Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Tip Of The Week Three years ago, the world record redear sunfish was taken out of Lake Havasu. Hector Brito caught a 5.80-pound redear sunfish on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014. Redear sunfish have grown to trophy size in Lake Havasu. Many are in the 2-pound range and larger are regularly caught at this 19,300-acre impoundment on the Colorado River, formed by Parker Dam. Bluegill and redear can be caught around structure such as docks, vegetation, or artificial structure using mealworms, nightcrawlers,... Full story
While shore and motorboat fishing still lead the way, kayak fishing is rapidly growing in popularity as more and more anglers make the shift to the "Tupperware Navy". The most recent national data suggest close to 2 million anglers go out on kayaks each year, as more kayak brands introduce wider, more-stable platforms from which anglers can test their skill against even large ocean-based fish, such as marlin, tuna and grouper. Growth Attributable To Several Factors According to Dallas... Full story
As many of us reflect on 2016 and think about the changes we’d like to make in this new year, how about adding an outdoors resolution to the list? From the Arizona Game & Fish Department here are some ideas for current outdoors enthusiasts and some who are new to the joys of participating in it: 1. Buy a hunting, fishing or combo license and head out for some outdoor fun while supporting wildlife. Licenses are inexpensive: Arizona residents pay $37 for a general hunting or fishing license or $... Full story
Some new fishing regulations took effect on Jan.1, Be sure to look for the full 2017-18 Arizona Game and Fish Department fishing regulations online around the first of the year. Also, the new fishing regulations booklet will be available at all AZGFD offices and license dealers in early January. Here are the changes: • Reduce the daily trout bag limit to five at the Colorado River from Lake Mead to California-Nevada boundary (including Lake Mohave and Willow Beach). • Reduce the daily... Full story
In Arizona, winter doesn't have to mean sending boats and rods and reels into hibernation. While outdoor recreation opportunities across many U.S. states shut down during the season of freeze, Arizona rolls on with trout stockings and water temperatures just warm enough to convince fish to bite during the holidays. Although fishing tends to slow a tad this time of the year, there are some spots that are winter-friendly. Here, then, are the Arizona Game and Fish Department's top-five fishing... Full story
Trout are being stocked in "core" Community waters this week, and more are being caught and stocked in higher elevation lakes. If you are successful, we suggest heading to the kitchen to try this delectable recipe. Pan-Seared Trout With Blackberry Sauce By Johnathan O'Dell Serves 5 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: • 2 pounds boneless trout fillets with skin on • 2 tablespoons olive oil • Salt • Black pepper • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter • 1... Full story
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
The fishing in South Florida for me, my clients and Get Em Sportfishing Charters http://www.getemsportfishing.com/ during 2016 was great! The Get Em for those of you that didn't know is the name of my 22' 2014 Pathfinder Tournament Edition Bay Boat. During 2016 the Get Em logged more and bigger catches of snook locally and in Flamingo then I have had in recent memory. Catching a snook in North Bay during the day can be a challenge but this past year at times the fish were thick, hungry and... Full story
Tip Of The Week All active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Arizona, along with their spouses, may purchase resident hunting and fishing licenses. The Reel Deal Grab a license online, 24/7 (and help conserve all species of wildlife). There are only a few weeks left before winter conditions prevail in the high country, so if you're looking for scents of pine, scenes of eagles and tight lines from trout, go now. The trout bite is hot at spots such as Dogtown, Kinnikinick,... Full story
Caught a tiger trout, yet? Try fishing the shorelines at Woods Canyon Lake. Some of our biologists were on the water at Woods Canyon, located on the Mogollon Rim, electrofishing from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. for two days and caught more than 100 tiger trout. "This number of tiger trout was interesting to us because we usually pick up few trout by boat electrofishing," AZGFD Reservoir Biologist Sally Petre said. "It seems as though the tiger trout behave a bit differently than rainbow trout and hang out... Full story
I'm standing in a small side room at Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery, just off a larger chamber where a dozen concrete raceways lie. Double-doored olive metal cabinets stand against white walls under effusive florescent light. Well-used grease boards smudged with eraser marks under blue-ink to-do lists fit the narrow space on one end opposite an industrial-sized sink. On a long wall, a hygienic 12-foot-long stainless-steel counter is where the work gets done today. Two biologists stand over... Full story
A ribbon-cutting event at the now-functioning Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery celebrated the renewed collaborative efforts by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mohave County that will boost economic activity and preserve trout fishing on the lower Colorado River in Mohave County for future generations....
