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June 21, 2006 |
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The lake level is stabilizing and surface water
temperature is steady. The constancy allows fish to slip into summer time
patterns. That is really a good thing because fish will be in the same
spots and do the same things for most of the summer.
Stripers will be on the lookout for shad. The first hatch of shad was good in the southern lake and great in the northern lake. Since then shad numbers are lagging in the south but consistently good up north. Stripers will have a brief boiling period where young stripers will eat larval shad each morning and evening. The boils will get bigger and better with time from Bullfrog to Hite and in the San Juan. But, from Rainbow to Wahweap boils will simmer and then decline until more shad are found. If looking for boils, go to the upper reservoir. The lack of shad near Wahweap means that the over abundant adult stripers will continue to be caught with anchovies in incredible numbers. Stripers are holding at 30-50 feet in the main channel from the dam to Warm Creek, including Navajo Canyon. Catches of 30 plus fish per trip are common and those results should continue for the rest of the month. Night fishing at Wahweap and Antelope Point gets better each day. Try a green or white light from your boat or fish from the public fishing docks to enjoy catching fish in the cool comfort of a balmy evening. Bigger bass have gone deeper during the heat of the day. Probe the depths to 30 feet with a plastic grub or tube to find some decent smallmouth bass. If you just like to catch fish then throw the soft plastic bait near shore to find an eager army of little bass willing to bite at most times of the day. The real excitement comes from throwing top water lures around brushy pockets and rocky points at first light in the morning. Bass and stripers are searching the shallows for food during twilight. One of the most common patterns found in summer is a consistent topwater bite. It is possible to fish all day with a Super Spook Jr., Jumpin Minnow or surface popper. At the end of the day the surface bait will be responsible for catching just as many fish as the deep running plastic baits. Catfish and bluegill are active in large numbers. Use live worms on a very small hook for good panfish action. Kids around the houseboat should always have a rod rigged and ready for sunfish that swarm the boat looking for shade. Summer is here but the fish haven’t quit biting. Take fishing tackle along on your family vacation this year. |