Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Lake Havasu on the Colorado River is a fantastic place to visit – it has great fishing, beautiful views, plenty of places to stay and play -- and the London Bridge. The London Bridge In the 1930s, the construction of Parker Cam created Lake Havasu. During World War II an R and R camp for the armed forces was built on a peninsula. A developer named McCulloch bought 26 square miles of desert (the current site of Lake Havasu City), and in 1968 he bought the London Bridge and had it dismantled a... Full story
Does trudging up the ramp to fetch your truck and trailer leave you huffing and puffing? What about throwing a jerkbait all day long – can your arm take it? How about your last pre-fish? Did you find yourself missing out on some opportunities because you just didn't have it in you to stand on the trolling motor for another hour? To get into better shape for your next fishing trip, start now. If you want to maximize your enjoyment of the outdoors, getting and staying fit should be a priority. T... Full story
If you stop and think about it, the days of the wild west aren’t that far behind us, and Arizona used to be wild as all get-out. Miners, ranchers, and sheep herders didn’t always get along well, and of course there have always been jilted lovers and jealousy, especially back when women were fairly scarce on the ground! So it’s no wonder that Arizona has so many haunted places! And in addition to those ghostly spots, we’ve got a lot of ghost towns in various stages of ruin that can be fun to visi... Full story
John and I are always looking for new roads to explore in the Jeep, and this past week we found one that we could have done in the car, so I thought I'd share it, because there were plenty of interesting things to see and some incredibly beautiful areas. You could do this whole loop in one day like we did, even taking time to hop out and wander around, plus a stop for a picnic lunch. In all, we covered 286 miles from the west valley, round trip. FIRST UP: DOLL BABY RANCH ROAD I saw this road on...
Fall Fishing I first saw Ben in action in 1993, when I was his observer at an All Star Championship. The first day of the tournament was on San Carlos, and I had the opportunity to watch Ben fish a variety of lures, including worms, spoons, jigs, jerkbaits, and even a Pork-o! Nice Weather The championship was in September, and for a change the weather was pretty nice. It was cloudy and cool, and the water temperature was a little over 77 degrees. Ben started off in the very back of a cove,... Full story
Note - All photos courtesy of John and Margie Anderson Camping is the ideal outdoor adventure – it can be inexpensive and close to home, and gets you out in the fresh air and away from the news stories. If you're new to camping, don't feel like you need to go out and buy a bunch of stuff. You can probably borrow a lot of what you need from friends and family, or find used gear online. Find out if your neighborhood or church has a "Buy Nothing" program. Once you sign up, you can get a lot of g... Full story
Most of the trout in Arizona are stocked fish, which means that trout fishing is mostly a "put and take" game. The Arizona Game and Fish Department puts the trout in, and we take them out. Most of the fish that are stocked are small, what the Game and Fish calls "catchable" trout, but some of our lakes and streams have genuine trophy fish, and the Game and Fish Department usually throws in a couple of bigger fish in each stocking just to give you an incentive to fish. Don't miss the Arizona... Full story
Mochi loves off-roading! Note - all photos were by John and Margie Anderson. When I was a kid, my dad always took us kids hunting off Dugas Road. There used to be a dirt road and a gate right on the side of I-17 and that road led to Hooker Tank, and from there over the hill to road 68D which goes from Dugas Road north to Squaw Peak Road. We loved it there and since we went there so often we all knew that area very well. There's a lot to be said about knowing all the best and prettiest places in... Full story
If you like bass fishing, you will love fishing for pike. Pound for pound, they are among the most aggressive fish you will ever tangle with, and they can weigh up to 40 pounds or more. Even in a state as far south as Arizona, northern pike thrive at higher elevations and provide plenty of action for anglers who would otherwise be dangling earthworms for trout. Behave Like Tigers Pike not only behave like tigers, they have a mouthful of teeth to match. The jaws, roof of the mouth, and even the...
