May 8, 2008
Rory’s Tip:
Well,
it�s about time! If the weather gurus are right, it
looks like we�ll have a weekend without wind
blasting most of the state � maybe just normal
afternoon breezes.
So whether you want high county trout
or bass in the desert lakes, this looks like the best window
in weeks.
Top picks: Roosevelt,
Bartlett, Alamo, Havasu and Pleasant for largemouth bass.
Hit Pleasant, Havasu, Mead and Powell for striped bass.
Crappie anglers
should fish at night under lights at Roosevelt, Bartlett or
Alamo (Pleasant is a crappie dark horse).
The catfish parade is
already underway. Try Saguaro, Canyon, Pleasant, Bartlett,
Apache, Roosevelt, Alamo � you name it. Day or night
will work right now at any desert lake.
For shore anglers, it�s tough
to beat cat fishing. Going after catfish and carp at our
desert lakes can net you some amazing action. As a matter of
fact, if you don�t know how to fish for these
lumbering underwater giants, come join us at CAMP
CARP XVIII, a time-honored Game and Fish tradition.
Master carpologist himself, Jim
Warnecke, who retired from the department last year, will
once again be teaching folks how to catch all those
�bottom feeders.� As Jim says, there is no
limit on carp, plus no limit to the fun while catching these
brutes.
Here are the particulars: May
30-31, noon to 7 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,
Lake Roosevelt (Frazier Group site). Look for the signs. For
more information, call Jim�s able replacement in our
Mesa Region, Natalie Robb, at (480) 324-3541. These aren�t
those wimpy bass or trout � you�ll need stout
poles and heavy test line to land these brutes -- hurrah.
In
the high country, I received pictures of some huge pike out
of Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff courtesy a Danny
Iberra-Shea, who routinely provides some nice reports to us.
These pictures will either give you nightmares, or send you
rushing to the store to buy steel leaders and frozen
anchovies -- maybe both.
Ashurst is another big pike
bastion � it might even be harboring a new
state record in its murky depths.
Lower Lake Mary is
still a good bet for lots of stocker rainbows � it
was stocked with 28,000 of the beauties in late winter. They
should be good looking fish now.
The streams in the White Mountains
have now been stocked with our golden-colored
natives, Apache trout. Try the Little
Colorado River in Greer, the East Fork of the Black River,
the West Fork of Black River or Silver Creek. Think gold for
Apaches � they like gold or yellow lures, such as
Mepps spinners, KastMaster and the like. Hook up your kids
with cane poles and worms to fish the streams �
it�s more fun than any computer game.
For bass in the desert lakes, this is
a transition time from a predominant spawn
bite to a post-spawn one.
There
are still bass on beds (the spawn can spread out into the
summer months), but the majority of bass have probably
spawned out. A significant portion of the bass population
could be in the post-spawn doldrums right now � they
need baits put on their noses, or might just respond to
reaction baits.
But there should also be a population
segment of post-spawners that are feeding more
aggressively at times. Look for these bad boys and
girls voraciously chasing shad in the coves at first and
last light, or along main male points, islands, reefs and
submerged humps (ambush spots) during the day.
At night, look for
prime fish movement corridors such as submerged creek and
river channels, arroyos and the like. Where you can find
fish highway intersections, such as a submerged creek
channel connecting to a submerged river channel, you might
just hit a nighttime fishing bonanza. Put that expensive
fish finder to work for you � you�ve paid it
enough.
By the way, the first quarter
of the moon is May 11, so this is a great time for
your submerged or floating lights to work best for
attracting plankton, shad and accompanying predators. You
might even see some cool shooting stars, courtesy the tail
of Halley�s Comet; it�s the Aquarid meteor
shower time. http://spaceweather.com/
Get out and wet a line. Maybe
I�ll see you out there.
.
North Central Mountains
Note: Northern Pike
have been illegally stocked in Francis Short. If you
catch a Northern Pike at Francis Short Pond, please REMOVE
IT FROM THE POND.
WILLIAMS LAKES:
KAIBAB LAKE Campground area is open.
Main parking lot and boat launch open for day use only. Some
trout are being caught. Recently stocked.
