June 1, 2006
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3605
Water Temp: 68 -75
F
Striper fishing is hot from the Power Plant Intake to the mouth of Warm Creek all the way into Navajo Canyon. Main channel fishing is more challenging after boat traffic starts mid morning, but even boat wakes are not bad mid week. Get out early and cast bait on jigheads, Carolina or drop shot rigs, or just put a chunk of bait on a hook without weight and let it sink slowly. A handful of chum cast around the boat will usually draw fish within a few minutes. If none come just move to the next outcropping or point and try again.
Is it really that easy? Yes, striper fishing in the southern lake is easy - if you avoid a few common errors. Do not use oversized anchovy hooks. Do not use braided or highly visible line unless tipped with fluorocarbon leader. Do not move the bait too fast – slower is better. Do not use excess swivels, snelled hooks, one-ounce weights with beaded chains, wire leaders and other unnecessary highly visible terminal tackle. Keep it simple.
If all around you are catching fish but none seem to
bite your line, use lighter monofilament line and just a single hook.
Attach half an anchovy and toss it close to the cliff wall. Let it slowly
settle while pulling line off the reel. Make sure the line stays slack so
the bait progress is not impeded. When the lines begins to peel rapidly off
the reel, close the bail and set the hook. Fishing will be easy for y
ou
after this experience.
Gustaveson kids have 3 on at once - again!
From Bullfrog upstream the big runoff is peaking and making the water muddy. Bait fishing is getting better around Bullfrog and all points south. The Escalante and mouth of San Juan at Jacks Arch are hot for stripers. Expect good bait fishing to last through June.
Walleye and crappie peaks are over. There will still be a bonus fish caught occasionally but it is past prime time for these species. Fishing for bluegill and catfish is getting better as the other species fade out.
Smallmouth bass are easy to catch but their location may be a surprise. Bass are consistently found in 15 feet of water. The favored habitat is a long flat on the edge of deep water. Find a terraced shoreline and follow the stair steps down to 15 feet. Then slowly drag a drop shot or Carolina hooked plastic grub or tube along the bottom at that depth. Bass like the swimming motion. Hopping the lure off the bottom still works but the slow swimming technique is better. Swimming grubs work lake wide. Sand flat habitat with a few rocks is the target. Shallow rocky shoreline is favored by small bass but the bigger fish are hunting on flats.