Striped Bass - Good threadfin shad (forage fish) numbers last fall meant most striped bass were healthy going into winter. That translates into slow fishing in March and April, followed by increasing catches in May and June.

Fishing starts later because healthy stripers are content to live on fat reserves instead of prowling the shallows looking for food that is in short supply in early spring. When water warms, stripers will begin feeding all at once and will provide great sport from 2-4 pound fish. Best areas will be at the north and south ends where stripers run to spawn. Mid lake areas get better in late May and June when spawning concludes and stripers move back toward the middle of the lake.

The most popular bait for spring stripers is cut frozen anchovies fished at 40 -60 feet on a size 1 or 2 bait hook. Use just enough bait to completely cover the hook. Spoons, jigs and trolled lures are also effective

Smallmouth bass - Feisty bronzebacks will be the most numerous fish encountered. As soon as water temperature nears 60 (mid April) smallmouth will shake winter dormancy, begin to feed and come shallow to spawn. Look for them anywhere there is clean broken rock. Avoid silty areas. Use soft plastic jigs bounced along the bottom in 5 to 30 feet of water. Most will be 8-12 inches long but some dandy spawning fish should be caught near nests in April. After spawning, bigger fish go deeper than the ever-present shallow smallmouth. Use bigger baits and fish deeper strata to slip past the small ones and catch larger fish in May and June. It is all right to keep some of the smaller bass. There are plenty of smallmouth bass and the average size may increase by reducing bass numbers.

Other Spring Fish - A variety of species round out the spring trip. Crappie will be encountered in the very limited amount of flooded brush remaining in this low water year. Catches will be very spotty but some anglers will find a school and may catch a few on small brown, yellow or chartreuse hair or plastic jigs. Try suspending a tiny jig from a bobber and throw around brush for best results

Walleye prowl in low light, generally feeding at night. But they get very hungry as water warms and food is scarce from April 15 to June 1. They inhabit deep water where sunlight is subdued by depth. Fish main channel drop offs where shallow rock disappears into the blue depth of the deep canyon. Bounce jigs down the vertical slope or troll along the edge of structure. It is best to use a piece of live night crawler to keep the quick striking fish on the bait long enough to set the hook.

Bluegill and green sunfish will be along the rocky shore line and in flooded trees/brush where crappie could be expected to hit. Down size the hook to get into some braggin' size gills; which are really quite common in Powell but definitely underutilized. A tiny hook and a quarter inch of worm will result in some very fine "pan" fish and dinner that will be loved by all.

Catfish are the last of the regulars. They get more aggressive as the other fish slow down in June and July. Look for them on shallow gradually sloping beaches that can accommodate a houseboat. Use table scraps at dusk and invite a few to join you for dinner.

Have a great trip to Lake Powell. Enjoy the fishing.

Arizona Game & Fish Department.

EDITOR: Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214, e-mail raikens@gf.state.az.us

or Frosty Taylor, (602) 789-3223, e-mail ftaylor@gf.state.az.us