02-07-2008, 01:10 AM
Rory's Tip
More rain, more snow, more runoff - what a fantastic winter so far! We are poised for an historic fishing year in Arizona.
One of our fisheries biologists, Eric Swanson, put the inflows into perspective. "Larger reservoirs such as Roosevelt Lake, Bartlett Lake and Alamo Lake receive high amounts of storm water runoff, providing an infusion of nutrients to fuel the food chain, and extensive vegetated shallow zones are flooded creating optimal sites for explosive spring spawning success."
Plus, most of our high country lakes should fill to overflowing. Some ephemeral waters, like Lower Lake Mary, should have enough water to be stocked this year. So be sure to get a trout stamp on your 2008 license. Or better yet, get a combination license - all this rain and associated green-up bodes well for the small game hunting this year. This could be THE cast-n-blast year of the century so far.
To put all the runoff in perspective, according to Salt River Project the total runoff in January for the Salt and Verde watersheds almost equaled the total runoff for all of 2007. And we still have the spring runoff to come from a phenomenal snow pack.
As a side note, our Pinetop office received 19.5 inches of snowfall from this past storm (that's official). This is an exciting year. Be sure to put new line on all your fishing reels.
However, all this runoff can make angling a little challenging in the short term.
The fishing hot spot this week is Lake Pleasant. Despite all the rain and runoff, it does not appear that the superb winter striped bass bite has abated much, if at all. There is also some nice topwater action at times with mostly stripers chasing shad at the surface. This action might occur in the backs of coves, or in the middle of the larger coves at first light, but might be found just about anywhere later in the day. Some anglers have been hitting the jackpot just before dusk.
Look for seagull or great blue heron activity. The northern coves at Pleasant will likely have the most activity, but some of the southern coves, such as Desert Tortoise and Honeymoon, are worth a visit as well. I even heard from a shore angler who did well using Zara Spooks adjacent to the four-lane launch ramp in Castle Creek.
Also, try a Zara Spook trailed behind a small (white) Zara Pooch. This type of tandem rig can be lots of fun, at least until the stripers pummel it and cause the two lures to become entangled. Another tandem outfit to try is a soft plastic jerkbait in trail of a Spook. Also, try having a second rod rigged with a white curly tail.
With no storms predicted for this weekend (yet), this might be a great time for a Lees Ferry expedition. For the first winter in three years, the trout are in full spawning mode. Sight-fishing the redds is a hoot, whether you are a fly or spin angler.
I have also received some pretty nice fishing reports from Dead Horse Ranch State Park as well. These small lagoons are very accessible, especially for the physically challenged. It's a great place to take youngsters. I did have one angler write and say that not all the folks fishing there were following angler etiquette. Please be respectful of other anglers, and don't crowd into their spot just because they are catching fish.
A fun place to fish right now is Silver Creek near Show Low for native Apache trout. This spring-fed stream does not typically freeze.
With the expected warming trend, who knows? Fishing could turn on rapidly at Roosevelt, Alamo, and Bartlett. Canyon Lake has also been shot full of nutrients, plus has had lots of Pisces pyramids built there this winter.<br />
Saguaro Lake is being stocked with trout this week. Prior to the recent storm, it was doing great for yellow bass on KastMasters either spooned, or via casts with slow retrieves.
I always like visiting the Bullhead or Willow Beach areas this time of year for trout fishing. At Willow Beach, you might also see some desert bighorn sheep and there is always a chance to catch a huge striper. At Bullhead, it's tough to ignore Casino Row - especially all the great buffets and inexpensive rooms.
Also, don't ignore all the good winter catfishing opportunities in the lakes that received lots of runoff and debris. Use stink baits and fish areas with current.
We are at that time of year. The days are getting longer (approximately 1 minute and 45 seconds more of daylight each day), and the nights are getting shorter. Spring is rushing at us and the fishing is going to be great. These are the good ole days they will be talking about for decades. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you out there.
