09/24 - Lake Powell 2011

jlastofka":1mbx3u5k said:
Potter Water and others interested in fishing Lake Powell:

Check out Wayneswords.com, where the fisheries manager for the lake posts all kinds of good information. They actively want people to catch lots of stripers to help control the fish population in the lake.

There are different places and techniques to use, but one that's pretty easy is to go out in the deeper parts of the lake during the day and search with a fish finder to see groups of fish hanging out about 60 feet down. I use a depth indicating reel to drop a lure down that far for jigging, but there are other ways. It seems like even in the middle of the day when they might not be actively feeding, I can annoy them enough to bite...

Another way is to watch for a striper boil on the surface where the fish are herding the bait for a feeding frenzy. You can throw anything in there and they'll bite.

I also have good luck paddling around in my kayak trolling lures behind.

I'm no expert, but I find it fairly easy to catch fish at Lake Powell using basic lures like Kastmasters and Rapalas, among others.

I think Jody will be there this year, and he knows more about this than I. Maybe he'll chime in with some additions or corrections to my ramblings here.

One other thing, I would strongly recommend putting the new invisible Fluorocarbon line on your reel. I've found it makes a real difference. The hybrid Fluorocarbon coated line is less expensive than the pure stuff and it works great.

I've caught stripers, largemouth and smallmouth bass, panfish and catfish there. By the way, I need someone to teach me how to deal with catfish after they're caught. I haven't learned that part yet.

-Jeff

What Jeff said about reading wayneswords.com is true you can usually find where to, and what to, fish with for the time of the year. Find the fish with your fish finder and fish just above them.

Bait fishing anchovies chum the water with pieces of anchovies and lower your bait just above the fish. Jigging lower the jig down to the fish and jig it up and down. Kastmasters, Walleylures and Bassman special work good for this. Colors silver, silver/blue, silver/black, silver/yellow, silver/chartreuse.

Trolling/long lines Rapalas, Deep Down Husky Jerks, Lucky Craft Pointers, Rattle Traps troll in the 20 to 30 foot range with leaded line. Sometimes I use a spreader bar tie a 1 oz. white or a yellow striper bucktail on one side and raddle trap or a pointer on the other. It looks like one fish chasing another in the water and makes the lures run deeper. Troll at 3 to 5 mph. Colors ghost, white, silver, silver/black, silver/blue, clown seem to work.

Trolling/Downriggers for the fish at 30 to 100 feet, same lures as above. If I see fish suspended I usually troll for them. If they are right on the bottom I jig for them but that just me. I've had times where I was trolling at 100 feet and had my downrigger ball slam right into a vertical cliff. Funny thing about Lake Powell the bottom has as much up and down as above the water does.

If the fish don't appear to be hungry then work on pissing them off.

Hope that gives you a few ideas.
 
Anyone know if the Halls crossing fuel docks are ethanol free. Called & got the runaround from Aramark the company that runs the concessions on Lake Powell except for one out of many I was passed on to who thought the dock fuel was ethanol free at all the fuel docks. I will arrive with enough ethanol free fuel to last if not.

Jay
 
As far as fishing for stripers in reservoirs / lakes, I use the following:

1. Trolling with plugs and spoons, w and w/o downriggers, depending on fish depth. Good way to look for striper schools. Covers a lot of ground. Watch for hits and the fish finder.

2. Chasing "boils" and casting spoons and lures. (Exciting, but gotta be really fast, a few too many seconds late and they're gone!) (The stripers and chase bait balls, usually threadfin shad.)

3. Trolling with downriggers, using small rotary salmon killers (or equivalent harness), and frozen anchovies. Great system that works, even when the bite is slow. The secret is locating schools of stripers and staying with them!

In the California Delta, they use the spreader type of rig Jody mentions.

There are two speeds for trolling:

Fast- about 3.5-4 mph, and

Slow- around 2 mph or so.

Most all of my lake and reservoir striper fishing has been done at the slow troll. It seems to work better. The faster speeds work best in rivers, estuaries, bays, and the ocean.

There are a lot of books available on striper fishing in lakes, etc.

Stripers can also be taken on wet flies (streamers) and live anchovies, depending on conditions.

Stripers like minnow-like lures. The 5-1/2" Broken Back Rebel is great in natural bait colors in lakes and reservoirs. Blue-silver, and black-silver are my favorites. Get the shallow and the deep-diving ones, both! The deep ones will go down about 18-20 feet without the downrigger and are easier to use than a downrigger, of course.

Good Luck fishing and all the rest!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Sorry for the late sign-up. Finally got the calendar cleared so we can attend. We were at last year's gathering, but only for the event in Oak Canyon before we took off on our own. We've been to Lake Powell several times over the years and wanted to visit some of our favorite places on our time-limited schedule. This year we'll be traveling to Wahweap Marina from Phoenix on Thursday, Sept 22. Looking forward to the trip.

