All Urban waters will be stocked this week with trout from 11-12 inches.  All Urban waters will receive incentive stockings the week of Jan. 5-10.  These fish include many trout from 13-18 inches with some even over 4 pounds.  On average one in every four trout will be over 13 inches with the remaining fish ranging from 11-12 inches.

Fishing is good to excellent for anglers using scented dough baits (such as Power Bait), worms or corn.  Small spinners such as Rooster Tails and Panther Martins, or spoons such as KastMasters and Super Dupers work well for trout in the early morning.  Patience is the key, as the trout bite sporadically throughout the day.  Fishing for catfish, bass and bluegill is poor due to colder water temperatures that slow down the activity of these warm water species.  Trout fishing is good to excellent at Green Valley lakes in Payson with Power Bait, worms and small spinners working best.

Two brown pelicans have been seen at Urban Fishing Program lakes recently.  One pelican stayed at Papago Park in Phoenix over three weeks establishing a reputation as a fish thief.  Anglers reported watching the large bird swoop from the palm trees to dive and catch up to five or six trout a day.  On one occasion, the pelican flew towards some anglers and grabbed a stringer of three trout right in front of them and took off swallowing the fish and the stringer!  Other anglers complained about the pelican aggressively chasing trout as they tried to reel them in.  The pelican has since been removed by a wildlife rescue group.   A second brown pelican was recently observed at Sahuarita Lake, eating more trout.  If the fish gobbling bird doesn’t leave soon, wildlife officials will have the bird removed and relocated to the California coast to join the Papago Park fish thief.

Where:Surprise
When:12/20/08
Caught:Nothing
Technique:Bobber and bottom, using Berkley Pink trout bait
Comments:One Bite, many 4-6 inch fish swimming in shallow.
Name:Bryan Smith

Where:Rio Vista
When:12/11/08
Caught:4 Trout 2 Bluegill
Technique:Worms off bottom
Comments:Used worms broken in small pieces.
Name:Shawn Kilpatrick

Where:Kiwanas
When:12/13/08
Caught:12 trout, most 14″ one being 16″
Technique:my little secret
Comments:between 8 – 10 in the morning, I had 5. Bit throughout the day, especially before the sun rose and before it set. Also some yellow bass on small crankbaits.
Name:andy
Where:Gilbert Water Ranch
When:12/16/08
Caught:Nothing!
Technique:Worms, corn, cast master AND EVEN flys/ FLY ROD
Comments:Fishing is poor to nill at water ranch. Although trout have been stocked, fish are full and not hungry! I have been there quite a few times and seen other frustrated fishermen, what’s going on?
Name:Mike
Where:Rio Vista
When:12/13/08
Caught:Zip
Technique:Worms, powerbait, corn.
Comments:My wife and I hit RIo Vista and Surprise usually 5 of the first 7 days after stocking. Nobody has been catching anything other than the occasion sub 10 in fish. We are there at first light, miday, and dusk. No stringers, no stories. What is the problem?
Name:Steve Shimp

When:12/13/08
Caught:two rainbows
Technique:worms on the bottom
Comments:looks like they will bite anything early in the morning after that it’s too warm
Name:andrew althaus
Where:Chaparral
When:12/07/08
Caught:6 trout,1 sunny, 14 inch largemouth
Technique:trout i was using sunrise Power Eggs in the main lake also in-line spinner and a little jig
Comments:Don’t try to heave it out there just 10 or 20 feet and let it sit
Name:joe c

TEMPE TOWN LAKE – Game and Fish stocked has stocked 6,000 trout in the past couple of weeks, and we are stocking 4,000 rainbows this week, so the fishing should be superb. Plus, yet another low pressure system should keep the trout biting.
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:12/03/08
Caught:Trout and Largemouth
Technique:Pink (salmon scent) Power Bait w/ slide sinker, Rooster Tail inline spinner for the trout. Chatterbait and spinnerbait for largemouth.
Comments:3 stocker trout, south side, boat dock, west of Rural Road Bridge early morning. 2 largemouth bass (including 3 pounder), north side, east of Rural Rd Bridge by condos late morning / noon time.
Name:Bruce Nagata
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:12/03/08
Caught:Trout
Technique:Power Bait (orange and green) fished on the bottom, slip sinker, 4 lb leader, #10 hook
Comments:I fished south side of the lake, next to Power Rd Bridge. Got my limit in about 30 minutes and left them biting. Guy next to me kept getting bit using corn as well. Most fish were average, small rainbows
Name:
David Czupak
Game and Fish stocked 3,500 trout along with some incentive trout on Nov. 25 for the “Welcome back the Trout” celebration. Anglers were catching bluegill, green sunfish and yellow bass on worms fished both under a bobber and without a bobber at the fishing area west of the Marina.  A couple catfish were caught and quite a few carp were caught using corn fished on the bottom.

