Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Like Tai, take it easy. Tai puts safety in first place at night. "You absolutely must have a spotlight at night," says Au, "but Arizona law says you can't drive with it constantly on. What I do is barely get the boat on plane, take it slow, and use that spotlight intermittently to make sure where I am." Knowing what marker buoys mean is crucial – the buoys with vertical stripes mean "don't go between here and shore". A diamond on a buoy is marking a hazard like a submerged rock, a square contain... Full story
Here are some suggestions for kayak and canoe safety and equipment. AZGFD Paddlesports Training Course Is First The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for offering the nation's first paddle-sports class that meets the national standard for "On-Water Recreational Boating Skills – Human Propelled." AZGFD's "Paddlesports Arizona" course teaches fundamental paddlecraft skills that entry-level recreational boaters should be able... Full story
As Scorpion Bay Marina continues to expand and diversify offerings, marina concessionaire Desert Troon Companies is pleased to announce it has enhanced its leadership team with the hire of Lynn Lovelady as Scorpion Bay's marina operations manager. Primary Point Of Contact Lovelady is an experienced marina manager who focuses on storage, regular rental boat projects, member services and other operational and human resources-related responsibilities at Scorpion Bay. She is the members' primary... Full story
Here Are Some Lifesaving Acts By TowBoatUS Captains Captains from Calif., Fla., N.C., N.J., Mich., S.C. are honored at annual gathering. For the red boats of TowBoatUS, the on-water towing and assistance fleet for recreational boaters, a routine day typically includes towing disabled boats back to the launch ramp, providing battery jumps, dropping off fuel, or offering a gentle tug out of the shallows. For each of these 12 towboat captains and crews, however, one workday was far from routine.... Full story
Register today for the 2022 UTV Rally at Mormon Lake. Due to a scheduling error, the dates for the UTV Rally, Mormon Lake, have been updated to May 6 and 7. We are enhancing our show by adding more vendors, activities, and more. This year we are also allowing people to purchase their camping space in the location they choose; if they and their friends want to camp together, we advise getting your spaces early. To Those Who Have Already Registered If you are unable to make the new dates for the... Full story
T.N.T Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional coming soon to Lake Havasu. B.A.S.S. Nation is hosting its Western regional qualifier at Lake Havasu and you can watch these top anglers weigh-in their daily catches! There are three events scheduled from 3- 5 p.m.: Wednesday, Feb. 23, Thursday, Feb. 24, and Friday, Feb. 25. Spectators are welcome to pay the Lake Havasu State Park day-use fee of $20 per vehicle (1-4 adults) or $3 for pedestrian and bicyclists to check-out the weigh-in! Daily... Full story
Early in February it can seem like the fish are on strike," says local resident and ournament angler Debbie Blanchard, "but before long the big smallmouth start to move in and you can catch a lot of really big fish." The smallmouth begin to spawn when the water reaches about 58 degrees, and they spawn deeper than largemouth do. Easy To Spot Debbie looks for beds in at least ten feet of water. They're easy to spot, she says, because smallmouth nests are as much as three times as big as... Full story
We save most of our desert drives for winter because although our Jeep would make it through snow and mud, many northern Arizona off-highway trails are closed in winter, and we also don't like to make deep ruts in muddy roads just from a conservation standpoint. It's too hot in summer to really enjoy a desert drive, because we like to get out of the Jeep and do a lot of walking and exploring. In the summer we have not only the excessive heat to contend with, but also my constant fretting that... Full story
Arizona's bald eagles are back, and they will soon be preparing for the next generation of eagles at breeding sites statewide. To assist with the state's continued bald eagle population growth, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) encourages outdoor recreationists, aircraft pilots, drone operators and motorized paragliders to do their part by not disturbing the state's 93 eagle breeding areas. Hope For A Productive Breeding Season To protect breeding attempts, some portions of public... Full story
This Remarkable Man Has Left An Incredible Legacy For Us All Editor's Note: It is difficult to encapsulate the details of the life of this richly talented man who has captured both the horror of war and the beauty of military heroes' service along with the remarkable portraits of the American West. How one man could capture so much history in his works and create so much meaningful beauty is hard to fathom, but Austin Deuel did just that, and we honor him today. We offer a sketch here that only... Full story
Prespawn can be a difficult time for bass fishermen. Marty Lawrence’s advice on prespawn fishing is “don’t overthink it”. That being said, the man probably has 14 rods on the deck by the end of the day, and several of them will have a Senko tied on. He’ll throw the Senko Texas-rigged, wacky rigged with no weight, or wacky rigged with a nail weight for deeper cover. As for the Texas rigs, he’ll have one with weight pegged or with a bobber stopper, and one unpegged. The Texas rigs are for around... Website
Popular calendar features 2021 wildlife photo contest winners. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has unveiled its 2022 wildlife calendar, which showcases the winning photographs from its annual contest. The winning images are featured in the full-size 2022 wildlife calendar, which is published in the November-December 2021 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. Isabel Guerra Clark's photo of desert bighorn sheep at Canyon Lake was awarded best in show and is showcased on the cover. Guerra... Full story
