Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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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
I'm standing in a small side room at Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery, just off a larger chamber where a dozen concrete raceways lie. Double-doored olive metal cabinets stand against white walls under effusive florescent light. Well-used grease boards smudged with eraser marks under blue-ink to-do lists fit the narrow space on one end opposite an industrial-sized sink. On a long wall, a hygienic 12-foot-long stainless-steel counter is where the work gets done today. Two biologists stand over... 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
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
Water temperatures have declined to 74 F in the morning, rising to 78 in the afternoon. These temperatures coincide with mid-June, which is a transition month for warm-water fish. In the spring, bass get ready to spawn while waiting for the preferred temperature (mid 60s). Shad get active in the low 70s. Stripers spawn when the water temperature rises quickly to the mid 70s. After all the spring time excitement based on water temperature, most fish experience a lull in activity during the 75-80... 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
It's finally getting cool enough to do some exploring and hiking in the central deserts of Arizona. There are plenty of beautiful things to see in the desert - you just have to know where to look. A great place to base your adventure is Wickenburg, which is central to recreational areas, mining towns and sites, hiking trails, and tons of opportunities to learn about the plants and environment of the area. Wickenburg is a thriving town with plenty of places to stay - everything from dude ranches... 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
The inflow to Lake Powell over the past days has exceeded 100,000 acre feet each day. The lake is still rising and will end up at the highest level recorded since 2012. Fish are excited because the lake is now flooding into green brush and trees. Bass and crappie really like brush habitat. Shad love brush because it helps them avoid the constant barrage of predators that have their eye on them. 2016 has been a wonderfully successful fishing year, so far, and it will continue through the summer... Full story
Everything about Realtree is geared toward enjoying and protecting the outdoors. Realtree is once again stepping forward to sponsor National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day). Across the nation, Realtree is conserving our natural resources. The renowned company has set aside funds specifically toward conservation efforts, making it possible for future generations the ability to enjoy the outdoors. "Realtree is the standard when it comes to promoting responsible conservation for our waterways... Full story
Fishing success has been great despite early mid-May's lingering cold and winds. The good news now is that morning water temperatures now exceed 60 degrees, which opens up opportunities for the second round of bass spawning, continuing gizzard shad spawning which will soon be followed by threadfin shad spawning. More forage is on the way for the many predators in Lake Powell. All Fish Are Hungry For this week, all fish are hungry and warming temperatures only increase the desire for food and... Full story
When the weather starts heating up in Arizona, everyone begins to long for a large body of water to dive into. In an ideal situation, this body of water would also be beautiful and have lots of things to do and to look at. This pretty much describes Saguaro Lake in a nutshell. Now before I go getting you all excited about Saguaro, let me first tell you that Saguaro is a very popular lake and if you want to find a parking place for your boat trailer, you need to get there early. Fat Bass Add To L... Full story
If you haven't already, plan to go fishing and boating this year and enjoy the water, starting with Arizona's free fishing day on June 4. Boating and fishing are fun, stress-relieving activities that you can enjoy with your family and friends anytime. Here are just a few reasons why you should get out on the water and start enjoying these activities: Connect with your family: Family fishing is a great way for family members of all ages to connect and have fun. Connect with nature: 90 percent of... Full story
Every spring season, bass and crappie wait for just the right water temperature before spawning. Water temperature at this writing was 57F, which means that on a warm, calm day, the temperature will increase in the afternoon to the 64F threshold where spawning begins. It seems that water has been warmer this spring but looking back through the history of the lake, bass and crappie normally spawn during the third week of April. For those who have not experienced this event, the first week of spaw... Full story
Tip Of The Week From the fishing log: Around this time last year, and in similar water temperatures, the smallmouth bass bite was hot on the Parker Strip section of the Colorado River. Anglers had success on nightcrawlers and assorted soft baits. Worms were also working well for the large hybrid redears known to occupy this stretch of river. Keeping a fishing log - recording dates, times, moon phases, what bait worked (or did not work) for what species and at what water depth/temperature, etc.... Full story
Its time! Choose your species and technique Lake Powell is officially open for fishy business. The lake has now stabilized and is slowly starting to rise. Water temperature is rising. Bass are moving into the shallows. Stripers are found in all portions of the lake. The peak of spring fishing opportunities begins right now. Let's look at each species of fish and what they have to offer. Bass Bass are ready to spawn and lake level is stable. These are perfect conditions for sight-fishing. Male... Full story
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, is once again partnering with National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day) to support the annual celebration, which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24 this year. It is estimated that 38 million Americans are on the water fishing or in the woods hunting. Those individuals buy licenses that help fund conservation around the nation. "As a longtime advocate of outdoor recreation, Yamaha is a strong and highly valued partner," said Misty Mitchell, director of Conservation for...
Lake Powell sportfish were warm and happy when tucked in for the winter in 2015. Shad production has been at peak levels for the past two summer seasons. Gizzard shad dependably produce a consistent number of offspring, but in 2014-2015, threadfin shad were produced in record numbers. Stripers, bass and walleye absolutely "love" threadfin shad. The shad boom came at just the right time for an aging striper population comprised of old stripers that were worn out from searching for the scarce... Full story
'Quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing.' Warm weather is settling in, resulting in big changes in fishing conditions. Shallow colored water warms more quickly than deep clear water. Cold-blooded fish gravitate to and hang out in warmer water. The expected springtime fish movement to shallow, warmer water is now occurring. Stripers that were holding at 40-100 feet can now be found at 15-30 feet. Bass that were in deeper water are making their move to the backs of canyons... Full story
Tip Of The Week At Lake Havasu, a.k.a. Arizona's West Coast, anglers can have banner days on the bedding smallmouth bass. Crappie and largemouth bass will follow with their egg protecting endeavors. (Did I say, "crappie"? Yep, and it looks like Alamo Lake is ripe to be targeted for this great-tasting fish. Just get some good advice from an area tackle shop – if you need it -- and mean business.) The Reel Deal Most bass are in pre-spawn mode in most of the desert lakes. Before recent storms, some... Full story
A draft recreational boating Compatibility Determination for Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is now available for public review and comment. Due to an increase in safety concerns and the protection of wildlife habitat, the Service is in the process of reassessing all boating recreation activities taking place at the Refuge. The Refuge began reevaluating boating usage when the need arose to extend a 17-mile restricted boating area by ½ mile of No-Waterskiing for the safety of the visiting... Full story
The 16th annual International Sportsmen Exposition & Arizona Boat Show has moved across town to WestWorld of Scottsdale. And more than doubled its size! Now there are two full buildings - one for the Arizona Boat Show, and one for the Sportsman Expo, plus vast outside space. All this space will be showcasing more than 100 new exhibitors - 300+ in all. The Valley of the Sun's only boat show will spotlight more than 15 dealers, marinas and marine-accessories companies. Family Entertainment... Full story
