URBAN LAKES – Good fishing for trout will continue through March as all lakes receive their final stocking the week of March 2-7.  Most trout are falling for Power Bait fished on the bottom.  Other good baits include worms, corn and salmon eggs.  The cool morning hours are the best times to target the trout.

As waters warm up, try fishing for largemouth bass and bluegill that are now moving closer to shore as they prepare to spawn and search for food. Regulations require that all bass under 13 inches must be released unharmed immediately. Reports keep coming in of anglers catching catfish, even though it has been nearly four months since the last cats were stocked.  Speaking of catfish, the catfish stocking season starts on Thursday, March 19 at all Phoenix and Tucson area urban waters.  A 7.6-pound catfish was caught from our newest urban lake, Veterans Oasis.  The angler, Rex, used bacon and it took all of 5 minutes for the catfish to take the bait.

On the other hand, excellent trout fishing conditions can be found at Payson’s Green Valley lakes. Best bets for these pine country trout are Power Bait, corn and worms.  Some success has been found by anglers using spinners, small spoons and nymph and wet fly patterns. Crappies are just starting to bite at Green Valley and some good reports are coming in from Silverbell Lake in Tucson.

STOCKING CHANGOVER: The last winter trout stockings in the Phoenix and Tucson area urban lakes took place the week of March 2-7.  Urban lake water temperatures are increasing to the mid 60s signaling the annual stocking changeover from winter trout to spring catfish.  For Payson’s Green Valley Lakes, trout stockings will continue every two weeks until the middle of May.

All lakes and ponds in the Phoenix and Tucson areas will be stocked with 15- to 20-inch channel catfish on Thursday, March 19.  Catfish will be stocked through June at rates averaging from 40 to 60 fish per acre.  Nearly 14,000 pounds of Arkansas farm-raised catfish will be delivered and stocked into 20 Urban Fishing Program lakes every two weeks by Mr. Fish, our outstanding fish contractor for many years.
Angler reports:
Where:Chaparral
When:03/07/09
Caught:Nothing
Technique:Spinner Baits, plastic grubs, worms, flukes
Comments: I fished Saturday and Sunday morning for bass to no avail. I hooked one small bass on a spinner but he jumped and got off. The bass are still sleeping or I just don’t have the patience to fish my plastics slow enough. Too much vegetation to drag lures on the bottom.
Name:Phil T
Where:surprise
When:03/07/09
Caught:5 rainbow trout
Technique:white power eggs.
Comments:trout are strange right at 7 the trout hit good for 15 to 20 minutes then nothing. after that you might catch 1 or two more all day but that’s trout for ya.
Name:Brandon Ryer
Where:Chaparral Lake
When:03/01/09
Caught:Nice channel cat
Technique:cheese flavored catfish bait from Wal-Mart fished on the bottom with a large wait under a size 8 treble hook
Comments:Just left the bait on the bottom at the front of the north end and the fish nearly pulled my rod in the water!
Name:Steve
Where:Papago park pond #3
When:03/03/09
Caught:18 largemouth just under 4 lbs. and two 7″ bluegills
Technique:Fished on beds with chartreuse colored 1/4 ounce rabbit hair jig. Fished on beds. Worms for bluegills.
Comments:Bass were in the pre-spawn mode. I would enter the bass into the big fish of the year contest but I only had one witness. I will submit photo.
Name:Martin Olsen
Where:Chappell Lake
When:03/03/09
Caught:one 3 pound Largemouth bass
Technique:Worms
Comments:Finally, caught one! Didn’t think they were in there. A foot off the bottom. I’ll bring my buddy Walt with me next time!!!
Name:Paul

Where:Papago Pond # 2
When:02/28/09
Caught:Catfish
Technique:Trout Power Bait, Took 4 tries to catch this 18 inch monster. Put up a really good fight, and put back in the pond so someone else could have fun like I did. Guy in Pond 3 caught a huge Carp which also put up a good fight.
Name:Blue44

TEMPE TOWN LAKE – There is a bit of a current going through the Town Lake, with about 200 cfs or less going over the downstream inflatable dam. Keep in mind that sport-fish will generally face into the current to feed, so work your baits accordingly.

You can try the usual methods for the rainbows (baits like Power Bait, night crawlers, mealworms or try spinners and spoons such as Panther Martins and KastMasters).  Remember no gas motors are allowed (electric trolling motors are) and you must have a boating permit, which can be obtained at the Town Lake operations center.

