Fishing Tips By Chase Newlon

Fishing Tips

By Chase Newlon, AZGFD R3 Coordinator

The temperatures are on the rise! With that, bass and bluegill have been stocked throughout all the Community Fishing Waters. Try your luck at one of the 50+ of these waters, many of which are found within the Phoenix Metro area. Find one that is close to you here: http://www.azgfd.gov/community.

When switching from targeting trout to fishing for largemouth bass, you will need to upsize most of your gear. A 7-foot medium power rod is a good starting point for targeting bass. You will want to spool it up with an 8-pound braided line with a 3- to 4-foot-long, 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. Here is a great resource on knots for attaching a leader to your main line: https://www.takemefishing.org/how-to-fish/how-tie-fishing-knots/line-joining-knots/.

Now that you have your rod ready to go, you will need some lures to target the freshly stocked bass. Jigs are one of the best year-round lures for largemouth bass. They come in a variety of sizes, colors, and types. Depending on where you are fishing, a certain style of jig will be the most appropriate. You can find the different types of jigs and what each of them is used for here: https://www.takemefishing.org/blog/may-2017/bass-fishing-101-choosing-the-right-jig/

The FishAZ Network is filled with great events for all skill levels by a variety of great partners. See the list at: https://register-ed.com/programs/arizona/239-fishaz-network.