Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Willow Springs Lake isn't the only lake on the Rim with bass, but it's one of the largest, and certainly one of the most popular. A lifelong resident of Pinetop, Ariz., TV host Johnny Johnson has spent countless days on Willow Springs fishing for bass. His television show, Fishing With Johnny Johnson, often features the lake as well. "My biggest bass from this lake was almost nine pounds," he says. A lot of anglers are surprised that such big largemouth are found in a lake in the high country,... 
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Surprise Dad With The Perfect Gift/Gifts If you're lucky enough to have a dad who loves the outdoors and shares his adventures with you, Father's Day is a great time to show your appreciation by giving him a little something to make his outdoor times even better. I've included ideas at many different price points, so hopefully you will find something that you think is just perfect for your dad. Fishing Dads Baits There are so many options if your dad likes to fish! Is he a bass fisherman? Head f... Full story
The key to enjoying a night fishing trip is organization. If you have all the equipment you need, and everything is kept where it should be, fishing in the dark is a real pleasure no matter what kind of fish you're after. Art Chamberlin has a lot of experience fishing at night, so he knows all the tricks that make night fishing fun and easy. Black Lights Black lights are a huge help when paired with fluorescent line at night. The black light makes the line glow, so you can see it jump or move... Full story
May is when we celebrate our moms, and if your mom is the outdoors type, I've got lots of ideas for special gifts. The great thing about gifts for camping is that many of them do double or even triple duty: They're great for camping, but also for survival and for moms who are preppers. So here are a bunch of ideas for your mom, whether she camps, off-roads, hikes, hunts, preps, fishes, or all of the above. Biolite Campstove 2 Bundle I've written about the BioLite CampStove before because I have... Full story
Television host and musician Johnny Johnson has lived in Lakeside for most of his life and knows these lakes intimately. He lives about five minutes from Rainbow Lake, and spends time on the water nearly every day. Johnny is an avid fisherman and has a good record as a tournament bass fisherman. He is probably one of the best-known bass fishermen in Arizona because of his television show Fishing with Johnny Johnson. ...... Website
The Japanese have a term "Shinrinyoku" that literally means "forest therapy". They know that getting outdoors soothes your soul and relaxes your mind. It is really good for kids to get outdoors and be able to run and play and explore nature – and yes, even get really dirty. My dad started taking me camping and hunting when I was very young, and I always love the feeling that you get when you leave the city behind. To this day, it lifts my spirits to get out where there are no buildings in v... Full story
You can still get to Apache Lake – you just have to go to Roosevelt Lake and drive south from there. Right now the Apache Trail is still washed out, but access to the lake from the north is still possible. You may not remember the name Casey Iwai – he was a youngster who was quite a stick back in the day. He even fished the Bassmaster trail for a year and was featured on their television coverage. He had a great reputation in the tournament circles in Arizona as well. Casey is now a doctor, but... Website
Nitro and Bass Pro Shops pro Matt Shura has been fishing bass tournaments since he was just a kid, and in fact, he held the state record for largemouth bass for some time a few years back. If you go to the fishing seminars at the Mesa Bass Pro Shop store, you've seen him there and probably heard some great bass fishing tips from him. Rig It Straight Matt took us to Saguaro in March and showed us how to fish one of his favorite early spring baits – the Reaction Innovations Little Dipper. This bai... Full story
Ever since I read about this loop, I've wanted to do it – the loop takes you through five ghost towns in southern Arizona, and it goes through some seriously beautiful country, too. We made Patagonia our headquarters for this adventure, and we did some great side trips as well. We devoted three days to this trip: a day to drive down to Patagonia with some side trips, a day to do the loop, and a day to drive home, again with some side trips. Picacho Peak State Park, Madera Canyon We stopped at P... Full story
This is a huge year for Dylan with tournaments and marriage ahead. We wish him well. February can be a tough month at Bartlett. The water isn't warm yet, but it's coming, and a degree or two a day can put the bass in pre-spawn mode. This time of year, Dylan Maxon reaches for a big spinnerbait to get a limit at Bartlett. Dylan is a long-time tournament bass fisherman with some great sponsors – Signature Gates and Welding (the owner is another great fisherman – Kevin Finley), Irod Fishing Rod... Full story
The ruins at Anderson Mill are sizable and a lot of fun to explore. There are stairs to climb and a great view from the top. We've been there twice, and took a different route each time, so I'm going to tell you about both. I recommend going there via San Domingo Wash, and returning via Little San Domingo Wash because both routes have interesting things to see. Processes Ores The mill itself used to process ores like pegmatite, and there are lots of mines around the mill. Pegmatite is igneous ro... Full story
McMillan Stocks pro and Nitro State Team member Kevin Finley runs up to Lake Pleasant frequently – he lives close by, so he has become extremely familiar with this lake. Pleasant has a reputation as a tough lake to fish, but Kevin always manages to pull a few out of the water, and usually some big ones, even in January.... Website
Arizona is such a diverse and beautiful state – we are blessed with everything from deserts to alpine areas. One of the organizations I appreciate most is the Nature Conservancy – they actually buy some of the most delicate and beautiful places, restore them if necessary, and keep them protected. In Arizona there are 12 preserves, protecting more than a million and a half acres.... Website
