Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 351 - 375 of 386
It’s been a cold winter at Lake Powell. Water surface temperature bottomed out at 44 F and presently fluctuates between 45 at night and 47 during the “heat” of the day. Water level continues to decrease resulting in the closure of the Castle Rock Cut and the primitive launch ramps at Hite. Luckily, the last cold spell featured an increase in the snow pack in Colorado, which means there will be some runoff this spring. On the bright side, those anglers who continue to bundle up and venture out h... Full story
Coming soon: The 15th Annual Bill Luke Bass Days are set for March 15 through 17 at Lake Pleasant, Ariz. This year promises to be the best version ever with — • Six weigh-ins daily, plus • Seven pay-outs per hour, plus • Military displays, plus • Cornhole tournament, plus • Carp bow fishing, plus • Kids’ events daily, plus • Wildlife exhibits, plus, plus, plus! Amazing Prizes Cash prizes total over $50,000. Among them are the biggest overall bass, $10,000; the second biggest bass overall, $3,... Full story
How does catching a 2- or 3-pound rainbow trout sound? How about catching that trout right close to home? Well, you now have that opportunity, so grab your favorite fishing pole and make sure you have a 2013 Urban Fishing license because the “incentive” trout stocking was just completed on Jan. 12 at all Urban Program lakes. To kick off the New Year in a big way, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Urban Fishing Program has stocked incentive-size trout. In addition to the usual 11-12 inchers, incentive stockings include bigger fish and u... Full story
Throughout the winter, lakes in the Urban Fishing Program (UFP) have been successfully stocked with rainbow trout at two-week intervals. More trout and bigger trout arrived the week of Jan. 7-12 as part of the UFP’s annual incentive trout stocking, making this a great time to go fishing. Many fish in the 12-15 inch range are part of this special delivery, and some 3-4 pound whoppers are expected. Get ready for some big fish action by making sure your fishing line is in good shape, your hooks are... Full story
The 2013 Arizona Fishing Regulations are now available at all seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices and at fishing license dealers throughout the state. They are also posted online at www.azgfd.gov/fishing. “Arizona’s diverse fisheries offer great opportunities all year round,” said Acting Fisheries Chief Eric Swanson. “If getting outdoors, staying healthy and spending quality time with family and friends are among your 2013 resolutions, fishing is a great way to meet your goals, have f... Full story
OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will take public comment on proposed changes to the state’s sportfishing rules during a public meeting Feb. 8-9 in Olympia. The commission, a nine-member citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will convene at 8:30 a.m. both days in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. A complete agenda for the meeting is available on the commission’s webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/comm... Full story
The Becoming an Outdoors Woman Deluxe (13) retreat will make an ideal gift for the discriminating woman in your life. Lots of outdoor fun without the inconveniences of camping! The Arizona Wildlife Federation will be sponsoring a winter Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop. The dates are Jan. 25-27. It will be in the Goldfield Mountain Range. This retreat will showcase the beauty and wonder of our desert. The place is Saguaro Lake Ranch, which is a historical resort-style retreat located... Full story
Rainbow trout stockings are well underway and will continue all winter long at two-week intervals. Trout range in size from 11-12 inches in length, with some fish up to 16 inches. Fishing is good to excellent for anglers using scented dough baits (such as Power Bait), worms or corn on the bottom. Tip: Anglers using 2-4 pound test line are getting 2-3 times more bites than anglers using 8-12 pound line. Small spinners such as Roostertails and Panther Martins, or spoons such as Kastmasters and... Full story
Roosevelt Lake is the upper most and largest in a series of four reservoirs on the Salt River. The Bureau of Reclamation constructed Roosevelt Dam in 1911 forming Roosevelt Lake. At full capacity it is approximately 22 miles long with 91 miles of shoreline; its maximum depth is over 300 feet and it can store 1,653,043 acre feet of water. Roosevelt Lake is also home to a variety of game fish including largemouth and smallmouth bass, black crappie, yellow bass, bluegill, channel and flathead catfish and carp. Threadfin shad, gizzard shad, and blu... Full story
This is the last 2012 fishing report from Wayne Gustaveson for 2012, and we thank him for all the excellent information he has provided us for the past 12 months. It has been an interesting year with more highs than lows. Bass and walleye fishing in the spring was awesome, followed by a great run of surface fishing for juvenile stripers in summer. Now, going into winter it’s a mixed bag with unexpected fishing opportunities occurring each day. For example, on Saturday we took a side trip into Ca... Full story
November promises to provide excellent fishing at Urban Fishing Program lakes. The Phoenix and Tucson urban lakes have been loaded with catfish all fall with one last stocking in early November. Additionally, 15,000 bluegill were stocked. And, good news: The first trout delivery for the winter season began on Nov. 15 (see below for more information on the trout and bluegill stockings). Top baits for catfish are hot dogs, shrimp, and stink baits with fish biting throughout the day. Anglers are... Full story
Arizona Game and Fish Department officials have confirmed the presence of largemouth bass virus in Lake Pleasant. Lab tests on largemouth bass tissue samples collected during a routine survey in October by Arizona Game and Fish and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel showed presence of the disease in some samples. While the virus can affect largemouth bass, it doesn’t pose a risk to people and pets, and the water is safe for drinking water supply and recreation. “Largemouth bass virus is... Full story
