Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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When I saw the Whoopsie Trail on www.trailsoffroad.com, I knew I had to go there. Who can resist a name like that? It's called the Whoopsie because of all the twists and turns and ups and downs it has. This is a high-clearance vehicle road. It can get rough out there, especially after a rain. This is a great winter off-road adventure because it is west of Buckeye. Gillespie Dam As a matter of fact, I talked John into swinging by to look at Gillespie dam again because I just love the way it... Full story
Prespawn can be a difficult time for bass fishermen. Marty Lawrence’s advice on prespawn fishing is “don’t overthink it”. That being said, the man probably has 14 rods on the deck by the end of the day, and several of them will have a Senko tied on. He’ll throw the Senko Texas-rigged, wacky rigged with no weight, or wacky rigged with a nail weight for deeper cover. As for the Texas rigs, he’ll have one with weight pegged or with a bobber stopper, and one unpegged. The Texas rigs are for around... 
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Christmas Gifts For Outdoorsy Types Need some stocking stuffer and gift ideas for your outdoorsy family and friends? Look no further – here are a bunch of great ones at all different price ranges. UNDER $25 STANSPORT knows it's never too early to start kids on a love for the outdoors, and they make it easy for you by providing fun stuff for your little explorers at great prices. For instance, you can get a Kids' Insect Catching Kit for $25.99 and a Kids' Magnifying Jar for 10.99. That will k... Full story
You'll Want To Get Out Of The Car And Explore I'm always on the lookout for a day trip with something to do or see – I love riding around in the Jeep, but it's always better if you see something amazing or fun along the way. Fun stuff can include old cabins, ruins, old wells, springs, waterfalls, lakes, cliffs – pretty much anything that makes you want to get out of the car and explore. However, some of the roads we've been on aren't much along the way, but the view you get at the end is wha... Website
John and I have known fishing legend Fred Ward for many years, but we actually met him in Florida. At that time I was writing for a tiny publication (now defunct) called Arizona Fishing News. My day job, The New Times, sent me to Denver for a week, then to Miami for a week, and as a reward, they gave me a guided fishing trip on Lake Okeechobee and even flew John out there to join me. Fred was guiding for the Roland Martin resort, and when he found out I was a writer, he comped our stay! We got... Full story
The First Rule Is Dress For The Weather I've been a hunter since I was just a kid, and back then I wore whatever my mom and dad bought for me. I also had some Army clothes that were hand-me-downs from my dad, like field jackets, fatigues, and even combat boots. Trust me, those are the last things I'd choose to hunt in nowadays. For one thing, the fatigues and boots were designed for the jungle, not for chasing deer on the North Rim. It's a wonder I didn't freeze to death. But that brings us to... Full story
Visit To View Fantastic Fall Color In Arizona We ran up to NAU last October to visit our granddaughter for her 20th birthday. She's been hiking with us since she was three years old, so naturally we all wanted to go do some hiking in the forest, preferably with lots of fall color. A couple of years ago, her older sister had shown us a fantastic place only about 15 miles north of Flagstaff off Highway 180, so we decided to go there. Colorful Reward To get there, you just take Highway 180 about fi... Full story
When water temperatures start to go down and lake levels begin to rise, crankbait time is here again. Fish start moving up and getting more active, and one of the best ways to find them is to start cranking around the same places you found them during the summer, but shallower. Long points that have good drop-offs to deeper water are prime early-fall areas. Fishing crankbaits is easy, but still requires some effort and attention. You must learn to feel a crankbait while you're fishing it. A lot... Website
When I was a kid, the only things I worried about when I was camping or hunting were bears and mountain lions. As it happens, I've only seen lions two or three times in my life, and each time the lion was hightailing it away from me. And sad to say, I've never seen a bear in the wild. However, I have had plenty of narrow escapes and a few times when I didn't escape some of the dangers that you might run into when you're enjoying Arizona's great outdoors. Most can be avoided if you simply pay... Full story
Compiled By Margie Anderson For the Spring 2021 Hunts – The Spring 2021 Hunt Regulations booklet is available online and in outdoor stores now. Applications must be submitted online at www.azgfd.gov. Applications will be accepted in early to mid-September unless otherwise noted in the Hunt Permit-tag regulation booklet. For spring turkey, spring javelina, spring bison, spring bear, and raptor capture, deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. on October 13, 2020. Hunt permit-tags will be mailed o... Full story
Marc Townsend is one of those guys who can catch fish just about anywhere, and Pleasant is no exception. We went out with him one September and started out fishing very shallow with Yamamoto buzzbaits, literally throwing them right on the bank and dragging them into the water. This works very well when the angler in the front of the boat is throwing the buzzbait, and the angler in the back follows up with a Yamamoto Senko. To Fish A Senko... Website
Compiled by Margie Anderson For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Draw is over. Tags mailed out by Aug 9, 2021.The fall regulations booklet is available online and at outdoor stores. Applications must be submitted online. If tags are left over, first come applications accepted by mail on or after 8:00 a.m. July 26, 2021. Available at Game and Fish offices after 8:00 am Aug 2, 2021. 2021-22 Fees: General Hunting, resident: $37 Non-resident: not available see combination Combination Hunt and fish, resident: $57... Full story
