LAKE HAVASU – Lake Level 449.68. Average water temperature is 75 degrees. This Report was provided by John Galbraith of Anglers Pro Shop, Lake Havasu City: Striped bass fishing is excellent on cut anchovies or sardines in 35 to 56 feet of water from Copper Canyon south to Standard Wash. Early morning trolling or casting with Pointer 100s and 128s, chrome/blue Chug Bugs and Pencil Poppers are also producing some quality stripers off points and reefs throughout the main basin and south near the Bill Williams River arm.

Largemouth bass fishing is excellent with lots of fish being caught on Senkos, Gitzits and drop-shot worms around artificial habitats in 8 to 15 feet of water. Flipping brown jigs with orange craw trailers in cattail rows north in the river also good early before boat traffic pushes the bass deeper into the cattails.

Smallmouth are being caught on 3/8- or ½-ounce cinnamon brown and green pumpkin jigs throughout the lake on rocky banks and points in 6 to 18 feet of water.

Sandpoint Fish Report, courtesy Karen Coats
Sandpoint Fish Report for June 24, 2008

6-17 Riberto Arrambade of Litch Field Park, AZ got 3 cat fish up to 10 pounds and 10 stripers up to 7.8 pounds using anchovies at Buzzard Cove.

6-18 Linda Dalby of Laughlin NV got 8 stripers 1-2 pounds using anchovies on the North side of 3 Dunes. Riberto Arrambade of LitchField Park AZ got an 8 pound cat fish and a 6 pound striper using anchovies at Eagle Cove.

6-19 Vicki Butts of Temecula CA got 2 large mouth bass 1 and 2 pounds using a 8 inch deep lure by Parker Damn; Riberto Arrambade of Litchfield Park AZ got a 9 pound cat using anchovies at Eagle Cove; John Vaglica of Palm Desert CA got 4 stripers 1-3.8 pounds using anchovies drifting.

6-20 Rodney Branstettes of Heidelberg, Germany got 2 small mouth bass 1.8 and 2.8 pounds and 6 stripers 3-4 pounds using anchovies drifting; Troy Burton of Hesperia CA got 2 1 pound blue gills using bread at Echo Cove.

6-21 John Vaglica, of Palm Desert CA got 7 stripers 2.8 pounds to 3 pounds using anchovies drifting

Where: Lake Havasu
When: 05/14/08
Caught: Large Mouth Bass, Huge Bluegill
Technique: Night crawlers.
Comments: I caught four largemouth bass in just under an hour all over four pounds and one that went at least six. Caught several bluegills well into the two pound range, huge monsters. All from the bank at Site Six. All fish were released to spawn another day. Also caught and released several very nice Smallmouth bass the week before trolling along the flats between Crazy Horse Campgrounds and the lighthouse at Site Six. Excellent fishing right now.
Name: Dennis Pinkerton

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!
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 – Report courtesy Mark Knapp (pictured below), Alamo Lake State Park. Well folks, all in all fishing is pretty good out here.  I talked with every angler I could this weekend and found out the following:  From 5 in the afternoon till around 2 in the morning anglers were catching some 3- to 5-pound bass throwing pumpkin colored lizards and working points straight across from Cholla Ramp.

One boat said they caught 50 bass a night. Of course there friends right behind them though they might have forgot how to count and figured the real deal would be more like 30.  Thirty or 50, that’s pretty good fishing.

All anglers agreed there was an awesome topwater bite going from 4:30 till around 6 a.m.  =Speaking of topwater, check out Rory’s article in Arizona Wildlife Views.  It covers different lakes to try and some good techniques.   I’ve fished boils with Rory and I have to agree, what a blast!  I’ve been watching like a hawk but so far there is no good boil action out here yet.  It’s coming though.  I can feel it!

Clyde Jones and myself went out in his boat a couple of days ago and boated 35 bass.  He took a commanding lead from the word go but I did come back and tied it up at dark.  The trill of victory is to boat 6 to 8 fish in a row while your partner sits there and fumes.  The agony of defeat is to have that same shoe on the other foot.  Anyway we went out at 5 in the evening and fished till dark throwing  3-inch dark green wolly hogtails.