As always, we are planning a multitude of activities for the holidays at State Parks. "First Day" hikes on January 1, 2013 are always popular and you can start booking them now so you can be out walking on New Year's Day. We know taking your family for a holiday excursion can be daunting when you add up all the costs for meals and hotels. But did you ever think it was odd you were traveling somewhere else when your family from cold states always wants to come to warm Arizona for the holidays?... Full story
After more than 22 years and 1,200-plus weeks of producing the weekly fishing report, this is my last one. I am retiring. I am truly blessed for having had such a superb readership. And such an interactive one. I truly appreciated all the e-mails and phone calls with tips and questions. It was also gratifying to meet so many of you on the lakes, at events, or in some cases, even places like the local super market. Being just an old small-town newspaper editor, I have always looked at all of you... Full story
Fishing out of Wahweap is hot and cold. Fishing is super hot for the first hour of light in the morning. Toss a small profile surface lure like a Sammy or Sugoi splash toward the shoreline for fast action from smallmouth bass and juvenile striped bass. On one morning recently, one of the hottest spots was the Stateline ramp cove. A shad school moved under the courtesy dock at first light and was quickly surrounded by bass and stripers. Lures landing on the outer perimeter of the shad school... Full story
All lakes were stocked again with channel catfish the week of Oct. 1-6. Fishing for catfish is good to excellent now that the fall stockings have resumed. Mornings and evenings are the best times as catfish prefer to feed under dim or dark conditions. While the majority of stocked catfish are caught in the first five days of stocking, anglers are still catching cats one to two weeks later at a slower rate. Top baits for catfish have been stink baits, shrimp and worms fished on the bottom in the... Full story
Television Series Continues On NBC Sports Network Fans of collegiate bass fishing have been getting a look at the 2012 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series when the television series debuted on NBC Sports Network Aug. 14. Programming started with the Day One coverage of the Cabela's Collegiate Big Bass Bash and will continue to follow the anglers through the season, including the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, as well as the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, presented by... Full story
Wayne Gustaveson http://www.wayneswords.com Good fishing success we have enjoyed for a while continues and is perhaps even better than last week. The main factor is falling lake level. Shad have been hiding in the brush line surrounding the lake all summer long. Now water level is declining, leaving the brush high and dry and shad without a good hiding spot. Shad are exposed and all game fish are taking a swipe at them every chance they get. Scattered splashes mark the action punctuated by... Full story
The North American Fishing Club is set to sponsor National Hunting and Fishing Day, the official federal commemoration of hunters, anglers and conservation. The club is a part of North American Membership Group, the premier special-interest lifestyle membership club. “Our contributions each year to National Hunting and Fishing Day represent our efforts to get members more involved in the outdoors,” said Kurt Beckstrom of North American Fisherman. “Our members attend the various NHF Day event... Full story
CHICAGO – September 11, 2012 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today recognized recipients of the 2012 Marine Industry CSI Awards for the award period from April 2011 through March 2012. A total of 41 boat and engine manufacturers were recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction as part of NMMA’s Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program. Award recipients will be acknowledged during the annual Industry Breakfast at the 2012 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) in Louisville, Kentucky. The Mar... Full story
Lake Powell Report Fishing Success Continues With Attention To Details By Wayne Gustaveson Fishing success in the main lake, particularly for stripers, requires attention to a few small details. Timing Is Critical Visible action from surface feeding fish consistently occurs at morning and evening twilight. Finding surface feeding fish provides the first opportunity to catch fish. Juvenile stripers that break the surface in groups of three or more are extremely aggressive and will hit most lures... Full story
Urban Fishing Report Best Hope In Summer Are Larger Lakes Monsoon storms trigger some good fishing periods. From AZGFD Fishing for catfish is slow at all Urban Fishing Program waters statewide through the summer (no stocking period). For holdover catfish, try the larger lakes over five acres in size. Some catfish and bass are being caught, but it takes persistence and some good timing in the early morning and evening hours. Fishing has been good all summer for the plentiful bluegills that... Full story
For a little while longer, Lake Powell's water level is stable and temperature remains in the low 60s, which is ideal for excellent bass, walleye and crappie fishing. With day length and ambient temperature increasing, the best tip is to fish in the shade. That includes the shady side of an individual rock or the shady side of a canyon. Seek shade to increase catch. Bass Spawning Near Completion Bass nests are still seen in the clear water and some have male guards cruising in the vicinity.... Full story
Hey, with temperatures in the deserts expected to soar into the triple digits, it might be time for a cool dose of scented pine air. Especially since we are getting great fishing reports from most of the mountain lakes. Woods Canyon Lake Big Lake and Woods Canyon Lake are both hot spots right now. Both of those waters have stores and boat rentals, making them even more attractive. I have been getting lots of reports of anglers catching limits of trout — even some larger holdover ones. Ironically... Full story
Christian Borucki and Brandon Koon of the Bad Bass Fishing Club in Phoenix won the second-ever Arizona High School Fishing State Championship at Lake Pleasant on Saturday, April 6 by weighing-in five bass totaling 12.08 pounds. These two talented high school anglers targeted mostly post-spawn bass on what started out as a windy day at Lake Pleasant. Their coach and mentor for the event was Mike McFarland, a veteran tournament angler and guide. Borucki and Koon will advance to the FLW... Full story
