Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 334
OLYMPIA - Anglers and hunters can check out the latest regulations for fishing and big game hunting in new pamphlets arriving now in sporting goods stores throughout the state. The pamphlets, compiled by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, detail state rules for upcoming fishing and hunting seasons for species ranging from steelhead trout to Roosevelt elk. Both pamphlets already are available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/ . State fishery managers are extending the fishing... Full story
The 20th Annual Payson Wildlife Fair is happening on Saturday, May 10. This free event in the cool pines runs 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Green Valley Park, 1000 W. Country Club Dr. in Payson. Admission, parking and activities are free! The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be stocking 800 pounds of rainbow trout for this event; that’s more than 1,000 fish going into the lakes! There will be fishing poles and bait available to borrow for free. No fishing license is required during the event hours (... Full story
Trout fishing is off and running at hundreds of lakes across the state, as spring chinook salmon continue to push into fishing areas higher and higher up the Columbia River Basin. In marine waters, fishing seasons for spot shrimp and halibut are set to open on various dates this month, when more razor-clam digs will be scheduled on coastal beaches. With new fishing opportunities opening throughout the state, May is a great time to go fishing, said Joe Hymer, a fish biologist for the Washington...
Tip Of The Week Spring bass fishing can be excellent, and there's one technique that can turn average bass days into exceptional ones. During the pre-spawn (generally water temperatures of less than 55 degrees), when targeting big, transitioning bass in the shallows, try dyeing your soft plastic bass lures orange. Water clarity is generally limited in our warm-water fisheries right now, and an orange tail can help trigger bass feeding on crawfish. During a spawn (when water temperatures are at... Full story
Catfish stockings will be coming back to the core Community Fishing Program lakes and ponds in Tucson and Phoenix on Friday. Here are the core lakes and ponds: (Phoenix area) Surprise, Rio Vista Pond, Pioneer, Desert West, Alvord, Cortez, Steele I.S. Pond, Encanto, Papago Ponds, E. Hallman Pond, Riverview, Desert Breeze, Veterans Oasis; (Tucson area) Lakeside, Sahuarita, Kennedy, Silverbell, Copper Sky, Kiwanis, Water Ranch, Red Mountain, Chaparral. Channel catfish are best caught using a hook... Full story
For many anglers, "opening day" is synonymous with the start of the lowland lakes trout-fishing season, which gets under way April 26 this year. Hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians typically descend on trout-stocked lakes to kick off the state's biggest outdoor event. To prepare for the upcoming season, hatchery crews from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have been working since last year to stock more than 16 million fish in hundreds of lakes throughout the state.... Full story
Did you know that your state taxes do not support the conservation of Arizona"s wildlife, but your donations do? Taxpayers can help the state's wildlife at tax time by "making a mark" on their state income tax form. The Arizona Wildlife Fund is a voluntary program that allows Arizona taxpayers to make a donation to specifically help imperiled and endangered wildlife, including majestic bald eagles, black-footed ferrets, California condors, Apache trout, Mexican wolves and desert tortoises,...
From Phoenix to Maricopa, eight ponds received their first Community Fishing Program fish stockings during one day between Feb. 10 and 15. Already since Jan. 1, the expansion of the program formerly known as the Urban Fishing Program has included the first catchable stockings at Pioneer Lake in Peoria and Riverview Lake in Mesa. The expansion continues with the first of scheduled stockings that will take place every two months. A total of 815 pounds of trout will be delivered to the eight ponds... Full story
Hello, anglers, It's a good time to round up some swim baits and Roboworms and head to the Phoenix area (if you aren't already there) to do some bassin'. High temperatures are beginning to rise back into the 70s. We're stocking rainbow trout into Canyon Lake, land of the lunkers. Avoid Canyon Lake if you want great catch rates, but for something to hang on the wall, come here and throw some big swim baits (that represent the stocked trout). Plus, the scenery is exceptional. Apache Lake is a grea... Full story
Alexandria, VA - March 6, 2014 – Yesterday, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced S. 2080 the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA). The bipartisan legislation authorizes the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) – an unprecedented national partnership effort aimed squarely at protecting, restoring and enhancing the nation’s aquatic resources and fish habitat. Both Cardin and Crapo sit on the Environment and Public Works Committee – Cardin is the Chair o... Full story
By Nick Walter, AZGFD Hello, anglers, Get ready for more winter trout stockings; they began Jan. 13 in the Verde River (Clarkdale to Camp Verde), Fain Lake, the Lower Salt River, Saguaro Lake, Patagonia Lake, Pena Blanca Lake, Fortuna Pond and Redondo Pond. See our nifty Fish&Boat Arizona map for finding the state's best fishing and boating spots. In addition to an incredible turnout for the kickoff fishing clinic and trout stocking at Pioneer Lake in Peoria, we received some great anglers... 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
