Arizona’s best Fishing in 25 Years?
March 17th, 2008
Arizona’s best Fishing in 25 Years?
Is Arizona really going to experience the best fishing in 25 years or more?
Come out to the Arizona Game and Fish Department Expo 2008 on March 29-30 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility and find out.
Fisheries Chief Kirk Young and Fishing Report Editor Rory Aikens will be answering that question during periodic presentations scheduled throughout the fun-filled outdoor exposition.
“Thanks to the historic filling of Roosevelt Lake this year and the fantastic runoff and nutrient loading into most Arizona fisheries, we are looking at some of the best fishing opportunities in a couple of decades or so,” said Young.
Aikens pointed out that the fishing this year will vie with the tremendous fishing opportunities of the 70s after Lake Powell filled and Lees Ferry was astounding anglers with stringers of giant rainbow trout that drew fishermen from around the world.
“While those fishing opportunities in the ‘70s were spectacular, they were fairly localized. This year, and perhaps in subsequent years as well, we are looking at tremendous fishing opportunities across most of Arizona for all types of sport fish,” Aikens said.
Young pointed out that one of the reasons for such good fishing this year is actually the runoff of 2005 that filled lots of reservoirs with nutrient-rich water.
“The sport-fish spawns of 2005 were remarkable,” Young said. “Those fish are now three years old and are the dominant age classes at places like Roosevelt, Alamo, Bartlett and Pleasant.”
Anglers can expect to catch lots of 3-plus-pound bass. In addition, the sport-fish and bait-fish spawns this year will also be phenomenal. “We may be heading into some of the best fishing this state has ever seen,” Young said.
So be sure to visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Outdoor Exposition 2008, which is the largest hands-on outdoor show in the state. Once again this year, the outdoor exposition is unfolding at the 1,700 acre Ben Avery Shooting just west of I-17 on Carefree Highway.
A long-list of top firearms manufacturers will have their latest firearms there to shoot. There will be shooting demonstrations by renowned sharp shooters and shot gunners. Kids can come catch a fish, shoot fun .22-caliber rifles, or practice with Olympic-caliber air guns. Cowboy action shooters, including mounted ones, will be on hand. You can even come learn how to become a cowboy action shooter.
Want to shoot a Gatlin gun or try your hand at shoot an old West six-gun? Then come on out.
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