Trout can be readily caught using Power Bait on slip sinkers or under a bobber. Worms are always good bait for just about everything in the lake.  Some anglers have been catching limits using corn. Sometimes a bobber is the way to go for the trout other times they like to pluck the worms from a catfish rig.  Be flexible…they are.

Andrew, a Been Fishing reporter, caught a small largemouth and a channel catfish using worms under a bobber.  He had lots of bites but had difficulty hooking the fish.

Another Been Fishing reporter, Brandin, caught three bass, one bluegill another sunfish and two yellow bass.  He used a white swim bait for the bass and the rest were caught on a worm under a bobber.

Where: Tempe Town Lake
When: 12/03/08
Caught: Trout
Technique: Power Bait (orange and green) fished on the bottom, slip sinker, 4 lb leader, #10 hook
Comments: I fished south side of the lake, next to Power Rd Bridge. Got my limit in about 30 minutes and left them biting. Guy next to me kept getting bit using corn as well. Most fish were average, small rainbows David Czupak
Name:David Czupak

LAKE PLEASANT – Water elevation is 1,660 ft, which is 57 percent full and rising. The Agua Fria River was running up to 1,000 cfs on Dec. 18, providing some nutrient loading. The Agua was still running at around 40 cfs on Dec. 23. It’s likely just enough inflow to keep the stripers happy.

The current will likely attract stripers even though we are a couple of months – a least – from the spawning time. Don’t forget that there is a bald eagle nesting closure on the Agua Fria and the access road off Table Mesa Road is closed. Try working the open section of the Agua Fria and target the submerged river channel – that is where you will likely locate the huge schools of stripers and whites.
For all those who enjoy seeing lots of shorebirds, such as snowy egrets, try in the Humbug Creek area. This area can also be a striper haven and might even hold for nice crappies as well.

Where:pleasant, agua fria
When:12/06/08
Caught:28 striper, 1 white bass
Technique:anchovie chunks 20′ – 30′ chum with heads and tails frequently
Comments:Good fish all 2 – 4 lbs around the “no ski” markers from 7am – 11am, bite shuts down around 1030
Name:J. Morrison

Where:pleasant, north ramp
When:12/11/08
Caught:9 striper
Technique:anchovie chunks 20′-30′
Comments:fished outside of “no wake” markers directly in line with 4 lane ramp at 4PM – 7PM, all fish 1-2 lbs and caught before dark
Name:J. Morrison

Where:lake pleasant
When:12/14/08
Caught:none
Technique:every possible bait you could think of
Comments:…But this guy I was fishing next to had caught the biggest bluegill I have ever seen and I mean big, it had to measure, no joke 16 to 18 inches, and I told him he should take it up to the shop and have it measured, cause it could have well been a new world record, I’m still shocked over this fish I’ve caught them before back in the mid west 11 to 12 inches and those where red ears but this was a true blue gill, he said he was going to eat it, and told him that I would give him $20 bucks for it, so I could put it up next to my other bass I have, he said no way they are too good to eat, and I agreed.
Name:
Micheal Culbertson

Where:pleasant, agua fria
When:12/13/08
Caught:16 striper, 1 white bass
Technique:anchovie chunks 30′to 40′
Comments:cut bait, chum every 5 -10 mins with heads and tails and place chunks on hooks, fish are 2 – 4 pounds
Name:J. morison

Where:Lake Pleasant
When:12/15/08
Caught:Largemouth Bass
Technique:Topwater (Zara Puppy)and Texas rigged Robo worms (Oxblood)
Comments:Fished from daylight until the rains started about 1:00pm. Good bite about 9:30 to 12:00. Watched for boils and threw topwater. Fish on Texas rig were all off of points and next to structure.
Name:Martin Dewett

