The dreaded full moon effect is closing in fast. The weekend will feature bright nights which may have a negative effect on fishing success. To counteract the negative vibes go to those locations where forage populations are "bigger than an August moon". Of course that means Hite and the upper San Juan.
Hite remains the best fishing destination this week. Bright moon will further compress dwindling boils to evening events only. Slurps begin about 2 PM but they are quick. It is very difficult to get the boat in position to cast while the fish are still on top. The last hour of light is prime time and that event alone will be worth the trip as many fish can be caught in a short time on surface lures. The stretch between Buoy 129 -131 has many surfacing schools.
During the rest of the day stripers can still be caught in big numbers. Trolling a shallow running crankbait prompts a hookup every time a striper school is seen on the graph. There are many schools to be seen so this is quite a productive technique. Plastic swim baits, shad colored crankbaits and your favorite trolling bait all work very well. The Thinfin by Cordell worked great for one recently returning fishing party. I am sure spoons will work just as good.
There are many stripers to catch in the 1.5 pound range that are fat and prime for table fare. Take plenty of ice to keep the fillets cool. Bass are picked up incidentally while trolling. Targeting bass would be very productive as well.
The San Juan is good but takes second place to Hite. Boils are not common. Surfacing stripers have been reported at the confluence of the San Juan and main channel. These were larger fish that stayed up for a long time. Unfortunately they come up at random times making it hard to predict the event. With full moon, Jacks Arch Cove would be a good place to spend an evening. Piute Canyon is the hotspot for boils but competition with houseboats and skiers may detract. In late summer and fall the spot where river joins lake, Spencers Camp, is always a dependable fish catching spot on the San Juan.