Basic fishing gear for Lake Powell?

S

Sunbeam

Active member
Hi folks,

After tasting some delicious striper (gifted from Secret O' Life) last year on Powell -- and then nearly starving later in the trip when we ran out of food, meanwhile knowing there were those delicious fish in the lake -- I would like to be able to catch (meaning: eat) some of my own fish this year.

I'm sure there is a large variety of potential gear, so my goals:

1) Utility fishing only - just so I can catch some dinner.
2) Most minimal/lightweight/non-bulky gear possible

When I was off cruising/sailing, I started out with a rod and reel. That's what I fished with as a kid, so it seemed logical. In that case it turned out that a simple "yo-yo" and line was better (for fishing, maintaining, and stowing) so I ended up selling the rod/reel along the way. No idea if striper fishing is similar or not. Maybe you always need a rod/reel. I'm sure there are many folks here who know!

As a kid I did really enjoy casting, so that would be one advantage to a rod.

Now I have the Popeil Pocket Fisherman ads running through my head :D
"As Seen on TV!" :D

Thanks for any input,
Sunbeam

PS: Any special fishing license advice for Powell? I can always Google, but figured some here might already know the ropes. I especially wonder since it spans two states (I'd be a non-resident in either one).
 
I should have thought of Wayne's Words. That forum was a godsend last year when we were on the lake when it was "closed" - we were able to get the real scoop from that forum.

That said, I guess I'm being a bit lazy in that since I want specifically basic, C-Dory 22-stowable gear, that I was hoping someone here would have a specific suggestion or two (vs. the overwhelm on a real fishing forum). Plus I already know the gang here :thup

I should have added point #3, which is that it doesn't necessarily have to be cheap. Not because I'm dying to spend big bucks, but just that I don't mind paying more for highly functional, comfortable gear (which the cheapest rarely is). It's just that my purpose is basic food catching, not fishing as an activity in and of itself (yet, LOL).

Thanks,
Sunbeam
 
For Powell, we use medium weight spinning gear. Two rods about 6' long, break down to 3' length. Spinning reels, with 8 to 12# line. We use a swivel and snap as terminal tackle--"Bait" double tail grubs, tubes jigs and drop shot rigged shad shaped worms. "Gulp" baits which look like small Shad work well. We like the crawdad type of baits--all use lead heads--usually just lead, yellow or white--sometimes black. There are some tubes, with multiple skirts, which have sparkles, and greens/browns which work well.

One could use a 'Zebco reel. We have a Shamino and an antique Mitchell, both have two spools, so we use different size lines. Fluro carbon leaders may work better than just to the line, but we find that just tying the snap/swivel to the terminal line works OK.

Cast off the bank--into some brush, in at least 3 to 10 feet of water. Sometimes we scope out an area with the depth finder of the boat--but catch 90% of fish from the boat.

We have also trolled with some shad type of baits--down about 10 to 12 feet, usually in early AM shadows.

I am sure that others have their favorites. We always seem to eat well--at least catch more fish than I want to clean! (We have simplified cleaning--just gut, and wrap the entire fish in foil. cook on the grill, and eat out of the skin.
 
Ah ha ha, I guess I am going to have to learn a bit of modern fishing lingo :lol: Much of that sounded like a foreign language to me :smilep Of course, I haven't fished much since I was a kid on an up-north lake, and the choices then were nightcrawlers (divided into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces as the day turned to evening, if they were biting) or for casting, a daredevil, a Lazy Ike or or maybe a Mister Twister. I did have a Zebco 202 though!

I'm mostly making light above - I do really appreciate your input. I will look for some of the things you mentioned. That striper was GOOD.
 
You can pick up gear at the WalMart in Page. There will be chinese reels and rods, but most are made there today anyway. The "Bait" is also available at the marina. Be sure and get a Utah license.
 
Check this link. It apparently depends on age and residency. For us a one year license would be $85 while a 7 day license would be $40. You can get the license online, pay with a credit card and print out your license. As I recall you have to pick the start date for your 7 day license when you get it. Debating this one.
 
Thanks for the link, although... somewhat confusing website! I see $75 for a year's fishing license for non-resident, over 18 years of age; and $85 for the same thing but it's a "combination" license (also in the fishing category). But when you click on the link for either of those it doesn't give you more info (as you would think) but just scrolls you to the bottom of the page. There is also a "Lake Powell Reciprocal Permit," but when you click on that.... it scrolls you to the bottom of the page!