Rainbow trout stockings have started and will continue all winter long at two-week intervals at all Urban Fishing waters. 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 a salmon egg/marshmallow combo on the bottom. Small spinners such as Roostertails and Panther Martins, or spoons such as KastMasters and Super Dupers work well for trout. The morning bite is the best... Full story
One of the biggest changes coming to Arizona's new hunting and fishing license structure in 2014 will be the bundling of privileges for Fishing licenses and Combination Hunt/Fish licenses. More Privileges Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, the new General Fishing license will include not only the privileges of the current Class A fishing license, but also privileges for trout, two-pole fishing, and Community Fishing Program waters (formerly known as Urban Fishing Program waters). The license may also... Full story
Beginning Jan. 1, 2014 anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon in the Columbia River and its tributaries will be required to have a Columbia River Basin endorsement. See a map of the Basin and get more information. Trout are preparing for winter… …and are feeding aggressively. Fall fishing, where regulations and access permits, can be some of the best fishing of the year. See the Recreation Reports for updates and the latest conditions. 2014 licenses on sale – and they make great... Full story
OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission amended several state wildlife interaction rules, including those addressing conflicts between wolves and livestock, during a public meeting today (Oct. 4) in Olympia. The amendments approved by the commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), are more consistent with Washington's Wolf Conservation and Management plan and implement 2013 legislation. Those... Full story
Recent Fish Rating Upriver: 3.5 to 6 Walk-In: 3.5 to 6 Spin-Fishing: 5 to 7.5 Key: 1 = Go fish somewhere else 10 = Rent a helicopter and get here Crowd Rating Upriver: 1-2 No Crowds during the week and 2 on the weekends Walk In: 1 during the week and 2 on the weekends Key: 1 = Sleep late and fish where you want. 10 = Very crowded, get up early. About The HFE Since Nov.1, water flows have fluctuated between 5,500 to 8,000-cfs daily as part of the upcoming experimental high-flow event. On Nov. 11... Full story
November promises to provide excellent fishing at Urban Fishing Program lakes. The lakes have been loaded with catfish all fall with one last stocking the week of Oct. 28 – Nov. 2. Coming soon is the first trout delivery for the winter season that begins on Nov. 15. Fishing for catfish, especially cats over 4 pounds, has been excellent following the last stocking that included a huge number of incentive-size fish. Every urban lake received some of the whoppers up to 7 pounds. Excited anglers h... 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
Our South Florida weather continues to be on the strange side. It's almost December and we still haven't seen temperatures dip below 60 degrees let alone 70. But that should change in a few days. A pretty good cold front has been predicted to move into South Florida by late tomorrow night and that weather change should spark some interesting fishing. Offshore waters have been too rough for me to try recently and on a few days I have had some of the offshore fishing captains fishing right next to... Full story
Beginning Jan. 1, 2014 anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon in the Columbia River and its tributaries will be required to have a Columbia River Basin endorsement. Trout are preparing for winter... ...and are feeding aggressively. Fall fishing, where regulations and access permits, can be some of the best fishing of the year. See the Recreation Reports for updates and the latest conditions. Coast elk hunting 2nd season Nov. 16-22 Good numbers of bulls should be available in all... Full story
One of the biggest changes coming to Arizona's new hunting and fishing license structure in 2014 will be the bundling of privileges for Fishing licenses and Combination Hunt/Fish licenses. Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, the new General Fishing license will include not only the privileges of the current Class A fishing license, but also privileges for trout, two-pole fishing, and Community Fishing Program waters (formerly known as Urban Fishing Program waters). The license may also include fishing... Full story
Beginning Jan. 1, 2014 anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead or sturgeon in the Columbia River and its tributaries will be required to have a Columbia River Basin endorsement. See a map of the Basin and get more information. Trout are preparing for winter… …and are feeding aggressively. Fall fishing, where regulations and access permits, can be some of the best fishing of the year. See the Recreation Reports for updates and the latest conditions. Late season archery deer hunting underway Bow... 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 Commission recently approved 12 amendments to Commission Order 40 (fish regulations) that are expected to conserve sport fish populations and simplify and streamline regulations.The amendments will take effect Jan. 1, 2014. One amendment of particular benefit to anglers is a change in the statewide possession limit to twice the daily bag limit, applying to all statewide and special-regulation seasons. The regulation will now give the angler the ability to continue fishi... Full story
