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Central Waters Report

Arizona Game and Fish Department's Weekly Fishing Report

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.

Arizona Game & FishTEMPE 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