Arizona Game and Fish Department's Fishing Report

FISHING REPORT EDITOR:
Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214

Janauary 26, 2012

Rory's Fishing Tips:

The fishing report this week begins on a very sad note. Rory’s wife of 33 years, Cindy Joy Winters, passed away Saturday night after a valiant six month battle with spinal cancer. Her memorial service was last night and our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with Rory and their son Josh in this sad time.

Talking with Rory last night he said, “Cindy wouldn’t want us to dwell on the sad, so let’s talk fishing.” So Rory, here we go.

I’m hearing that the fish are practically jumping out of the water up near Lee’s Ferry. Trout limits are being caught on an almost daily basis, so get moving before all the good action is gone. Beautiful scenery, good food at the local restaurants and top notch fishing, you sure can’t beat a trip to the Vermillion Cliffs area!

Speaking of trout, they were stocked into Watson Lake near Prescott last week. Depending on the weather, Granite Dells on the northern edge of Prescott would be a nice place to try for some of these new lake residents.

Trout have been stocked all winter in Tempe Town Lake, so there is still a possibility to hook into a large trout in that lake. Being shallow, and with the recent sun, the water will be warmer than the breeze, so this should make for some good fishing. You can also try for bass in the shadows of the Mill Avenue bridges. Work the edges of the shadows pulling from dark into light and see how that works. Hard to believe a little over a year ago we weren’t sure if we’d ever be able to fish this lake again.

Crappie should be schooling in Alamo Lake west of Wickenburg. This is a very popular winter fishing spot, but it still might be sluggish for a week or two. I hear that anglers are catching crappie, but it’s been hit or miss depending on the day. Come February, if we can keep these warmer temps we’ve been seeing, bass might begin to spawn early in this lake and that could lead to some really good sight-fishing for those critters. Nothing like dropping your line in and actually watching the fish take it and run. Man, do I need to get out there!

All along the Colorado River and into Lake Havasu lie all types of possibilities. Small mouth in the lake or stripers out in the river, good fishing awaits. Wouldn’t it be fun to catch a record, take a picture and send it back to your friends in Iowa who are snowed in right now? Plate-sized redear, up to two pounds or so, are being caught at Havasu, and just upriver in the picturesque Topock Gorge.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to go fishing! While you’re out there don’t forget to take a moment and just look around. Enjoy the sights, smells and feeling of being out in nature. Say a small prayer for Cindy, Rory and Josh, then cast out your line and reel in a memory. I hope to see you out there.

For more information, visit the National Guard web site.