December 27th, 2012
APACHE LAKE - Lake elevation is 1,907 feet (93 percent full). No recent reports. Apache is typically a good fall producer. Regular trout stocking has begun and with that bass fishing should pick up as well.
BARTLETT LAKE Lake elevation has been holding at 1,763 feet, 56 percent full. Should be good topwater action for bass off-and-on throughout the day night now. Some are using the dropshot method over the ledges and adjacent to cliffs. Shad boils have been seen late in the morning that lasted till about 2 p.m. in the southern end of the lake. Clear Zara Puppy and Ice Fluke topwater lures worked like a charm to catch another 12 bass.
CANYON LAKE Canyon Lake- Boulder Rec. Area, back half is closed for season and the floating fishing pier is closed as well. Regular trout stocking has begun and with that bass fishing should pick up as well. Please send in some reports and pictures of your success here. Lake elevation is still holding at around 1,657 feet, which is 95 percent full. No recent angler reports. If you have been fishing here, send in your report to BFishing@azgfd.gov. Anglers are having good luck fishing along the cliffs and on the ledges. Water temps are declining, so all-day fishing should be good.
LAKE PLEASANT - Lake level is at 1,663 feet, 59 percent full, with approximately 7,333 surface acres. Stripers are still going crazy during the early mornings and late evening now that the outside temperatures are slowly decreasing. Shad boils are being seen in the hallows and coves causing great fishing Try using topwater lures, swim baits, Alabama rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits or jerkbaits. Fishing from shore has been decent for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Word is that the water temperature is slowly declining, causing the shad to move in towards shore. Small coves and deep holes are the best area. Try using anything that looks like shad, or live baits. Nighttime fishing for catfish, especially from shore, should be good using stink bait. Try stink baits or blood baits, such as chicken liver. A friend of mine caught 3 good size large mouth bass in about 45 minutes last weekend using bright colored grubs along the shoreline.ÂÂÂ
ROOSEVELT LAKE - Lake elevation remains at 2,093 feet and the lake level is 42 percent. Try fishing in the shallows (1 to 4 feet) with surface lures in the backs of coves and over rock piles. Drop shot works pretty well on the outside points, flats and backs of coves in 30 to 10 feet of water but altering the drop shot technique to a Texas nose hook and whacky style setup is productive especially when the typical setup does not hit the mark. The technique of how you reel the drop shot in is real important. Slow and steady or slow with little jerks or jerk and let it fall over and over again are some styles to play around with. Rock piles are typically productive using plastics bouncing along the substrate. This is still a good time to try for channel catfish using sink bait. For flatheads, live bait such as bluegills or small carp work best. For channel catfish, try any stinkbait, chicken liver or blood baits. Although you can catch channels during the day, the prime bite has likely shifted to the nighttime hours.
SAGUARO LAKE Lake elevation is 1,525 feet at 94 percent full. Anglers are having better luck using spoons along the ledges close to drop offs. Let the spoon drop then bounce it along the bottom. Bass are feeding heavily on shad, so if you find them in action, topwater would work. Regular trout stocking has begun and with that bass fishing should pick up as well.
TEMPE TOWN LAKE Tempe Town Lake was stocked on November 20th as part of ˜Welcome back the Trout and will be regularly stocked through March 2013 so the fishing should be great. Keep in mind that although this fishery in the city, it is not part of the Urban Fishing Program, so you will need the regular state fishing license to fish here. Here is another tip from Ed E. who is becoming a regular contributor to the BFishing@azgfd.gov email drop site. back...
BARTLETT LAKE Lake elevation has been holding at 1,763 feet, 56 percent full. Should be good topwater action for bass off-and-on throughout the day night now. Some are using the dropshot method over the ledges and adjacent to cliffs. Shad boils have been seen late in the morning that lasted till about 2 p.m. in the southern end of the lake. Clear Zara Puppy and Ice Fluke topwater lures worked like a charm to catch another 12 bass.
CANYON LAKE Canyon Lake- Boulder Rec. Area, back half is closed for season and the floating fishing pier is closed as well. Regular trout stocking has begun and with that bass fishing should pick up as well. Please send in some reports and pictures of your success here. Lake elevation is still holding at around 1,657 feet, which is 95 percent full. No recent angler reports. If you have been fishing here, send in your report to BFishing@azgfd.gov. Anglers are having good luck fishing along the cliffs and on the ledges. Water temps are declining, so all-day fishing should be good.
LAKE PLEASANT - Lake level is at 1,663 feet, 59 percent full, with approximately 7,333 surface acres. Stripers are still going crazy during the early mornings and late evening now that the outside temperatures are slowly decreasing. Shad boils are being seen in the hallows and coves causing great fishing Try using topwater lures, swim baits, Alabama rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits or jerkbaits. Fishing from shore has been decent for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Word is that the water temperature is slowly declining, causing the shad to move in towards shore. Small coves and deep holes are the best area. Try using anything that looks like shad, or live baits. Nighttime fishing for catfish, especially from shore, should be good using stink bait. Try stink baits or blood baits, such as chicken liver. A friend of mine caught 3 good size large mouth bass in about 45 minutes last weekend using bright colored grubs along the shoreline.ÂÂÂ
ROOSEVELT LAKE - Lake elevation remains at 2,093 feet and the lake level is 42 percent. Try fishing in the shallows (1 to 4 feet) with surface lures in the backs of coves and over rock piles. Drop shot works pretty well on the outside points, flats and backs of coves in 30 to 10 feet of water but altering the drop shot technique to a Texas nose hook and whacky style setup is productive especially when the typical setup does not hit the mark. The technique of how you reel the drop shot in is real important. Slow and steady or slow with little jerks or jerk and let it fall over and over again are some styles to play around with. Rock piles are typically productive using plastics bouncing along the substrate. This is still a good time to try for channel catfish using sink bait. For flatheads, live bait such as bluegills or small carp work best. For channel catfish, try any stinkbait, chicken liver or blood baits. Although you can catch channels during the day, the prime bite has likely shifted to the nighttime hours.
SAGUARO LAKE Lake elevation is 1,525 feet at 94 percent full. Anglers are having better luck using spoons along the ledges close to drop offs. Let the spoon drop then bounce it along the bottom. Bass are feeding heavily on shad, so if you find them in action, topwater would work. Regular trout stocking has begun and with that bass fishing should pick up as well.
TEMPE TOWN LAKE Tempe Town Lake was stocked on November 20th as part of ˜Welcome back the Trout and will be regularly stocked through March 2013 so the fishing should be great. Keep in mind that although this fishery in the city, it is not part of the Urban Fishing Program, so you will need the regular state fishing license to fish here. Here is another tip from Ed E. who is becoming a regular contributor to the BFishing@azgfd.gov email drop site. back...