Where:Pleasant – Northern Coves
When:12/13/08
Caught:8 LMB, 4 Whites
Technique:Jerkbaits, Sexy Shad DD22’s, and Shallow ‘white’ cranks. White blades and of course the fairy wand was used for 3 fish…
Comments:When I say shallow cranks, I mean 5-7 feet down. Later in the day/evening pull out those DD22’s and Blades; slow roll and hang on! Biggest bass was just under 7lbs and the smallest was 1.13lbs the whites were all very small. The main lake is dead right now… Don’t waste your time, head north! Give it another week and you’ll need to fish deep again in the main lake.
Name:Chuck E. Cheese

ROOSEVELT LAKE – Lake Elevation is 2144 ft (91% full).  Tonto Creek runoff is at 86 cfs while inflow from the Salt River is at 345 cfs.

Both the Salt River and Tonto Creek ramped up to spring-like slows last week. The Salt was still flowing at around 1,600 cfs on Dec. 23. These type of flows in winter are slow down the largemouth bass and crappie bite, but can sometimes get the smallmouth bass bite going.

However, once things settle down, expect to start finding winter crappie either in open water (large schools that look like upside-down Christmas trees on the graph), or hovering over deep submerged trees and brush. Crappie anglers may have to adjust to the new terrific conditions with lots of submerged brush and trees – crappie love wood.

Expect lots of floating debris in both ends of the lake. Increased turbidity this time of year could significantly slow down the bite, but will pay dividends in fish productivity later. With any luck, we will have a decent January crappie bite, although additional storms could alter that possibility.

Where:Roosevelt Lake
When:12/07/08
Caught:Large Mouth & one small mouth
Technique:rubber worms, texas rig, 11 to 25 feet of water.
Comments:
most of the fish were slotters or under, one over.
Name:Ben Moss

Fishing is a bit slow. A couple anglers fished the Tonto from 8am to 1 pm and only caught 2 largemouth bass on spoons in 20 feet of water.  Trolling was less desirable for these anglers.  Another couple fishermen fished the Salt end and only caught 1 bluegill.

APACHE – Lake elevation is 1907 ft (92-percent full).

Over 4,000 smallmouth bass stocked in Apache Lake last week.  The smallies were in great condition.  Mostly in the 5-7 inch range and there were a few 9-10 inch bass mixed in with a bunch of 4 inch ones.  Thanks to the United Arizona Angler Foundation, which helped purchase and stock these fish.  Game and Fish tagged the fish so as to discern them from other smallmouth bass previously stocked.

An experienced angler caught a 1.5 lb largemouth on a jerk bait in 10 minutes of fishing while waiting for the stocking truck to arrive.

Don’t forget that staring in 2009, there will be a slot limit for Apache Lake bass.

CANYON LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,657 ft, which is 95-percent full. When it rains, the steep sides of Canyon Lake often become a paradise of waterfalls.
Fly fishermen are doing well at Boulder Recreation area using semi seal leeches and give wooly buggers a try.  This tidbit from AZ Fly Fishing.

An angler fished from first light to about 12:30 and used 6 inch swimbaits and had pretty good luck catching bass, one was a 3 pounder.  A white 4 inch grub hooked to a 1/16 oz darter jig head worked well for some smaller bass.
Another angler fished about the same timeframe and caught 8 largemouth bass, 3 yellow bass and a smallmouth bass.  All were below 14 inches.  He stated deep reaction baits worked well for him.

Don’t forget that form 2009 and beyond, there will be a slot limit for Canyon Lake bass.

SAGUARO LAKE – Lake elevation 1524 feet at 92% full.
Where:Saguaro
When:12/19/08
Caught:6 largemouth bass, 7 bluegill, 1 rainbow trout
Technique:Kalin’s 2 inch grubs on lead heads and Powerbait microtubes, using ultralight gear.
Comments:Fished at Butcher Jones vertical jigging on the dock and at the 2nd launch ramp. Slow fishing but still excellent.
Name:W.C. Davidson
A couple anglers had a fantastic day (34 fish in 3 hours) on the lake despite some rain.  If shad are boiling, top water lures are the ticket.  Once the boils disappear try throwing jerkbait towards shore.  Good fishing grounds include the divider reef area, the snags and around Butcher Jones.

