Arizona Fishing

LAKE HAVASU – The striper action and bite is good right now as they continue to progress through their spawning cycle. They can be caught from early pre-dawn hours with top water baits throughout the daytime hours with cut baits such as mackerel and anchovies. While fishing through the day use live baits with a deepwater presentation such as a Carolina rig with a one-ounce slip sinker. Chum the area with anchovies to increase the attraction of stripers to your spot. Remember that the “SNAGGING ” of live shad is illegal at this time and the ” SNAGGING ” season will re-open Oct. 1, 2008.

The crappie bite is on right now as they have moved up into the shallow mud sand or gavel bottoms that have structure or submerged brush on them. Target areas that have natural habitat such as the Christmas trees or submerged natural brush piles and fallen trees. Many of these fish have been caught from the shoreline at depths in the 4-5 foot range. The preferred bait of choice right now is the night crawler worm, or the Gulp Earth Worms. These crappies can also be caught on small artificial lures such as small crappie tube jigs, buck tail crappie spinners with gold or silver blades (that add vibration). Threadfin shad are their main diet so when selecting your baits keep that in mind in your selections of colors. Remember to add a scent attractant to your baits for short striking fish…Crappie like cod liver oil, if you have any on-hand consider the application of this scent to your artificial lure.

The largemouth and smallmouth bass bite is very good right now, with the best time being in the early morning. There have been some trophy-sized largemouth being caught on swim baits currently. The presentation of this bait works best when thrown a long distance and retrieved slowly over the tops of large submerged habitats in the backs of shallow sheltered coves. Some of the popular BIG BASS baits being used currently are soft plastic Bluegill MATTLURE swim bait, and the TRU-LIFE Tungsten swim bait. These extremely life-like bluegill baits are working so well now because the redear sunfish and bluegill are currently spawning and the bass are gorging on them.

Carolina rigged tube bait or worm is another good presentation that is currently working on these bass. Cast around and through the habitats. Use the R2S Tungsten skinny slip sinker as this type of weight slides easily through and around the man made submerged structure.

The following reports were provided by Karen Coats, Sandpoint Marina:

4-8 -Joe Egan of San Diego CA got 5 stripers1-1.12 pounds using anchovies trolling coves.
4-9 -Rick Nelson of Prescott AZ got 2 cats 9.12 pounds using anchovies at Bluegill Island. Joe Egan of San Diego CA kept 5 of the 9 stripers he caught ranging from 1-2 pounds using anchovies trolling north.
4-10 -windy day-Joe Egan of San Diego caught 7 stripers 1-2 pounds using anchovies trolling coves north. Hunter Loggins of Glendora CA got a 7.1 cat using anchovies at B Dock. Danny Leathers of Glendora CA got a 6.8 pound cat using anchovies at B Dock.
4-11 -windy day-Joe Egan of San Diego CA released 6 of the 7 stripers he caught they were in the 1 to 1.8 pound range he was using anchovies and trolling north in the coves.
4-12 -Joe Egan of San Diego CA kept 2 of 8 stripers caught they were in the 1 to 2.8 pound range he was using anchovies trolling South in the coves.
4-13 -Jeff Esser of Lake Havasu City AZ got a 5.12 pound Cat using anchovies on the Jetty.
4-14 -Gary Coy of Hunnington Beach CA got 10 stripers and kept 1 that weighed 3.12 pounds he was at Blue Gill Island in the AM, in the PM he got 5 stripers total weight of 12.7 pounds he is using anchovies at Blue Gill Island. Joe and Shana Egan of San Diego CA got 2 stripers each they were 1 pounders, trolling anchovies north of Sandpoint

Angler report
Where:Lake Havasu Site Six
When:03/14/08
Caught:Striper
Technique:Live shad and anchovies
Comments:Wife and I caught six and the guy next to us snagging shad caught a stringer full of 2 pounders
Name:Dave Torres

PARKER STRIP – COLORADO RIVER (PARKER STRIP AREA) – Courtesy June’s Bait Shop in Parker: Water temps along the strip have been averaging in the upper fifties to low sixties, and it’s only getting hotter!

Stripers are biting near the Parker Dam. A customer brought into June’s Bait Shop an 18-pound striper caught off of a Rapala crankbait on the 7th of April, and more are being caught using anchovies and cut bait.