You can fish around the marina area and catch some dinks or search for some structure, that’s what one angler did and found a nice pocket of 3+ pound bass.  He flipping worms and Texas-rigged imitation crayfish in overhanging trees and did pretty well.  The larger fish are there, but you need to think like a bass and find the structure.

Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/20/09
Caught:30+Yellow bass and 25+Bluegil
Technique:Small piece of night crawler on a #10 hook on the bottom. Under rural bridge ASU side.
Comments:Kept: one 10″ yellow bass, four 7″ bluegill and 8″ one bluegill/yellow bass mix looking fish (shaped like a yellow bass but colored like a bluegill). All others were under my keep size.
Name:Martin Olsen
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/28/09
Caught:1 catfish
Technique:Hot dogs and dough balls originally used for carp
Comments:Slow all day, little nibbles here and there, but nothing to get excited about. Nonetheless had a great day fishing at T.T.L.
Name:Tim Y.
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/24/09
Caught:Nothing
Technique:Berkley worms, Berkley gulp minnows, various jigs and crankbaits.
Comments:Nothing was biting on my line. Was fishing from about 4PM to 7PM. Didn’t see anyone around me reeling anything in either.
Name:Hopper
Where:Tempe town lake
When:02/22/09
Caught:Large Crappie
Technique:I was using a rainbow panther martin fishing around the pillars under the rural bridge.
Comments:That was the only fish I caught. I was out there for 2 hours. That big fish made it all worth it. I threw it back so another can catch it.
Name:Curt
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/24/09
Caught:1 largemouth
Technique:Sinking/countdown Rapala…rainbow trout pattern cd-7…yearling large mouth about 11am yo-yo lure off the bottom bout 10ft from wall then bite was slow, talk w/ a guy with a big carp on corn also east of Scottsdale rd east of as stadium…not bad but no trout.
Name:Eric ”yeti” b
Where:Tempe town lake
When:02/22/09
Caught:Large Crappie
Technique:I was using a rainbow Panther Martin fishing around the pillars under the Rural Bridge.
Comments:That was the only fish I caught. I was out there for 2 hours. That big fish made it all worth it. I threw it back so another can catch it.
Name:Curt

Where:tempe town lake
When:02/24/09
Caught:1 largemouth
Technique:Sinking/countdown Rapala…rainbow trout pattern cd-7…yearling largemouth about 11am yo-yo lure off the bottom bout 10ft from wall then bite was slow, talk w/ a guy with a big carp on corn also east of Scottsdale Rd east of ASU stadium…not bad but no trout .
Name:eric ”yeti” b
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/24/09
Caught:Nothing
Technique:Berkley worms, Berkley gulp minnows, various jigs and crankbaits.
Comments:Nothing was biting on my line. Was fishing from about 4PM to 7PM. Didn’t see anyone around me reeling anything in either.
Name:Hopper

Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/10/09
Caught:Caught a limit of Rainbows
Technique:No.8 egg style hook on a short leader w/sliding sinker. Lemon or Lime Twist/Power Bait.
Comments:Cooler weather = There biting fast, so keep an eye on your line boys and girls. Also, try a 4″ Texas rigged worm for a little Bass action.
Name:Blue
Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/15/09
Caught:Carp
Technique:Worms off the bottom
Comments:Caught one carp in two and a half hours length was 27 inches put up a good fight well worth the wait.
Name:DK
LAKE PLEASANT – Water elevation is 1,689 feet, which is 85-percent full. It sounds like some anglers are doing well using live bait, especially live shad, and others are finding the bite a little challenging.

The Agua Fria River has slowed to 43 cfs at Rock Springs. That may still be enough inflow to attract white bass or striped bass, but recent angler reports seem to indicate the spawn has either ceased, or slowed down significantly, but there is a full moon this week, which can influence spawning behavior.

For the largemouth bass, some should be staging for the spawn, but it may be possible to find bass on beds in the sheltered portions of the shallow northern coves.
This is the time of year when it is possible to target white bass and striped bass along the submerged creek or river channels at night in the northern coves. With the full moon, lights won’t be as effective, but chumming anchovies when schools of fish are graphed can be a good strategy.

