Fishing At Starvation

[wiperhunter2]

I'm heading to Starvation later today and was hoping someone could give me advice on what lures to use and what would be the best area to fish. WH2<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by wiperhunter2 on 08/16/02 00:03 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

[PREDATOR]

Well, heres my take on starvation. Bring your smallmouth stuff as well as some stuff to catch brown trout. Of course the walleye are the main attraction, but as long as the others are there might as well be prepared. As we all know starvation has a feed problem, while big brother just up the road has an overpopulation of chubs, the walleye in starvation have all but wiped out the chubs. So the keys will be to take into consideration the basic nature of the fish. <br>The walleye will be spending most of thier time near the bottom in the shallower bays or located somewhere mid depth on the many structural drops located around the lake. This will be due to the higher water temps, the fish will be looking to reduce thier metabolism by seeking out colder water during the hottest parts of the day. Morning and evening will be your best bet to locate active fish. <br>Starvation is a structural goldmine, if you dont have a map, get one. It is the virtual opposite of willard and without a map you are blind. So with so much structure and so little food, locating the structure that holds food source will be the critical key to locating walleye. Bolth sides of the dam have good structure that will hold walleye, the center of the dam has a long finger reaching out that drops from 60 to 130 ft instantly there may be fish on the top edge of this finger. The sandy beach, west bench, tunnel inlet bay will hold fish near the bottom. Rabbit gulch has walleye in it and provides access to the main river channel, shallow bays, big bolder, and a huge variety of other structure. You will find some browns in here as well. There is a bay left around the corner from the marina between the state park and escalante that has so much variety it is too scary to attempt to fish. <br>The fish can be located where ever the food source is, so spend some time with your eyes glued to the fish finder looking for food, then fish for the walleye. <br>As far as the presentation, consider the food source, they feed on the trout, they feed on the chubs, they feed on the craws, and just about anything they can find. Raps in brown trout pattern, chub, or shad. Trolled through the shallow bays buring early morning and late evening. Bottom bouncers trolled along the bottom of they shallow bays late moring and early evening. vertical jigging jigs and crawlers for deep fish during the rest of the day. <br>Use planers, use the two pole permit. run lots of lures, work them slow. When it gets slow and insane, go catch some bass and trout. Then you will be ready for some walleye. Be watching your stuff, there are some small fish in there. But be equiped for the big ones too. Ask the park ranger where the fish seem to have been biting when you get there and then offer him a fishing report when you see him again. They do have info but its just like here on the site, you have to give a little to get a little. <br>Now that may seem like a lot of info, but I am no starvation expert. I would love to be, it is my favorite body of water due to its variety, and ammount of structure. If they put wipers in there I may have to move. My opinion and my expiriences are just that, mine. Do what works for you and dont be afraid to try stuff you have a theory on. Heaven knows I never would have used lead core on willard, but it works.<br>Watch for boulders sticking out of the water around the shore line, there are tons. Be carefull of low water at this time of year, that place can go from 120 ft to 0 ft like nothing.<br>My favorite lures are brown trout rapalas, wally divers, reef runners, spinner harnesses in orange and white, and jig heads with a crawler on them, fished of the structural drops.<br>Good luck. Keep all them walleye and probably the bass and trout as well. They are all nasty predators who are eating the lake out of a food supply.<br><br>UNICORN CATCHER F.L.P.