Dixie Belle, the official "hostess" for Lake Havasu City, would be happy to have you aboard during the holidays. In fact, a ticket to get a tour on the lady would make an excellent Christmas gift, or a party on her decks would be a perfect way to celebrate the holidays. Dixie Belle, originally built in 1983, is a replica of an 1800's paddle wheeler. She has recently undergone a 10-year restoration project and is opening for business late November/ early December 2021. She's a beauty, just... Full story
Oh, the views: spectacular! Thank you, Margie Anderson, for some fantastic photos of vistas here in Arizona, and on our "Western Wildlife" page, we salute another incredible photographer, George Andrejko, Arizona Game & Fish Department, who has some tips for taking pictures of wildlife. With so many negatives confronting us, usually from the media, there is such good news to celebrate here in the Southwest — We have family outings to enjoy as outdoor fans cut their own Christmas trees. We h... Full story
Boating, Auctions, Yard Sales, And Brunch Are All Just Ahead Now: A Special Offer From Bartlett Lake Marina Enjoy Bartlett Lake with your whole family! The weather is gorgeous, and Bartlett Lake has great ideas for enjoying some time on the water. Until December 15, the marina is offering a pontoon boat or ski boat rental for a full week day (Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays and subject to weather) for special prices. We are offering a 20 foot Pontoon Boat that will hold eight people... Website
John and I have known fishing legend Fred Ward for many years, but we actually met him in Florida. At that time I was writing for a tiny publication (now defunct) called Arizona Fishing News. My day job, The New Times, sent me to Denver for a week, then to Miami for a week, and as a reward, they gave me a guided fishing trip on Lake Okeechobee and even flew John out there to join me. Fred was guiding for the Roland Martin resort, and when he found out I was a writer, he comped our stay! We got... Full story
The National Park Service is assessing repair needs. Due to significant wind damage and low water conditions, Dangling Rope Marina will not re- open in 2021. A team of electrical, structural, and marine engineer visited the site during the summer to assess the damaged infrastructure. The National Park Service (NPS) is developing a plan for marina repairs and additional actions needed to address projected low water conditions. Be advised that during the closure of Dangling Rope Marina, visitors... Full story
Music in the Garden | Desert Botanical Garden Desert Botanical Garden presents a spectacular lineup of talent at Music in the Garden's fall concert series, through November 19. Situated at the base of a butte, Ullman Terrace provides an unmatchable backdrop for audiences to experience one of the Valley's most iconic outdoor concert venues. Water Lantern Festival On The Lake While they're called many things such as lantern festivals, lights festivals, floating lanterns, water fest, or Chinese... Full story
Arizona Autumns Are Awesome! Especially this fall that is full of celebration and color! First, we thank Lake Havasu City Tourism and Convention Bureau, Jeff Blumenfeld, and Jason Castellucci for assembling the wonderful photos and information about this month's incredible celebration: The 50th anniversary of the dedication of Lake Havasu City's famed London Bridge. Read the page 1 story that outlines the October-filled calendar of fun and activities to mark this big birthday event. (Jim and I... Full story
Lake Havasu Gears Up For Biggest Celebration In 50 Years Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world-famous London Bridge - the soul of Lake Havasu City. Lake Havasu City is gearing up for its largest celebration in, well, 50 years. In October, the city will kick off a month-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of its famed London Bridge, a 930-ft. long structure purchased for $2.46 million in 1968 ($19 million in today's dollars) and moved from London to Lake Havasu... Full story
Let's Talk About Catfish By Andy Clark - AZGFD Statewide Sportfish Program Supervisor I've come to the conclusion that there are few things better as an angler than feeling "tap-tap-tap" on your line in the pitch dark. Despite the many hours half-dozing in the sweltering heat of the night, forgetting my headlamp is on and wondering why the bugs keep eating me alive, catfish remain one of my favorite fishing targets. Arizona is home to some fantastic spots to catch catfish. Let's focus on simple... Full story
From Visit Arizona.com Horseshoe Bend attracts 2 million visitors every year and is one of the most photographed sites in northern Arizona. Here, we walk you through need-to-know details for how to travel to this spectacular place as well as tips on how to engage more meaningfully with the destination. Formed when the Colorado River looped around an impassable sandstone escarpment, Horseshoe Bend is one of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area's more famous highlights. Not an easy feat,... Full story
With Live Country Music At Pleasant Harbor Pleasant Harbor at Lake Pleasant and the City of Peoria will host the Peoria Country Fest on Saturday, Oct. 9, featuring live country music from three popular country artists. The event also features food trucks, a beer garden and live bull riding. The event runs from 2 p.m. –10 p.m. Headlining this year's country fest is David Nail, a country music artist whose multiple albums have produced seven chart entries on Hot Country Songs and Country A... Full story
To Take The ‘Search’ Out Of Search And Rescue Are you making it difficult to be found in an emergency? “Do I know how to be found in an emergency?” That’s a question every boater should ask during boating season. The answer, however, is likely to go far beyond simply having a cell phone aboard. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers five tips that can potentially speed a rescuer’s response to a boater in need of emergency help. 1. File a float plan: Telling a responsible... Full story
When water temperatures start to go down and lake levels begin to rise, crankbait time is here again. Fish start moving up and getting more active, and one of the best ways to find them is to start cranking around the same places you found them during the summer, but shallower. Long points that have good drop-offs to deeper water are prime early-fall areas. Fishing crankbaits is easy, but still requires some effort and attention. You must learn to feel a crankbait while you're fishing it. A lot... Website