Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Tip Of The Week Try Apache Lake for something different. Here, crappie and walleye are other tasty options. Fish some of Apache's heavy breaks where shallow water quickly becomes deep. It has really become a tremendous largemouth bass fishery. There are also plentiful yellow bass, which are a lot of fun to catch on light tackle. Apache Lake also has a healthy herd of bighorns. So be sure to take a camera - this is one of our most photogenic lakes. The Reel Deal Summer is hot and sticky and... Full story
Are catfish limits too liberal at Arizona Lakes? Would you like to see more opportunity to catch Arizona’s native trout species? In order to best manage fish populations, simplify and streamline regulations, and incorporate public request, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is evaluating these fishing regulation changes. The department is conducting a series of public meetings during July to provide information on the proposed fishing regulation changes and solicit comment. The meeting s... Full story
Lynx Lake One of our favorite little hikes in the pines is the easy trail #311 that circles Lynx Lake. Most of this trail is shaded by trees, and the lake and the forest around it are gorgeous. We often see a huge variety of birds and small mammals, even in the summer. The paved part of the trail on the west side of the lake is wheelchair and stroller accessible, but once you reach the far end of the laken the trail turns to dirt. 'Bee' Prepared At this far end of the lake opposite the parking l... Full story
May is here and water temperature is in the 60s which means spring fishing is at its best. Cold fronts will still slow down catching for a day or two but on most days fishing will be excellent. Here is the room service menu for spring fishing in order of availability. Striped Bass Bait fishing along the canyon walls is good in the normal spots. Spots close to the marinas will provide good catches for those looking for a good, close fishing trip. But, the results are sometimes long awaited and ti...
For something different, head to Lynx Lake, where some anglers reportedly are having some decent action catching brown trout. Here's the tip: Try fishing a No. 18 or 20 with wooly bugger about 4 feet under a float with a 4-pound test leader. THE REEL DEAL Hello, anglers, First, a quick fish story. On Tuesday, April 8, angler Jack Head of Phoenix was taking his wife and sister-in-law boating, fishing, and for a quick picnic. What he saw in the Agua Fria arm floating on the surface was a...
Anglers who love to fish Roosevelt Lake located in central Arizona's Tonto National Forest have a future hope for the fishery -- monster bass. To help boost fishing opportunities at the 13,000-acre lake, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through April to stock up to 500,000 fry of Florida-strain largemouth bass, which have been known to eventually attain sizes up to 20 pounds. The FWC will be donating the bass fry...
Weather is warming and trees are budding in the high desert. It s time to start thinking about fishing and what to expect from Lake Powell in 2014. The lake has dipped to the lowest point since 2005 leaving brushy cover high and dry on the shoreline. Fortunately, there has been modest precipitation in the Colorado River drainage. When runoff starts, the lake should rise from the currently level of 3575 MSL back to 3600 MSL or perhaps a bit more. Also fortunately, the Castle Rock Cut is being... Full story
Tip Of The Week Spring bass fishing can be excellent, and there's one technique that can turn average bass days into exceptional ones. During the pre-spawn (generally water temperatures of less than 55 degrees), when targeting big, transitioning bass in the shallows, try dyeing your soft plastic bass lures orange. Water clarity is generally limited in our warm-water fisheries right now, and an orange tail can help trigger bass feeding on crawfish. During a spawn (when water temperatures are at... Full story
Catfish stockings will be coming back to the core Community Fishing Program lakes and ponds in Tucson and Phoenix on Friday. Here are the core lakes and ponds: (Phoenix area) Surprise, Rio Vista Pond, Pioneer, Desert West, Alvord, Cortez, Steele I.S. Pond, Encanto, Papago Ponds, E. Hallman Pond, Riverview, Desert Breeze, Veterans Oasis; (Tucson area) Lakeside, Sahuarita, Kennedy, Silverbell, Copper Sky, Kiwanis, Water Ranch, Red Mountain, Chaparral. Channel catfish are best caught using a hook... Full story
Bill Luke Bass Days is the Southwest's largest family fishing tournament and festival - held March 14, 15, 16 at Lake Pleasant. This year's is sure to be one of our biggest events! For the fishermen, we are featuring over $50,000 in cash prizes. For everyone, we will have a day and night time festival featuring a Cornhole Tournament, carnival rides, vendors, food, wildlife exhibits and live music. Tournament Prize List The prizes for this year's Bass Days Tournament are spectacular. This year's... Full story
Hello, anglers, It's a good time to round up some swim baits and Roboworms and head to the Phoenix area (if you aren't already there) to do some bassin'. High temperatures are beginning to rise back into the 70s. We're stocking rainbow trout into Canyon Lake, land of the lunkers. Avoid Canyon Lake if you want great catch rates, but for something to hang on the wall, come here and throw some big swim baits (that represent the stocked trout). Plus, the scenery is exceptional. Apache Lake is a grea... Full story
Bill Luke Bass Days is the Southwest's largest family fishing tournament and festival - held March 14, 15, 16 at Lake Pleasant. This year's is sure to be one of our biggest events! For the fishermen, we are featuring over $50,000 in cash prizes. For everyone, we will have a day and night time festival featuring a Cornhole Tournament, carnival rides, vendors, food, wildlife exhibits and live music. Tournament Prize List The prizes for this year's Bass Days Tournament are spectacular. This year's... Full story
By Nick Walter, AZGFD Hello, anglers, Get ready for more winter trout stockings; they began Jan. 13 in the Verde River (Clarkdale to Camp Verde), Fain Lake, the Lower Salt River, Saguaro Lake, Patagonia Lake, Pena Blanca Lake, Fortuna Pond and Redondo Pond. See our nifty Fish&Boat Arizona map for finding the state's best fishing and boating spots. In addition to an incredible turnout for the kickoff fishing clinic and trout stocking at Pioneer Lake in Peoria, we received some great anglers... Full story
