Striper Action 8/13/23

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Lakewood85

Lakewood85

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We made our biannual trip to the lake from Southern California this week. On Thursday 8/13 we ran up to the wall across from buoy 25. We trolled the wall with a Storm slow rising deep running silver with black back lure on 8 lb. Floro and also trolled a 5” AC Mag Shad in Silver Flake with black back. No luck at the wall. We headed back down the lake and headed halfway up Navajo Canyon. After the multiple wakeboard/surf boats and rental boats who were in the canyon called it a day around 5:30 pm and the water calmed down I spotted a large school of stripers surface feeding on shad. We trolled the same two lures at around 2.6 - 3.0 mph through the area where the school was and quickly had a double jig strike. The two fish were in the 1 1/2 to 3 lb. class. After that we spotted another school about a 1/4 mile from the previous one and took two more on the AC Mag Shad. If we’d had more time we would have thrown some silver spoons or top water lures at them. All in all it was a great week at the lake. The next trip will be out of Bullfrog and in late September or early October. Hopefully, the wakeboard boats will be gone or there will be much less of them.

Fish-on!
 
Dan Keller said:
Can't beat September and October on Powell, great time of year to fish and much less traffic. Good luck on your next trip !
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Speaking of October fishing. I’ve never been out there that late in the year. I’ve heard only good things. Planning a trip Oct. 26th - 30th. Any specific tactics or differences in where I should be expecting the fish? Will water temps be too cold for boils? What is the best water temp range for boils or does temp really only apply to length of boil time, given dissolved oxygen levels. I’m guessing the fish may be shallower as the water will be cooler but I’m not sure I have any data to support this, just a cumulative guess based on what I’ve read here from the real fisherman. Maybe I should be asking, what are the Shad up too that time of year?
In any event I’m stoked for cooler temps and hopefully calmer waters (less boat traffic).
Thanks for any advice.
 
I've had great success in Oct trolling in slightly green water 10-25' deep for stripers. The shad escape to the colored water for safety and the stripers follow. Nearly all the trolling lures often listed on this site work well. My Lucky Craft XD divers have the same catch rate as 3/4oz Stumpjumpers. That has worked consistently for the past 10 years in the upper San Juan and should work in all the canyons. There will be an occasional boil so keep a rod loaded with surface action.
 
FishnFly said:
Speaking of October fishing. I’ve never been out there that late in the year. I’ve heard only good things. Planning a trip Oct. 26th - 30th. Any specific tactics or differences in where I should be expecting the fish? Will water temps be too cold for boils? What is the best water temp range for boils or does temp really only apply to length of boil time, given dissolved oxygen levels. I’m guessing the fish may be shallower as the water will be cooler but I’m not sure I have any data to support this, just a cumulative guess based on what I’ve read here from the real fisherman. Maybe I should be asking, what are the Shad up too that time of year?
In any event I’m stoked for cooler temps and hopefully calmer waters (less boat traffic).
Thanks for any advice.
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Yes, striper boils often occur in October, for many years the North end, especially GHB up to Trachyte has been a hot spot for late season boils, I think that will still be the case this fall. However last fall we caught record numbers of stripers in our gill nets at Wahweap, and south end anglers are consistently catching very healthy stripers indicating no shortage of shad down south. Big runoff this spring/ summer reduced visibility from the confluence near the Horn up north well past Escalante, making it difficult for stripers to find shad, now that water is clearing up boils have increased up north. Many years boils are going strong around Bullfrog by June, we didn’t see that this year, with that in mind it’s reasonable to think more shad will be available this fall, resulting in more boils. Additionally, shad have lots of flooded brush to hide in this year, this will increase survival. Eventually shad must move out of cover found along shore to feed on plankton in open water, this occurs in the late summer and is another reason boils pick up this time of year. The presence and density of shad really drives when and where boils occur. It is possible to see stripers boiling anywhere on the lake. It is more common to see surface action early and late. If no stripers are feeding on top look for schools of stripers with your sonar. Drop your favorite spoon down into the school. Vertical jigging with spoons might be the most consistent method in the Fall (if not finding boils).

The other thing that happens in October is water temperature drops into the 60’s making bass more active; a good strategy is to bass fish near shore while keeping an eye out for boils. If you don’t run into boils you will still have a great time bass fishing. Walleye fishing can be good in October, you can target them by bottom bouncing, you often catch a mix of species bottom bouncing, however a worm & bottom bouncer is a very effective way to focus on walleye.
 
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