February 15, 2006
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3592
Water Temp: 47-50
F
Lake Powell is fishing like two separate lakes. The northern lake is typical for February with challenging fishing for most species. Forage was abundant last fall. Fish are fat and have gone dormant for the winter. There is very sparse catching during daylight with stripers providing more action at night under fish-attracting lights.
The
southern lake accessed from Wahweap or Antelope Point is the place to be.
Forage was scarce last fall. Stripers
are hungry making them vulnerable to anglers.
Two patterns are working well.
First,
stripers are cruising main channel canyon walls from the dam to Navajo
Canyon. Best catches have
come from the barricade line in front of Glen Canyon Dam.
Tie the boat to the west side of the barricade line and cast
anchovy pieces on a small jig head toward the wall.
Chum often. Stripers
usually hit as the bait is sinking. If
no fish are caught within an hour try a different location. The power plant intake, Antelope Canyon, and Navajo Canyon
have produce many stripers when fish are located in the channel as they
are now.
Second,
some striper schools and individual fish are still in the backs of the
canyons from Warm Creek to Rock Creek.
Schools hold at 25 feet and make periodic sojourns into the very
shallowest water. Canyons
with sandy beaches where aquatic weeds and sunken tumbleweeds are emerging
are the best spots. Small
sunfish hiding in the weeds are vulnerable to predators as the weeds dry
up. Use suspending crank baits fished with a stop and go retrieve for best
results. In very shallow
water a rattletrap fished along the bottom is effective.
Walleye,
smallmouth and largemouth bass are taking advantage of the displaced
bluegill as weeds dry up. Fish
the same suspending crankbaits and rattletraps near emerging brush piles
and aquatic weeds to catch a variety of predators guarding the cover for a
chance to eat a small fish.
If planning a lake trip this week, go south for better fishing.