Lake Powell Fishing Report - Stripers active during daylight again

Lake Powell Fish Report – October 9, 2012Lake Elevation: 3619Water Temperature 69-74 FBy: Wayne Gustaveson of www.wayneswords.comThe full moon has faded and fishing success is responding accordingly. Stripers were absent from anglers creels in the southern lake last week while fish enjoyed bright nights, but they have now returned to full daytime activity. Before the bright moon Warm Creek and Navajo Canyon were the most successful southern striper fishing spots. With water temperatures falling, it appears that springtime hotspots are now the go-to sites once more. We ran uplake to West, Last Chance and Rock Creek to find stripers schooled in deep water guarding the brushy shallows where shad still live. Adult stripers are accustomed to waiting in deep water for the opportunity to get close enough to feed on a shad school. We found some long U-shaped coves with schools guarding at the first drop to 40-60 feet. Spoons dropped to the schools often ignited a quick bite where 5-10 stripers were caught on that many casts. Then schools would move away and we had to find another cove with stripers in attendance to restart the feeding spree. In Rock Creek we found a school of juvenile stripers holding at 12-25 feet in what is left of the submerged brush. A trolled medium running (8-10 feet) crankbait (Thunderstick Jr) would be quickly eaten by one of the wide spread schooling fish. While that fish was being landed more trailing stripers could be hooked by casting the same lures in all directions around the boat. Each stop resulted in as many as 5 stripers being caught before the boat drifted away from the school. The school could then be readily relocated by trolling up another fish and casting to increase the catch. Striper fishing success has never slowed in the San Juan Arm where adult schools are guarding the mouths of Piute and Neskahi Canyons and deep water in between. Fishing success at Good Hope Bay and Hite is less certain with few reports coming from there this week. That may be due to the steady striper fishing success in Bullfrog and Halls using the same spooning and trolling techniques described above. Magic 60-degree temperatures that caused bass and striper fishing to peak in the spring will be duplicated during the next 3 weeks. Look for a fall flurry of fishing success similar to that found in spring. Use your favorite technique at your best springtime spot to have great fishing success. Crappie are being caught in and around thick brush now and will continue to provide good catches until mid November. Bass are eager to hit topwater lures morning and evening. Largemouth bass have moved to the base of trees in quickly sloping main creek channel coves. Swim baits (D-Shad) allowed to fall slowly near these trees are working well. Plastic baits are working well for smallmouth bass on rocky points at 12-20 feet. Drop shooting is still very effective and chartreuse is one of the best colors to use in a wide variety of baits. October may be the best fall fishing month this year for all species at Lake Powell.

Photo Caption: Jake Deangelis from Santa Monica CA caught this 6-pound striper in Last Chance while trolling and spooning from a Kayak.