Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 620
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
'Quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing.' Stripers have moved out of the main channel and toward the backs of canyons. The move indicates that the shad food source has been well used in open water of the channel and bays. Slurping stripers have been relentless in pursuit of small newly-hatched shad. Those shad that have survived are seeking a sanctuary in the brush that now lines the shoreline. Shad have a better chance of avoiding predation if there is some kind of brushy... Full story
When a tagged walleye is caught, take a picture of the fish and then a closeup of the tag number. Contact me with the tag number at 928 645 2392. Send a fishing report indicating how and where the fish was caught. You will then receive a prize donated by Sportsmans Warehouse, Fish Tech Outfitters, Stix Market, or Berkley. Other Fish Biting As Well Other fish are biting as well. Bait fishing continues to provide lots of stripers for anglers using anchovies along steep canyon walls. One... Full story
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting existing national parks and monuments and those yet to be established. By doing so, he not only preserved America's most remarkable natural wonders, but he also created protections for some of the most idyllic fly-fishing locations in North America. 25 Best National Parks to Fly Fish celebrates the phenomenal fly-fis... Full story
Tip Of The Week For those athletic anglers looking for lots of exercise, good fishing, and no crowds, try Chevelon Lake. This steep-sided canyon lake is not shore-angler friendly, so float tubes, canoes or kayaks are almost a must. The hike-in is knee-challenging on the way down and the long hike back up the steep trail will take your breath away in more ways than one. For aging anglers who are out of shape, avoid this lake; it's a cardiac special. New fishing regulations on Chevelon Creek... Full story
For the past eight years when recreational boats have broken down on Lake Pleasant - 300 of them last year alone - the red response boat of Vessel Assist Lake Pleasant has been there to help boaters safely return to the launch ramp. Now the 24-hour on water towing and assistance service has a new name: TowBoatUS Lake Pleasant. The move to rename Vessel Assist to TowBoatUS - with locations in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and British Columbia, Canada - recognizes TowBoatUS's... Full story