Smallmouth, and largemouth bass activity has also picked up. It’s important to keep in mind that many of the bass being caught this year are females full off eggs. PLEASE release these fish. The future of our fishing depends on it.

Four-inch purple Berkley Power Worms are working well for both large, and smallmouth bass. Also watermelon Senko’s used with a 4/0 wide gap worm hook work well. Remember to fish slow. Largemouth can be found close to the tulles.

Catfish are biting! Live bait works best for the big flatheads. Goldfish or bluegill can produce fish in the 50-pound range! So be ready for a night time fight.

Bluegill, and redear are being caught in coves, and along rocky areas using meal worms, or night crawlers.

C.R.I.T. Waters. Lower Colorado River:
Smallmouth, largemouth, catfish, you name it… and it’s biting on the lower Colorado river. Crankbaits will catch smallmouth at all hours, along with Power Worms.
Catfish will eat live bait before anything else… stop by June’s Bait Shop for goldfish, and hook into a monster.

Lower Lake Havasu: Havasu Springs fishing dock still producing small, to medium sized striper. Shad activity has been slowing down, but cut bait will still catch fish. Smallmouth, and largemouth bass activity starting to increase. Brown and purple plastics work well; target coves with the warmest water.
Important notice: Quagga mussels have been found in Lake Havasu so proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please move to the parking lot, DRAIN your live-wells and bilge where the water does not return to the lake. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, INSPECT your watercraft 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.

ALAMO LAKE –Well folks, your not missing a lot out here right now. It’s been windy all week long and as I write this, it’s windy, with a front moving through. We had a couple of tournaments out here this weeks end. I overheard that the winning weight in the Lyon homes tourney was 15.13 pounds with big fish going 6.1 pounds.

Arizona Bass Federation also had a day and 1/2 tourney. Congratulation Nick Phelps for the over-all win with a weight 21.02 pounds. Congratulation to Allen Wacker with big fish going 6.48 pounds.

I got to spend some time with these guys and I tell you they sure take a lot of pride in fish conservation. Nice job guys. I did hear a couple of the winning anglers say something about flipping, white spinnerbaits, and the upper end of the lake.

No reports on crappie fishing.
Cat fishing is o.k. Carl and Cindy Rogers reported catching 20-plus cat fish in the river channel in the upper in of the lake. I did not hear there bait of choice but stink baits, worms, hot dogs, shrimp, or liver should all do the trick.

The lave level is at 1,124 ish with releases of 35 cfs. Both ramps work great. Remember to bring sun block, fluids, and bug spray.

Angler report:
Where:Alamo Lake
When:04/12/08
Caught:Largemouth Bass 8.9lbs
Technique:Senko
Comments:The bass are all over the lake and this monster was located at the under heavy brush at the Cholla entrance of the lake on boat dock ramp. Several fisherman told me that had no luck the whole day but where I was fishing on shore I caught over 8 fish in less than two hours. The shad schools of fish are really thick and follow the shad, you will find the bass.
Name:Danneal Castillo

Where:Alamo
When:04/19/08
Caught:Largemouth bass
Technique:Started out dark in the morning on Saturday with a Rico.. caught about 10 total on that then once the sun crested I started pitching a jerk bait SP in the brush.. managed to get about 15 on that, including a 5 pounder. after around 11AM I started flipping a Brush Hog but I couldn’t find the pigs; we went in at 3 p.m., I had caught around 30 fish total … 1 over, about 15 slot, and the rest were unders
Comments:

Name:jake
SPRING OUTLOOK:

ALAMO LAKE – The lake elevation continues to be good. Largemouth bass are present in all sizes and fishing is expected to be good to excellent throughout the spring. It looks like most of the bass are in the protected slot with a fair number over the slot. Exactly what is going on with the crappie is unknown. The bite has not developed as usual but we anticipate fishing to be fair to good throughout the spring. Channel catfish will be good to excellent this spring and throughout the summer. There are other fish present such as bluegill, redear sunfish and carp that are a lot of fun to catch. All types of bait should work. As the weather warms a shift from slowly working plastics in deeper water to crank baits, spinner baits, and top-water lures for bass. For channel catfish any of the prepared catfish baits as well as chicken livers, shrimp, and anything else you can think of should work.

