Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 625
CELL POWER -- Dan Wilcox (Web master extraordinaire) of Lions Light Corporation shows that even from a distance, modern technology allows him to carry on with his business. He and his wife Lea are "on the road" in their new RV, stopping here at Cudjoe Key, Fla. KAYAKS - As shown on the cover of this issue and as Dallas Shewmaker of Lower Gear writes in his article "Arizona Anglers Get Hooked On Kayak Fishing" (page 1), more and more boaters are making "the shift to the 'Tupperware Navy'." This... Full story
We thank Dallas Shewmaker of Lower Gear for reminding us of another way, of so many, to enjoy the Southwest's outdoors, specifically on the water. The "lower-gear" option for anglers is becoming more and more popular, and he urges those who are considering making a shift to kayaks to "try one on for size". Kayaks, boating in general, and fishing are just a few of the ways to participate in and enjoy the plethora of resources and activities available to outdoors enthusiasts. During our publicatio... Full story
Action: Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) will close to salmon fishing Feb. 11. Effective Date: Feb. 11, 2017, until further notice. Species affected: Salmon. Location: Marine Area 7. Reason for action: Preliminary estimates and fishery projections indicate that Marine Area 7 will exceed the allowable limit of total chinook encounters – including both retained and released fish – prior to the planned April 30 closure date. The fishery is being temporarily closed until early April to allow the... Full story
There are just five months to go until the 9th annual Yellowtail Derby that start on April 29. The goal is to have over 200 of the best SoCal (and beyond) anglers in the competition. More entries add up to larger payouts. We are offering a Block Buster Early Bird Entry of $45 (until Jan. 31) promo with a $10 entry for Juniors. Junior awards, both Mondays and Fridays, are for Small-Fry (up to 9 years old) and Juniors (11 to 16 years old). "Miss Yellowtail Derby 2017" will be announced in... Full story
In Arizona, winter doesn't have to mean sending boats and rods and reels into hibernation. While outdoor recreation opportunities across many U.S. states shut down during the season of freeze, Arizona rolls on with trout stockings and water temperatures just warm enough to convince fish to bite during the holidays. Although fishing tends to slow a tad this time of the year, there are some spots that are winter-friendly. Here, then, are the Arizona Game and Fish Department's top-five fishing... Full story
Tip Of The Week Bartlett Lake in the Tonto National Forest can be a great place for winter crappie and bass. Some of the best crappie fishing can be done in the cold of the morning - then anglers can switch to bass. Consider throwing crankbaits and spinnerbaits with a slow presentation. Trailers on spinnerbaits, and slow-rolling across the rock stringers, can work well at times. Once you get a feeling for where the bass are holding, switch to the finesse style of drop-shotting. Did you know the... Full story
January 23, 2017 – Alexandria, VA – On the day before President Obama left office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an edict to phase out the use of traditional fishing tackle on the hundreds of thousands of square miles of public lands under its management. Director’s Order No. 219 will, “require the use of nontoxic ammunition and fishing tackle to the fullest extent practicable for all activities on Service lands, waters and facilities by January 2022, except as needed for law enforce... Full story
Publisher's Note: We at Arizona Boating & Watersports / Western Outdoor Times would like to congratulate Don McDowell. His hard work, perseverance, and dedication to preserving our wildlife has been acknowledged by his being awarded the AZGF Commission Advocate Of The Year (Federal). McDowell has worked tirelessly for many years to preserve our outdoor heritage. He is a valuable asset to the State of Arizona and the country as well. We hope that those who are responsible for making decisions... Full story
We are in one of the best times of year for striper fishing. With anglers filling their coolers with these awesome tasting fish, we thought it would be a great idea to share some cooking recipes with you. A common question from anglers is what are some ways to cook these fish? Striper Taco Tuesday - (If you like fish tacos, try this recipe.) Take fillets and cut them into 5-inch long and 1.5-inch wide strips. Use an egg wash (beat eggs in a bowl) to coat fish. After coating... Full story
Caught a tiger trout, yet? Try fishing the shorelines at Woods Canyon Lake. Some of our biologists were on the water at Woods Canyon, located on the Mogollon Rim, electrofishing from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. for two days and caught more than 100 tiger trout. "This number of tiger trout was interesting to us because we usually pick up few trout by boat electrofishing," AZGFD Reservoir Biologist Sally Petre said. "It seems as though the tiger trout behave a bit differently than rainbow trout and hang out... Full story
Alexandria, VA – December 15, 2016 – The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) www.asafishing.org, along with other associations in the outdoor recreation industry, expressed support today for the nomination of Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) to be the next Secretary of the Interior. “In Rep. Zinke, President-Elect Trump has tapped a true leader and a sportsman to run the agency that oversees much of America’s natural resources and public parks and lands that are so important to fishing and hunting... Full story
Niko Romero has been fishing since he was a toddler, and fished his first tournament at age eight. He fishes Phoenix Junior Bassmasters, Phoenix High School Bassmasters, Wild West Bass Trail, and JML Outdoors. He already has a slew of sponsors, too, and he's only 14 years old. Niko is an avid bass angler who spends just about every free minute on the water, gaining the skills that made him the 2015 TBF Arizona Junior State Bass Fishing Champion and the 2015 TBF Junior Angler of the year. He... Full story
