By
Water Temp: 80-85 F 
Surprise! The boiling stripers are still on top in
the southern lake. Not every morning is great under the full moon but on this
date a trip to Warm Creek resulted in 98 stripers for three very happy anglers.
A mid-channel boil near the floating restroom lasted for most of an hour.
Singles were chased on top until a school was seen on the graph. Spoons caught
as many as topwater lures from the resting school. Then on the way back to the
marina with 2 full coolers another boil was seen near the mouth of Warm Creek. Then
with over flowing coolers we were way laid by two more mid channel boils near
the mouth of
Typical
widespread open water boil.
Boiling fish are yearling stripers from 12 to 22 inches which are very strong
and healthy as they chase shad to the surface. The feisty young fish will hit
surface lures while blasting shad on top or spoons while in the depths looking
for the next victim. Larger stripers are waiting at about 40 feet for any
wounded shad to fall to the bottom. Spooning over a resting school of stripers results in nonstop action.
When stripers are seen on the graph resting near 40 feet, drop spoons to the
bottom and work them in short pulls (12-24 inches). Try to get one fish to hit
so the school gets excited. Stripers will rise off the bottom in response to
the feeding behavior of the hooked fish. When the school has separation from
the bottom, drop the spoon below them and then reel quickly through the layer
where fish were seen. Pause the lure twice if reeling from the 40 foot bottom
or three times if 60 feet or deeper. Following stripers will often hit just as
the lure pauses or starts to move upward once more.
Try to hit a
splash ring for the best results.
These techniques will work on active stripers at any lake location. Expect
boils anywhere. September will be the prime boil month for 2007. Look for boils
during the two hour period at first light and last light each day.
Bass were seen working the shoreline with boiling stripers. They got more
active and were willing to take surface lures as the stripers left the
shoreline to head to deep water. Shad moving in front of advancing stripers
will excite any game fish. Find active stripers that will lead you to bass,
walleye and catfish that lurk on the outskirts of the striper feeding frenzy.
The weather is cooling, crowds are smaller and fish are very cooperative. Looks
like September will be prime time to fish at
If the boil is circular just throw to the far edge and reel across
for instant hook ups.
By
Water Temp: 80-88 F
'FLIP-FLOP'
My Goodness! Something happened to
Warm Creek was where I fished, but my guess is that the same conditions are at
work from Wahweap to Dangling Rope and beyond. At dawn stripers start to hit
the surface as widely spaced individuals. A spoon thrown near a single splash
is quickly eaten. Top water lures are taken only half the time. Then as the sun
climbs, stripers run shad schools toward shore or into a cove. Real boils erupt
with hundreds of yearling stripers feeding tightly together. Fish in full boils
hit anything, with walking topwater baits being the most effective. When
boiling fish go down to regroup, pick up a hammered silver spoon to follow them
to the bottom. When they come back up, use the topwater lure. Fishing becomes
non stop catching when using these complementary lures.
Jack "Hotwheels" Herrin
'surrounded'.
Scan the shoreline for the location of the boil. A neat trick is to look toward
the East into the rising sun as it peaks over the horizon. Striper splashes
will light up like flashing strobe lights as the sun backlights the splash
spray. Follow the strobes to the center the activity. My advice is to keep
moving while looking for boils instead of waiting in one spot - even if that
was where they were seen yesterday. Stripers have no loyalty to spots. They
just follow shad that are doing their best to avoid the stripers.
How long will the southern lake boils last? There are
no guarantees. Today's boil may have been the last. More likely we should see
boils at least through this weekend. Do not wait hoping for a prolonged surface
feeding event. My guess is these boils will be short lived. Be prepared to look
in lots of places to find boiling fish.
Bass and walleye will be near the boiling stripers. Expect bass to hit as the
stripers go deep. Today I found healthy 3 pound stripers on bottom under the
16-inch boiling stripers. As we reeled in each hooked fish, many shad were
regurgitated. I am sure the deeper fish were laying
low, waiting for the dead and wounded shad shower to come into the deeper
water. Again shad-colored spoons are the ticket to find bass, walleye and
larger stripers after the boil.
Catfish and sunfish are eager to provide fishing action for all near camp.