LEES FERRY – Today’s Fly Fishing: Good reports, the water came up slow so fishing the tail-outs was O.K. until the water peaked. Those who drifted did well after noon. Same old flies San Juan worms, zebra midges and the laser is picking up fish as well.

Spin Fishing Tips: Had a good report today, some anglers fished the rubber worm bouncing off the bottom and did well. Back-trolling is still working well too. Don’t get many spin fishing reports so, if you are a spin fisherman and have a report to pass on PLEASE stop in.

Walk In: I have to tell you this area is still fishing very well. Move around a bit to find where the fish are. Reports I have had in the past few days were very positive; fishing is good in this section. You must have your fly right on the bottom if not you won’t catch fish so you may have to adjust your weight some to find the perfect rig. And that in itself can be ever changing as the water rises and the flow increases. Tight lines!!!

Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn. Our recent fall weather has been almost perfect, with the exception of a couple windy days. The ramp rates in October have been more favorable than those we saw in September. The water has been slowly rising in the morning and peaking at a lower rate than last month. The trout have slowly been moving into the riffles to feed on the small (size 28) midges that are hatching most days. Most of the guides are having their best fishing by drifting out of the boats in the deeper water (3 to 8-ft deep). Bead head zebra midges are producing best in sizes of #18 to #20. When fishing these small midges it is critical to go down to 7X tippet, anything larger will not produce fish. I recently saw a rare sight for Lees  Ferry, a fairly prolific hatch of mayflies! The water flows are near perfect for wading most of the popular spots on the river as well as the walk-in section. There will be a slight flow increase in November, but will not be a large enough increase to impact the wading angler. The fish continue to look good, are strong, and in great physical shape. The weather is finally cooling off. We are seeing a tremendous number of fingerling trout in the river.  This is a result from the terrific spawn that we saw this past spring, which bodes well for the future.  The downside is that these fish will not be of catchable size until after next summer.

Note from Arizona Game and Fish: Whirling disease has been detected in the rainbow trout population here. Please take the following steps.

Never transport live fish from one water body to another (this is illegal in Arizona).
* Dispose of fish entrails and skeletal parts properly. Never discard fish parts in or near streams or rivers. Do not discard fish parts in a kitchen disposal. Whirling disease spores can survive most wastewater treatment systems. Instead, discard in dry waste that would go to a landfill.
* Rinse all mud and debris from equipment and wading gear, and drain water from boats before leaving an infected drainage. This is good practice for preventing transfer of other aquatic hitchhikers as well.

Although the above precautions will remove most spores from your gear, you may want to consider the following if fishing in heavily infected waters:

1) Rinse, and then thoroughly dry your boots, waders and other fishing equipment. This is generally sufficient to kill the TAM stage of the whirling parasite.

2) Chlorine (regular household bleach) is a very effective disinfectant, and one of the few that can kill all stages of the parasite if used at the proper concentration. However, chlorine is a very strong chemical and can harm your equipment with prolonged exposure, so make sure you rinse the chlorine off your waders and other equipment after you disinfect, and dry in the shade.
 
3) To kill the TAM stage, use 1 part chlorine to 32 parts water. It must stay in contact for about 10 minutes to assure disinfection.  

4) To kill the mature spores that may be found in the mud from an infected stream is much more difficult and hard on equipment, such as 50% solution (1 part chlorine to 1 part water) - dip waders into a solution of the bleach or wipe or spray it on or 10% solution (1 part chlorine to 9 parts water) and soak your equipment for 10 minutes.

5) Quaternary ammonium compounds are also effective in killing both parasite stages. These disinfectants are commercially available for disinfecting fishing equipment (Bright Water TM) or for the pet/veterinary trade (Roccal-D TM, Parvosol TM).
Equally effective is water heated to nearly boiling (200°F) poured over your gear and allowed to cool.

LAKE MEAD – The striper fishing at Lake Mead has slowed a little, but is still pretty good. Trolling crankbaits along steep shorelines in Greggs Basin was yielding stripers.  Catfish have been biting all day and night on anchovies and liver.  The ramp is open at South Cove, but it is a gravel ramp. Be careful when launching here.  The lake elevation remains fairly steady around 1,111 feet.  State and Federal Biologists sampled fish populations in Lake Mead during the month of October.  During this sampling gizzard shad were found for the first time in Lake Mead.  This is not a surprise since they have been found in Powell since 2000.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders.  Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

LAKE MOHAVE –The striper bite has been good in spots. I have received multiple reports of fat stripers full of shad and schools of shad being chased by striped bass.  If the shad are making a comeback, we may see more mid-size stripers in the basin.  If you can find schools of shad throw a small crankbait.  I’ve also received reports of largemouth being caught in 25 to 35 feet of water on drop-shots. 

There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine’s Landing. If you fish Mohave and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

WILLOW BEACH - Trout are stocked every Friday. The fishing for trout has been good from shore immediately following the stocking.  As the water temperature falls in the basin, some of the stripers will return to the open water, but many of the big stripers remain in the vicinity of Willow Beach year round.   The water level has begun to drop for the winter.  Look for the surface elevation to drop to around 12 feet below full.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see. If you fish Willow beach and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

TOPOCK MARSH – Water level is down, so be careful launching.  The bass are in the vegetation outside the channel.  Try using quick movements to trigger strikes through the thick vegetation. Catfish have been excellent. Try using mackerel, anchovies, worms or shrimp in the early morning or night.

Kenne Probst caught 25 catfish, with most in the one-pound range, using frozen anchovies. He said one angler caught a 15-pound striper.

On Oct 13, 45 kids participated in a fishing clinic at Five Mile landing that produced carp, bass, channel catfish, and 1 green sunfish.  One little girl caught a 10-pound carp her first time fishing. 

Game and fish biologist sampled lots of largemouth bass the middle of January throughout the marsh. The bass numbers were great and the crappie and catfish populations looked really good as well. You can access the marsh by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too. For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/havasu/index.html.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders.  Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM – Trout stocking resumed in October.  Fishing has been good below Davis Dam, but look for it to be even better following immediately following the trout stockings.  Fish and Wildlife Service stocks once a month in this area. 
The fish are stocked in two locations; Davis Camp and near The Riverside.

Kenne Probst said he found fishing a little slow but did manage to catch some catfish float-fishing from Davis Camp along Casino Row.  Water levels on the river fluctuate, so be careful. You can check the Bureau of Reclamation Web site for flow predictions http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html before you go. If you fish the river below Davis Dam and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.