Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Beginning Oct. 1, Maricopa County's Parks and Recreation Department will bring back the Buy One, Get One campaign. The campaign allows park visitors who pay the camping fee for one night, or more, at a desert mountain county park to receive one night of equal or lesser value for free at any of the county's desert parks during that same stay. "This is the sixth year the department has offered the Buy One, Get One promotion, and it is by far, one of the Parks Department's most popular campaigns.... Full story
This is the second of several boating-safety quizzes offered to educate (or remind) boaters of some important guidelines. Although they may be helpful, it is recommended that all who recreate on and near the water take a boating-safety class. (See page 3 of this issue for a list of current classes.) This recommendation is for both new boaters and for seasoned ones who would benefit from an update. There is a prize for the first one who answers all questions correctly and e-mails those answers... Full story
How Did You Do? A free one-year subscription to the print version of Arizona Boating & Watersports/Western Outdoor Times will be awarded to the first person who answers all the questions correctly and emails those answers to jim@azbw.com. Note: Be sure to include both the questions and their answers in your email and put QUIZ ANSWERS in the subject line. 1, Type 4 PFD 2. False 3. One short blast 4. Lake Pleasant 5. Danger 6. Stand on Vessel 7. One prolong blast 8. 2 and a ski flag 9. Not... Full story
Arizona Game & Fish offers many boating safety classes. You may see these on page three of our print version each month. Arizona Game and Fish officers stopped a personal watercraft rider on Lake Pleasant last weekend for not wearing his life jacket, and that may have saved his father's life. On the morning of July 4, Game and Fish Officers Bryan Marshall and David Mayer saw 19-year-old Hoy Lam on a red Sea Doo personal watercraft (PWC) leaving the Lake Pleasant boat launch area without a life... Full story
Tip Of The Week Try Apache Lake for something different. Here, crappie and walleye are other tasty options. Fish some of Apache's heavy breaks where shallow water quickly becomes deep. It has really become a tremendous largemouth bass fishery. There are also plentiful yellow bass, which are a lot of fun to catch on light tackle. Apache Lake also has a healthy herd of bighorns. So be sure to take a camera - this is one of our most photogenic lakes. The Reel Deal Summer is hot and sticky and... Full story
Are catfish limits too liberal at Arizona Lakes? Would you like to see more opportunity to catch Arizona’s native trout species? In order to best manage fish populations, simplify and streamline regulations, and incorporate public request, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is evaluating these fishing regulation changes. The department is conducting a series of public meetings during July to provide information on the proposed fishing regulation changes and solicit comment. The meeting s... Full story
This letter from the Arizona Yacht Club (AYC) begins to explain one of the unique boating opportunities in Arizona's desert. Welcome to the Arizona Yacht Club! Peter Lehrach, commodore 2014-2015, writes, "The Arizona Yacht Club has enabled sailing in the desert since 1958. Most of our sailing is in the Phoenix area at Lake Pleasant and Tempe Town Lake but we've been known to proudly fly our burgees around the world. "If you're new, there are many great ways to learn more about our club. I... Full story
Lake Pleasant Sailing Club (LPSC) was founded in 1977 and currently has approximately 100 member families. Cruise News LPSC sponsors approximately 16 weekend cruises per year at Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix, Ariz. The cruises usually involve sailing the lake and then rafting up (each boat puts out an anchor and ties up alongside the other boats) in a designated cove for the evening meal and spending the night. The cruises most often have a theme such as Surf and Turf, Mardi Gras, Cinco De... Full story
Lynx Lake One of our favorite little hikes in the pines is the easy trail #311 that circles Lynx Lake. Most of this trail is shaded by trees, and the lake and the forest around it are gorgeous. We often see a huge variety of birds and small mammals, even in the summer. The paved part of the trail on the west side of the lake is wheelchair and stroller accessible, but once you reach the far end of the laken the trail turns to dirt. 'Bee' Prepared At this far end of the lake opposite the parking l... Full story
(Morristown) – The Fourth of July is quickly approaching! Pack up the kids, neighbors and friends and make plans to witness one of the finest firework displays in the Valley at Lake Pleasant Regional Park on Thursday, July 3rd! Better yet, make it a memorable day by adding activities such as boating, a refreshing dip in the lake or a picnic under a shaded ramada to your schedule. Later in the day, you can pick out a piece of prime real estate along the shoreline to view the one-of-a-kind l...
7‐15 New to Hunting Listing Annual Hunt Regulations Doug Burt via HAHWG solicitation 2014 (new) June – July: Outdoor Skills Summer Adventure Camps Info: Multiple 5‐day, day and overnight camps for 4‐6th graders, and 6‐8th graders: activities include kayaking, archery, air guns; travel camps includes camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife observation, survival skills, slingshots, swimming, team competitions and more. Fee required. Dates: June 9‐13, 16‐20, and 23‐27; July 7‐11 and 14‐18 Location: P... Full story
For something different, head to Lynx Lake, where some anglers reportedly are having some decent action catching brown trout. Here's the tip: Try fishing a No. 18 or 20 with wooly bugger about 4 feet under a float with a 4-pound test leader. THE REEL DEAL Hello, anglers, First, a quick fish story. On Tuesday, April 8, angler Jack Head of Phoenix was taking his wife and sister-in-law boating, fishing, and for a quick picnic. What he saw in the Agua Fria arm floating on the surface was a...