Angler reports:

Hi Rory,

Here is my update for fishing the Agua Fria arm from Table Mesa Rd. I went up and scouted the area (to see how difficult it would be to get my canoe in) Thursday afternoon.  So I just walked in and in 2 hours caught 2 white bass and 2 largemouths. Nothing huge, but they were fat. I fished from shore using a silver KastMaster, and actually saw 2 of them hit the lure close to shore. I could see them following it and then boom, they hit it. It was pretty exciting. I decided I wanted to try to get the canoe back in there so I came back Saturday with a friend, Jon. It was Jon’s first fishing trip in AZ in a while, and he had never caught a fish in his two previous attempts at Pleasant. I assured him this was the day.

We got the canoe on a wheeled cart to carry it. It was very difficult to get it across the rocky bottom of the river right there at the parking lot. But once we got to the relatively smooth dirt road, it was much more manageable. Our feet were frozen from crossing the river though.

We got in the water at 7:30 a.m. and paddled to deeper water. On my very first cast of the day I caught a 15-inch largemouth on silver KastMaster. Told Jon it was going to be a good day. Didn’t bother getting the camera out since there were sure to be more. Well, there weren’t any more. We fished till 2:30 p.m. and I had one more bite. Jon may have had a bite too, or maybe just the bottom. But the first fish on the first cast of the day was the only fish. And we tried everything but live bait. I don’t know what happened. I wish we could have stayed for the afternoon, but Jon had to get back.

It was a beautiful day, and we had fun. I told Jon it was my mission in life now to help him catch a fish in Arizona. So we will be back. The Agua Fria is flowing enough that you could tie a rope to a canoe or kayak and pull it down to the lake through the river, but do it with waders or in the afternoon when the water is warmer. Otherwise your feet will be numb.
-Dean

Where:Lake Pleasant
When:03/03/09
Caught:2 largemouth/ 3 stripers
Technique:robo worms on slip bobbers. They are in the shallows cruising the drop offs. Just let them sit, little tug, little tug WAM!! fishy!
Comments:Was there 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. 2 slipped off the line and one is always a monster.
Name:ED

Where:Lake Pleasant, Agua Fria arm.
When:03/03/09
Caught:You name it, we caught it!
Technique:curl tail grubs
Comments:I was initially angry when Maricopa County closed the road off at the table mesa access, but now I’m very grateful for it. This place is so nice to visit now without all the trash and people ripping it up with quads and motorcycles. My buddy and I walked in and I took my kayak along. We caught 2 stripers @ 19 in., 3 whites, a largemouth just over 16 in., a bluegill about the size of a small plate, and a channel cat almost as long as my arm, all trolling white grubs. It was a LOT of work getting back out of there with the kayak and gear plus fish, but definitely one of the best fishing trips we’ve had in the 4 years I’ve lived here. But definitely not for the faint of heart.
Name:Matt Waite

Where:Lake Pleasant
When:02/28/09
Caught:5lb 21 inch Largemouth Bass
Technique:anchovies on a hook floating to the bottom without a weight
Comments:Was fishing in Castle Creek area all the way at the end by the bridge. Watched guys catch shad with nets and flip them back in the water to catch stripers hand over fist! I anchored 15ft away from the bridge and sat there working the area. Water temp was 61 I got photos of this fish if anyone wants to see it!
Name:Warren Risberg
Where:Lake Pleasant
When:03/01/09
Caught:nothing
Technique:jerk baits, bass assassins ,drop shots, I tried everything
Comments:5 hours of nothing I saw one guy catch a large mouth on a boat in humbug creek area but that’s it -  a couple weeks early I think next weekend but I’ll be at Roosevelt fishing then
Name:Andrew Althaus

Where:Lake Pleasant
When:02/28/09
Caught:14 stripperss,3 largemouth bass,22 channel catss,7 crappie
Technique:used roboworm for all bass, used anchovies and used stink bait on the worms, used worms for crappie niqquhss<33′
Name:Bill Heffernan

By the way, the Lake Pleasant Regional Park will be hosting the annual Honeywell Company Employee Campout from Thursday, March 19 through Sunday, March 22. This event closes the north entry and four-lane boat ramp of Lake Pleasant at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18 and reopens to the public at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 22. Park visitors are encouraged to use the 10-lane boat ramp on South Park Road accessed through the main entrance of Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

For more information, contact Lake Pleasant Regional Park directly at (602) 372-7460 or Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department at (602) 506-2930.