Okay, there is a little bit more information here:
http://wildlife.utah.gov/license-permit.html

There it still looks to me like the basic fishing license for a non-resident, 18+, is $75 for a year. They don't mention the $85 "combination" one at all that I see. Maybe the combination adds "setline"?

At any rate, looks like it's $75 annual, and $40 for 7-day.
The "reciprocal Powell" is $8 "Arizona." Maybe that means if you have an Arizona license you can pay $8 to Utah and then fish on Lake Powell. Hmm, wonder how much the AZ license is for non-residents...

Okay, looked at Arizona. Non-resident annual is $55. So that would be $63 if one purchased that and a Utah Powell reciprocal. I might do that, as I'm more likely to fish (additionally) in Arizona than Utah (after the get-together). Arizona has "combination" hunting and fishing licenses available, so maybe that is a typical definition Utah expects folks to know.

http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/licenses.shtml
 
We have gotten the one year for each of us. If you are only going to be there a week to 10 days, then the 7 day would make sense. I think on line is the only way up there at Powell.
 
A combination license combine a fishing license with the basic hunting license. I read through the Utah fishing regulations (you should two) and found you can fish two lines if you wish so maybe you want to rod and reels. Since there are generally plenty of crayfish in the lakes in the SW, crayfish imitation lures are often quite good (for striped and small mouth bass). Rebel lures makes a small plastic hard body crayfish imitation lure that you could troll (probably at low idle speed) that I bet will catch fish there. Other crawdad imitation lures will likely work well also but I only have experience with the rebel brand.
 
Sunbeam--look at Wayne's world and fishing licenses:
Fishing Regulation and License Info -2014
Recent Change - Please Note!!!
To fish across the state line at Lake Powell,
any person with a valid Utah fishing license —
either resident or nonresident — may fish any
portion of Lake Powell, including the Arizona
portion, without any additional permits or
licenses.
A person with an Arizona license will still need to purchase and possess a valid Utah reciprocal permit to fish in the Utah waters of Lake Powell. Arizona residents may obtain a Utah reciprocal fishing permit at wildlife.utah.gov and from Division offices and license agents that sell Utah fishing licenses.
The Arizona second-pole permit was discontinued. A Utah second-pole permit must be purchased if you’d like to fish in Utah with two poles at the same time.
Click to expand...

I think I would be safe and purchase a Utah license--since very little of the lake we cruise in is in Arizona.

I spent a few minutes in Big Five and WalMart looking at fishing poles--there is one rig with a Shimano FX 4000, and about a 6 foot rod for $29 to $39--One cannot tell all of the characteristics of a rod and reel in a store, but the action was smooth, and it would be a good buy for a person who was not fishing heavily. The reviews were generally good--one-one star review suggested that for the reel price (about $20) you would do better with a Okuma Saphina Pro or Avenger, or a Daiwa Crossfire or Sweepfire. I would not argue with that, and My Shimano reels are in the higher price category.

A leadhead, is a hook--in this case about a 1/0, with a long shank hook, and about a 3/8" piece of lead cast over the hook near the eye. This hook is threaded thru one of the tailed or skirted lures. The lead may be left raw, or painted. There were one of these in the Sequim stores, but they are geared up for local species--and they should be in the Page store. There are SS ball bearing swivels in #2 or #3 size which are quite good, but I would pick up a pack of brass ones also (in case you are in an area prone to loosing bait rigs in underwater structure).

Roger is correct that a crawdad type of lure is one which I have found effective--but some seem more designed for the fisherman, than fishing….(common in many "look like a bait" lure.)

You will need a stringer to put thru the fish's gills and mouth to keep it alive in the water as you catch more fish. Pick up one of the charts on tying knots, or look up knots like the Palomar Knot, which will cover most all of what you need at Powell.

There are large (700 feet or so) spools of 10# line, and you run those onto the reel--you want to support the spool so it turns, as you wind it onto the reel. You don't really need a leader, although we do use one in some circumstances, since it is less visible to the fish. A pair of Nail clippers for cutting monofiliment, plus a pair of cross cut diagonal cutters (in case you get a hook in some part of your anatomy) and a long nose pair of pliers or hook degouger should round out your kit. Nothing complicated about it. No messy bait to deal with. We have had better luck getting eating fish from the bank than trolling, but if you want to troll, Roger is correct, in that it will be slow, and near a deep drop off, over structure.
 
