HUGE FLOATER

Alfonso Gonzales, from St. George, Utah, is holding a huge striped bass that he found floating on the surface in last Chance Bay, Lake Powell.  During the heat of the summer, the largest predators often die of natural causes and float to the surface. There have been many more stripers over 30 pounds that have died of natural causes than have been caught by fishermen. This particular fish was seen on the surface alive by an NPS ranger a week before it was found again. When he stopped to pick it up, it swam away.  It was later found dead by Gonzales.  The fish was 49 inches long, which would place the weight near 40 pounds in the dehydrated condition in which it was found.  It was frozen at  Dangling Rope Marina after Gonzales turned it into NPS at that location.The big striper proves once again that huge fish are in Lake Powell.  The best time to catch them is during winter when temperatures allow free movement through the water column and during May at time of spawning when they come shallow.