Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 264
The Lake Pleasant Fall season concluded with a windy weekend. Congratulations to the fleet winners: Steve Grothe, C22; George Tingom, C22 Saturday-only; Martin Lorch, Santana 20; Brett Johnston, Multi-hull; Victor Felice, PHRF Non-Spin; Norm Anderson, PHRF Spin; Trey Harlow, Thistle; Greg Jackson, Sport Boat. Congratulations and thanks to Peter Lehrach who earned his US Sailing Powerboat Instructor’s certification over Thanksgiving weekend in California. Peter joins Rob Gibbs and me as the club’s currently-certified powerboat instructors. Final... Full story
Keep in mind that here in Arizona, there is plenty of year-round fishing. Bass and other sport fish may not be as active, but they are still catchable. In many cases; it's a matter of slowing down your presentation and going to smaller baits. Some pro anglers, on the other hand, have been known to not only slow down their presentations, but also upsize their offerings to make it worthwhile for big bass to dine. The Reel Deal It's winter trout and crappie time. First, The Trout There are rainbow... 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
The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Local Sportsmen's Group Grant Program awarded 17 projects totaling $75,000 for hunter recruitment efforts in the state. The purpose of the grant program is to help local sportsmen's groups fund projects that promote wildlife conservation through hunter recruitment and retention. Eligible projects often include events like mentored, hands-on hunting for youngsters and their families. Incredible Response The program received 37 applications this cycle... 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
While the National Park Service is being forced to turn visitors away due to a government shutdown, Maricopa County’s regional park system is welcoming individuals seeking recreational experiences in the Sonoran Desert. “While the folks in Washington remain at odds, we’re doing our jobs and will continue to remain open to the public. Not only are we here to provide services to our regular visitors, we’re also here to serve visitors who have been displaced by the shutdown of the National Park Se... Full story
Join local astronomy experts, Tony and Carole La Conte, from Stargazing for Everyone, on Saturday, Oct.12 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Desert Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant as they bring the universe to you. Learn about the constellations, planets, star clusters and nebulas as you peer through telescopes and binoculars and enjoy stories about the night sky. The two-hour stargazing event is a great way to learn about the galaxy while taking advantage of the beautiful weather. During the presentati... Full story
Fall is quickly arriving and along with it, my favorite time of year for boating in the Southwest! Claudia and I have been enjoying our summer boating on Lake Mead and Lake Pleasant with trips with family and friends. We have some super events coming up in the next couple of months. Starting with the DCB Regatta Sept. 27 and 28; we’ll be out to help sponsor the event and party with all our friends. Lucas Oil Thunder The next event is the Lucas Oil Thunder on the Lake Drag Boat Racing, Oct. 11 an... Full story
Registration is now open for the fall race series. Sign up now for the Tempe Town Lake series that begins Sunday, Sept. 21 or the Lake Pleasant series, which begins on Saturday, Oct. 6. And registration is open for the Arizona Sailing Foundation (ASF) fall classes, including beginning sailing, Opti, junior performance sailing, Sailing Skills Development, and Introduction to Sailboat Racing. Busy, right? Fun? Definitely! Cheers, Mike Ferring _______________________________________________________... Full story
National Public Lands Day, a nationwide celebration of public lands, is a day that brings awareness to open space and thanks the many people for their support and hard work, including volunteers, land agencies, and outdoor-minded businesses. The event is the largest annual volunteer hands-on restoration activity of its kind. It brings together thousands of volunteers from coast-to-coast to refurbish and restore the lands and facilities Americans use for recreation, education, and just plain... Full story
Widespread rains across the state have helped drop lake water temperatures. Look for fish to get active once again, assuming this typical pattern holds true. We'll see. Lake Pleasant The top-water striper bite at Lake Pleasant is picking up. Get there at first light or you might miss the boils. Cover lots of water and look for birds or surface activity. Try top-water lures, jerkbaits and flies. (Zara Spook Juniors and buzzbaits tend to be successful this time of the year.) Roosevelt Lake The...
