Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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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 ...... 
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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
For the Fall 2021 Hunt: Apply online at www.azgfd.govfor deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, sandhill crane.The fall regulations booklet usually comes out during May and is available online and at outdoor stores.Applications are usually accepted from sometime in May until early June. Details will be in the regulations booklet and online. If tags are left over, first come applications accepted by mail during certain dates. Available at Game and Fish offices after 8:00 am. Again,...
I will never forget the first (and last!) time I got lost. I was deer hunting with my dad and my brother in Kaibab on the North Rim. I was walking through the forest with my dad and got sidetracked by something, and before I knew it, I was lost. Dad was nowhere in sight and of course, I had paid absolutely NO attention to our ramble so I had no idea where camp was. The first thing I did was start running around hollering for my dad. No answer. I was about ten years old and I was panicked, but th... Full story
The names Bobby and Garry Garland will be enshrined in the fishing hall of fame for all time because of the Gitzit, the original tube bait. The brothers invented the lure to help them catch the finicky fish on Mead, and it is still one of the best finesse baits ever designed. There are tons of knock-offs, but a lot of anglers insist that the original Gitzit is the best. We met up with Garry many years ago and fished Roosevelt with him. When Conditions Are Tough ...... Website
The year 2020 saw a lot of people venturing into the outdoors for the first time. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, this past year 6.2 million new shooters took up the sport. There was also a spike in camping and other outdoor activities. Some people were afraid to gather together inside, but outside is a different matter. If you are one of the newbies, I hope you continue to enjoy the outdoors this year and for many years to come. Many Good Reasons There are a lot of good... Full story
Ben Matsubu once took sixth place in a WON Bass Tri-State Championship on Mead with a split-shot rig. He said he watched another guy fish a bank and catch nothing, then Ben went behind him with a split-shot rig and caught eleven fish off that same bank. A split-shot rig is hard to beat when fish are cold and sluggish, and won't move far or take a big bait. Set Themselves ...... Website
Don Ashford is an Arizona fisherman who participates in tournaments just about every other weekend all over the state. This means he spends a lot of time on the road towing his boat under all kinds of conditions. At one of the tournament series, every fisherman had his name put in a pot after each tournament, and at the end of the season one lucky guy got his name drawn to win a custom-built Kokopelli Trailer. That lucky guy was Don Ashford. "My 2000 Ranger trailer was wearing out," Don says, "... Full story
Winter is the perfect time of year to visit the lower Colorado River lakes because the weather is fantastic. Martinez Lake is typical of the southern Colorado River Lakes: reedy and shallow, it still holds plenty of fish of all different species. You can have fun at Martinez even if you don’t fish, but if you do like to fish you can go after bass, crappie, catfish (channels and flatheads), carp, tilapia, sunfish, stripers, and even bullfrogs. Highly Developed Martinez is highly developed – the... Full story
December 2020 Hunting Calendar Compiled By Margie Anderson Applications for Spring Turkey, Javelina, Bison, Bear, and Raptor Capture were accepted until October 13, 2020. Permits will be mailed out by December 4, 2020. 2020-21 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,... Full story
I've been camping for a very long time. When I was a kid, camping was usually in conjunction with hunting or scouting, and my dad had so much camping gear the truck was really loaded down. The only part I didn't like about camping back then was putting things away. Nowadays, since there are so many great light-weight options for camping gear, we camp even more often. Here are some tips and gear that will make your next camping trip easier. These also make great gifts for the campers on your... Full story
Years go by and fishermen change, but the bass sure don't. We went fishing at Roosevelt one November many years ago with an AllStar Bass angler named Dave Prothe, and he schooled us on spinnerbaits and crankbaits in cold weather. Baits To Start We started out with spinnerbaits and crankbaits on a rocky bank where the channel swings in close to shore – in the Tonto end across from Cholla on the edge of Goose Flats. The boat was sitting in just three feet of water. Dave says that when the water s... Full story
This is the absolute perfect time of year for a day trip in the desert – the weather is usually fantastic in November, and if there are any colors to be seen, this is the month for desert trees to change color. I’ll give you some ideas for an off-road trip, a train ride, one for high-clearance vehicles, and one for passenger cars. How’s that for variety? Off-Road: China Dam... Website
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-resident: $20/day There are also fees for permit-tags and nonpermit-tags. See the 2020-2021 Hunting Regulations at www.azgfd.com for details. Report Vandalism: 1-800-VANDALS Report poachers: Operation Game Thief 800-352-0700 rewards... Full story
Bass Pro Brett Hite has won over $1.6 million fishing tournaments. We got to go out with him on Bartlett a couple of years ago, and he gave us some great fall fishing tips. He's a cool guy. Keep It Basic Brett says keep it basic in the fall. He likes topwater, jigs, and drop shot rigs for the most part this time of year. He took us into the river at Bartlett and fished rocky banks that pretty much no one else fished, targeting banks on the deeper side of the river channel where it swings close... Full story
Flagstaff We went up to Flagstaff at the beginning of September, and even at that altitude, it was still warm. We even went way up the mountain to hike the Kachina Trail and it was still warm in the sun. But Kachina is a gorgeous trail and in October, it should be a glorious time to do that hike. The Kachina is very long and joins a lot of other nice long hikes on the mountain. It is an out-and-back trail, so we usually just hike until we decide we need to turn back. To get to the Kachina... Full story
Curt Rambo is arguably the best crappie jigger in Arizona. We've been fishing with Curt for decades, and he knows Roosevelt like the back of his hand. While bass fishermen will tell you that staying on one spot too long is a big mistake, the opposite is true with crappie, according to Rambo. A tournament angler is on the hunt for big fish. Curt, on the other hand, just wants to have a good time and put some dinner in the livewell, since he has all but given up guiding. His Te... Website
There Are Beautiful Drives Near Alpine And Springerville If you're looking to get out of the heat and see some gorgeous country where it's cool and green, I've got the perfect road trip for you. If you've ever been to Alpine or Springerville, you already know how pretty the Apache-Sitgreaves Forest is, and I've got a couple of back-road drives for you that don't require 4WD. In fact, we saw a lot of RV's on the second part of our road trip. The First Leg The first leg of our trip starts just... Full story
Maps Are Guides To So Many Cool Spots In Arizona Somebody asked me recently how John and I find so many cool places around Arizona. The answer is maps. I have a lot of maps. When we were planning our recent trip to Williams, I spread several maps out on the kitchen table: a DeLorme Atlas and Gazettee; a Forest Service Map of Kaibab National Forest Williams, Chalendar and Tusayan Ranger Districts; a National Geographic Trails Illustrated Topographic map of Sycamore Canyon and Verde Valley... Full story
We went to Roosevelt one night with Clifford Pirch, and I was a bit surprised when he started throwing a spinnerbait. He explained that with a spinnerbait, you can cover quite a bit of water fairly quickly, looking for active fish, and even in the dark, a single large Colorado blade thumping along really gets attention. Spinnerbaits are also resistant to snagging on rocks and submerged trees. When you're fishing one at night, a dark color is best so it silhouettes against the sky. Hop It Up And... Website
