moving fish. Work the lure back through the school quickly. Slurping stripers usually dive before there is time to cast again. Sometimes the school goes under the boat. A quickly deployed spoon may work when the school is directly under the boat. Usually the school pops up again. Move the boat again into casting range and repeat the process. Stripers are more likely to hit lures on the first cast. Sometimes they will hit the second time stripers come up. Usually they are not interested in your lures after the second attempt. It is then time to move on and find the next school.
On our sampling trip, we saw slurps in the main channel from Gregory Butte to Rock Creek. We caught slurpers from 7 AM to noon before heading back down lake. Six times we caught two fish on the first cast to a new slurping school. Total catch was 27 stripers, caught on full size bone colored, Rebel Jumpin' Minnows. These lures are heavy and cast a long distance. Stripers were very willing to hit big surface lures as long as they were in front and beyond the rapidly moving school.
We also tried trolling early along the east wall of Padre Bay and found stripers willing to hit Live Target Shad (Silver-Bronze) crankbait. We caught one fish at 5-10 minute intervals.
Top water fishing for bass is great at first light in the morning. Brush lines sticking out of the water are signposts that say fish here. Cast topwater lures towards the brush. Work them slowly through the weeds to catch both large and smallmouth bass. Later in the day, go to the backs of the canyons where water is murky, driftwood is floating, and shoreline brush has recently been flooded. Bass are very willing to hit a wide variety of lures in 5 to 25 feet of water. I even caught bass trolling the Live Target shad lure in the backs of canyons at a bottom depth of 12-25 feet.
Bluegill and Green Sunfish are now easy to see in brushy coves now filling with water. Use a very small jig head with a small piece of worm attached. Kids love catching sunfish and it is a good way to teach them how to fish.
Catfish are very active on sandy beaches from early evening until late at night while sitting in a lawn chair at the waters edge.
Fishing success is strong and doing well in the heat of the summer on the shores of beautiful Lake Powell.
Lake Elevation: 3618
Water temperature: 76-85 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson http://www.wayneswords.com or Wayneswords.net
Slurping stripers are still very active in the Southern lake from Wahweap to the San Juan. Get up early to beat the boat traffic and head uplake always on the lookout for a small surface disturbance. Stripers in a tight school are chasing small shad and the feeding event is visible for 100 yards or more in calm water. Watch for gentle splashes and an occasional fish breaking the surface. Approach the slurp quickly, stop in casting range and turn the boat to the side so all can cast to the slurping fish. The first cast must land in front of, or beyond the rapidly moving fish. Work the lure back through the school quickly. Slurping stripers usually dive before there is time to cast again. Sometimes the school goes under the boat. A quickly deployed spoon may work when the school is directly under the boat. Usually the school pops up again. Move the boat again into casting range and repeat the process. Stripers are more likely to hit lures on the first cast. Sometimes they will hit the second time stripers come up. Usually they are not interested in your lures after the second attempt. It is then time to move on and find the next school.
On our sampling trip, we saw slurps in the main channel from Gregory Butte to Rock Creek. We caught slurpers from 7 AM to noon before heading back down lake. Six times we caught two fish on the first cast to a new slurping school. Total catch was 27 stripers, caught on full size bone colored, Rebel Jumpin' Minnows. These lures are heavy and cast a long distance. Stripers were very willing to hit big surface lures as long as they were in front and beyond the rapidly moving school.
We also tried trolling early along the east wall of Padre Bay and found stripers willing to hit Live Target Shad (Silver-Bronze) crankbait. We caught one fish at 5-10 minute intervals.
Top water fishing for bass is great at first light in the morning. Brush lines sticking out of the water are signposts that say fish here. Cast topwater lures towards the brush. Work them slowly through the weeds to catch both large and smallmouth bass. Later in the day, go to the backs of the canyons where water is murky, driftwood is floating, and shoreline brush has recently been flooded. Bass are very willing to hit a wide variety of lures in 5 to 25 feet of water. I even caught bass trolling the Live Target shad lure in the backs of canyons at a bottom depth of 12-25 feet.
Bluegill and Green Sunfish are now easy to see in brushy coves now filling with water. Use a very small jig head with a small piece of worm attached. Kids love catching sunfish and it is a good way to teach them how to fish.
Catfish are very active on sandy beaches from early evening until late at night while sitting in a lawn chair at the waters edge.
Fishing success is strong and doing well in the heat of the summer on the shores of beautiful Lake Powell.