Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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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
Wayne Gustaveson Takes A Break, Thanks Readers 'Quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing.' Lake Powell fish at the end of fall were in prime time. Water temperature is in the mid 60s which means that all fish can basically go anywhere they want to. During summer there is a separation of large and small stripers because big fish need cooler temperatures. Those barriers are now removed. http://www.wayneswords.com Consider fishing patterns now to be just like fishing in late... 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
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
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
The Reel Deel Bass Action Look for the bass action to get even better at some our pristine lakes in the desert. Apache, Canyon and Saguaro all have been stocked with rainbow trout throughout the winter, so throwing some trout-imitation swim baits can produce some trophy bass. With an onset of warmer-than-average temperatures, more bass have ventured into shallower waters in a pre-spawn mode (certainly at Roosevelt and likely Saguaro, too) and are willing to chase crankbaits, spinnerbaits and cha... Full story
Each November we conduct our annual gillnet sampling to assess adult fish population strength, numbers and health. Since we will be on the lake for two weeks, this issue's fishing report will the last of the season. Sporadic reports will be sent out randomly when something unusual happens like a trophy fish being caught. For current fishing information during winter log on to Wayneswords.com. The next regular weekly report will be published the first week of March 2016. Stripers Late fall finds... Full story
My last fish report expressed the hope that stripers would start boiling again, but to my dismay, no boils have been reported this week. Unforgettable boil action has occurred in August, September, and early October but each of these episodes has been interrupted by quiet periods when stripers stay deep despite a high abundance of forage. When boiling stripers do splash on top in big groups, it is easy to find and then catch them with surface lures. I hope that happens soon but, while waiting,... Full story
Subtle changes in fishing conditions continue. Here are some of the small events that may change your fishing adventure into a successful trip. Stripers have now received that warm-water spawning trigger and most have now spawned. Female stripers caught recently had no viable eggs left in the ovary. That is important because spawning occurs at night and daytime activity is very limited. One successful report from last week indicated a good trolling pattern at night with stripers from 2-10 pounds... Full story
Largemouth bass fishing is a great bet at Bartlett Lake, and the dropshot technique using plastic worms is usually the most reliable method of catching these fish. Before heading out, see a video shot at Bartlett Lake with local semiprofessional angler Gary Senft on how to fish a dropshot rig using Bobber Stoppers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ATjA3DL4g&feature=youtu.be THE REEL DEAL Let's get right to some recommended Fourth of July weekend fishing waters, starting with the high country:... Full story
http://www.wayneswords.com Fish reports from the first part of May are rolling in and all agree that we have seen the best fishing of the year and perhaps the best seen in a very long time. All species of fish were caught along the length and breadth of the lake. Smallmouth bass were the leader by a country mile followed about equally by largemouth bass, crappie, and walleye. Stripers came in last but there were a few clues to help find them in the coming days. Smallmouth Bass Smallmouth bass... Full story
Tip Of The Week At Apache Lake, anglers have been catching a high number of largemouth bass in the 1-2-pound range on Lucky Craft rip baits. The Reel Deal Some reported hot spots have been Bartlett Lake for largemouth bass, Lake Pleasant for flathead catfish, and Kinnikinick Lake for brown and rainbow trout. Kudos to Rich Griner of Queen Creek, who caught this 26-inch, 8.6-pound rainbow trout from Canyon Creek on a worm in mid-November. Griner said his fish was caught upstream of the hatchery... Full story
Striped bass annual migration is now almost complete. Fish movement begins in the spring as stripers react to warming water by leaving the backs of the canyons and heading toward the main channel to spawn. Then in summer they pursue forage in open water wherever they can find it whether on the surface or at great depths. As temperature declines in fall, stripers move toward the backs of canyons where they will spend the winter with shad schools that descend to 60-90 feet where water temperature... Full story
Even native Arizonans tend to overlook the southern bass lakes when they get the urge to bass fish. The biggest lakes are in the central part of the state and along the Colorado River, and those areas are also quicker and easier to get to for a majority of the population. For those who live closer to the border, and for those willing to take the time to get there, four smaller more peaceful lakes beckon. Although you could do a drive-by of all four in a single day, each of them is different... 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
Striper fishing has settled into a predictable pattern over the length of Lake Powell. Each morning striper schools come to the surface chasing shad schools. The trigger is first light which makes shad form into tight schools following a night of happy wandering as individuals. Shad feed on plankton after dark but do not maintain the school mentality in low light. When visibility improves in the morning, each shad wants to be in the middle of the school while those shad on the outer edge of the... Full story
Lake Powell is still coming up and now breaking the 3600 MSL barrier, but stripers are the big news now. Striper slurping boils are seen lake wide. Young stripers that live in the warm surface layer are finding larval shad (less than an inch) near the surface. Young shad cannot swim fast enough to elude stripers which line up and methodically "mow" the surface area, chomping down all shad in their path. From a distance, the feeding activity looks like another boat wake, but after closer... Full story
Tip Of The Week Greer Derby The Business Council of Greer is sponsoring a $10,000 Fishing Derby until Oct. 31. Catch one of 50 tagged fish in the three Greer Lakes and bring one into the Lazy Trout Market to exchange for a hat. On Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. at The Lazy Trout Market, a tag will be drawn and it must match the winning number sent by OddsOnPromotions to win the $10,000. Registration is not necessary before catching the tagged fish. If there is no $10,000 winner, a $250 first and $100 second... Full story
May is here and water temperature is in the 60s which means spring fishing is at its best. Cold fronts will still slow down catching for a day or two but on most days fishing will be excellent. Here is the room service menu for spring fishing in order of availability. Striped Bass Bait fishing along the canyon walls is good in the normal spots. Spots close to the marinas will provide good catches for those looking for a good, close fishing trip. But, the results are sometimes long awaited and ti...
Lake level remains fairly constant with a slight drop to 3574 MSL. We hope spring runoff holds off for another few weeks as the Castle Rock Cut deepening project will continue until the last week of April. The best news is that the Cut will be deepened down to 3575 MSL, meaning that the lake only has to come up 5 feet or so from the present level to allow boats to take the shortcut. That will save much time, fuel and aggravation with rough water in the main channel detour. My guess is the cut... 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
During October we fished the same spots in the southern lake each week while checking current results for the fish report. Results ranged from superb early in the month to difficult after full moon. I am pleased to report that this report is right back at the top of the charts. Fishing success has recovered for striped bass that have been holding in the same locations all during last month. They have just responded differently on the various trips at the times that we fished there. Fishing... 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
All lakes were stocked again with channel catfish the week of Sept. 30 – Oct. 5. Fishing for catfish is good to excellent now that the fall stockings have resumed. The Sept. 19 stocking was loaded with incentive-size catfish in the 3-8 pound range. Mornings and evenings are the best times because catfish prefer to feed under dim or dark conditions. Top baits for catfish have been stink baits, shrimp and worms fished on the bottom in the deeper lake sections. Use smaller sinkers and 8-pound t... Full story
