Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 1 - 12 of 12
PHOENIX - Though conditions remain very dry and several major wildfires continue to burn in our state, some lakes remain open and many have been stocked by the Arizona Game and Fish Department with trout or catfish for anglers to enjoy this weekend. Lakes that are currently accessible are: Show Low as well as Show Low Creek in the Pinetop/Show Low area Goldwater, Lynx, Granite Basin, Watson and Fain lakes in the Prescott area Mormon Lodge Pond south of Flagstaff and Frances Short Pond in... Full story
AZGFD’s Canyon Creek Hatchery will provide some trout for the department's Community Fishing Program waters this winter. The current drought conditions have caused reduced spring water flows at the hatchery, making it difficult to maintain the quality water flow needed to support the large number of fish in its raceways. Utilizing some of the fish for winter stockings in community waters will reduce numbers of trout at the hatchery and help ensure the fish there have adequate water to grow a... 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
Tip Of The Week For rainbow trout in the high country, PowerBait and worms are still the best baits, but trout are also more willing to chase down a lure in these cooler water temperatures than they would during the warm summer months. You can cover a lot of ground by casting a Panther Martin spinner or Kastmaster. Some anglers choose to fish bait on one rod while casting a lure with a second rod to find what the fish are hitting. The new license structure allows the use of two rods with any... Full story
Tip Of The Week Fishing for largemouth bass is excellent at Bartlett Lake. Crankbaits are hot, and here's a tried-and-true bass-snatcher: the Rapala Shad Rap. Get a 3-inch version. Then tie it to 8-pound test line, fish islands, points and rocky shorelines, and if conditions are favorable, anglers could have a good shot at some bass strikes. Have fun! The Reel Deal In the desert impoundments, predatory fish have become more active. Crankbaits and buzzbaits and jigs are drawing increasingly more... Full story
Tip Of The Week Hello, Anglers: Top-water lovers should consider setting up a variety of fishing rods with different plugs so that when the action is heated, you'll be better prepared for what they're biting. Binoculars can be used to spot boils. Boat to the side of a boil and, if possible, cast past a boil and work the lure back through it. The Reel Deal Brown Trout They often flop from the water, or twist and tangle line. Clever and elusive, brown trout are one of the state's top sport fish... Full story
Hello, anglers, It's a good time to round up some swim baits and Roboworms and head to the Phoenix area (if you aren't already there) to do some bassin'. High temperatures are beginning to rise back into the 70s. We're stocking rainbow trout into Canyon Lake, land of the lunkers. Avoid Canyon Lake if you want great catch rates, but for something to hang on the wall, come here and throw some big swim baits (that represent the stocked trout). Plus, the scenery is exceptional. Apache Lake is a grea... Full story
By Nick Walter, AZGFD Hello, anglers, Get ready for more winter trout stockings; they began Jan. 13 in the Verde River (Clarkdale to Camp Verde), Fain Lake, the Lower Salt River, Saguaro Lake, Patagonia Lake, Pena Blanca Lake, Fortuna Pond and Redondo Pond. See our nifty Fish&Boat Arizona map for finding the state's best fishing and boating spots. In addition to an incredible turnout for the kickoff fishing clinic and trout stocking at Pioneer Lake in Peoria, we received some great anglers... Full story
Now that's it's early November, we're getting some wonderful northern pike fishing in Upper Lake Mary. Lake Mary, although water levels are low, is a viable fishing option - it also has walleye, yellow perch and largemouth bass. What's more, there are no boat motor restrictions. At the Mogollon Rim lakes, skim ice began to develop on cold nights along the shoreline of the higher elevation lakes, but has been melting off by mid-day. Trout Are 'Cool' Cooler temperatures are ideal for trout, and... Full story
Tip Of The Week When trout are more active. it's sometimes better to use lures rather than bait, especially inline spinners such as Mepps, Rooster Tails and the like. Casting spoons, such as KastMasters, can sometimes be downright lethal. Also try rainbow-colored Rapalas. The larger, more voracious trout will often feed on the smaller ones. The Reel Deal The window of sunlight that blasts our waters is increasingly short-lived, leading to the first hints of fall fishing conditions. First,... Full story
Many hunters, anglers and other outdoor recreationists have been wondering how the current federal government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, will impact their upcoming outings. Despite closures by federal land management agencies of their administrative offices and some controlled access points and facilities, there are numerous opportunities available to Arizonans for outdoor recreation. Please keep in mind that, with regard to federal lands, official information on closures is the responsibilit... Full story
Even though each night is two minutes longer, the nighttime temperatures still remain in the upper 70s and 80s, so our larger desert impoundments are experiencing a slow cool down this season so far. However, in the high country the nights are into the 50s or cooler, so the transition to fall conditions will be more pronounced and the fish should be getting increasingly active. Transition Time This is really a transition time of year from summer to autumn conditions. As the water cools, the... Full story
