LAKE POWELL – By Wayne Gustaveson. Lake elevation: 3,591, water temp: 53-64 F. The grand predictions of our last fish report were blown away by a week of windy weather. All the positive variables remain firmly in place awaiting a warm day. Water temperature this morning was still in the low 50s. All the fish are poised for the early morning temperature to reach 57-60 F. When that happens, which may be as soon as this weekend, the fun begins.
A few largemouth bass have spawned. Usually the largest fish are the first to make beds in prime spots. The majority of the population will be moving shallow this weekend and next week, weather permitting. Even those that spawned previously will come back to the nest they abandoned and spawn again with the next warm spell.

If a nest is found, cast slowly descending plastic baits (Senkos, Flukes) right on to the nest ring and watch the male bass rush over to grab the lure and haul it away from the nest. Some just grab the tail and never get the hook in the mouth but it is sure fun to watch them work. Return males caught on the nest so they can protect the young from predators.

If no nests are seen in clear water, go to the back of the canyon where the green and brown water meet. This zone warms up sooner and provides bass and crappie a warm spot to live while waiting for real warming. Brush piles will hold largemouth and crappie, while smallmouth bass will be on rock ridges, terraces and points. Use your favorite technique in these conditions. The fish won’t care and will take all incoming lures and offerings.

Stripers remain in the channel where they can be caught by the tubful with anchovy bait and copious chumming. There is not a lot of forage this time of year. Most of the stripers are small enough that they can eat plankton to maintain their body while waiting for a fish dinner. The plankton supply is most abundant in the upper 20 feet of the water column so many stripers are in the upper zone. That makes them prime targets for shallow trolling lures as well as bait. I have effectively used Wally Divers, various rattletrap types, and bevy shad to consistently catch mature male stripers. The trick is to find them.

My search pattern has consistently led to striper schools holding on the breaking edge of a long point. By long, I mean at least 100 yards or more. Follow the shallow point (5-12 feet) out until it breaks from 20-25 feet and goes quickly to a depth of 40 feet or more. Follow that 25 foot sharp breaking contour to find stripers holding right on the edge at 25 feet. When a school is located, troll back and forth over the spot or mark the school and hold with the trolling motor while chumming to keep them in place. This allows you to find your own private fishing spot and not have to share it with others in the popular (dam, Moki Wall) or well known striper fishing spots. If it’s your first time, go fish with the anglers at the Dam or Moki, to see their techniques, get a few tips and measure success.

LEES FERRY – From Lees Ferry Anglers, Report by: Ted Welling
New regulation: dogs are prohibited on the Colorado River downstream from the dam to
the boundary of Grand Canyon NP except when used in support of
hunting activities in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws.

Today’s Fish rating
Upriver: 6.00 Walk-In: 4.5

Key: 1 = Go fish somewhere else
10 = Rent a helicopter and get here now!

Today Weather: Sunny with a high of 75 degrees

Today’s Crowd Rating: See Below

Upriver: 2.5 and Walk In: 1.0

Key: 1 = Sleep late and fish where you want.
10 = Very crowded, get up early!

Fly Fishing: Today’s fishing was good. The flows are a little weird but we are adjusting to it. The water is rising fast in the morning, and then some where around noon it drops again so, be careful.
If you are not paying attention you may find your tuna clipper high and dry on the sand.

After the water drops the trout will start to move in the riffles to feed and there you are waiting for them all wadered up and looking good and your favorite fly on…. You cast to just the right spot, mend your line…. Shake slack shake shake shake shake ….. Set@#%^%#@ Fish on!!! Well that’s the way it’s supposed to go anyway. If after the water drops and you can find a good place to wade try a scud # 16 ginger scud with a worm dropper or a midge dropper. For now drifting is the way to go. Same flies are working, scuds, zebra midges, San Juan worms or try a dry and dropper.

Walk in: I have had only a few reports from this section lately. Anglers have done alright the past few days. I know I keep repeating myself but you really have to get your weight and drift to get these guys. The scud has been working down there as well as worms and the zebra midge. One could even get tricky and use a dry and dropper rig. And when the flow hits around 1,500 cfs in the lower section can be really fun. There is an area down here if we do have a decent hatch, and the water level is rite, the midges get trapped and using a dry-dropper rig is one heck of a lot of fun. If you are fishing this area, stop in and we’ll fill you in on the latest.
Spin Fishing: Spin fishing is still great! Stop in and pick up some egg patterns and ask us about the recommended rig and best areas to fish. We do have maps available in the fly shop as well.