One of the best things about enjoying the outdoors is that you can do it no matter what your age or activity level is, and it doesn't matter if you live in town or out in the country. When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to live near a big desert area in town, and my dad regularly took us out camping and hunting, but even if I were just hanging around the house, I could lie on my belly in the grass and watch the bugs and the birds in our backyard. So, whether you're looking for a gift for a... Full story
AZ Lakes, AZ Pros: Daniel Pecotte At RooseveltDaniel Pecotte of Holbrook has been fishing for bass Roosevelt for many years, and he says that winter is the trickiest time – it's harder to get them to eat. The fish move out deeper and school up, so when you find them you usually find a bunch, but since their metabolism is so slow in the winter, they don't attack a lure the way they might in the summer. Pay Attention To find them pay attention to areas where they don't have to go far to feed, s... Website
Cool Days Mean Great Crappie Fishing Cool days mean great crappie fishing, and nobody knows Roosevelt crappie better that Curt Rambo, Leroy Price, and Art Chamberlin. Curt is a jig guy and Art and Leroy like to troll. Here's how they do it. "I drive around and look for brush in twenty to thirty feet of water," Rambo explains. "Sometimes it takes an hour to find a good spot, and sometimes you don't find one all day." Just about any cove with submerged brush can be good. Drop A Jig Down There Look... Full story
Compiled By Margie Anderson October is a great month for hunters, with opportunities for many species even if you didn't draw a tag. Visit the Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.com for more info on hunts as well as where and how to hunt different species. 2019 Fees: General Hunting, resident: $37 Non-resident: not available see combination Combination Hunt and fish, resident: $57 Non-resident: $160 Youth combination hunt and fish (ages 10-17), resident: $5 Non-resident: $5 Short-term... Full story
Canyon Lake We recently took a tour on Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake and it was great – in fact, it was even better than I expected. We met our best friends Ron and Debbie at the lake, and we brought our two college-aged granddaughters with us. The tour we chose was a special one: the Bighorn Sheep Tour. There were a bunch of Arizona Game and Fish experts on board with us, as well as several guys from the Arizona Bighorn Sheep Society. It was an amazing day. Over 50 Sheep! John and I have f... Full story
An old friend of ours, Tony Gaillombardo, has been fishing since he was five years old. He hosted Fishing Arizona, a local television show, for a year, and pro-staffer for Mepps and Mister Twister for many years. He's got an extensive collection of antique lures, and although he specializes in bass fishing, he also fishes for trout, catfish, sunfish, and even crawdads. He took us up to Bartlett one fall and we caught a ton of fish. As soon as the water starts to cool off in the fall, bass move... Website
Almost thirty-five years ago, John and I and our American Brittany, Katie, went to Haigler Creek for the weekend. We camped in the woods right next to the creek and never saw anyone else the whole time we were there. Recently, John and I and our French Brittany, Mochi, went back to Haigler Creek just for a ride to get out of the heat. It makes for a great day trip, especially if you take the dirt roads down through Young afterwards and head north from there. Through Young The main road north... Full story
Apache Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Arizona, and because the road is not paved, Apache rarely gets crowded, even in summer. Fishing can be awesome here, with largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, trout, yellow bass, catfish, carp, sunfish and crappies all represented. From the main marina west to Horse Mesa Dam the shoreline is mostly steep and rocky. Several good-sized coves cut into the shoreline, though, and provide plenty of good shallow-water fishing at this end, too. Right... Full story
If you go to the Mesa Bass Pro Shops bass seminars, you've probably seen Jerry Weston. If not, get out there and meet a bunch of Arizona bass pros! Jerry was kind enough to take us out to Bartlett Lake one morning and show us how he puts fish in the boat during these dog days. GOOD CATCH! - Ron Flewellen's kids show off their striper catch. The water temperature was in the high 80's right from the get-go, but it was cloudy and the barometer was falling, so Weston opted for a reaction bait first... Website
For The Fall 2019 Hunt If tags are left over, first-come applications accepted by mail on or after July 22. Available at Game and Fish offices after 8 a.m. July 29 for all the above except crane and raptor. 2019 Fees • General Hunting, resident: $37 Non-resident: not available; see combination • Combination Hunt and fish, resident: $57 Non-resident: $160 • Youth combination hunt and fish (ages 10-17), resident: $5 Non-resident: $5 • Short-term combination license, resident: $15/day, Non-res... Full story
This Is A Seriously Fun Trip Living in Phoenix means that it is too darn hot to ride around in the desert in the summer, at least for me – and I'm a native. So when the temperatures get into the hundreds, we take to the hills like a lot of folks in Arizona. A couple of weeks ago we took what we call a "truck trip" – that means a road trip that doesn't require the side by side, so if it involves dirt roads, they are usually pretty tame. This trip was one I really enjoyed because we saw a lot of c... Full story
Years ago, pro bass angler Gregg Warne took us out to Roosevelt for some night fishing one August and taught us how to fish a football head jig at night. A football head jig is just what it sounds like – the lead is shaped like a football and they are usually pretty heavy. We usually fish a one-ounce jig at night, and everyone calls them “one-tonners”. On the beefy hook, you rig a Yamamoto Hula Grub, which is a soft plastic bait with a skirt at the top that snugs up against the jighead, a chubb... Website