Every point is holding fish in about 8 to 10 foot of water.  The biggest fish we caught was about 2 1/2 pounds.  All were slot fish but they put up a good fight. The bite was more of a sponge, or there feeling.  Throw out, with slack line give it a 5 count, lift rod, and set hook.  It sure works good for me.  If you feel a thump and miss the hook set,  let the line go slack for a couple of seconds and reset the hook.  Four out 5 times the fish hits the bait again.  If not then real in and check your bait.  The odds are you were robbed and your bait has been ripped to shreds.

Depending who you talk to crappie fishing is really good or really bad.  Anglers are catching anywhere from 50 to 1.   The most important thing I can say here is that if you do not have bait fish showing up under your crappie lights with in an hour, MOVE!  I would not even wait an hour, 30 minutes tops.   I explained this to a couple of guys last night.  They were up by the dam and just getting started.  I stopped fishing and made a point to go over and say hi and tell them what I knew and what would work.  As I left they both shook there heads and said we got it.   I saw them this morning and ask how they did.  3 catfish and no crappies.   One guy went on to say they never saw any bait fish all night.  I asked if they moved around and they said no.

You don’t have to move far, maybe a few hundred yards.  Here’s a valuable tip.  Don’t throw out two lights, 2 anchors, and 4 poles until you see bait fish all around you.  The less stuff to reel in to move the more inclined you might be to try some where else. So in a nut shell.  Up by the dam.  Minnows and bobbers till dark.  Then throw out crappie light and jig minnows starting in about 8 to 10 feet of water.  Once you catch a couple of fish, mark your line and have fun counting.  Marking your line means just that.  Not taking a can of fluorescent spray paint and tag the cliffs like some idiot did this last week.  We’re going to make lemonade out of this lemon.  Two good things came out of this.  He just marked the spot for every one.  So please give it try.  It’s easy to spot.  Head towards dam, look to your right, when you see the orange stripes a few feet above the water line, start fishing.  The other good thing, if you can call this good, is that  they threw the empty paint can into the lake, which washed up on the shore line.  I was able to get a couple of nice finger prints off the can and with a little luck I can catch them.  One way or the other, they just entered there prints into a data base.  So here’s the deal.  If you want to mark an area try stacking rocks on the shore line.  Can’t see rocks at night you say! Then buy some survey tape.  It comes in fluorescent colors that can be seen at night with a flash light.   Tie a small piece around a bush or tree branch.   The best thing would be just to go out and buy a cheap hand held GPS.  On a final note with this.  If you see anyone doing stuff like this please stop by and let me know.  If at all possible get the  numbers off the bow of the boat.   If you don’t want to be involved then call Operation Game Thief  (800) 352-0700.  We need your help to keep this a special place.  O.K. moving on.

Cat fishing is o.k.  One angler reported catching 7 nice sized cats using water dogs up at the base of the dam.  We do not sell water dogs out here but you can get them in PHX from what I’m told.

Shore fishing is o.k. towards dusk.  Anglers a catching bluegills and bass using minnows and bobbers.  I’ve got 4,000 minnows, which is not a lot,  as of today (Tuesday).  I’m hoping to get more before the 3-day weekend but right now it’s a crap shoot.  So, call before coming out.  Tell your friends that might be coming out.

The lake level s at 1,122 with releases of 50 cfs.  Both ramps work great but bigger boats are encouraged to use Cholla Ramp.  We have been hitting 115 to 117 out here so remember sun block and drink lots of fluids.  Plan on winds out of the west everyday starting around noon and dying off around dark.  That’s all I got for now.  Have a happy and safe 4th.

Angler report:

Where: Alamo lake
When: 06/16/08
Caught: Large mouth bass
Technique: 6 inch lizard
Comments: Caught 15 bass in 4 hours, one 6-pound 6-ounce monster
Name: Tim