Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

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 least 55-60 degrees) chartreuse dye on the tail of a plastic bass lure resembles bream. Bedding bass will protect their eggs from such hungry predators and likely snap at the bait.

In addition, if using dark-colored plastics in murky water, the added color can also help an angler detect bites faster.

Consider picking up a bottle of dye from your local tackle shop, but wait until you're on the boat to dye the tail. There's a risk of staining furniture, tables, and your clothes.

The Reel Deal

Hello, anglers,

Rainbow trout received a much-needed cool off last weekend’s storms. After a particularly warm winter, that brief rain and wind should have convinced the trout to bite often after a tough winter for trout anglers.

The weather whipped the waters just in time for one Big Fish of the Year nominee: Nancy Russell for a 7-pound, 2.88-ounce rainbow trout she caught March 3 in Pioneer Lake.

Bass continue to get ready for a major spawn. At Roosevelt Lake, for example, water temperatures hit 60 degrees and largemouth bass are in 10-20 feet of water, chasing bait outside of spawning coves. If nothing else, the week before full moon that began March 16 could be a great time for bedding fish.

You’ve heard it before – please quickly release these fish so that they will live and spawn or our future fish populations will not suffer.

Finally, some news from Arrivaca Lake. The boat ramp and vehicular access to the lake shore will not be available until construction is completed on the boat ramp and other facilities. On March 3, the Arizona Game and Fish Department began these renovations of the Arivaca Lake property.

The work is anticipated to last throughout March, with the newly renovated facility being re-opened in early April. The existing restroom and parking area will remain open to the public throughout the construction period, and the lake shore will remain open to pedestrian access on unimproved trails See more details on the improvements in the full report.

Please send your fishing pictures and reports to BFishing@AZGFD.gov and let us know how you do.