ROOSEVELT LAKE – Lake Elevation is 2,151 ft (100-percent full).  Tonto Creek runoff is at 102 cfs while inflow from the Salt River had slowed to around 1,550 cfs by Tuesday, March 10.  The lower flows down both Tonto Creek and the Salt River should allow the lake to stabilize a little, but with a full lake, there will continue to be releases.

Some say the “lake is on fire,” others aren’t doing as well. Some are doing great in stained water, others are doing better in the clear water.

A low pressure system expected this weekend could either send some fish deep, or get them excited. It is possible that unsettled weather conditions might slow down the crappie and largemouth bite, but might get the smallmouth bass more active – theoretically. A full moon this week can equate to fish being active more at night, possibly making a late morning or afternoon bite more likely.

Where:Roosevelt
When:03/04/09
Caught:Largemouth
Technique:Shallow water jerk bait
Comments:Boated 48 bass and one crappie today. Far and away my best day ever. Caught some big fat females full of eggs.
Name:Dan Hynes

Where:Roosevelt
When:03/10/09
Caught:morning
Technique:60 slot bass caught, including 10 whoppers over 4 lbs. Try casting chartreuse Bucktail Mepps spinners with XL treble hooks into heavy cover!! As soon as you feel a tug, set the hook hard and hold on for dear life! Also try polywogs under a bobber.
Comments:Tonto arm of Roosevelt.

Where:Roosevelt Lake
When:02/27/09
Caught:Largemouth Bass and one Smallmouth
Technique:Soft plastics and spinnerbaits. White was the color of choice
Comments:Fished the entire weekend from the shore. Caught 30+ fish, 20 dinks and 10 slots. Caught all fish in the stained water of the flooded coves. Nothing in the clear water of the main lake.

Where:Roosevelt (near Ironwood Campground)
When:03/04/09
Caught:1 crappie
Technique:Live minnow and bobber.
Comments:Caught at about 10:30 p.m. from shore, 17″ about a lb and a half have the picture. We ate it for lunch today; pregnant female full of eggs.
Name:Kristina Brown

Where:Roosevelt
When:03/04/09
Caught:40 bass and 1 big slab crappie
Technique:fished from 9 to 5. My son and I fish around School House and nailed them fished with 5′ worm watermelon Texas rigged
Comments:great day fishing with my son
Name:Tim knight

Where:Roosevelt
When:03/01/09
Caught:largemouth and smallies
Technique:spinnerbait crankbait chatterbait soft plastic
Comments:this lake is on fire we caught well over 70 bass about 15 overs all overs were 16 to 18 inches and about 2.2 to 3 pounds caught fish all day but really hammered them at 1st light and at dusk where we caught them I’m not telling lol
Name:Shawn Salow
Where:Roosevelt Lake
When:03/02/09
Caught:Crappie and LM Bass
Technique:Kalin’s 2″ black N’ blue chart grub tipped with a minnow
Comments:The bite was exceptionally lite. Had our best luck casting out and rather than just reeling it in we would reel in the slack then very slowly raise the rod then reel back down and raise the rod. The fish never did “bite”, you would just feel a little weight on the line. One crappie was 16 inches and lost a bass over the slot to my 4 lb crappie line.
Name:Enno Malling
Where:ROOSEVELT
When:02/27/09
Caught:1 LAGRE MOUTH 1 CRAPPIE
Technique:CAUGHT THE LARGE MOUTH ON A NIGHT CRAWLER; CRAPPIE WAS CAUGHT ON LIVE MINNOW WITH A CRAPPIE RIG
Comments:CAUGHT CRAPPIE AT 1 IN THE AM FRIDAY NIGHT; 10 MINUTES LATER CAUGHT THE LARGE MOUTH BUT FISH WAS IN THE SLOT; BITES NOT TO OFTEN; STARTED FISHING 6 AM SATURDAY NOTHING ALL DAY FISHED THE MARINA AND TROLLED; TRIED JIGS; NOTHING WAS TOLD BY A FAMILY MEMBER THEY WERE REALLY CATHCING THEM ON BOTH FLATS; ITS SPAWNING TIME SO THEY ARE COMING IN TO THE SHALLOW WATER; GOOD LUCK GUYS; WILL BE OUT IN ANOTHER 2 WEEKS UPDATE THEN
Name:JASON
APACHE - Lake elevation is 1912 ft (98-percent full).   Surface temp is 53 degrees taken at the surface around 11 a.m.

An angler caught 12 inch yellow bass at Burnt Corral no mention of what he was using.  KastMasters work pretty well and so does live worms (pieces will work just as well as the whole worm).

