Lake Powell Fish Report – July 6, 2011
Lake Elevation: 3652
Water Temperature 75-80 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Powell has risen over 42 feet since the yearly low point was reached in April. The monthly increase during June was 26 feet in 30 days. The shoreline of the lake has a brand new face. The Independence Day Holiday was very busy with full parking lots and busy boat travel lanes from Bullfrog to Wahweap. Muddy water prevails upstream from Bullfrog. Somewhere amid all this change are displaced fish looking for a place to be.
Bass built nests in the spring that are now over 40 feet deep. Spawning is complete and the nests are abandoned. A new green tree line is under water beckoning largemouth to frequent the shallow brush that they love so well. Smallmouth bass are deeper preferring the rocky structure where crayfish hide or the tree tops where they may ambush shad that swim by in open water.
My point is that there is twice as much water and shoreline with completely different habitat making bass fishing spotty at best. At this great lake the opportunity to find that repeatable pattern that works exists every day. The fishing strategy is to try many locations and techniques at the beginning of the day. Then utilize the most effective bait and location to maximize catch. The standard summer time approach is to use a drop-shot or Carolina rig plastic bait in watermelon or black color. Drift this rig in 20-25 feet of water looking for the deep concentrations of bass. Periodically switch to surface walking baits in morning or evening. When an inviting stand of green trees is found run a buzz bait over the top hoping the noisy sputter will attract a fish from the tree top. Casting a crank bait in the alleys around the trees may also be effective. The best strategy is to keep moving and keep casting until a hot spot is located.
Striped bass have just as many options as black bass. But stripers are focused on shad. The new shad crop is now appearing all over the lakes warm surface layer. Slurps are seen each day. Boat traffic was intense this past week so slurps were very fast. Not many fish were caught. But with each day shad get bigger, slurps happen more often and last longer. Top water catch of stripers will increase and peak during dark moon at the end of July. There will be many fish caught during the full moon period coming next week but expect afternoon/evening fishing to be better than morning.
Larger adults are still running deep and making circuits from one feeding spot to the next. All of the spots that were good in the spring will produce striper catches now. But a spot will be good one day and not the next. If using bait it will be necessary to try 3-5 places before a school is found. Once a school lights up then the normal 30 fish catch can be had.
Night fishing may be the best technique during the bright moon in July. Use a light to attract plankton and shad. Fish bait on the periphery of the lighted area to entice the large adult stripers hanging at the edge of the light field. Night fishing will also work for bass and walleye that may be more active after dark than during the bright sunlit daytime period.
Its summer! Fish in the shade. Cast on the shady side of rock structure. Fish at twilight for best results. The only exception to that is a persistent mid day surface feeding event by slurping stripers.
