Lake Powell Fish Report – July 7, 2015
Lake Elevation: 3613.89
Water Temperature 77 - 83 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson Wayne's Words
There are still lots of yearling stripers (8-14 inches) slurping up larval shad each morning and evening. The most consistent location is the main channel. That seems like a redundant report but it is accurate. This means that larval shad are in the main channel and little stripers can live right there with them and eat at their convenience.
Small surface feeding stripers are a bit finicky when in surface mode. We tried some well placed casts with top water lures which were ignored. A small ¼ ounce Kastmaster spoon worked half the time. The most effective method was to troll past the slurp location with a bluegill colored Shad Rap (SR5). That worked well if we arrived at the site of the last surface activity within one minute of when stripers went down. I did not have the opportunity to cast the Shad Rap (SR5) into the slurp but suspect that would work very well.
There was a clue given at Antelope Point Marina as we headed uplake from Wahweap. We trolled through the wakeless area at morning prime time and hooked the biggest fish of the day. At the fish cleaning station we found a 1.5 inch shad in the stomach. This means that larger stripers are feeding on larger forage in deeper water. Larger stripers are forced into the depths as they mature. They can no longer stay in warm surface water so they go deep. Big stripers are out there and feeding. It is just a matter of finding them and offering them the right enticement.
Probably the best method is the old standard anchovy. Do not expect large schools of stripers to run along the canyon walls as they do in years when shad numbers are low. Stripers now must be approached as if the anchovy bait is a precision lure cast to the right spot and right depth at the right time. The right spot is a slick rock point. The right depth is 25-40 feet. The right time is early morning and late evening. Night fishing under a green light is also prime right now.
This is a perfect time to teach kids how to catch fish. Put on a small Shad Rap and let them reel it back to the boat in 8-12 feet of brushy water. It is easy to tell if in the right spot by looking at the submerged brush. If small sunfish and bluegill are lurking in the brush then bass can be caught.
Catfish are really doing well on sandy beaches at dusk right behind the parked houseboat. Use a slice of hot dog, night crawler, shrimp or leftovers from dinner. Just put a size 2 or 4 bait hook on the spinning rod. Thread the leftovers onto the hook and cast it out into 12 feet of water behind the boat. Then let the bait rest on the bottom and wait for the catfish to come. It won’t take long.
Walleye are still biting on plastic grubs with a piece of night crawler attached. Best time is first light and just after dusk. They can be caught during the day by trolling over a 15-foot bench with a lure that runs 12 feet deep.
Expect quick boils from bigger stripers in late July and August as shad size increases.