Tony
C-View, 1990 C-Dory Cruiser
 
Plan to join the group on the 24th. Getting Coyote ready and taking care of other business so I can get away. I thought being retired meant I would have all the time in the world. Hope to be at Bullfrog late on the 23rd and launch then or on morning of 24th. This will be my 1st C-Brats outing. Looking forward to it. And thanks much for the fishing info.

Scott
 
Scott welcome to the group.


Joe-One of my friends who use to fish the delta taught me that, it was the first way I learn to fish for striper. It seems to work just fine at Powell. It helps to have very sharp hooks. This picture one fish took the bait the second fish is fowl hooked. Two fish is better than one. I heard that the population of striper at Lake Powell was around 6 to 7 million so no limit on your catch.

IMG_2740.sized.jpg
 
Bill and Sue will launch C-Swell from Halls Crossing Thursday around noon. We will be making a slow cruise down to Oak Canyon arriving there Saturday. Looks like we are going to have great weather.

Bill
 
Kerri On is in Glendale Utah tonight, will make Page tomorrow to launch Thursday, nice trip down from Reno. Great weather around, See you all soon George
 
Hello CBrats!
I arrived last Monday around noon. I launched from the State Line ramp. The launch went just as I had visualized it all these past months. I have been visualizing the retrieval too. That will be tricky by myself. I have faith though, as long as the weather holds...
Since then I have been to Forgotten Canyon (couldn't get the CDory all the way to the ruins...too many weeds, too narrow...I saw the Ranger boat go ahead of me, but it was a small speed boat...and...and...ok I chickened out and backed out about a 100 yards.) It was a good experience. I'm sure some of you braver souls will be able to go all the way to Defiance House.
I gassed up at Halls but I really didn't pay attention to what the fuel had in it. I needed 87 unleaded and they had it. $4.66 per gallon.
I hit Oak Canyon on my way back today. The beaches I remember were not evident right away. I had to go around the bend, and then there were too many houseboats so I moved on. I am currently at my favorite spot at Domenguez Butte. I like it because the afternoon sun is blocked by the Butte so I don't fry.
The weather has been gorgeous, little to no wind, high 80s low 60s at night. I think it is supposed to stay that way until Sunday.
I ran into George and Janice from Oregon at Hall's Crossing. I must say it is quite arresting to see another CDory!
My plan now is to stay put at Dominguez Butte for a couple of days. I think I have spent almost as much in gas as the CDory costs! If I get restless, I'll make the trek to Oak Canyon to say Hi but I have to leave Sunday morning.
By the way...I have had no problem anchoring out. I guess I am doing it right. Also, there is an enormous houseboat parked nearby. It has a HELICOPTER sitting on top of it! Holy s... now I've seen everything!
Hope to see some of you before my trip ends on Sunday. I know I got here early and I have to leave early too, but right now I have to grab my opportunities whenever I can.
One more thing I find remarkable. I have an internet signal. Amazing!
Amanda
 
Hi folks,

I'm still here. Plan to leave tomorrow PM if all goes well. So I doubt that I will get to Oak Canyon on the 24th. Will try to find you all on the 25th.

Scott
 
In the past after Oak the group has ended up in the Escalante arm on the next day if that helps. VHF channels 16 and 68 hail the Cpod.
 
Kerri on, Three Rivers,Two Bears and Nauti Gal launched at stateline this morning and will overnite nearby. We'll come by wahweap early Friday to run to Oak Canyon. It is absolutely gorgeous here.
 
Our usual site is pretty rocky at this water level.

Not many suitable sites in the main bay.

Jody and I found a large sand bar just 500 yards up the actual canyon.

Plenty of room and good protection from the afternoon sun and the go fast boats.

As soon as the houseboat that was there left this morning we claimed it.

4 Brat boats here as of Friday AM.

I will post a notice of our location at the floating dump station.
 
Lake Powell C-Brats !

I had hoped to be on the lake at this point to meet up with some of you. Missed you last year and the year before that, too. There is a chance that I could get up there at the end of the week but it depends on other stuff.

We are both finally out of the office and into full time retirement now and it's great! I don't know where we ever found the time to go to work! Have been busy getting the place in town ready to sell and starting a new place out of town. So it's not the office standing it the way for lake time now; it's because we're having so much fun with other stuff, too.

Looks like you will have perfect weather for Powell... hope you all have a wonderful time on the lake! If we don't get up there to see you this year, we should be more settled next year.

Dalton
 
Just so you lucky dogs don't think you're getting all the sun and warm weather... It was 97º when Diana and I pulled into Billings, Montana a bit ago.

Wish we were there however!!! Have a great gathering and be safe.

Steve
 
Bill and Sue arrived at Halls Crossing Thursday 9/22. We beached at the Rincon Thursday night and started meeting up with everyone Friday and Saturday at Oak Canyon. Most of the group went to Explorer Canyon up the Escalante River Arm on Sunday night. Monday night the group ended up at Forgotten Canyon.
Here is a link to photos we took.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

The weather could have not been better clear blue skies, high of 88 lows in the 60's, water temperatures around 75, hardly any wind to speak of. We had to leave Tuesday 9/27. We had a great time seeing everyone again and cannot wait for next years gathering.

Bill
 
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