At Lake Havasu (Nov. 2 report courtesy of John Galbraith of Bass Tackle Master), striper fishing is great if you’re able to locate schools of their favorite food, shad. If you’re using a boat, an electronic fish finder will come in handy. But what if you don’t have a boat and still want to take advantage of the great striper action at Havasu? Scan the lake looking for birds feeding on shad near the lake surface. Chances are the stripers are actively feeding just below. Get as close as you can and cast a 3.8 Keitech plastic swimbait, a 3/4-ouncez Rat-L-Trap (in Silverado color), or a jerkbait like the Pointer 128 (in chartreuse shad) near the action. Even if you don’t get your lure right in the middle of the feeding frenzy, there will still be feeding fish on the periphery. Focus your search around Bill Williams/Havasu Springs, the Chalk Cliffs, and the areas near Lake Havasu State Park. If you’re into bait fishing, try catching your own. Since shad are schooled up in the cooler water, they’re easy to catch with a throw net. Check the fishing regulations on www.azgfd.gov to learn the legalities of this productive bait collecting technique before your trip. The largemouth fishing is also good right now at Havasu. Try small white or shad-colored jerkbaits like the Pointer 100 or Rapala X-Rap. For smallmouth, try brown or red crawdad-colored crankbaits in 8-15 feet of water.