lake powell

[budmann]

[sly]dose someone know how lake powell is doing frome the bank?
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[daymere]

hope this helps

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[center]LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

APRIL [size 4]28, 2004[/size][/url]
[left]

Lake Elevation: 3583

Water Temperature: [red]60-65 F[/red]

BASS ARE SPAWNING!!

Calm weather and rapid warming allowed waiting bass to move into shallow water and spawn over the length of Lake Powell. Bass that were in deeper water last week moved on top of rocky humps, along shallow ledges, and to the breaking edge of rocky flats. Eggs were deposited April 24-26. Males are extremely aggressive when eggs are new.

Example: We saw a bass guarding a nest yesterday and positioned the boat to make the perfect cast to the center of the nest. But the bass couldn't wait when a plastic tube cast from the front of the boat hit the water 20 feet up the shoreline. He raced off the nest, hit the lure, killed it, spit it out and returned to the nest. Then we made the prefect cast and caught the fish. He was immediately released and returned to the nest to guard once more. Catching is almost too easy when bass are this driven.

Nest protective aggression will decline with each day. Eggs will hatch by April 30 or May 1st. Bass fishing will remain super but the really incredible peak is now. Expect another spawn near May 15th. Bass fishing will be great until the runoff allows the lake to rise rapidly. Then fishing will be good but the pattern will be different. For now, look for bass on very shallow rock reefs particularly on the breaking edge. A rocky hump on a sand flat will have one or more active bass nests.

Any bait will work but perhaps the best are soft plastic grubs and tubes. Baits that threaten a nest invasion are immediately attacked. For a nesting bass the slow sinking weightless Senko jerk bait may be the most tantalizing.

Caution: Some anglers were catching bass with regularity just before the spawn. When the bass moved shallow, those anglers using the same deepwater techniques may have missed some of the best action of the year. Bass are in plain view. Many fish can be seen before being captured in these conditions. Females are near the nest site just off the deepwater side. Put the males back to protect the nest. Harvest females if taking a few fish to eat.

Striped bass are moving in and out of the shad feeding zones in the murky green water at the backs of most canyons. They move in and feed for an hour and then leave for unknown locations. Stripers can come in any time of day. A good strategy is to troll and cast in the 15-40 foot deep sections for a short time. When an active school is found stripers can be caught quickly on crank baits and spoons. If they are not in with shad schools then fish bass for a while and return to try stripers again.

Walleye are being caught with regularity from Bullfrog to Trachyte Canyon. Use bottom bouncing baits tipped with night crawler for best results.

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[center]LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

APRIL [size 4]22, 2004[/size][/url]
[left]

Lake Elevation: 3583

Water Temperature: [red]57-62 F[/red]

It's been a week of windy days. The warm blanket of 65 degree water has blown away and mixed with the lower layers. That is not all bad since the lake seldom dips below 58 now and that's enough to keep bass biting.







High winds have cleaned the shore of last year's tumbleweeds and dropped them in the water. With time, wind and water currents tend to store the floating tumbleweeds in the same locations. Look for steep nooks with old weeds high on the shore leading down to the fresh supply just recently arrived. It is best to have 5-10 feet of water under the weed mat for best results.







Bass have moved off the shallow spawning flats toward deeper water with cover. All of my bass bites today were under floating rafts of tumbleweeds on soft plastic tubes and grubs. There is a brief flurry of bass activity at first light but the bass bite perks up in the afternoon as water warms above 62. Bass will spawn again when the water temperature becomes stable between 62-65.

Striper catching has dropped off with cooling water. Shad are still found in very shallow murky-green water in the backs of canyons. Stripers have moved deeper and are making fewer trips to the backs of canyons. When stripers attack shad schools they are very catchable on crank baits, spinner baits, and spoons. When stripers are resting in deep water it is hard to get the school started. Trolling is still the most productive technique for stripers.

Best daily fishing strategy for existing conditions is to quickly troll the back end of a canyon looking for stripers and shad. If no stripers are present then look at the short coves (15 feet deep) and cuts with brush or tumbleweeds where bass will be holding. A cast to cover in the brushy cut may produce bass, stripers, or an occasional walleye, crappie or green sunfish.