The trout have made their annual Thanksgiving comeback to Tempe Town Lake. The City of Tempe and Arizona Game and Fish Department hosted the annual Welcome Back the Trout Celebration Tuesday, Nov. 25 at the SRP Tempe Town Lake Marina. Families and community members were invited to come down and watch as thousands of rainbow trout from the Department's Page Springs Hatchery are released into Town Lake. "'Welcome Back the Trout' is an annual tradition in Tempe that the city is proud to present... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has recently stocked thousands of catchable size rainbow trout into many of the White Mountain lakes. This gives anglers an extra incentive to get out to the lakes this fall. Show Low Lake was stocked with 4,000 rainbow trout. Bear Canyon and Willow Springs Lake received 5,000 fish each. Another 7,000 trout went into Woods Canyon Lake. Fool Hollow Lake and River Reservoir each received 8,000 trout. The AZGFD hatcheries had a surplus of fish that... Full story
Tonto Creek Trout Time -- Our friend Catherine May had a great catching time this fall at Upper Tonto Creek. She tempted these rainbow trout with salmon eggs and, obviously, May was pleased with her catch, the largest being 12.5 inches.... Full story
Whether you are an angler, a hunter, or an outdoors enthusiast, one of the treasures we share is the abundance of wildlife in the Southwest. From rainbow trout in the high country to majestic elk in the forest lands to the antelope on our open plains, to the perky Gambel quail, to the endearing little black-footed ferrets, these beings who share our world can certainly be considered precious residents of our outdoors. At Thanksgiving time, when many concentrate on expressing gratitude for the... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today took action to further protect redband rainbow trout at Lake Roosevelt, a Columbia River reservoir in northeast Washington. The commission voted to change the daily catch limit on trout at Lake Roosevelt and extend a closure in a section of the Sanpoil River during a trout spawning period. Redband trout are a subspecies of rainbow trout found in the Columbia River and its tributaries. The modifications were approved during a c... Full story
Tip Of The Week For our desert lakes, predatory fish activity will be building toward a fall-time frenzy. Bass in particular will feed heavily to prepare for winter conditions. For anglers, that means now is the best time to hook into actively feeding bass. The Reel Deal The first hints of fall means fishing is about to bust loose. Nights are getting noticeably cooler, putting bass in the mood to chase reaction baits and trigger some of the best high-country trout fishing of the year. Remember:... Full story
September 8, 2016 Contact: Larry Phillips 360-902-2721 Olympia – Anglers claimed more than 340 prizes during the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) first annual statewide fishing derby. The trout derby ran from April 23 through Sept. 6, with more than 130 license dealers donating prizes, including charter fishing trips, gift cards, and rod and reel combos. The department planted more than 700 tagged fish in lowland lakes this spring. Anglers lucky enough to catch one of the... Full story
Aug. 8, 2016 Contact: Commission Office, (360) 902-2267 OLYMPIA – Washington sport anglers soon will have two new options for fishing licenses after action taken by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission at its August meeting. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), voted to establish an all-inclusive, annual fishing license at its meeting in Olympia. The Fish Washington license will allow anglers t... Full story
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting existing national parks and monuments and those yet to be established. By doing so, he not only preserved America's most remarkable natural wonders, but he also created protections for some of the most idyllic fly-fishing locations in North America. 25 Best National Parks to Fly Fish celebrates the phenomenal fly-fis... Full story
Tip Of The Week For those athletic anglers looking for lots of exercise, good fishing, and no crowds, try Chevelon Lake. This steep-sided canyon lake is not shore-angler friendly, so float tubes, canoes or kayaks are almost a must. The hike-in is knee-challenging on the way down and the long hike back up the steep trail will take your breath away in more ways than one. For aging anglers who are out of shape, avoid this lake; it's a cardiac special. New fishing regulations on Chevelon Creek... Full story
I have to eat my words "trout fishing in Arizona sucks". I have been spoiled by fishing states like Montana and Utah for trout in double digits. However, a friend, John Waters caught this amazing trout in an undisclosed stream in Arizona. Waters, after fishing for several hours, thought he saw a large trout in a pool. He cast a crawfish-colored crappie jig tied to 6-pound test mono to the back of the pool. When he began to retrieve, he felt what he thought was a hang-up. However, before he got t... Full story
While my focus and much of Hunting And Angling Heritage Workshop Group’s (HAHWG’s) effort is on recruitment and retention. There are other groups fighting the good fight at a higher level. I got an email from Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation’s President Jim Unmacht (they also do the license plate grant program many of us have used) that listed the concerns, threats and challenges for sportsmen on a landscape scale. And, I said to him, some of us work with kids, others work with legis... Full story
Arizona's Trout Challenge Program was developed to encourage anglers to learn more about fishing opportunities in the state. Arizona Game and Fish Department manages many waters statewide to provide anglers the opportunity to catch several different species of trout, including two found only in the Southwest, Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) and Apache Trout (Oncorhynchus apache). There are two ways for anglers to complete the Challenge - 1. Catch all five species of wild trout in Arizona. These...
