I'm going on a trip to northern Arizona next month, and I'm thinking of stopping at Lake Powell on the way back. The problem is that I won't be taking my boat with me, and every Lake Powell report I have ever seen or heard involved fishing from a boat. I know the fishing can be great when you're out on the water, but is it possible to enjoy success fishing from the shore anywhere on Lake Powell? At this point I"m still planning the trip, so any part of the lake is fair game.
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Docks, Docks, GOOSE!....... Wait, Docks..... Anyway, I can only speak for Bullfrog but I have done pretty well off the docks for striper and the occasional walleye and bass.
Anytime I have been down to Powell I take the boat however I never get there till late so I always spend a few hours on the dock the night before we head out and have yet to be disappointed.
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There are some shoreline areas around the Antelope Point Marina where we have done well fishing for smallmouth bass and walleye. And as already mentioned, night fishing off any of the boat docks is usually great.
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That's good news! What kind of rig do you use for fishing off the docks at night?
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Just about anything works, I have used a jig head tipped with anchovies (the lake Powell standard) I will toss hard baits between slips etc. I usually try and keep them as close to the docks and boats as I can without bouncing it off the hull. Something about $100,000+ boats makes guys a little touchy.
The only thing you really need to pay attention to is the cables that secure the docks, they criss cross all over under the dock, makes fighting a decent size fish entertaining and frustrating all at once.
Last time I was there I spent about an hour walking between the houseboats dropping a jig and managed a few smallies.
Let me know how things go!
Good luck!
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So, vertical jigging, huh? Right off the dock? Or do you do more of a cast and horizontal retrieve? Either way sounds fun! Especially at night.
Just a plain jig (any special color) with the hook part covered with an anchovy? Is there somewhere nearby where you can buy anchovies or am I gonna have to carry them with me for a few days while I'm traveling in Arizona?
Thanks for all the information. I'm getting excited about this trip. Even a business trip can be fun when you stop to fish along the way.
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Verticle jigging mostly,however I will toss one out and let it sit if its slow (RARE occasion) just your everyday lead colored 3/8 oz - 1/2 jig head with 1/3 of an anchovie on it, its ugly, you just hook it on. As far as buying anchovies they are available at the dock store and I am sure you can get them in town (page) or Hanksville..... I also know that the store in Ticaboo usually has them as well.
You dont want to take them with you..... once they thaw out they are pretty worthless when it comes to staying on the hook. I use my soft one by cutting them up in 4 or 5 pieces and chumming with them.
The plain jig has only worked for stripers, cant say I have ever caught a smallie on that set up, however I have used various plastics and done pretty well.... The standard powell colors are pumpkin and other reddish, brown, earthy tones.
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That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll let you know how I fared when I return from the trip. That will be in early October.
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There's a fishing dock at Whaweap. That's where they release tournament-caught bass. So occasionally you hear of kids catching big bass there.
If you want a chance at stripers you'll need to head across the damn to a parking lot on the other side of the lake just down a ways from the dam to the point. I can't remember the name of it, but there's access and often stripers there.
I'd hit the docks early morning before the boat traffic hits.
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Thanks! I've been to Wahweap, and I know the spot on the other shore that you are describing. If I go that far south, I may give it a try. Any pointers on what kind of rig to use?
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I'd take something you can cast a mile, like a big top water bait, some white jigs, a sub-surface crankbait, and even some bait rigs and anchovies. And sunscreen. Good luck.
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Well, I finally made it to Lake Powell (Bullfrog), and I put all the advice I received to the test. The short report is--SUCCESS! Thanks for all the good advice.
Here's the longer report with some details. When we got there in the evening, the wind was blowing hard, the sun was going down, and it was cold! The champ was ready to give up, but I'm a little stubborn. We put on our coats and hats (with ear flaps) and went out on the docks at the houseboat marina. Those big, million-dollar luxury craft made a pretty good windbreak. We had bought some anchovies at Ticaboo, and we put them on our jigs and cast out in the water. About an hour went by, and we got only two strikes and no fish. Then we walked around the dock, looked at the other fishermen there (some were catching; most were not), and found another spot way out near the far end. A really nice guy was fishing there with his kids, and he had chummed a lot and caught a lot. They were just leaving, so they gave us their spot, and we began letting our jigs tipped with anchovy pieces down and catching stripers. By midnight we had landed 17, and we were out of bait and our cooler was full. The Champ was happy and already talking about "next time." Well, next time, we'll take three bags of anchovies--one for bait and two for cutting up and chumming. Chumming seemed to be the secret, and it is perfectly legal (proclamation, p. 18) for attracting stripers at Lake Powell.
That's my report. I'll attach a photo. I hope it doesn't upset any of our C&R friends. I figure there's a reason why there's no limit on striped bass at Lake Powell. It starts with "over" and ends with "population," so thinning the herds is probably good for them.
Thanks again! If it wasn't for the help I received from this board, I never would have had this fun fishing experience at Lake Powell.
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Glad to hear you had a good time!
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Thanks for posting your report, sounds like you did good for your first time at Powell. How much did you have to pay to get into the Bullfrog Fee area? WH2
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Keep them all. we need to save the shad down there. To many stripers, not enough shad!
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Believe it or not, we got into Bullfrog free. The usual fee is $20, I think, but the ranger at the entrance station told us that it was get-into-national-park-free day (I can't remember the real name) and we didn't have to pay a cent. Talk about good luck!
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I was hoping they dropped the fee this time of the year[
] but it's good that you got in free. Did you leave after catching those fish or did you stay till morning, maybe camping or staying at the lodge?
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Nice catch from the docks! Those stripers are a lot of fun and worth the trip down. No doubt, Lake Powell is a good time![/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Did you find that the smaller the striper, the better the fillets? When we were down there three weeks ago, the smaller stripers had nice meaty, firm fillets while the bigger fish (anything over 15") were just pencils with no meat![/size][/black][/font]
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Hey I know this thread is like 10 years old but where on the dock did you guys fish? Did you just go out to the very end?
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I'll jump in and say a couple of things. First, it's a good idea to fish under a dock light at night. Besides making it easier to see, the shad seem to be attracted to the light, and of course the stripers are attracted to the shad. A lot of guys also use a floating green light to attract the shad and stripers. And it really is a night game, I've never heard of anyone doing it in the daylight. As far as water depth, again the stripers will be where the shad are, and that will vary. Ideally, a sonar unit would really help, but otherwise see where other fishermen are or have been recently. If you're going through Hanksville on the way to Bullfrog, consider picking up your anchovies there, they're a lot cheaper than Ticaboo or the marina store. BTW, it's now legal to use chopped up striper to chum with.
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