It might be money better spent IMHO to visit a local bait/tackle shop buy a cheaper Shimano reel and a rod rated for 8 to 12 pound test. and get your reel spooled up there with the right line and some recommended lures that they know work. Wally World and K-Mart don't usually have people that can really help you. For me supporting local tackle shops is a better idea than supporting some mega store. If you knew what you wanted you could order or shop at a local Cabela's if there was one around. I would look at an 7' two piece UGLY stick by Shakespeare rated for 8 to 12 pound test and a Shimano 4000 series reel stay on the cheap side. Lead headed jigs in about 1/8 to 1/4 oz. with some plastic curly tailed grubs, maybe a minnow trap with some bread crumbs inside and then you will need some #2 bait holder hooks and maybe a bobber. Hook the minnows thru the lips and let the hook be about 5' below the bobber see if they (the minnows) can meet some new friends. Set the drag. To about a 1/4 of what the line is rated for. Somebody will help you just get the basic outfit. Bob's wife is a great fisher person. Follow her around. :)
D.D.
 
On C Dawgs suggestion, as a teenager who had easy access to the ingredients for this type fishing technique I can attest to both its effectiveness & hazards of use.

Jay
 
Hunkydory":24h3h073 said:
On C Dawgs suggestion, as a teenager who had easy access to the ingredients for this type fishing technique I can attest to both its effectiveness & hazards of use.

Jay
Click to expand...

Yup, DuPont spinners are very effective. :lol:
 
Thanks for the recommendations everyone - much appreciated. I now think that if I get to Page with some time to spare that just going to a local tackle shop might be a good idea - don't know why I didn't think of that. It's still very good to have your specific info, just so I have some idea and in case I end up outffititng myself at Wal-Mart.

From what I can see now the choices for an annual license are a $75 Utah license with no reciprocal needed for Powell, or a $55 Arizona license with an $8 reciprocal needed for Powell.

Unless I read something about the latter combo not working, I think I'll get an AZ license with a Powell reciprocal. Not because it is $12 cheaper (although I don't mind that) -- but more because I will be in Arizona for some time after Powell (and may fish) whereas I'm unlikely to be in Utah to fish (other than at Powell).

I like the idea to just follow Marie/Thataway around - I've seen the photos of her with full stringers of striper at Powell :mrgreen:
 
My question about the Az license is the new regulation change with reciprocity with UT--and if a non resident license qualifies for the reciporcity in some states it does not. Double checking my inerputation is you must have a RESIDENT AZ license-- It looked to me as if non resident AZ lic is $70.25. So double check before you try and save a few bucks.

"The" Tackle shop is the "Stix Liquor and Sporting Goods on S. Lake Powell Blvd. I have never seen anyone fishing with minnows from a trap on Lake Powell--but it is very possible that Will C has some inside information.

Normally I would not suggest Wally World as the place to buy tackle--but what I saw there is a decent buy for someone who is not a serious angler. It would be very easy to spend several hundred dollars and have the same outcome for fishing. on Poweill...If I had not checked out the action on the FX 4000, I would not have recommended it for Sunbeam...
 
Hi Bob,

I'm not trying to save a buck, so much as I'd like to get an annual license for the state where I'm going to spend much of the winter (which is Arizona).

Arizona has just one annual fishing license for 2014 (just read their new 2014 .pdf). It's just that as a non-resident it costs you more to get that license than it costs an AZ resident. Utah has an $8 reciprocal Powelll fee for someone with an Arizona license. Seems I would have an Arizona license.

I will double check this though.

Interestingly, new for 2014 for AZ is automatic reciprocity for the parts of the Colorado it shares with NV and CA (pending) (not Utah though).
 
I see from the post that Utah charges for more than one fishing pole at a time. I was hoping to fish four or six lines off my boat. Does that mean I need four or six permits? Utah must think their fish are special or just more taxes. Hope to see you all at the lake. I'll have regular internet service starting this Wed. and I'll check Utah's license regulations. Thanks for the heads up.
 
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