Then move to the next canyon. Troll for stripers and then cast for bass. Repeat as often as needed.

Warming weather will enhance fishing results. Most fishermen are catching a good number of bass each day. Some of the lucky ones are finding stripers too.

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[center]LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

APRIL [size 4]15, 2004[/size][/url]
[left]


Lake Elevation: 3583

Water Temperature: [red]59-64 F[/red]

Early morning water temperature is nearing the magic 60 degree mark. That means the peak of spring fishing is near. Bass are moving on nests again. Stripers are feeding on shad in the backs of canyons. Walleye will become quite catchable. Crappie will be spawning in brush piles in isolated spots throughout the lake. In short the next two weeks may be as good as it gets this spring. Runoff and rising lake levels will determine how long the peak lasts and how strong it will be.

Stripers show no sign of leaving shad schools found in the backs of canyons where water temperature is warmer than the main lake. The murky green water has an abundance of plankton which holds shad and entices stripers. Stripers can eat their fill of shad from numerous schools any time of day or night making success spotty. But if the school starts to feed while you are close by the action is fantastic.

On Monday in Padre Bay we caught stripers as fast as we could drop jigging spoons to their waiting mouths. On Wednesday, same time, same spot, the bite was short lived. If a canyon has lots of shad then check back often to find an active striper school. Troll deep divers (shad rap size 5), rattletraps (Yozuri and Lucky Craft), and/or bounce jigging spoons (wallylure, spinnow) off the bottom. I suggest just fishing the murky green water to limit the search area.

Bass are not very agreeable in the morning but heat up dramatically as the water warms in the afternoon. Plastic tubes and grubs in green pumpkin color worked great for me in short, 15 foot deep, cuts off the main channel. Bass were holding under ledges and floating tumbleweeds. The best cuts were those with wind blowing directly into the inlet. The windy side was better than the calm water. Bass went wild for 2 hours (1-3 PM) before the wind blew too hard for enjoyable fish. The two largest smallmouth bass weighed a combined total of 5 pounds. That was fun.

Launching access will improve soon with the lake lapping at the end of newly constructed concrete ramps at Bullfrog and Wahweap.

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[center]LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

APRIL [size 4]8, 2004[/size][/url]
[left]

Lake Elevation: 3582

Water Temperature: [red]57-64 F[/red]

Bass are still lingering on shallow flats and rocky ridges lakewide. No new spawning has happened but males continue to guard nests with eggs and fry deposited when the water was warmer. Bass move on and off nests with each passing thundershower. Water temperature remains at 57 in the morning. Fishing is still good for bass and will remain so while water temperature is constant. So far bass fishing has not been disrupted by full moon or rainy weather. Best bass presentations include reaction type crank baits, spinner baits and soft plastic tubes. During the spawn bass are more likely to be on or near sandy habitat. Look for a rocky edge on a sand flat for bast results.

Stripers are in the back of most canyons where water is a murky green color. Look for schools (doesn't matter if they are shad or stripers) on the graph. When fish are located try spoons on the bottom directly under graphed schooling fish. When one striper bites the rest of the school turns on and all fish are extremely catchable as long as that one fish is hooked. A good strategy is to play the fish as long as possible or until another is hooked. Then land the first fish and quickly get a spoon in the water once more. The school will move away or shut down as quickly as they started. When that happens it may be necessary to troll through the area with a shallow runner like a rattletrap or a deep diving crank or both. When a striper is trolled up be ready with spoons once more as the fish nears the boat. The following school of stripers can be caught under the boat while the first fish is landed.

Morning and evening fishing is best but stripers can be captured any time during the day. Low light conditions created by cloudy weather has been the most productive time to catch larger stripers (5 pounds and better). Stripers have been caught this week in Navajo, Warm Creek, Gunsight, Padre, Kane Wash, Mountain Sheep, and Rock Creek.