Camping is awesome, especially if you know some basics. Choosing a great spot and setting up a camp site is something I've been doing for decades. Of course, when I first started camping, my dad did most of the choosing, but we all helped set up the camp. Where and how we camp still depends a lot on the purpose of the trip. In other words, are we hunting, fishing, hiking, or just exploring and camping? How elaborate our camp becomes is largely dependent on the answer to that question, but the... Full story
Yamamoto Pro MartyLawrence fishes a lot of night tournaments in the summer, and summer in Arizona means monsoon storms. These storms usually do roll in at night and if you're out on the water, it can mean that jigs and reaction baits can fill the boat in a hurry. He says that a fisherman's best friend in a storm is a Minnkota Ultrex because it will hold your position all night, even if water is coming over the bow. He has actually stayed on the water in those conditions – he just sets the U... Website
Compiled By Margie Anderson Unless you drew a bison permit, there isn't much going on this month except small game, but small game is a great way to get your kids out hunting this summer. Check the Game and Fish website for places to start looking. Also, don't forget to buy your tickets for the Super Raffle! For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Online applications atwww.azgfd.govfor deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, sandhill crane were due by June 8, 2021. Tags mailed out by Aug 9, 2021. If tags... Full story
Everyone loves to show off their outdoor adventures: some hand their phones around at work, others post on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter, some print them out and frame them. Unfortunately, not everyone takes rockin' outdoor photos. If you want to wow your friends, there are a few basic things you should remember when you are taking photos outdoors. Keep Your Lens Clean Even if you're not shooting into the sun, water spots and fingerprints on your lens can make big blurry spots. Specks of dirt... Full story
Daniel Elias found out about the Free Rig in early 2019 from Japanese bass fishermen on Instagram, in posts that weren't even in English. The rig is fairly simple – you use a cylindrical drop shot weight, but instead of a clip, there is just a small loop at the end – a pencil weight with an eye at the top. You simply slide it onto the line before tying on the hook, and it slides freely up and down the line: Free Rig. The Hook Up Tackle (www.thehookuptackle.com) has weights for this technique; ju... Full story
Compiled By Margie Anderson For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Apply online at www.azgfd.govfor deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, sandhill crane by June 8, 2021. Tags mailed out by Aug 9, 2021.The fall regulations booklet is available online and at outdoor stores. Applications must be submitted online. If tags are left over, first come applications accepted by mail on or after 8:00 a.m. July 26, 2021. Available at Game and Fish offices after 8:00 am Aug 2, 2021. ARIZONA BIG GAME SUPER RAFFLE:... Full story
And the best gift of all is your love and your time. If you're like me, your dad probably had a lot to do with your love of the outdoors. A dad who hikes, fishes, hunts, camps, or goes off-road is so easy to buy for! Basically, when I bought stuff for my dad I just bought stuff I'd like to have myself. If that doesn't work for you, I've got some ideas for you. Here's a bunch of stuff I bet your outdoor dad will love. Ideas For The Off-Road Dad John and I go exploring a lot, so I know there are... Full story
I'll never forget the year the All Star Super Team Championship at Lake Pleasant was won with a Carolina rig, and Rob VanderKooi and Lynton Leslie also took second place using the rig. Both before and since that tournament, many others have been won on Pleasant using the same technique. Dean Farrell and Dave Deadman are two other anglers ...... Website
Mother's Day is almost here and if you need ideas for gifts for your adventurous mom, look no further – we've got gifts and adventures here starting at under $20 and something on the list is sure to make your mom smile. Under $20 www.MyTopo.com is the place where you can make Mom a personalized map of her favorite place – that summer cabin, that lake where she and dad honeymooned, the rapids she ran, her favorite camping area, her home neighborhood, her favorite hunting area, or even her fav... Full story
Even if you have to brave the desert heat to fish, it pays to get out on your nearest lake this time of year. Warmer water means active fish, and active fish eat more. Even on the desert lakes, don't make the mistake of thinking that you have to use finesse baits in deep water to be successful – there are always some shallow fish to be had, especially early in the morning and just before dark. Fly Rods Ben Koller of www.thehookupoutfitters.com likes to go after all kinds of fish with a fly r... Website
Mark Kile was the guy to watch at any local tournament a few years back. We were lucky enough to go out with him several times at his home lake, Roosevelt, and he just flat knows how to catch them. This time of year, Kile would be catching forty-plus bass in half a day at Roosevelt, usually with at least one kicker over five pounds. "The fish are moving into the shallows," he'd say, "and some of them are spawning." Kile says that throwing a worm in a channel three to five feet deep will often... Full story
Camping is a blast – there's nothing quite as nice as sleeping outdoors, watching the fire, roasting marshmallows, and cooking out in the open. Everything seems to taste better outdoors. As I've said before, people who say they don't like camping probably mean that they don't like being uncomfortable all night. Where and how you set up your campsite has a lot to do with how comfortable you're going to be. As a kid, I camped countless times with my dad and siblings, and now John and I camp f... Full story
The legend is that an angler eating lunch on the lake accidently dropped a spoon overboard. As he watched the silver spoon drift downward, sun glinting off the handle and bowl, he saw a fish dart out and try to eat it. A typical angler, this guy was inventive and always looking for a new bait, so he went home, sawed up some spoons, and put hooks and a place to tie the line on them. Voila! A new killer lure is born! All Designed To Do Same Thing Today's spoons are usually store-bought, and they... Full story
