Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public input in the development of new hunting and fishing license structure and fees, as authorized by the recent passage of Senate Bill 1223. For information on the new concept licenses go to www.azgfd.gov/licensesimplification. This site also includes Web casts of the Phoenix public meeting, a PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentation and handout, and information on how to provide comment and input. It’s important to keep in mind that the l... Full story
Phase two of public input process begins; comments accepted through July 20, webcast to be conducted on June 25 The Arizona Game and Fish Commission approved a draft hunting and fishing license structure and license/tag fees at its June 15 meeting in Payson, Ariz. The proposal will now be taken to the public for a 30-day comment period from June 20 to July 20, 2013. A webcast on the draft structure and fees will be conducted at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25. The webcast can be viewed at www.azgfd.g... Full story
With catfish stockings at all Phoenix and Tucson urban waters on hold during the summer months, fishing becomes more challenging, requiring anglers to be adaptable, patient and persistent. Plenty of wily catfish still lurk the depths of the lakes, especially larger lakes of more than 4 acres. Catfishing is fair for anglers using worms, stink baits, or shrimp fished on the bottom. Catfish can be caught throughout the day, but are most active when the sun goes down. Most catfish are from 14-18... Full story
The most recent catfish stocking at press time was the week of April 29 – May 4 at all Phoenix and Tucson area Urban waters. Cats from previous stockings have been biting very well on worms, stink baits, and hot dogs or shrimp fished on the bottom. Catfish have been active throughout the day with mornings and evenings best. Worms (night crawlers) have been the top bait for three Urban category Big Fish-of-the-Year entries, all in March. Robert Foy hauled in an 8.2-pound, 22-inch largemouth b... Full story
Register Your comments with the EPA by 5/31/2013 and qualify for a trip to Bristol Bay. More information is available at www.takeaction.savebristolbay.org/savebristolbay/issues/alert/?alertid=62627501&PROCESS=Take+Action. ANCHORAGE – Sportsmen, Alaska Natives and commercial fishermen are heartened the EPA has released its updated Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment and initiated a public comment period, representing one of the last steps to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska, its world-class sockeye s... Full story
Action: The early hatchery steelhead season on the lower portions of the Green and South Fork Toutle rivers (Cowlitz County) is open from the last Saturday in May through May 31. Species affected: All game fish, including steelhead. Effective dates: May 25 through May 31, 2013. Locations: Green River from the mouth to 400' below the water intake at the upper end of the hatchery. South Fork Toutle River from the mouth to the 4700 Road Bridge. Other information: From May 25-May 31 anglers will hav... Full story
(Phoenix, AZ - May 22, 2013) - Arizona State Parks' headquarters is now "Camping Central." Arizonans are welcome to stop by and pick up a bag of brochures, maps and information about all the facilities where you can camp, hike, fish, have reunions, weddings, special events and business retreats. There are more than 1,000 campsites so whether you are a tent camper, RV camper or need a nice cozy camping cabin or yurt, our customer service representatives will help visitors find the best place to... Full story
You've probably seen it before: Every stretch is different. The way the banks wind and present a new portrait of our meadows and trees and mountains changes with each jaunt to another fishing hole. Spring surely is here. As we hit another stretch of above-average seasonal spring temperatures, the opportunity to hit the White Mountain and Mogollon Rim streams and lakes will broaden. Unfortunately, many lakes and streams remain inaccessible, but any day now — Rarin’ To Go One lake is raring to... Full story
March offers the best time of the year to fish your nearby park lakes for trout, sunfish, bass and catfish. Good fishing for trout will continue through March as all lakes receive their final winter stockings. Most trout are biting on Power Bait fished on the bottom, but worms and small jigs have worked well at times. The cool morning hours are the best times to target the trout. As waters warm up, try fishing for largemouth bass that are now moving closer to shore as they prepare to spawn and... Full story
Trout are a great fishing opportunity for kids and families. Early season trout stocking is underway in several areas and some stocking schedules have been posted –others are coming soon. Ready to explore some new water? Check out the Google-based maps for driving directions. It’s all on the Trout Stocking page. Would you look at all the smelt! After several years’ absence, a huge run of smelt is returning to the Columbia River and its tributaries. While you can no longer dip for or other... Full story
Columbia Zone News: States set spring chinook, sturgeon seasons for Columbia and Willamette rivers Willamette sturgeon retention season announced for July Beginning Jan. 1, 2013 the Columbia River, and select tributaries (listed under regulation updates for Northwest Zone and Willamette Zone) will be restricted to barbless hooks when fishing for salmon, steelhead and trout. SALMON, STEELHEAD, and SHAD COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to I-5 Bridge Effective January 1 - February 28, 2013, under permanent regulations: Open for adipose... 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
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
Get Out For Trout This is the time of year when the Arizona Game and Fish Department really kicks in its winter trout stockings in the lower-elevation lakes. You can’t beat the recent weather, so now is a great time to get out and fish for trout. Fishing Updates Anglers sent in the following reports this week: Brand reported that he caught some rainbow trout at Desert Breeze Lake (an Urban Fishing Program water in Chandler) using spring green Power Bait, small panther martins, mealworms, and n... 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
Tempe, AZ October 17, 2012 – Did you know that a great catch might be related to the moon’s cycle? Or that size does matters when it comes to pitching a tent? Black Dog Promotions provides helpful hints like these and more on its new website http://www.FishCampHuntHike.com. Launched in October of 2012, the site shares an array of fishing, camping, hunting and hiking stories for, and written by, avid outdoors people—many with a sense of humor as grand as their love of nature and outdoor sport. Learn how to troll for trout or net the best fishi... Full story
The City of Tempe and the Arizona Game and Fish Department will host the annual Welcome Back the Trout celebration from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the SRP Tempe Town Lake Marina. The public is invited to come down and watch as thousands of rainbow trout are released into the lake. Arizona Game and Fish will conduct a free fishing clinic starting at 3 p.m. About 100 free loaner rods, reels and bait will be available during the event, along with instruction and tips from seasoned anglers. Pe... 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
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
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
This report is provided by WOT/AZBW to bring our readers some of the current updates from Arizona Game & Fish Department. AZGFD offers a vast amount of information on all outside activities and may be found at www.azgfd.gov. October 24, 2012 “The Greatest Story Never Told” is the mantra being extolled by the nation’s wildlife conservation community in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Fund (WSFR). Farsighted and forward-looking sportsmen worked with... Full story
Even though each night is two minutes longer, the nighttime temperatures still remain in the upper 70s and 80s, so our larger desert impoundments are experiencing a slow cool down this season so far. However, in the high country the nights are into the 50s or cooler, so the transition to fall conditions will be more pronounced and the fish should be getting increasingly active. Transition Time This is really a transition time of year from summer to autumn conditions. As the water cools, the... Full story
