Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 216
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
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,... Website
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