LAKE MEAD – According to fishing guides out of Las Vegas, the striper and largemouth bass bites are both picking up, especially on non-windy days. Catfish are still biting at night. Try using submersible lights at night. The bite should start picking up. The ramp is open at South Cove; National Park Service has completed the extension to the concrete ramp. The lake elevation has gone down a little at around 1,111 feet above msl. State and federal biologists sampled fish populations in Lake Mead during October and found gizzard shad for the first time. This is not a surprise since they have been found in Powell since 2000.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

Angler report:
Where:Lake Mead
When:04/26/08
Caught:Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass
Technique:Drop Shot & Jigs
Comments:Fishing was excellent, found fish both still spawning and some post spawn. Caught 14 in the 2-3lb range with the big fish of the day a 3lb smallmouth.
Name:Steve Stierstorfer

Where:South Cove, Lake Mead
When:04/19/08
Caught:Striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish
Technique:Striped bass caught on lures and cut anchovies. Catfish caught on anchovies, largemouth caught on a variety of lures
Comments: The annual United Professional Fire Fighters tournament was held last Friday/Saturday at South Cove on Lake Mead. 25 teams participated. Top striper team checked in 40 fish that weighed 64 lbs. Big fish weighed 4.15 lbs. Top catfish team had 20 channel cats that weighed just over 20 lbs. Top largemouth bass team had 15 fish over two days that weighed just over 21 lbs. Big fish of the tourney weighed 4.55 lbs. Largemouth were caught on a variety of lures including spinnerbaits, grubs and tube baits. Stripers were active and were caught on spinnerbaits, top water lures and reaction lures. Lots of fish caught during the day on anchovies fished at 40-50 feet.
Name: Don Martin

LAKE MOHAVE – The striper bite is picking up a little. The fishing is picking up a little on the upper end of the lake. The stripers seen in the fall were fat and full of shad, with schools of shad being chased by striped bass. If the shad are making a comeback, we may see more mid-size stripers in the basin. If you can find schools of shad, throw a small crankbait. Most of the largemouth are in 20-25 ft of water, but some are in shallow water.

Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife installed fish habitat in Carp cove on Dec. 12-13. A total of 84 wood pallets and 16 4X4-foot PVC structures were put into Lake Mohave in an attempt to increase angler success. On Jan. 29-30 an additional 54 wood pallets and 16 4X4-foot PVC structures were put into Lake Mohave at Box cove. On March 28-29 brush bundles pallets and PVC structures were installed in carp cove. Additional habitat will be added at several locations over the next two years. These structures are fish magnets.

There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine’s Landing. If you fish Mohave and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

Where:Lake Mohave
When:04/24/08
Caught:Large Mouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Stipers and Catfish
Technique:top water baits, anchovies and worms
Comments:
The lake has finally come alive with fish ready to eat. On Thursday we pulled in nearly thirty stripers, eight nice size large mouth and seven or eight small mouth, limited out on catfish in the back of coves in about two hours.
Name:Skip

WILLOW BEACH - Trout are stocked every Friday. The fishing for trout has been good from shore immediately following the stocking. Try using a Jake, Panther Martin, or other spinner’s or spoons. If that doesn’t work you can always use Power Bait. I’m starting to get reports of the striper bite picking up around the monkey hole area.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see. If you fish Willow beach and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

TOPOCK MARSH –Water level is up, but still be careful while launching. The catfish are biting on night crawlers and anchovies. Bass bite is still not bad. Crappies have shut down. Try night crawlers or anchovies for catfish.

Game and Fish biologists surveyed the Marsh starting on the week of Jan. 15. The largemouth bass population was observed to be very healthy, as well as channel catfish. Crappie were also present, but in smaller numbers.

You can access the marsh by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too. For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/havasu/index.html.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM –The striper bite is picking up. Trout were last stocked on March 24-25. This was the last trout stocking until next winter. Fish and Wildlife Service stocks once a month in this area. A few days following the stocking look for trout to be across the river from the Riverside. The fish are stocked in two locations; Davis Camp and near The Riverside. I am getting some reports of the largemouth bite picking up.

Water levels on the river fluctuate, so be careful. You can check the Bureau of Reclamation Web site for flow predictions http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html before you go. If you fish the river below Davis Dam and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.