Where:Kaibab Lake
When:
05/03/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout
Technique:Multi Colored Power Bait with glitter 24 inches up
from the bottom.
Comments:My wife and I caught the 7 trout in four and a half
hours. My wife had not been fishing since she was a child.
Name:Wesley Peacock
Where:Kaibab Lake
When:04/17/08
Caught:9 Trout
Technique:Spinners and Power Bait
Comments:Two anglers fished 7:30 to 12 noon. Water stained
and very windy. Willie had not fished in 25 years, we had a
great time.
Name:Ted
Where:Kaibab Lake Williams
When:04/12/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout... Too small threw it back
Technique:Corn & live worms
Comments:Spent 8 hours admiring the beauty, but catching
only one little fish. Nobody else was having luck either.
Name:Pat Michaels
Where:Kaibab
When:04/14/08
Caught:trout
Technique:Power Bait and lots of lures
Comments:the bite was slow could get them to hit a lure the
fish we caught were on power bait the fishing is real slow
and when they do bite its very light
Name:jared pensinger
CATARACT LAKE � � Campground is open.
Lake is open for walk in fishing. Some fish being
caught on flys and worms. Recently stocked.
CITY RESERVOIR �Road is open. Lake is full.
Has been stocked.
DOGTOWN LAKE � Campground area is open. No Report
Some browns are being caught on lures.
JD DAM � Road is open. Has been
stocked.
RUSSEL TANK - Has been stocked.
SANTA FE � Lake is full. Has been stocked.
Anglers are catching trout and yellow perch.
WHITEHORSE LAKE � Stocked with 2,700 rainbow trout
on April 25. No report from anglers. Campground is now
open. Lake is open for walk-in fishing. Lake is full.
FLAGSTAFF LAKES:
LOWER LAKE MARY � This is still
a trout-catching hot spot. A total of 28,000 trout have been
stocked into the lake fishing is fair to good depending on
the wind.
Angler report
Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:05/03/08
Caught:Trout -- 8" - 1'-2"
Technique:1/8-1/4 oz spoons as well as powerbait
Comments:The bite was on for a good hour or so, died for 30
mintues and was on again (Like this throughout the day)
Name:Josh
Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:04/22/08
Caught:Trout
Technique:Green Power bait 8 - 12 inches off the bottom
Comments:I caught my limit of 6 in only 2 hours. The wind
was down so it made the conditions perfect.
Name:John Hull
Where:Lower lake Marry
When:04/13/08
Caught:Trout
Technique:Silver and gold Spinners
Comments:Had a great day of catching-and-releasing stocker
trout fishing was good and no wind was a plus. I was using
small spinners changing the speed of the retrieve. Fish were
hitting the spinner close to bank. Also make sure to pinch
the barb of your hooks if planning to release the fish. I
noticed people using Power Bait were not having the same
success as people throwing spinners. It was also great see
the number of kids out with parents.
Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:03/30/08
Caught:35 rainbow trout
Technique:gold and silver spoons
Comments:My son and I had a blast. We caught and released
all 35 in about 2 1/2 hours. We would've caught more but
decided 35 was good number to stop at. I should add that
these trout are still small and need a couple of weeks to
get bigger and that�s another reason we stopped
fishing. As fertile as this lake is it should only take a
couple of weeks!
Where:Lower Lake Mary
When:03/31/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout
Technique:Fished a small black fly with red tail an hour
before sunset. Caught one on the first cast, 12 inches. Also
fished a black and yellow Panther Martin, caught a 10-inch
one on that.
Comments:South side of the lake has lots of weeds to snag
on. Try areas with steeper banks.
Name:Bob Harris
UPPER LAKE MARY � This is a
northern pike hot spot. The lake is full. Some anglers have
reported catching huge northern pike on frozen anchovies
fished with little or no weight on steel leaders.
Angler reports:
Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen:
When: APRIL 27
Caught:2 cats 6.5 lbs and 3lbs + 4 pike 18 to 20 inches
Technique:Anchovies fly lined with steel leaders and large
kahle hooks
Comments:Cats were early morning then pike started about 8am
to 11am
Name:Mark Denton
Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen:
04/18/08
Caught:northern pike 21 1/2 lbs!!!