More rain, more snow, more runoff - what a fantastic winter so far! We are poised for an historic fishing year in Arizona.
One of our fisheries biologists, Eric Swanson, put the inflows into perspective. "Larger reservoirs such as Roosevelt Lake, Bartlett Lake and Alamo Lake receive high amounts of storm water runoff, providing an infusion of nutrients to fuel the food chain, and extensive vegetated shallow zones are flooded creating optimal sites for explosive spring spawning success."
Plus, most of our high country lakes should fill to overflowing. Some ephemeral waters, like Lower Lake Mary, should have enough water to be stocked this year. So be sure to get a trout stamp on your 2008 license. Or better yet, get a combination license - all this rain and associated green-up bodes well for the small game hunting this year. This could be THE cast-n-blast year of the century so far.
To put all the runoff in perspective, according to Salt River Project the total runoff in January for the Salt and Verde watersheds almost equaled the total runoff for all of 2007. And we still have the spring runoff to come from a phenomenal snow pack.
As a side note, our Pinetop office received 19.5 inches of snowfall from this past storm (that's official). This is an exciting year. Be sure to put new line on all your fishing reels.
However, all this runoff can make angling a little challenging in the short term.
The fishing hot spot this week is Lake Pleasant. Despite all the rain and runoff, it does not appear that the superb winter striped bass bite has abated much, if at all. There is also some nice topwater action at times with mostly stripers chasing shad at the surface. This action might occur in the backs of coves, or in the middle of the larger coves at first light, but might be found just about anywhere later in the day. Some anglers have been hitting the jackpot just before dusk.
Look for seagull or great blue heron activity. The northern coves at Pleasant will likely have the most activity, but some of the southern coves, such as Desert Tortoise and Honeymoon, are worth a visit as well. I even heard from a shore angler who did well using Zara Spooks adjacent to the four-lane launch ramp in Castle Creek.
Also, try a Zara Spook trailed behind a small (white) Zara Pooch. This type of tandem rig can be lots of fun, at least until the stripers pummel it and cause the two lures to become entangled. Another tandem outfit to try is a soft plastic jerkbait in trail of a Spook. Also, try having a second rod rigged with a white curly tail.
With no storms predicted for this weekend (yet), this might be a great time for a Lees Ferry expedition. For the first winter in three years, the trout are in full spawning mode. Sight-fishing the redds is a hoot, whether you are a fly or spin angler.
I have also received some pretty nice fishing reports from Dead Horse Ranch State Park as well. These small lagoons are very accessible, especially for the physically challenged. It's a great place to take youngsters. I did have one angler write and say that not all the folks fishing there were following angler etiquette. Please be respectful of other anglers, and don't crowd into their spot just because they are catching fish.
A fun place to fish right now is Silver Creek near Show Low for native Apache trout. This spring-fed stream does not typically freeze.
With the expected warming trend, who knows? Fishing could turn on rapidly at Roosevelt, Alamo, and Bartlett. Canyon Lake has also been shot full of nutrients, plus has had lots of Pisces pyramids built there this winter.<br />
Saguaro Lake is being stocked with trout this week. Prior to the recent storm, it was doing great for yellow bass on KastMasters either spooned, or via casts with slow retrieves.
I always like visiting the Bullhead or Willow Beach areas this time of year for trout fishing. At Willow Beach, you might also see some desert bighorn sheep and there is always a chance to catch a huge striper. At Bullhead, it's tough to ignore Casino Row - especially all the great buffets and inexpensive rooms.
Also, don't ignore all the good winter catfishing opportunities in the lakes that received lots of runoff and debris. Use stink baits and fish areas with current.
We are at that time of year. The days are getting longer (approximately 1 minute and 45 seconds more of daylight each day), and the nights are getting shorter. Spring is rushing at us and the fishing is going to be great. These are the good ole days they will be talking about for decades. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you out there.