The trout have made their annual Thanksgiving comeback to Tempe Town Lake. The City of Tempe and Arizona Game and Fish Department hosted the annual Welcome Back the Trout Celebration Tuesday, Nov. 25 at the SRP Tempe Town Lake Marina. Families and community members were invited to come down and watch as thousands of rainbow trout from the Department's Page Springs Hatchery are released into Town Lake. "'Welcome Back the Trout' is an annual tradition in Tempe that the city is proud to present... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has recently stocked thousands of catchable size rainbow trout into many of the White Mountain lakes. This gives anglers an extra incentive to get out to the lakes this fall. Show Low Lake was stocked with 4,000 rainbow trout. Bear Canyon and Willow Springs Lake received 5,000 fish each. Another 7,000 trout went into Woods Canyon Lake. Fool Hollow Lake and River Reservoir each received 8,000 trout. The AZGFD hatcheries had a surplus of fish that... Full story
Alexandria, VA – December 12, 2016 – Over the weekend, the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive maritime infrastructure bill that drew a mixed reaction from the recreational fishing industry. By a 78-21 vote, the Senate passed the “Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN),” which had been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier last week. The WIIN Act now heads to the President’s desk for his signature. The American Sportfishing Association (ASA - http://ww... Full story
Alexandria, VA – December 13, 2016 – Several regional and national recreational fishing organizations submitted official comments to NOAA Fisheries opposing listing Pacific bluefin tuna as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The letter was in response to a petition filed earlier this year to ban all fishing, including recreational fishing, for Pacific bluefin tuna in U.S. waters. In the letter, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA - http://www.asafishing.org ), the Coa... Full story
Lake Powell fish are in transition mode with day length getting shorter while air temperature is cooling. Water temperature and lake elevation have stayed stable during the past three weeks. Elevation is 3610 and temperature holding at 70 degrees. The main change is fish location. Keep An Open Mind Bass are moving up on shore, stripers are on the move and shad are split between hiding in the backs of canyons while some are going deep in open water. My best advice is to keep an open mind and an... Full story
Even at their lowest throttle, sterndrives and outboards can rarely power a boat at an optimal trolling speed. Many gamefish simply won't chase and strike at a lure that's moving too fast. The updated Happy Troller from Davis Instruments slows even large engines when deployed, increases stability when cruising, and now has a 45° setting for added flexibility. Built to last in fresh and saltwater, the Happy Troller is made from high-quality stainless steel components and hardware, and anodized... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today took action to further protect redband rainbow trout at Lake Roosevelt, a Columbia River reservoir in northeast Washington. The commission voted to change the daily catch limit on trout at Lake Roosevelt and extend a closure in a section of the Sanpoil River during a trout spawning period. Redband trout are a subspecies of rainbow trout found in the Columbia River and its tributaries. The modifications were approved during a c... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has awarded $75,000 in grant funding for local sportsmen's organizations to provide public, hands-on, mentored projects focused on the retention of new hunters and anglers. Of 22 proposals submitted in this latest grant cycle, 16 were approved by a three-member panel that rated and scored the proposals. The grants were awarded through a competitive application process that closed July 14. "The Local Sportsmen's Group grant program is an investment in local... Full story
Tip Of The Week For our desert lakes, predatory fish activity will be building toward a fall-time frenzy. Bass in particular will feed heavily to prepare for winter conditions. For anglers, that means now is the best time to hook into actively feeding bass. The Reel Deal The first hints of fall means fishing is about to bust loose. Nights are getting noticeably cooler, putting bass in the mood to chase reaction baits and trigger some of the best high-country trout fishing of the year. Remember:... Full story
September 8, 2016 Contact: Larry Phillips 360-902-2721 Olympia – Anglers claimed more than 340 prizes during the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) first annual statewide fishing derby. The trout derby ran from April 23 through Sept. 6, with more than 130 license dealers donating prizes, including charter fishing trips, gift cards, and rod and reel combos. The department planted more than 700 tagged fish in lowland lakes this spring. Anglers lucky enough to catch one of the... Full story
September 8, 2016 Action: Anglers are required to release chinook salmon that have a ¼-inch diameter (round) hole punched in the upper lobe of the caudal (tail) fin Effective dates: Sept. 15 – Oct. 31, 2016 Species affected: Fall chinook salmon (hatchery and wild) Location: Columbia River from the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco to Chief Joseph Dam Reason for action: Fall chinook salmon are sedated in a chemical anesthetic, MS-222, during sampling at the Priest Rapids Dam. The U.S. Food and Drug Ad... Full story
September 8, 2016 Contact: Kyle Adicks, (360) 902-2664 OLYMPIA – Anglers will have the opportunity to fish for coho salmon in Lake Washington starting Sept. 16, state salmon managers announced today. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) initially planned to keep Lake Washington closed to salmon fishing due to the low number of coho forecast to return to the watershed this year. However, the number of fish passing through the Ballard Locks in early September indicates a much s... Full story
Aug. 8, 2016 Contact: Commission Office, (360) 902-2267 OLYMPIA – Washington sport anglers soon will have two new options for fishing licenses after action taken by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission at its August meeting. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), voted to establish an all-inclusive, annual fishing license at its meeting in Olympia. The Fish Washington license will allow anglers t... Full story