April and October can be the best months of the year to fish in Arizona. The water temperatures are ideal for waves of spawns. Access to high country lakes has opened the way for lunker holdovers. The flathead frenzy hardly left. The buffet is laid out - bass are spawning, especially with the April full moon; crappie should be spawning; flathead catfish are making camera lenses struggle to keep fish in frame; trout are being stocked all across the high country and anglers are catching holdovers... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department and its partners of the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee have lifted the closure put into place annually to help bald eagles during the breeding season at Lake Pleasant. The closure was removed at noon on April 1 because the bald eagles in the area failed to produce young and will not breed this late in the spring. Most other previously announced closures remain in effect because bald eagle breeding activities are still continuing in those areas.... Full story
(Phoenix, AZ - April 18, 2014) - On April 24 - 27th, the Verde River Valley Nature Organization (VRVNO) and their partners will present the 14th annual Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival at Dead Horse Ranch State Park attracting experienced birders, fledgling birders and even non-birders to Central Arizona's spectacular natural wonders of the Verde River Valley. The Verde Valley's pleasant climate, open spaces, diverse vegetation, abundant wildlife and riparian environment along the Verde... Full story
The Lake Pleasant Paddle Fest event is Saturday, April 12 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Fireman's Cove area of Lake Pleasant Regional Park, the second park entrance off Castle Hot Springs Road (north entrance). Come dressed to get wet and try out some different paddle crafts and join in on the fun activities. Only cost is the park entry fee. Schedule of activities will be up shortly at www.maricopa.gov/parks/lake_pleasant. For questions, call (602) 372-7460 x 202.... Full story
Catfish stockings will be coming back to the core Community Fishing Program lakes and ponds in Tucson and Phoenix on Friday. Here are the core lakes and ponds: (Phoenix area) Surprise, Rio Vista Pond, Pioneer, Desert West, Alvord, Cortez, Steele I.S. Pond, Encanto, Papago Ponds, E. Hallman Pond, Riverview, Desert Breeze, Veterans Oasis; (Tucson area) Lakeside, Sahuarita, Kennedy, Silverbell, Copper Sky, Kiwanis, Water Ranch, Red Mountain, Chaparral. Channel catfish are best caught using a hook... Full story
The Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Ambassadors are offering a chance for people to come out, get involved and get to know the area at the very popular Boulders/Hieroglyphic Mountains, Table Mesa OHV locations and Wildcat OHV location. The "Show Me" experience is for those who are current OHV or four-wheeling riders or who have recently purchased an ATV, UTV, motorcycle or Jeep and want to know where to ride or wheel off-highway, or for those that want to learn more about the most popular... Full story
Do blondes have more fun? Or, brunettes? Or,redheads? Actually, the answer is all of the above plus anyone else who knows that "boats are in"! Arizona's boating season is off to a fantastic start with the plethora of craft at the International Sportsmen's Expo and Arizona Boat Show, Feb. 20-23; at the Arizona Game & Fish Expo, March 29 and 30, and at the Lake Havasu Boat Show, April 11-13. Fishing boats too will ply the waters of Lake Pleasant at the upcoming Bill Luke Bass Days, March 14-16,... Full story
Bill Luke Bass Days is the Southwest's largest family fishing tournament and festival - held March 14, 15, 16 at Lake Pleasant. This year's is sure to be one of our biggest events! For the fishermen, we are featuring over $50,000 in cash prizes. For everyone, we will have a day and night time festival featuring a Cornhole Tournament, carnival rides, vendors, food, wildlife exhibits and live music. Tournament Prize List The prizes for this year's Bass Days Tournament are spectacular. This year's... Full story
Join the Arizona Yacht Club on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Jan. 17-18-19 for the 54th AYC Birthday Regatta and 15th Leukemia Cup -- three days of racing, cruising and desert hospitality! The Arizona Yacht Club Birthday Regatta has been raced continuously for over fifty years, held each year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. It's Arizona Yacht Club's premier event. The expected classes at press time include Capri 14.2, Laser, Buccaneer, Portsmouth, Thistle, Catalina 22, Viper 640, Merit 25,... Full story
Bill Luke Bass Days is the Southwest's largest family fishing tournament and festival - held March 14, 15, 16 at Lake Pleasant. This year's is sure to be one of our biggest events! For the fishermen, we are featuring over $50,000 in cash prizes. For everyone, we will have a day and night time festival featuring a Cornhole Tournament, carnival rides, vendors, food, wildlife exhibits and live music. Tournament Prize List The prizes for this year's Bass Days Tournament are spectacular. This year's... 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
Join us on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Jan. 17-18-19, 2014 for the 54th AYC Birthday Regatta and 15th Leukemia Cup -- three days of racing, cruising and desert hospitality! The Arizona Yacht Club Birthday Regatta has been raced continuously for over fifty years, held each year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. It's Arizona Yacht Club's premier event. The expected classes include Capri 14.2, Laser, Buccaneer, Portsmouth, Thistle, Catalina 22, Viper 640, Merit 25, Montgomery 17, Santana 20,... Full story
Preventing the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in Arizona waters starts with Arizona boat owners and anglers. To protect Arizona lakes, rivers and streams from the devastating effects of invasive species, Arizona Game and Fish laws require boaters and anglers to be good stewards by cleaning, draining and drying their boats and pulling the boat plug when leaving an AIS-affected lake. Failure to do so may result in a citation for the boat owner and possible fines. Clean, Drain, Dry Game... Full story