Another couple anglers caught 16 largemouth bass 3 hours using a variety of techniques including dropshot, jerkbait, Carolina rigs and flipping worms.
For you fly fishermen Butcher Jones is fishing well for trout with Prince nymphs about 35 yards out.  Wooly buggers are also worth trying.  This info from our friends at AZ Fly Fishing.

Don’t forget that for 2009 and beyond, there will be a slot limit for Saguaro Lake bass.

BARTLETT LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,758 ft, which is 50-percent full. Flows popped up at around 780 cfs last week down the Verde, but were not so dramatic as flows into Roosevelt, Pleasant and Alamo. Still, keep a watch out for possible floating debris. Reservoir release is 100 cfs.

Fish are being caught along the walls using a variety of jigs; pumpkin green and watermelon are enticing the bite for some.

Anglers are boating a few fish with cranks and drop shot technique but fishing was slow according to a few fishermen last weekend.  Weather was a quite nippy as well.

White spinner baits are reported as working well.  Another well informed angler suggests throwing white fat free fingerling shad cranks or similar lures in the shallows.  Be sure to hit the rocks at the bottom to entice the bite.  Other good choices include c-rigged or t-rigged twin tailed skirted lures or smallie beavers in the shallow rocks in less than 15 feet of water in a variety of coves.
HORSESHOE LAKE — Lake elevation is at 1,961 feet, 2-percent full.  They are releasing water at 300 cfs.

Where:Horseshoe Lake Road
When:12/05/08
Caught:nothing
Technique:N/A
Comments:Road Closed

VERDE RIVER — Flows at Tangle Creek were around 780 cubic feet per second on Dec. 18.  Releases from Bartlett Lake are 100 cfs. Expect to find the upper end of the lake a little turbid, with a fair amount of floating debris.

LOWER SALT RIVER (below confluence with Verde River) – SRP was releasing 225 cfs from Saguaro Lake and 100 cfs from Bartlett this week.

There were 1,575 trout stocked this week in the Phon Du. Sutton and Granite Reef areas.
Where:Lower Salt River
When:12/14/08
Caught:1 Largemouth
Technique:
Used a minnow swim bait and bounced it off the bottom.Comments:

Name:Joe Freye

Where:Lower Salt River upstream from Granite Reef
When:12/12/08
Caught:7 Largemouth Bass, 1 Trout
Technique:
4 Bass on swim bait. 2 Bass on a spinner bait, 1 Bass on a Panther Martin and 1 Trout on a Panther Martin
Comments:
Fish are biting a little in the afternoon but the best fishing is right at dusk.
Name:Joe Freye
Where:Lower Salt River just upstream from Granite Reef
When:12/05/08
Caught:7 Largemouth Bass
Technique:2 on a Panther Martin, 1 with a live night crawler and 4 on a spinnerbait.
Comments:Worked the Panther Martin across the channel with medium speed. The worm was about 14-16 inches below a bobber. Used a white spinnerbait and threw it across the river to the edge of the cattails. Worked it across the channel bumping it off the bottom. Most hits were within a few seconds of the lure hitting the water.
Name:Joe Freye
Where:Salt below Phon D. Sutton
When:12/04/08
Caught:Two carp and a bass
Technique:Night crawler on a weightless hook.
Comments:Fished Phon D. Sutton down about a mile. A little slow, but it’s always exciting to not know what you are going to reel in. We thought trout was going to be the winner, but it ended up being carp. Good times…
Name:Tyson
CREEKS — With the snowfall and runoff, the waters will be murky and access will likely be tough.

* Haigler Creek – Access could be tough.
* Canyon Creek – Access could be tough.
* Tonto Creek – Access could be tough.
* Christopher Creek – No reports.
* East Verde – No reports
* Workman Creek – No reports.

HORSETHEIF BASIN LAKE – Probably not worth driving to just for fishing, but it might be worth a visit if you are prowling the Bradshaw Mountains and want to wet a line for some small sunfish or bass.