When bass go deep, like they do in winter and summer, it takes a combination of the right lure and the right technique to catch the big ones. Football head jigs dressed up in skirts and grubs are ideal lures for these deep-water hawgs. A jig has all the features that tempt fish and make them eat – the profile is relatively small, but bulky enough to look like a decent meal, and the legs and skirt wave around even when the lure is not moving, so the lure constantly sends out signals that a b... Full story
During the Covid lockdowns John and I weren't really too bothered because everything we like to do is outdoors. Our son David and his wife Elizabeth were getting cabin fever, so we decided to take them on a little off-highway adventure one day in June 2020. They have a Four Runner and David and I both had our ham radio licenses by then, so we decided to head for the hills. Choosing A Destination My favorite way to choose a destination for John and me is to go immediately to Trailsoffroad.com... Full story
John and I love Arizona because you can cruise the deserts in winter and the mountains in summer. That's why we decided to visit the ruins of Swansea, an old mining town in February. It never occurred to me that I would need to check for any major events on Swansea Road, so off we went, taking 60 through Wickenburg, Aguila, Vicksburg, and Bouse. Bouse We planned to fill the Jeep in Bouse then head north on Swansea Road to the remains of the town. I was stoked because the map showed a natural arc... Full story
At the U.S. Open about several years ago, Arizona Nitro pro Kevin Finley found a Storm Arashi crankbait in the goodie bag he received at tournament HQ. Later, he went fishing at Lake Pleasant with a buddy, Taj White, and told him, "you tie on whatever you think I should throw – I've got a tournament coming at Pleasant." Taj absolutely smashed them with the Arashi. That's how he found out about the Arashi, and now he says it's the best crankbait he's ever used. Never Lost One Finley says he's n... Full story
"Swimbait" is a broad term – it can mean anything from a grub to a 15-inch trout imitation. They are distinct from crankbaits in design and usually in material – swimbaits tend to be made of softer stuff than crankbaits, but they are all designed to imitate some kind of baitfish. Spring is the perfect time to get acquainted with these baits if you aren't already a fan, so here are some tips to help you improve your swimbait techniques. D-Shad And Fluke Baits These little baits are all the rag... Full story
Photos Courtesy of John and Margie Anderson John and I had been wanting to explore the area southwest of Wikieup for a long time, and we finally got there last month. We honestly didn't even know if there was anything worth seeing back there, but the fact that you would be able to check out the Big Sandy River decided me! Click here for more on Arizona Rivers and Streams. We did this whole trip in one day from Phoenix, so it's doable, but it makes for a very long day. Starting on Highway 93, go... Full story
A lot of old-timers will tell you that the best way for a crappie fisherman to deal with a cold front is to stay home. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the luxury of choosing which days to go fishing. Why does it always seem like the dreaded cold fronts pass through just before the weekend, or right in the middle of the tournament? Crappie Recover Faster The effects of a cold front are particularly devastating in the spring. A five degree drop in surface temperature can drive the fish off... Full story
This is the perfect time of year to take your winter guests or your family to some of the wonderful places in Arizona that get a bit warm in the summertime. We've taken the granddaughters to all of these places, and believe it or not, Trinity tells us that the Hassayampa Preserve was her favorite hike ever! Some of these places are free to visit, and others are not, so I'm including current prices as well as how to get there and what not to miss! Enjoy! Boyce Thompson Arboretum The girls have... Full story
John and I have been wanting to visit Childs for several years now, but the road was closed for a long time. Now that it's open again, we took a day and drove out there. It was a fun ride with a lot of cool stuff to see, and it's one you can do in a passenger car – but let me tell you, it's seriously washboard-y all the way to the split where one road goes to Fossil Creek access and one goes to Childs. Getting There Starting at Camp Verde, take the 260 east to the Fossil Springs road, which i... Full story
The late Aaron Martens, Rick Clunn, Gary Dobyns, and Eddie Johns are four of the most consistently successful anglers I've ever known, but their prowess isn't due just to natural ability, although that does play a part. Aaron was known as a finesse fisherman. People used to say that Rick Clunn was the Zen master of fishing. Gary Dobyns is known as a power fisherman. You may not know Eddie Johns, but if you lived anywhere near him, you'd be familiar with his name. He dominates the tournaments in... Full story
The Isle Switch Aren't all kayaks portable? Well, yes, but not all of them fit into a backpack, pump and all, with the whole package weighing just 19 pounds! The Isle Switch is the ideal kayak/paddle board for fishermen, especially fishermen who travel or who like to fish small waters that are hard to get to. One of the features of this kayak is the flat deck – you sit on a chair that is raised from the deck and there is plenty of room and plenty of straps for your gear -- and they've e... Full story
You most likely already know that bees around the world are in trouble, but they aren't the only pollinators – butterflies, bats, ants, hoverflies, wasps, mosquitos (yes!), beetles, hummingbirds, and even slugs are pollinators, and almost all of them have had their numbers decrease over the last few decades. In fact, they are down to 20% of what they used to be. Think about it. If you've been an Arizonan for long, you probably remember driving down the highway through desert and getting the wind... Full story
Gift-giving season is upon us, and I don’t know about you, but with prices the way they are this year, I’m looking for every opportunity to save a few quid here and there! So this year’s gift list will include quite a few DIY gifts for your outdoor enthusiast, as well as very economical gifts they’ll love! Homemade Trail Mix One thing I learned early on when hiking with the granddaughters is that trail mix is the ultimate snack for the outdoors. We’d snack on it in the car as well as on the tr... Full story
These Are My Favorite Indigenous People's Sites In Arizona. Because my dad was a Chippewa Indian and I'm a registered member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewas, I've always had an interest in the sites around the state that were built by the peoples who lived here long ago. And in fact, many of their descendants live here in Arizona to this day! John and I have visited a lot of the more famous sites with the girls, so I'll start out telling you about those, but I thought I'd also add some... Full story
John and I and Mochi took a fun ride up in the cool pines the other day – it wasn't a ride packed with things to see, but it did take us past Marshall Lake, Upper and Lower Lake Mary, Mormon Lake, and Stoneman Lake – all of which are currently chock full of water! You will need a high-clearance vehicle for this drive, and I'm thinking it could get iffy after a big rain. I'm an Arizona native, but this is the first time I've ever seen water in Stoneman Lake, and the first time I remember see... Full story
Petrified Forest, AZ- Tired of staying indoors from the summer heat? Need to get away from work and the city noise? Hike the beautiful Painted Desert with a Ranger! Enjoy peaceful spectacular fall views of the park while you get some steps in! Hikes are free with entrance fee. Reservations required and limited to 10 participants per hike. Hikers should come prepared with adequate food, water, clothing, footwear, hat, and sunscreen. There is little to no shade on the hikes. No pets (exception... Full story