The way some anglers look at Arizona as a fishing destination has begun to change since April when “Flathead” Ed Wilcoxson landed the heaviest recorded fish in the state’s history. Word is getting out that The Grand Canyon State is home to many gargantuan flathead catfish. Wilcoxson — after photos of his 76.54-pound flathead catfish taken out of Bartlett Lake were shared on fishing forums and media outlets across the World Wide Web — has received phone calls from interested anglers as far away a... Full story
As the picture shows, that is a full grown horse with water up to its belly while the cows just have their feet immersed. It tells a safety lesson. This uneven terrain is what is under you while navigating on the water. So, it's important to know the water levels and where you are and to always do a “sanity check” of your surroundings and coordinates. What fun one can have on a slow boat cruising along any of our Arizona lakes, packing a lunch, joining friends are some of the joys of boa... Full story
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 fifth year the department has offered the Buy One, Get One promotion and it is by far, one of the Parks Department’s most popular campaig... Full story
Join Maricopa County’s Parks and Recreation Department on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. for an open house at Lake Pleasant Regional Park’s Operations Building as staff share the final draft of the parks Trails Master Plan. “As a fourth-generation Arizonan who has lived in the West Valley for many years, I’m really excited about this project! Currently, the park has two trails, Pipeline Canyon and Roadrunner. Combined, these trails are 2.8-miles in length. However, the department is proposi... Full story
Due to thunderstorm activity across the forest over the last 24 hours, there have been nine fire starts being managed by assigned resources and three smoke checks are being conducted. One of the nine fire starts, the Reno Fire, reported earlier today, is contained. Thunderstorm activity is predicted for this weekend, bringing moisture and lightning to some of these areas on the forest. 1. Cain Fire on Tonto National Forest in Four Peaks Wilderness Area 28 miles northeast of Mesa, Ariz.,1.5 miles west of Four Peaks Fire Facts Location:... Full story
Just 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix, you can visit a desert oasis. Bald eagles nest along the canyon walls, wild burros come down from the desert highlands and play along the shores. Deep in the inlets and coves, spring flowers trail their leaves in clear water. People have been living in Central Arizona for 15,000 years. Hunter-gatherers and farming cultures gave way to Jesuit and Franciscan priests, Spanish gold prospectors, cattlemen, farmers, Gold Rush miners, gunfighters and outlaws.... Full story
So we all plan to go out to the lake. We have listened to the weather forecast and storms are either not identified or often not discussed because the chance is low. Even so, as you go about your day on the lake, be vigilant of those storm cells that are small and fast moving. Most of the time you will have a great amount of wind blowing through the area prior to the rain. If you were paying attention to the weather, then the best thing to do is to move to a sheltered cove and just wait for it... Full story
ANOTHER WAY -- to enjoy Arizona's waterways it to rent a boat suited to your style. Invert Sports provides rentals, watersport lessons, and charters at Powell, Mead, Havasu, Mohave, Pleasant, Alamo, Apache, Bartlett, Canyon, Upper Lake Mary, Lyman, Reservation, Roosevelt, Saguaro, San Carlos lakes, and the Colorado River, Parker. For more information, (888)205-7119/ info@invertsports.com/ www.invertsports.com. Tell them Arizona Boating & Watersports sent you.... Full story
Lake surface temperature and lake level are declining. Cool monsoon weather patterns are adding much-needed rainwater to the lake but not enough to keep the lake from declining one foot per week. Fishing success for stripers on anchovy bait and smallmouth on plastic bait is still exceptional. Adult stripers are holding at about 30 feet where cooler temperatures make life more pleasant for these hungry fish. Add some anchovy chum to the water and stripers come running. Best fishing spots are... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has added largemouth bass virus (LMB virus), whirling disease and all snakehead fish to the Director’s Orders aquatic invasive species (AIS) list. LMB Virus LMB virus, which primarily affects adult largemouth and smallmouth bass during the summertime, has been discovered at Lake Pleasant (Maricopa County Parks) and Bartlett, Saguaro, and Roosevelt lakes on the Tonto National Forest. All watercraft users leaving those lakes will now be required by law to c... Full story
(Maricopa County) National Public Lands Day, a nationwide celebration of public lands, is a day that brings awareness to open space and thanks the many people for their support and hard work, including volunteers, land agencies, and outdoor-minded businesses. The event is the largest annual volunteer hands-on restoration activity of its kind. It brings together thousands of volunteers from coast-to-coast to refurbish and restore the lands and facilities Americans use for recreation, education, and just plain enjoyment. Lake Pleasant Regional... Full story
With the recent discovery of quagga mussels in Lake Powell, boaters leaving the northeastern Arizona lake will be required by law to pull their boat plug and decontaminate and dry their watercraft before leaving the vicinity of the lake to help prevent the spread of these invasive mussels. The requirements, which took effect July 1, are now the same as for other Arizona waters known to contain quagga mussels. These waters are listed in the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Aquatic Invasive S... Full story
Dan Turner came from the Arkansas/Missouri area in 1987. He had started there in fiberglass manufacturing, which he did for about 10 years. Turner made just about everything, including waterslides, and was one of a few not employed in a farm-related business. That was Act 1. Setting the stage for Act 2 for Turner was a request for him to do some repair work back home. His normal fee for manufacturing fiberglass items in 1985 was $12/hour, but he found that doing repairs was bringing some... Full story
