LAKE POWELL — By Wayne Gustaveson, Utah Division of Wildlife, Main lake stripers have gone quiet. My best guess for the lack of feeding is a general attitude of satisfied luxury. They have all the food they want or need. They feed only when they want and are quickly sated. They seem to have little regard for the anglers who would really like to get close and personal with these fat fish.

Here is what’s happening. Stripers are feeding quickly during their prime feeding times. At first light and last light there is a brief flurry of feeding. Some of it is on top when five fish splash in unison. These fish are as susceptible to angling as are any stripers when they decide to eat. They grab anything close to their mouth when in feeding mode. The event lasts for about 20 minutes and then its over.

This quick boil is almost impossible to find by running around the lake looking for boils because it is of short duration and happens early when light is not adequate to illuminate a few splashes. Those that have been successful are camped near the action and waiting when the sky lightens in the morning. Once a feeding location is known, an angler could be waiting at the right spot to get 5 quick fish. Find them one day and return to the spot the next for consistent action.

During daylight, fishing is tough with only a random boil that could happen anytime, any place and then not repeat. Spooning is good if a school is found but they move quickly out of the zone. Cooler temperatures will improve spooning results as shad move deep. Do not expect that to happen until November.

Trolling is working near the inflows where shad abundance is high. At Hite and upper San Juan use a deep diver to get down 20 feet and near the lazily moving stripers.

For this week the best bet is to fish for bass around shad schools located in the backs of many brushy coves. Surface lures tossed near brush (with shad) are being whacked with regularity morning and evening. During the day plastic tubes and drop shot shad baits are working on the deep water side of brushy shad coves. Fish 25 feet for best action on keeper sized fish.

When fish are fat and fussy the strategy is to make them mad. Shad colored baits blend win well with thousands of shad. Sometime the wild colors of a fire tiger crankbait trigger a reaction when shad colors will not. Go bright and see if the fishing fortunes improve.

LEES FERRY – Today’s Fly Fishing: I only have one report to pass along.
Fishing was good, not great just good; didn’t do any wading, drifted all day. They didn’t catch a great number of fish, but said fishing remained pretty good. Again mostly caught on midges and San Juans.

Walk in: No new reports, sorry!

Spin Fishing: Glo bugs bounced off the bottom. Also, black and olive jigs were effective today.  Stop by and check out the rig for bottom bouncing, it’s a kick.
Glen Canyon Dam Operations: The monthly release volume for October 2008 is scheduled to be 743,000 acre-feet.  During the months of September and October, releases from Glen Canyon Dam will be steady as described in the Final Environmental Assessment for Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, 2008 through 2012 (EA). The corresponding release rate for the scheduled release volume for October is about 12,083 cfs.

Beginning on Nov. 1, 2008 releases from Glen Canyon Dam will likely resume daily fluctuations.  The release volume scheduled for November is 600,000 acre-feet which translates to an average daily release of 10,000 cfs. Daily fluctuations about this average will likely be from about 6,500 cfs during the early morning hours to about 12,500 cfs during the afternoon and evening hours.

Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn: Recent Fishing Conditions: Fall weather has arrived at the Ferry with mild temperatures and fair weather the norm. Current water flows are a steady (no rise or fall in level) 12,000-cfs and these flows are planned to continue through October.

The steady flows are an experimental flow designed to test the hypothesis that steady flows might benefit the humpback chub. These flows are scheduled to occur in September and October, through 2012. Normal flows for this time of year would be fluctuating flows from 5,000-cfs to 10,000-cfs. The higher steady flows should be a real positive for the river and aquatic resource by keeping the “green line” at 12,000 cfs.

The “green line” is the level in the river that the vegetation and aquatic organisms inhabit. This line is directly related to the lowest level that the river flows, which would normally be the 5,000 to 6,000-cfs level this time of year. By keeping this level at 12,000 cfs, the available area for the vegetation and aquatic organisms is dramatically increased. The steady flows should also allow increased survival of last year’s crop of baby trout; trout fry survive better in steady flows versus fluctuating flows.
Recent Fishing: The midge hatches have been prolific! This is a direct result of the lower flows. Despite the midge hatches, the best fishing has been found in deeper water. The water levels are perfect for wading most of the popular spots at the Ferry, however, the best fishing has been fishing out of the boat, drifting or anchoring the boat and fishing the deeper runs off of drop-offs or at the tail-out of riffles. The key to success is to stay over fish, get the flies down to the bottom, and get a long, perfect dead drift.
I recently heard the spawn this year was 10X normal. I have never seen so many fry and small trout in the river.

Angler report:  Fished the walk in area at Lees Ferry with my son Christopher and my fishing partner Scott Webster on 10/18/08 and 10/19/08. Water is running very fast (12,000cfs – although this is considered “moderate”!) and this makes for some very challenging fishing. We fished with fly equipment (9′ 5 wgt), San Juan worms and zebra midges (or scuds). Wading is extremely challenging and we do not recommend it for inexperienced fisherman. Metal-studded wading boots are a must and wading deeper than your knees is not recommended.

We fished the entire length of the walk in area with our best luck at the Big Rock area. Fly fishing was also a challenge to accomplish a drag free drift, most times drifts were lasting less than 15 seconds and it was necessary to mend 3-4 times every drift.

I had 12 hits, 6 fish on, none landed, Scott had 20 or more hits, 9 fish on and 7 landed. Due to my sons size his fishing opportunities were very limited due to the force of the water.

If you go, be prepared to stop in at Lees Ferry Anglers and get some help and advice from the guides there on the weight necessary to get down to the fish. We were skunked Saturday morning, we started getting hits and hook ups Saturday afternoon once we were clued in on the amount of weight to use.  Do not wade into water without metal studs on your wader boots. Stones are very slippery and the water is moving very fast. All in all a great trip, great scenery.

Thanks
Mark Miconi
Colorado River
LAKE MEAD – Lake Mead water levels have been rising a little, the elevation is approaching 1,108 feet above msl.  Fishing has slowed.

Launching conditions at South Cove have remained nearly the same for the last three months.  The new concrete ramp the National Park Service just completed is two lanes with cones marking the edges. Use caution not to go off the sides of the metal extensions at either side. National Park Service is working to keep the ramp open.

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/.

LAKE MOHAVE – No new reports.  The fishing for small stripers has been pretty good.  Try using cut anchovies at night.  The lake level has remained pretty steady and is running at 632 feet above msl. The stripers seen last fall were fat and full of shad, with schools of shad being chased by striped bass.  No sign of shad this year so far.  If you can find schools of shad, try trolling a small crankbait.

Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife have continued to install fish habitat in both Carp Cove and Box Cove.  The largemouth, bluegill and catfish are really utilizing the new structures.  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 www.azgfd.gov  or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

WILLOW BEACH – Trout are stocked every Friday.  Fishing has been pretty good for trout.    Most of the success has been coming from or around the new pier. Try using green Power Worms, or salmon eggs.  The striper fishing has been fair.

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 www.azgfd.gov  or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

TOPOCK MARSH – Water level is up, but still be careful while launching.  The fishing has been pretty slow.  A few bass are being caught, but overall slow.  Golden shores and Game and Fish held a kids fishing clinic at five mile landing on Oct. 11.  This is the second year this event has been held.  The kids had fun.  Some catfish and bass were caught,

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 www.azgfd.gov  or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM –The striper bite has been good. Trout were last stocked on March 24-25.  Trout stocking will resume this week.  Look for the trout fishing to be good immediately following the stocking.

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 www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.