Technique:anchovies (fly-lined) on a steel leader w/ large
catfish hooks.
Comments:My friend, Bob Bax, and I, caught 5 pike in 2 1/2
hours. The smallest pike was 10 lbs and the largest was 21
1/4 lbs (caught on 10 lb line and a trout rod)! The entire
state is erupting right now! Fish ANYWHERE in the state with
4 lb test and a #6 hook (w/no weight) with a fat night
crawler. Leave your bail open and wait for your line to go
pealing out!!! This is the year! Good luck! I have fished
many of the high country lakes this Spring, and Mary is
where it is at! Go large with your bait and bring a friend
to net the monsters! See you out there! :)
Name:danny iberri-shea
Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen:
04/09/08
Caught:25 " (4lb) northern pike
Technique:Good old "comfort food" (frozen anchovy
on a steel leader w/no weight).
Comments:Get zen with it! Keep your rods low to the water in
rod holders to reduce the wicked winds that many fishermen
are complaining about.
Name:danny iberri-shea
Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen:
When: 04/05/08
Caught:5 northern pike 1@ 30 inches , 3 @ 24 inches 1@ 20
inches
Technique:anchovies , no weights,
Name:Tom Garbade
ASHURST LAKE � The lake is full. Some larger
hold-over trout are being caught. Stocked last week. The
road is open. Some trout anglers are catching northern pike.
Where:Ashurst Lake
When:04/05/08
Caught:trout
Technique:rainbow KastMaster, trolling
Comments:The fishing is slow but patience will be rewarded.
There are some huge hold-overs
Name:Corey Myers
FRANCIS SHORT POND � Has been recently stocked.
Fishing was fair to good for trout on flies or Power Bait.
Catfish are being caught on night crawlers. Please
remove all pike caught to save stocked trout for the
anglers!!!
KINNIKINICK LAKE � Road Open.
Stocked last week.
Where:Kinnickinick
When:05/04/08
Caught:Rainbows
Technique:Night crawlers, grubs, small brown Power Bait
worms with chartreuse eggs in front of the worms, eagle claw
double hook assembly.
Comments:Caught 9 pan fries and put them back to grow.
Hooked a 8 + lb.
Name:Thom Rogers
MARSHALL LAKE � Stocked with 900 rainbow trout on
April 25. Scheduled to be stocked this week. Open,
accessible.
Angler report:
Where:marshall lake
When:04/09/08
Caught:rainbow trout
Technique:spinner/spoon slow retrieve with an occasional
jerk of the rod. fish are about 6-10 in in length
Comments:caught all at the boat launch.
Name:Brian Atkins
OAK CREEK � Stocked weekly. Fishing is slow for
browns, but okay for rainbows.
Where:Oak Creek
When:05/04/08
Caught:1 tiny stocker
Technique:Flies, nymphs
Comments:Walked nearly all of the hot pools up the creek
(above Slide Rock) didn't see any of the stocked trout. Most
likely b/c it was the weekend.
Name:Nathan
Where:Oak Creek, Don Hoel's cabins
When:04/26/08
Caught:1 Rainbow trout, and wife caught 1 bow
Technique:Flyfishing, tried Bead headed Copper John, Simi
Seal Leach and Hopper.
Comments:Water was crystal clear but kinda low. Large slow
pools with lots of fish, but didn't catch any in the pools.
Caught 10-inch rainbow in riffle using Simi Seal.
Name:Lonnie Nordby
Where:Oak Creek
When:04/16/08
Caught:Rainbow trout, brown trout
Technique:Different colored Power Baits and salmon eggs.
Comments:The rainbows were plentiful in places where they
were stocked (when you could find them). We caught a few
brown trout and caught our limits of rainbows.
Name:Mike McBeath
Where:Oak Creek Canyon
When:04/19/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout
Technique:Spin casting rooster tails
Comments:Fished below slide rock up to the bridge and into
the park. Fishing was slow, water is still a bit high.
Caught one rainbow just above the bridge in the park. Maybe
the fish have not made it to below the bridge as of yet.
