04-03-2014, 03:15 PM
While looking for some pictures of Topock Marsh and found these old Cibola pictures.
A 57 lb. Catfish was caught down by Walter's Camp, CA last week and apparently the catfish bite is on in the backwaters near Palo Verde, CA. Something to do with the water release turned on the kitties.
The dirt ramp photo is an area in the refuge called "Pretty Water" and you get there off the dike road on the CA side about 5 miles downstream from where Oxbow Lake road goes up on the dike road. A little tricky to find as few roads are signed in this area, but if you find the headwaters of "Pretty Water" then backtrack about a mile to a turn off on the dike road. Decent bass fishing here
Oxbow is BLM campground on state 78 (Ben Hulse Highway) just south of Palo Verde, CA, Oxbow Lake is mud bottom with low visibilty and has a lot of small bass in it.
McIntyre Park is worth going to and has some quiet backwaters full of bass. I think $10 launch fee and dock with concrete ramp. You actually get out on the river there and motor upstream to the backwaters south of Goose Flats Park on the CA side.
Cibola is Wildlife Refuge (opens 3/15) but you can free dry camp just outside the boundary in an old gravel pit about 2 miles from the gravel launch ramp. No big motors allowed to operate on Cibola last I heard. Trolling Motors only. Water is generally clearer though sometimes there is leaching from mining and the water is black. This is a very fertile pond. You can get into some quality largemouth bass here .
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A 57 lb. Catfish was caught down by Walter's Camp, CA last week and apparently the catfish bite is on in the backwaters near Palo Verde, CA. Something to do with the water release turned on the kitties.
The dirt ramp photo is an area in the refuge called "Pretty Water" and you get there off the dike road on the CA side about 5 miles downstream from where Oxbow Lake road goes up on the dike road. A little tricky to find as few roads are signed in this area, but if you find the headwaters of "Pretty Water" then backtrack about a mile to a turn off on the dike road. Decent bass fishing here
Oxbow is BLM campground on state 78 (Ben Hulse Highway) just south of Palo Verde, CA, Oxbow Lake is mud bottom with low visibilty and has a lot of small bass in it.
McIntyre Park is worth going to and has some quiet backwaters full of bass. I think $10 launch fee and dock with concrete ramp. You actually get out on the river there and motor upstream to the backwaters south of Goose Flats Park on the CA side.
Cibola is Wildlife Refuge (opens 3/15) but you can free dry camp just outside the boundary in an old gravel pit about 2 miles from the gravel launch ramp. No big motors allowed to operate on Cibola last I heard. Trolling Motors only. Water is generally clearer though sometimes there is leaching from mining and the water is black. This is a very fertile pond. You can get into some quality largemouth bass here .
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