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Show Fall Fisherman Term Lake Powell 'Fantastic' for Bass "Fantastic!" That's how fall fishermen describe the action act-ion at Lake Powell, where striped bass reipn supreme in October. Stripers up to 30 pounds prowl the lake in vast schools, often surfacing to feed on schools of shad. Experienced fishermen launch at dawn maneuvering their powerful bass boats into the still waters of deep sandstone canyons in search of their elusive prey. Binoculars in hand, they scan the skies for circling seagulls and ravens which feed on crippled shad, victims of the stripers feeding frenzies. In 1974, the Division of Wildlife Resources of the Utah Department of Natural Resources and Energy made an initial stocking of 94,000 into Lake Powell. The fish have responded as well as expected. Fisheries biologists biolo-gists noted the first successful success-ful spawning run up the Colorado River in 1979. The fishing gets better ever year. Fish up to 25 pounds are caught regularly, and the current state record striper weighs just over 31 pounds. Finding the fish is the toughest part of striper fishing, according to Wayne Gustaveson, wildlife resources re-sources biologist. He offers several tips for fishermen, like watching for other boars gathered in likely looking areas, or scanning for ravens or seagulls circling over tne water. The most obvious sign of activity is the "boiling water" when the fish feed on the surface. Until recently most stripers were caught by trolling 1. ' deep-diving plugs along the cliff faces or by casting top-water plugs into schools of surface-feeding fish. Changes in the fishes' habits have caused fishermen fisher-men to try some new tricks. Fish have been on the bottom this fall, in water 40 to 80 feet deep. Gustaveson says, "Large lead-headed feather jigs in white are good shad imitations. We've been catching some nice fish by jigging them in long sweeps 3 to 10 feet off the bottom." Trolling can be effective took especially when the fish move out into the main channel. But by far the most exciting striped bass fishing occurs when the fish are feeding on the surface. Says Gustaveson, "When they're working the surface, almost any plug that floats head-up and leaves a V-shaped wake will take fish." The strike of a striper is fast and hard, and when a big fish hits all you can do is hang on! |