Where:Apache Lake
When:03/07/09
Caught:nothing
Technique:We tried everything we had, worms, baby shad, an assortment of bass lures at a variety of depths all with no results.
Name:Matthew

An angler caught a 1.5 and a 2 pound largemouth bass shore fishing with brown plastic worms at Burnt Coral.

A Challenge to Anglers -

There are so many fish in the lake, people are seeing them on their fish finders but catching them is proving to be difficult.  Find out what the fish will bite and you will have an awesome fishing experience.  Thousands of trout were stocked in that lake, so swim baits ought to do pretty well.  Yellow bass are taking live worms (pieces will work just as good).  They also like KastMasters, the blue and silver seem to be a yellow bass favorite this year.  They like the points where the substrate drops off.  This lake has good smallmouth habitat and they like to hang where the runoff hits the lake.  Largemouth will take advantage of the feast coming down the washes as well – don’t forget largemouth like the overhanging vegetation.  Catfish are taking worms, hotdogs and just about anything else.  It’s a little chilly for them so give yourself an advantage and find them on the fish finder.
CANYON LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,660 ft, which is 98-percent full.
Anglers were catching bluegill on worms.  One angler caught 4 largemouth bass on jigs near Boulder Creek and he said they were all about 5 pounds.

Where:Canyon Lake
When:03/03/09
Caught:Rainbow trout…
Technique:Fished from the shore in a spot just past the bridge. Tried worms, then Panther Martins, and then a Countdown and original Rapalas but only got a slow follow from a largemouth. However switched to the last resort fish finder, a gold jointed Rapala and on the 2nd cast landed a 13′ rainbow that like to get air born. I think the jointed action triggered a violent reaction in the cold and slow conditions when nothing else would. I’ll be going back next week for another report good luck…p.s. do those trout holdover in the summers there probably not right??
Name:”yetti”

Editor’s Note: Some rainbows may indeed become holdovers. There have been times when we have seen large rainbows being caught in the fall and winter, especially in the narrows or near Horse Mesa Dam.

Where:Canyon Lake
When:03/07/09
Caught:2 bass
Technique:drop shot
Comments:tried everything but that’s all I could catch. Minnows from a bobber were catching large mouth for lots of people
Name:Andrew Althaus

Where:Canyon Lake
When:03/01/09
Caught:nothing
Technique:Bass fishing. Plugs, spoons and spinner baits.
Comments:Fished all over the lake and tried everything but had no bites! Lots of fish on fish finder. A lot of wood, debris in the lake.
Name:John

Where:Canyon Lake
When:03/04/09
Caught:Nothing
Technique:My father and I came down from Illinois to visit my grandparents and tried some of our bass gear we use in the north. We tried some bright spinners, cranks – shallow runners and divers, all kinds of plastics from minnows to lizards to Senko worms. We also tried some live bait. We threw everything we had for 7 hours with only a few bites. We worked them slow off the bottom and worked the banks.
Comments:We may have been skunked, but we had an awesome time. To be out on the lake in 80-degree weather in March for us Northerners was great! The lake is absolutely beautiful and we took plenty of pictures. We even got to see a bird come down and grab a fish from the water. We were jealous, took us 7 hours to not catch a thing and took the bird 7 minutes for his lunch. Also – Chad at the marina was very nice and helpful and everyone around here seems to be very welcoming. Looking forward to fishing here again sometime. Next time we’ll bring some jig and pigs and go later in the year.
Name:Jay Laue

SAGUARO LAKE Lake elevation 1528 feet at 98 percent full.  Great place to take the kids for bluegills. Try meal worms. Yellow bass are hitting gold colored Kastmasters. Largemouth bass are staging for the spawn, so fishing should be decent for them.

Where:Saguaro
When:03/06/09
Caught:1 Trout
Technique:We tried everything…The trout hit only when the lure stopped moving.
Name:Lance

Where:Saguaro Lake Butcher Jones
When:03/07/09
Caught:100 bluegills
Technique:Drop shot with mealworms (5to9in)
Comments:caught around 8 to 11
Name:Moses Haskins

Where:Saguaro past Butcher Jones
When:03/02/09
Caught:3 Largemouth Bass
Technique:
Worm on the bottom
Comments:They were all under the slot limit.
Name:JC

BARTLETT LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,787 ft, which is 83-percent full.  Reservoir release is 100 cfs. The Verde flows at Tangle Creek has slowed to around 496 cfs, and the inflows from Horseshoe are 425 cfs, so the lake is rising, but not rapidly.
The bite has been good at times for both largemouth bass and crappie. A low pressure system expected into the state may slow the bite, but might also prompt the largemouth to feed more aggressively, especially when the barometer dips.

