It doesn't seem right that a little fish, no larger than a man's thumb, should rule these waters - but it does.
The itsy-bitsy, tiny shad dictates how, where and what fishermen catch. If it's good fishing, thank the shad. If it's bad, blame the shad. Too many striped bass, it's the shad's fault. Not enough, yes, pin it on the shad.Pretty much every fish in Lake Powell feeds on the shad, a small silvery forage fish that is up and down in this water like the tide. If the waters are full of shad, the predators prosper. If populations are low, fish starve.
This year, thanks to two good years, fishing has been good. The striped bass and even smallmouth bass are boiling over in feeding frenzies, and catch rates are relatively high. Next year should also be good, but after that, it depends on the shad.
For now, fishing for almost every species of fish in the lake has been good.Stripers have been large and fairly common catches in recent weeks, a sign of a plentiful predator and food base. Boils occurs when feeding stripers push shad to the surface and it becomes an all-out fight for survival. Some boils have been said to be as large as a football field.
There have also been reports of smallmouth boils. One group of fishermen hit a smallmouth boil and caught close to 40 fish before it ended. Heretofore, these boils were extremely rare.
Largemouth bass fishing has been improving, and will continue to get better as water temperatures cool. Those fish caught have been fat and active.
This year has been one of the best ever for bluegill and catfish. Some of the bluegill have weighed up to a half a pound.
Mark Connolly, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officer at the lake, says the crappie this year are some of the largest he's seen.
"This is also the largest popular of striped bass young-of-the-year we seen. What this means is there will be a huge population next year," he adds.
The best fishing for striped bass has been up-lake, from Rincon Canyon northeast to Hite.
The reason, says DWR biologist Wayne Gustaveson, is obvious - shad.
"This is where the waters flow into the lake and the nutrients are highest. This is also where production is highest. As water temperatures change and the pressure on the shad increases, watch for changes. Most of the boils have been out in the main channel. Soon, now, the shad will move to the backs of the canyons. That's where you'll find the boils," he says.
"Also, watch for the stripers to move down-lake. This is where the shad have moved. We went out a few days ago to do some electro-shocking (of fish) and there were so many shad we couldn't. The stripers will follow the shad."
One reason for the good fishing, points out Connolly, is the rising of the lake the past two years. Good fishing generally follows the flooding of new habitat. This new habitat will be in place for a couple of years before it is destroyed.
Naturally, it is the fishermen who follow the fish that follow the shad. Pressure has been up in recent weeks, and is likely to stay up for the next few months.
Gustaveson urges those coming to fish to look for shad to begin a move to the backs of canyons, and for stripers to follow.
"One thing I have noticed lately is that the striper boils have been shorter and less frequent with the full moon. As the moon gets darker it will work the other way. I think they'll get longer and larger. I believe the middle two weeks in October are going to be great fishing," he adds.
The smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing will pick up as the waters begin to cool and the fish move closer to the surface. Currently, some smallmouth are being picked up in 15 to 30 feet of water using shad-colored grubs.
Some of the fastest fishing has been for catfish and bluegill. Gustaveson says they can be found around almost any campsite.
"Whatever the evening meal happen to be, chicken or whatever, that's the bait. A little chunk of chicken on a small hook works well," he notes.
Bluegill are, in fact, some of the best tasting fish in the lake.
Both Connolly and Gustaveson expect fishing to remain good through October and into November.
One point both wish to stress during these good time is: Don't put anything back. The eventual overpopulation of striped bass, for example, will eventually mean the downfall of the shad . . . and with them fishing.