FISHING
REPORT EDITOR:
Rory
Aikens, (602) 789-3214
January 12, 2010
URBAN LAKES -- The urban program is conducting an extensive creel
at the urban lakes and ponds. If you see them out there,
please participate in the creel and voice your opinion on the fishery. It’s
a good opportunity to ask them some questions as well.
An angler fished Papago and caught 4 small bass and one 3-pound
bass. He caught them on a 1/8-ounce Texas-rigged smally beaver. The
top and middle ponds are clear and the bottom pond is murky.
This is the week for incentive trout stocking for the Urban Program
waters. This will include many trout from 13-18 inches, and
some even larger going three or more pounds. On average, one in
every three trout is a whopper over 13 inches with the remaining
fish ranging from 11-12 inches
Stay on the lookout for golden alga, a microscopic organism that
releases substances that are toxic to fish. Game and Fish
is working with city park staff and lake consultants to regularly
monitor for and control the unwanted algae. To report any
suspicious observations of fish behavior or lake conditions that
may be caused by golden alga, contact the Department at 623-236-7268. Please
do your part to prevent the spread of golden alga by not moving
water or wet objects for fishing equipment from lake to lake. Clean,
drain and dry all equipment.
Purchase your 2010 fishing licenses and don’t forget to include
your Class U license to fish the Urban Program waters which is
good for species in the Program waters including trout. If
you want one fishing license that covers all waters in the state,
then the Class L, Super Conservation Fishing license is the deal
for you. At $53 for residents on $63 for non-residents, this
super license includes the state fishing license, trout stamp and
urban license. You can purchase licenses for loved ones as
long as you know their personal information. All anglers
age 14 and over must purchase a license to fish in Arizona.
TEMPE
TOWN LAKE -Trout fishing is good, they are taking small
spoons, spinners, Superdupers and of course worms. We will
be stocking again this week.
(picture on left) Nancy Ryan with the good folks at the Rio
Salado Project shares a "Best of Phoenix" plague
from the New Times with Rory Aikens, with the Arizona
Game and Fish Department.
Try KastMasters, Road Runners and
Mepps. Worms fished under a bobber are always a good alternative
for whatever is hungry down there. Try fishing off the fishing
areas and near bridge and railroad abutments. Bass fishermen might
want to try swim baits to mimic the trout that are getting stocked. The
water is cold so the fish will be lethargic so a slow retrieve
will do you good.
Don’t forget the current bag limit for largemouth bass at
Town Lake is four fish per day with a 13-inch minimum length restriction.
There are also no gas powered boats allowed on the lake and Tempe
Town Lake permits are available at the City of Tempe Town Lake
Operations Center, 620 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281. Phone:
(480) 350-8625.
LAKE PLEASANT -
Lake elevation 1674 ft (70 percent full) Some anglers have had
a tough time bass fishing in the northern coves. Drop
shot is enticing a few bites at about 13 feet of water. The
top water fishermen are doing rather poorly according to my sources. One
angler caught some stripers in the early morning on crankbait though. A
daytime angler fished with anchovies most of the day and didn’t
get a bite.
With this cold weather fish tend to be 20 feet or deeper. Spoons
are enticing the bite. That’s not to say you can’t
get some on top water. Stripers are taking deep cranks that
mimic shad and of course anchovies.
ROOSEVELT LAKE -- Lake Elevation is 2,131 ft (76-percent
full). Tonto Creek runoff is 17 cfs while inflow from the Salt
River is at 181 cfs.
Some anglers participated in the crappie flotilla on the Tonto
end and fishing could be better although a few crappie are taking
the bait. Keep your eye on the graph and see where they
are stacking up.
Bass fishermen are reporting better luck using crankbaits through
cover.
Bass are hanging in the cover next to deeper water and will strike
when it goes by. A couple anglers caught about 15 bass one
to six feet deep over about 12 feet of water.
When weather fronts
move through the state, try the rocky shorelines for smallmouth
bass.
APACHE - Lake
elevation is 1,904 ft (89 percent full). A couple
frigid fishermen enjoyed the snow covered mountains while fishing
Apache a couple of weeks ago. The fish were a bit shy but
three largemouth bass took deep-diving crankbaits. It helps
if your lure looks like a shad or sunfish, their main food sources. They
graphed a lot of shad.
Game and Fish is not stocking trout this year in Apache but
bass, yellow bass and bluegill fishing is good for those anglers
who partake in the scenic drive. One of the anglers mentioned
how colorful the bass are at Apache. I’ve notice that
as well during our surveys. A quick glance at a largemouth
might make you think it’s a smallmouth for a second. The
coloration is vibrant with real good modeling especially on the
younger specimens. Water temperatures ranged between 49 and
53 degrees.
A father son duo caught one largemouth
on a jerkbait in real shallow water at the east portion of the
lake. Drop shot produced
3 bass on a point in the lake. Rattletraps worked well
on the flats on the west portion the lake. All these fish
were real shallow below 5 feet of water. In all they caught
10 fish with three over the slot. Weather was cold and
cloudy all day with a light wind.
CANYON LAKE -
Lake elevation is 1,659 feet, which is 98-percent full. The Canyon
bite seems to be off right now but we know how fickle those fish
are. Try fishing the boulder recreation area and look for humps
in the substrate. Those fish are
a bit cold so a slow retrieve is in order. Rainbows were
stocked last week so swimbaits might do you some good.
SAGUARO LAKE -
Lake elevation 1,526 feet at 94-percent full. Anglers are catching
bass on drop shot Robo Worms in 30 to 50 feet of water. Visibility
is about 2 to 3 feet.
BARTLETT -- Lake
elevation is 1,746 feet, which is 49-peercent full. Reservoir
release is 100 cfs.
An angler wasn’t real impressed with his fishing experience;
only catching one bass off a point using a drop shot. The
crappie bite was good down by the river. The main boat ramp
is open for business.
The lake level is low, but the
main launch ramp is reportedly in the water.
HORSESHOE - Lake 24
percent full. No reports. They
are releasing water at 10 cfs.
VERDE RIVER -- Verde River flow at Tangle
is 254 cubic feet per second. Release from Bartlett Lake
is 100 cfs.
LOWER SALT RIVER -- Scheduled for stocking this
week at the Water User and Blue Point Bridge. Trout fishing should
be decent.
Stewart Mtn. Dam (below Saguaro
Lake) release is 300 cfs. A couple fishermen caught 5 bass in two
hours using jerkbaits. Deep
pools weren’t real productive but some of the out of the
way places where you have to hike a tad held a few.
With the higher flows due to the Bartlett Maintenance more water
from Saguaro Lake is getting released. Trout will be stocked
at Phon D Sutton, Blue Point, and Water Users. I’m looking
for angler input regarding fishing success to help better manage
the trout fishery. Call me regarding your fishing experience
(480) 324-3544).
CREEKS – This is a great time of year to try some of the
streams along the Mogollon Rim. The crowds are gone and you
could have an entire stream to yourself. The gate to the
catch-and-release section of Canyon Creek has been closed for the
winter so you will have to hike in to this section.
OTHER
WAYS TO GET THE FISHING REPORT:
Internet Home Page - www.azgfd.com