SRP is expected this lake to fill this year. Horseshoe Lake will gradually be drained to keep Bartlett as full as possible, just like last year, making this a very dynamic fishery for anglers.
Don’t ignore the flathead catfish fishing opportunities here. You’ll likely find the big flatheads holding in the deep holes where there is current, but it’s possible to catch a big catfish just about any place on the lake.

Crappie fish has been best in the riverine portion of the lake, but the Yellow Cliffs are always a good option as well. The crappies being caught are reportedly full of eggs, so it shouldn’t be long before they head into the shallow coves to spawn.

Where:Bartlett
When:03/06/09
Caught:3 bluegill and 3 channel catfish
Technique:Night crawlers and chicken livers.
Comments:All the fish were pretty small and were released but when the catfish hit, they hit hard.
Name:Ashley, Chirs, Ralph and Mary
Where:Bartlett Lake
When:03/09/09
Caught:2 Largemouth Bass, 1 Channel Catfish
Technique:Swimming Curltail Jigs
Comments:Bass and Catfish were nice and healthy. All over 3lbs. (all released, was searching for Crappie). One healthy Otter sighting. (didn’t know we had them here).
Name:dt
Where:Bartlett
When:02/28/09
Caught:6 Bass
Technique:Small spinner baits while walking the bank.
Comments:Fish were 1-5 lbs, conditions are ideal with perhaps one more week of warmth for WOF. The kids are excited to go back this week as they know the 50 fish days are close.
Name:Douglas Miller

Where:Bartlett Lake
When:03/27/09
Caught:Lots O’ Carp / Nice sunburn
Technique:Liver at night for the cat’s…Nothing there. Corn for the carp during the day.
Comments:Lake was full of campers after 12pm Friday. Get there early to avoid spending an hour looking for a spot.
Name:Kevin
HORSESHOE LAKE — Lake elevation is at 2,010 feet, 64-percent full.  SRP is releasing water at 425 cfs. The Verde River flows at Tangle Creek have subsided to 496 cfs
This lake is expected to fill this season, but will eventually be used to keep Bartlett full. Once again this year, it could act like a sport-fish and bait-fish nursery for Bartlett, just like last year and back in 2005. This might be the year to get that annual Tonto permit and avoid the hassles with daily ones.

VERDE RIVER – Verde River flow at Tangle has reduced significantly this past week and as of Monday was 1,270 cubic feet per second.  Release from Bartlett Lake is 100 cfs.

LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) — Stewart Dam releases dropped to 1,592 cfs as of March 11. The Lower Salt is being stocked this week at the Water Users (just below the dam) and at the Blue Point Bridge (the only bridge to cross the Verde along Bush Highway).
With low pressure expected to pass through the state this weekend, trout fishing this classic desert river should be very good. This river is also a lot of fun to fish from a canoe or kayak for either spin anglers or fly anglers.

For spin anglers, try night crawlers or meal worms with little or no weight cast slightly upstream into the riffles, then let the worm float naturally downstream, mending your line as it moves. Also, small spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tails and Vibe) cast slightly downstream can work well. Some anglers are adept at catching trout in the river using Power Bait, but most find it difficult to use. Plus, Power Bait might not get you action from bass and other sport fish.

According to AZ Fly Fishing, fly fishermen are having good luck using egg patterns, San Juan worms, green weenies and nymph patterns. There are also some mayfly hatches in midday, so try mayflies in the afternoons.

Because of the overly-abundant food supply (lots of insect larvae etc.), the trout will grow super fast here. The hold-over trout not readily caught will look like small footballs in a month or so, so keep this fishery close to Phoenix on you’re a-list.

Where:lower salt river
When:02/28/09
Caught:8 Rainbow Trout ( Released all)
Technique:Worms, one bb shot 12″ above, floated down in semi fast water below ripples — all nice size today 10-12 inches. Started fishing today at 11 am, first cast = first fish!!
Name:Blake

CREEKS – Runoff is underway, but that doesn’t mean some of these creeks are fishable. It does mean they can be a gamble this time of year.