Name:Bradley Mihalik
LONG LAKE � Lake is open.
Water level is good. Lake has been stocked with 4,300
trout. Some nice fish are being caught near the ditch.
Two anglers report catching limits of trout from their boat
but were challenged by windy conditions at times.
SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX �
Lakes are open. No report.
BEAVER CREEK � Has been stocked
with 900 rainbow trout and the water temperature was 53
degrees. No reports.
Where:Beaver Creek
When:04/10/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout & Bass
Technique:Night Crawlers no weight
Comments:Fished from the Bridge at the Camp Ground all the
way up north to the Southwest Academy and only found a
pocket of 8 Stocker Trout & 4 dead Trout and very few
Bass. Water is clear. I would recommend that you try your
luck south of the Bridge/Red Rock Ranger Station. Because we
were unable to locate the 900+ Recently stocked Trout, north
of the bridge!
Name:Jesse F.
WEST CLEAR CREEK � Has been stocked with 450 rainbow
trout and the water temperature was 55 F. No report.
STONEMAN LAKE � NO FISH.
MINGUS LAKE � The gate is
closed until the spring, but you can walk in and fish.
The gate is scheduled to be unlocked the first week in May.
Trout were stocked last on the week of Oct 15.
Stocking should resume early in May. Try bright-colored
Power Bait like chartreuse, salmon eggs, or various
spinners.
Someone illegally stocked yellow
bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish compete
directly with the trout and keep growth rates very low.
If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like bass,
bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it to our
Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings cost
YOU money!
Where:Mingus lake
When:04/23/08
Caught:Rainbow trout
Technique:Worms/rooster tails
Comments:Caught 15 in 3 hrs. Most fish were less than 15
feet from shore. fished bait 4 foot deep. Great place to
take a kid, my boy had a blast.
Name:ac guy
MINGUS LAKE � The gate should
be getting unlocked either this week or next week.
Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week (April 28) and
are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 12. Try
bright-colored Power Bait like chartreuse, salmon eggs, or
various spinners.
Someone illegally stocked yellow
bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish
compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very
low. If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like
bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it
to our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings
cost YOU money!
DEAD
HORSE STATE PARK �Fishing has been hit-and-miss.
While some angler�s are doing well, others are not as
successful. One angler was having success on
artificial flies. You might also try using KastMaster,
worms, or Power Bait. Trout were last stocked the week
of April 1; this was the last scheduled stocking for the
year. Trout are still very numerous in both the middle
and lower lagoons. The largemouth bite has picked up,
so you may want to try throwing some plastics.
Bluegills are very abundant, but most are small. This
is a great opportunity to teach kids how to fish. Try
using a #8 hook with a small piece of worm under a bobber
and you should have success. While the crappie numbers
are up a little, most are small. Look for the crappie
fishing to be good late this year or next year.
Catfish were stocked the week of Sept.
24, for Verde River Days festivities. Several
largemouth bass, including a 10-plus pounder were caught
last summer in the middle lagoon. In-line spinners,
plastic grubs, and small crankbaits have been the ticket.
The bluegill fishing has been good using a salmon egg or
small worm on a small bait hook below a bobber. The
bluegills are plentiful in both the middle and lower
lagoons, so between trout and catfish stockings try your
luck with the bluegill.
VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley)
� Trout were last stocked the week of March 17. This
was the final stocking for the year. Look for the
catfish bite to pick up in May. On Saturday March 8
Camp Verde Parks and Recreation and Arizona Game and Fish
provided a fishing clinic at the White Bridge. While
success was limited, all participants seemed to enjoy
themselves.
Where:Verde River
When:04/24/08
Caught:2 Rainbow Trout and 1Large Mouth Bass
Technique:Fly-fishing, using pheasant tail bead headed nymph
and flashback bead headed nymph.
Comments:Water was low, slow and murky. Fished just above
the bridge going into Dead Horse Park. Caught and released 2
trout and 1 bass in same hole. Trout were 10 inches, Bass
was 6 inches. Also tried down stream from the bridge, but
nothing.