Do NOT expect stripers to run to the dam this spring. There is too much food in the back of the canyons. Spawning and feeding needs are met in the backs of canyons where shad live so there is no need for stripers to migrate to the dam. This generation of stripers was spawned in the back of the canyon and will return there to spawn. Migration to the dam will happen only when there is no food in the back of the canyon.

There have been very few walleye and crappie captured to date. Some largemouth are being caught but the main action is provided by striped bass and smallmouth.

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[center]LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT

APRIL [size 4]1, 2004[/size][/url]
[left]


Lake Elevation: 3582

Water Temperature: [red]57-65 F[/red]



Keep the water warm enough and bass will spawn! That is exactly what happened with the hot March weather. This is the earliest bass spawn I can remember on Lake Powell. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are in the first spawn.

That means that bass nests are very visible. Look for a white colored circular spot on the dark lake bottom. Most often the nest will be located on the deep-water edge of flat or on the spine of a ridge extending into the water. The nest will always be on rocky structure. But don't be surprised to see a nest on sand. Closer examination will reveal rocks in the middle of the nest. Spawning is going strong lakewide. Find 60-65 degree water in the backs of canyons and cuts. Right now the nests are mostly on south facing exposures while the cooler north side is barren.

The neat part about finding a nest is that an adult male bass will be right in the middle of it in very shallow water. He will be willing to hit just about any lure IF HE DOES NOT SEE YOU FIRST. So throw long casts to likely looking nest sites. Or, if you mess up and spook him, mark the spot and return later to catch him. Some excellent lure choices for nesting bass are soft and hard plastic jerk baits, small soft plastic grubs, and spinner baits. It's fun to plunk a lure on the nest and watch him pick it up and move it off. It's a good idea to return male bass caught on nests so they can protect the young. Keep the females that lurk in slightly deeper water nearby.

Stripers are hitting both trolled and cast rattletraps in the green water section of most canyons. The strongest bite is from first light to 10 AM. After that stripers are hard to find until just before dark. We found 2.5 pound stripers holding on the shade line in green water of Rock Creek in the morning. They were active until the shade was gone and full sun hit the spot.

Fishing under lights at night is effective now with water temperatures hitting the mid 60's in the afternoon. Find shad schools by graphing the backs of canyons in the daytime then anchor in 40 feet of water near shad for night fishing. If shad come to the lights then stripers will follow. Drop anchovy bait under the shad school near bottom to find stripers. There are shad in almost every canyon.

Good fishing will continue as long as water temperatures remain near 60 or above. The early spring fishing is showing no signs of slowing down. April will be a very good month for fishing at Lake Powell. [/left]
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[tubeN2]

Hey there budmann, Hi and welcome to the BFT message boards. Thanks for the question and I see you got an answer. Which side of Lake Powell are you on. I can redirect your question over there to that board for some local answers.
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[budmann]

i will be fishing bullfrog and thanks for the help.[]
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[JapanRon]

Hi there daymere,

Boy.. that was a great report! Not a word wasted. I believe you had said previously that you were interested in writing and this post shows it. Worth archiving for next year's approximate spawning periods.

JapanRon
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[daymere]

i look at it this way if a little help goes a long way then alot of help puts you on top.also with fast answers they keep comeing back for more and love to help my fellow anglers out as it might be me asking them next.
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[hedgesd]

Start from Waynewords.com You should know better to give credit where credit is due, especially for fishing.
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[JapanRon]

Hi there hedgesd,

I tried to access the site you suggested (Waynewords.com)but google couldn't find it. Just how do you access that wonderful site? Are you the webmaster or major contributor on it?

JapanRon
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[Powermaker]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] JapanRon, sorry to butt in but here's a link to the site. [/font][/size]

[size 3] [font "Comic Sans MS"] [center] [url "http://www.wayneswords.com/"][#333366]http://www.wayneswords.com/[/#333366][/url] [/center] [/font] [/size]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] David [/font] [/size]
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[tubeN2]

That site is very well done and informative. They have a good section on tips and also go as far as to show you local gas prices. Where the heck is Dangling Rope UT?? I wouldn't want to run out of gas there at just over $3.00 a gallon. [pirate][pirate][pirate][pirate] ouch!!!
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