Both of the boat ramps are useable at this time and the store at the lake is still closed so you need to bring everything with you. If you run short of anything you might be able to pick it up at the Wayside Inn or in Wenden. The certified scale that was located at the store is now located at the Alamo State Park Office and the park office also has live bait for the crappie fishermen.
LAKE HAVASU & TOPOCK GORGE — Largemouth bass, as well as smallmouth bass are expected to be good to excellent this spring. The size will range from 13 inches and up with an occasional fish greater than 5 pounds. Striped bass will continue to be excellent for small fish (12-18 inches) with occasional fish over 3 pounds. The lake is also full of smaller striper that will make it challenging to catch the larger fish. Channel catfish as well as bluegill and redear sunfish will be good to excellent. Flathead catfish fishing should be fair at the lower end of the lake (Bill Williams River Arm) through the spring. Sizes of flathead catfish can reach as high as 40 pounds. When fishing for them select the interior points in the coves and the areas where artificial structure has been placed.

The warmer weather causes the bite to increase making crankbaits and topwater lures a good choice. Also, spinner baits, jigs, cut fish, live shad, etc. should work depending on the species you are looking for.

Take precautions to make sure your boat and equipment is clean before leaving the water to make sure you don’t spread quagga mussels to other water by accident.
COLORADO RIVER (BETWEEN PALO VERDE DIVERSION DAM AND WALTER’S CAMP) — This area should be fair for both smallmouth bass (in the channel) up river from the I-10 Bridge and largemouth bass (in the backwaters) throughout the entire area. Channel and flathead catfish are always fair to good in this section of the Colorado River. Most of the flathead catfish will be in the 2 to 5 pound size range with an occasional fish over 40 pounds. The time for fishing for both species of catfish will be late spring and throughout the summer. Generally speaking, when fishing for catfish the hotter the weather the better the fishing.

This section of the Colorado River all the way down to Yuma is where invasive species known as Giant Salvinia is located as well as quagga mussels. If using a boat make, sure the boat, live wells, engines, and trailer is clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

COLORADO RIVER (BETWEEN WALTER’S CAMP AND PICACHO STATE PARK) — This section of the Colorado River is relatively remote and can only be accessed by boat from either end. Fishing is expected to be good to excellent for flathead catfish with sizes over 40 pounds. The best time will be late spring and on into the summer (the hotter the better). The various backwaters will be good for largemouth bass and other sunfish (bluegill & redear). Other species available in the main river are smallmouth bass, channel catfish, and striped bass.

This section of the Colorado River all the way down to Yuma is where invasive species known as Giant Salvinia is located as well as quagga mussels. If using a boat make, sure the boat, live wells, engines, and trailer is clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

COLORADO RIVER (BETWEEN PICACHO STATE PARK AND IMPERIAL DAM) –
This area is expected to be good to excellent for largemouth bass, channel catfish, and flathead catfish. Bass and channel catfish in excess of 5 pounds are present along with flathead catfish as large as 40 pounds. Other sunfish such as bluegill and redear are also present in the various backwaters as well as an occasional striped bass will be caught in the backwaters and main river channel.

This section of the Colorado River all the way down to Yuma is where invasive species known as Giant Salvinia is located as well as quagga mussels. If using a boat make, sure the boat, live wells, engines, and trailer is clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

COLORADO RIVER (BETWEEN LAGUNA AND MORELOS DAMS) — This area will be good for largemouth bass and flathead catfish. Bass in excess of 5 pounds is common and flathead catfish over 20 pounds is a good bet. In this area accessibility to the river is dependent on the amount of water being released. Usually shallow draft boats are a must. The lower end has had some dredging work done and the larger boat will be able to get on the river in that area.

This section of the Colorado River all the way down to Yuma is where invasive species known as Giant Salvinia is located as well as quagga mussels. If using a boat make, sure the boat, live wells, engines, and trailer is clean before leaving the area. The last thing that we want to have happen is the movement of invasive species to other waters.

With the increase in border issues and illegal activity on the lower end of this area I would away from that area (Pilot Knob to Morelos Dam).
REGIONAL HOT SPOTS:

Alamo Lake will be the hot spot for Largemouth bass and channel catfish. Since there appears to be more fish in the lake at the present time I recommend keeping as many of the smaller bass as you can legally possess in order to try and reduce the population a little. Next choice would be Lake Havasu for striped bass, Parker Strip for smallmouth bass and redear sunfish, and the Colorado River below Walter’s Camp for flathead catfish.

If you need any additional information or additional don’t hesitate to contact the Yuma Regional office at (928) 341-4051 and I will be happy to accommodate you.