Name:Lonnie Nordby
MINGUS LAKE � The seasonal gate
across the access road is open. Rainbow trout are being
stocked every two weeks. The best bait this week is white
Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an
egg sinker. Several 6-fish limits of trout were caught this
way. Fishermen using night crawlers under a bobber are also
having some success.
Someone illegally stocked yellow
bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish
compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very
low. If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like
bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it
to our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings
cost YOU money!
DEAD HORSE STATE PARK � Trout
fishing success has slowed since the last seasonal fish
stockings April 1st. The best bait has been kernels of
canned corn with a split-shot sinker, fished about 3 feet
under a bobber. Power Bait fished on the bottom with an egg
sinker is also catching a few trout. Largemouth bass fishing
is fair. Try using small plastic jigs, plastic worms, or
small spinnerbaits near deeper cover.
The largemouth bite has picked up, so try throwing plastic
worms or lizards. Bluegills are very abundant, but
most are small. This is a great opportunity to teach
kids how to fish. Try using a #8 hook with a small
piece of worm under a bobber and you should have success.
While the crappie numbers are up a little, most are small.
Look for the crappie fishing to be good late this year or
next year. Catfish are scheduled to be stocked the
week of June 9th.
VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley)
� Trout fishing success is waning since the last
seasonal fish stockings occurred March 17th. A few rainbows
are still being taken near Riverfront Park in Cottonwood on
night crawlers and dry flies. Largemouth bass fishing is
fair. Best bet is throughout the Camp Verde reach using
small plastic jigs and in-line spinners. Channel catfish
action is starting to pick up in the Verde Valley. Most
success on catfish is by using night crawlers and chicken
liver after dusk.
LYNX LAKE � Rainbow trout were last stocked April 14
and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 12.The
fishing should improve following this stocking. Some
7-inch brook trout were stocked the week of Feb 25.
Game and Fish Biologists installed PVC fish structures on
Jan. 3. These structures should protect small fishes
from predation.
Brook trout were stocked in September.
The brooks were in the 5-inch range, but hopefully they will
be catchable size for the fishing in the spring. Game
and Fish stocked catfish the week of June 4. There were 200
pounds of bluegill stocked on March 29. Game and Fish
biologists surveyed Lynx in May and found that the brook
trout stocked in September 2006 were still present.
FAIN LAKE �Fain lake was
stocked rainbow trout the week of April 14 and is scheduled
to be stocked again this week (April 28). While some
were doing very well others were not. Try to fish were
the water is clearer. Use spinners or bright colored
power bait. Fain lake was stocked with brook trout on
Feb. 25.
Prescott Valley Parks and Recreation
held the annual Gold Fever Days at Fain Lake in mid October,
were nearly all of the kids that participated in the fishing
clinic caught fish. Five-inch brook trout were stocked
in Sept. 24 and rainbows were stocked Oct. 12 & 15.
GOLDWATER LAKE � Trout were
stocked April 21 and are scheduled to be stocked again the
week of May 5. One angler reported catching a 13- and
14-inch trout in two hours of fishing. While there is
no shortage of fish, most people report catching only one or
two fish. Fishing should really pick up following the
stocking this week. Try using KastMasters. If that
does not work you may try worms or Power Bait. Early
in the morning and in the evening the bite may be a little
better. Some days the fishing seems to be better than other
days as well. Bluegills were stocked Feb 25. Game and
Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was
caught at Goldwater in March.
Where:Goldwater lake
When:04/23/08
Caught:trout- limit
Technique:Panther Martin lures worked great. Power bait was
also working.
Comments:The weather was beautiful, and the fishing was
great.
Name:Andrew Samsill
Game and Fish Biologists surveyed
Goldwater during the middle of May last year and found the
trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish and
bass was low, the quality was exceptional. One 16-pound
catfish was sampled and released. The bass averaged about
3.5 pounds. On March 29, 2007, there were 400 pounds of
bluegill stocked. These fish were hand-sized and should be
easily caught. Try using worms or mealworms on a
bobber. Small spinners may work as well.
If you fish Goldwater and are having
luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov
so I can share your successes with others.
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