Current conditions at Lake Powell during 2013 were difficult for all fish populations because of declining lake levels resulting in habitat loss. Shoreline vegetation, which had been inundated in recent years, was desiccated in 2013. Loss of brushy habitat resulted in lower than normal production of bass, crappie and bluegills. Lack of brush also limited the survival of both gizzard and threadfin shad produced in 2013. Low forage made for difficult circumstances for adult fish of all species as... Full story
Preventing the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in Arizona waters starts with Arizona boat owners and anglers. To protect Arizona lakes, rivers and streams from the devastating effects of invasive species, Arizona Game and Fish laws require boaters and anglers to be good stewards by cleaning, draining and drying their boats and pulling the boat plug when leaving an AIS-affected lake. Failure to do so may result in a citation for the boat owner and possible fines. Clean, Drain, Dry Game... Full story
Keep in mind that here in Arizona, there is plenty of year-round fishing. Bass and other sport fish may not be as active, but they are still catchable. In many cases; it's a matter of slowing down your presentation and going to smaller baits. Some pro anglers, on the other hand, have been known to not only slow down their presentations, but also upsize their offerings to make it worthwhile for big bass to dine. The Reel Deal It's winter trout and crappie time. First, The Trout There are rainbow... Full story
During October we fished the same spots in the southern lake each week while checking current results for the fish report. Results ranged from superb early in the month to difficult after full moon. I am pleased to report that this report is right back at the top of the charts. Fishing success has recovered for striped bass that have been holding in the same locations all during last month. They have just responded differently on the various trips at the times that we fished there. Fishing... Full story
Now that's it's early November, we're getting some wonderful northern pike fishing in Upper Lake Mary. Lake Mary, although water levels are low, is a viable fishing option - it also has walleye, yellow perch and largemouth bass. What's more, there are no boat motor restrictions. At the Mogollon Rim lakes, skim ice began to develop on cold nights along the shoreline of the higher elevation lakes, but has been melting off by mid-day. Trout Are 'Cool' Cooler temperatures are ideal for trout, and... Full story
Individual fish species are evenly divided and are holding caucuses to decide how best to move forward from this point. Adult stripers would like to open the gates and let more anglers come in so they can reap the rewards of anchovy chum falling from the boats in all the locations that have proven to be great feeding spots all summer long. They revel in the free food that comes to them without effort. Young stripers and smallmouth agree that finding plankton on their own without any assistance... Full story
Tip Of The Week When trout are more active. it's sometimes better to use lures rather than bait, especially inline spinners such as Mepps, Rooster Tails and the like. Casting spoons, such as KastMasters, can sometimes be downright lethal. Also try rainbow-colored Rapalas. The larger, more voracious trout will often feed on the smaller ones. The Reel Deal The window of sunlight that blasts our waters is increasingly short-lived, leading to the first hints of fall fishing conditions. First,... Full story
All lakes were stocked again with channel catfish the week of Sept. 30 – Oct. 5. Fishing for catfish is good to excellent now that the fall stockings have resumed. The Sept. 19 stocking was loaded with incentive-size catfish in the 3-8 pound range. Mornings and evenings are the best times because catfish prefer to feed under dim or dark conditions. Top baits for catfish have been stink baits, shrimp and worms fished on the bottom in the deeper lake sections. Use smaller sinkers and 8-pound t... Full story
Many hunters, anglers and other outdoor recreationists have been wondering how the current federal government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, will impact their upcoming outings. Despite closures by federal land management agencies of their administrative offices and some controlled access points and facilities, there are numerous opportunities available to Arizonans for outdoor recreation. Please keep in mind that, with regard to federal lands, official information on closures is the responsibilit... Full story
Margie Anderson is a Charter, Voting member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association and an active member of Western Outdoor Writers. She has been writing for magazines and newspapers in the west since 1990 and is a native of Arizona. Margie's father was an Ojibwa Indian who took her hunting and fishing with him almost as soon as she could walk. She lives in Phoenix with her husband John and a dynamite French Brittany Spaniel named Rosie. Rosie also hunts and fishes, and she keeps an eye... Full story
September is the first fall fish-sampling period. Utah Wildlife’s first two electrofishing sample sites revealed some interesting details. The first sample was taken in Lone Rock Canyon near the back of Wahweap Bay. The first cove on the left heading up Lone Rock Canyon contained more shad than we could scoop up in our nets. That was a surprise. It was obvious that yearling gizzard shad were using the muddy, shallow, warm cove to avoid striped bass predation. Adult stripers cannot survive in 8... Full story
Widespread rains across the state have helped drop lake water temperatures. Look for fish to get active once again, assuming this typical pattern holds true. We'll see. Lake Pleasant The top-water striper bite at Lake Pleasant is picking up. Get there at first light or you might miss the boils. Cover lots of water and look for birds or surface activity. Try top-water lures, jerkbaits and flies. (Zara Spook Juniors and buzzbaits tend to be successful this time of the year.) Roosevelt Lake The...
