Fishing Report Related Information Jan. 19, 2006 - Lake Levels - Stocking Schedule Been Fishing? - Where to Fish Tell us about it. Your comments may be added to the - Urban Fishing weekly fishing report. Report editor: Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214 Regional editors: Pinetop Region - Richard Dreyer, (928) 367-4281 Flagstaff Region - Chuck Benedict, (928) 774-5045 Kingman Region - Andy Clark, (928) 692-7700 Yuma Region - Brad Jacobsen (928) 342-4051 Tucson Region - Dave Neill, (520) 628-5376 ext. 561 Mesa Region - Richard Wiggins, (481) 324-3544 Other ways to get the fishing report: Internet home page: azgfd.gov Recorded public call-in line: (602) 789-3701 Rory's Tip Received a neat letter to share. Jeff Williams wrote that he used Super Dupers and his friend fly-fished to catch and release 36 trout at Deadhorse State Park near Cottonwood. He added, "I walk on crutches and was so shocked at how crutch-friendly the lagoons were for me! Been fishing all my life, but as I grow older, it has been harder to get around, and these lagoons are a boon for folks in my position. VERY NEAT! I will even take my 80-year-old mother with her Pioneer License there next month. Great fun that I have not enjoyed in such a long time." For Jeff and others who are physically challenged, here are some other places to try that are easily accessed. First, pick an Urban Fishing Program Lake and go. The urban lakes are all pretty accessible. You might try Surprise Lake, Steele Indian School Park Pond, Cortez, Red Mountain, Chaparral, or Riverview. Both Canyon and Saguaro lakes have some super fishing piers. Tempe Town Lake has great access for those with mobility challenges. The marina at Bartlett rents pontoon boats that are wheelchair friendly: The marina owner is physically challenged himself. So, here's a challenge to all of you who aren't physically challenged, but know somebody who is--get them out to one of those places so they can have a smile on their faces like Jeff had at Deadhorse. Got a call from two kayakers who fished the upper end of the Agua Fria arm of Lake Pleasant (take Table Mesa Road off I-17 and head west). Using light spin tackle (one used a kid's Snoopy rod and reel), they caught 1- and 2-pound crappies, 1-pound white bass, and even a 3-pound largemouth using small colorful jigs of all kinds that came with the Snoopy outfit that one of the guys borrowed from his much younger brother. Neither one knew much about fishing. Something tells me they might be trading in those kayaks for something a little bigger (and maybe their own tackle as well). Fishing stories: Ya gotta love them. We might be lacking all the precipitation to fill the lakes like we received last year, but on the flip side of the coin, it's much more pleasant to fish in warm sunshine than cold drizzling rain. Plus, right now we can reap the benefits of last year's tremendous spawns. Rain or not, for the warmwater lakes like Roosevelt, Bartlett, Pleasant and Alamo, this is going to be a fantastic year for catching fish. Crappie and bass have been doing pretty good at both Alamo and Roosevelt. Pleasant has been remarkable this winter for whites, blacks and even crappie. Canyon and Saguaro don't seem to have hit their normal stride yet, but they could come on any time. If our mild weather patterns continue, especially in the western desert area, mark your calendar for Feb. 13 with the full moon. I'd almost bet money that the bass will be staging for the spawn, or entering the spawn, at Alamo Lake. Alamo is typically the first bass lake to have a spawn. On mild winters, the leading edge of the spawn can be during the full moon in February. Stewart Kohnke, the wildlife manager, said it happens almost every year. In fact, right now is some of the best January fishing Stew has seen for some time. So get your 2006 licenses and get out there fishing. It's tough to beat this great weather and good catching. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you out there. Central Arizona URBAN LAKES - Fishing for rainbow trout has been good to excellent. A special incentive stocking of super-sized trout was done last week at all the Urban Fishing Program waters. Trout from 1-5 pounds can be caught. Angler Steve Malott and his 4-year-old grandson Isaac landed a 3.5-pound rainbow trout last Thursday at Silverbell Lake in Tucson using red power bait fished on the bottom. "We landed it with a collapsible plastic Spiderman pole, which one guy even offered to buy after we landed the fish." Trout stockings have resumed at Alvord Lake and Water Ranch Lake. Trout have been biting best on worms and salmon eggs, with Power Bait working almost as well. Top artificials for trout are small spinners and lures that imitate small baitfish. In the past few weeks, some whopper trout from 2-4.5 pounds have been caught from numerous lakes. Trout fishing at Green Valley lakes (Payson) continues to be good to excellent for anglers using Power Bait or worms. A Payson angler recently caught a huge 24-inch rainbow trout unofficially weighed at 8.5 pounds. TEMPE TOWN LAKE - Town Lake will get another stocking of trout next week. Use Power Bait, corn, night crawlers or salmon eggs. Angler Gordon Hall reported having a good day last Monday using Power Bait and salmon eggs on the bottom. "We kept our limit and released several others," he says. "My 11-year-old caught a 13-incher fishing the north bank near the marina." Bass are biting plastics and crankbaits around ledges, piers and structure. Many fish in the 1-3 pound range are common. A good way to catch a mixed bag of fish is with live minnows under a slip bobber. Fish edges and around any structure in 6-8 feet of water. Yellow bass are plentiful in the 5- to 7-inch range and will bite mealworms; there are no limit or size restrictions for these tasty panfish. Channel catfish averaging 1-2 pounds will bite stink baits, hotdogs and shrimp. Carp fishing has been slow. LAKE PLEASANT - Water level is at 1,683 feet (79-percent full). This is the time of year for white bass and stripers, especially by trolling over the creek channels in the northern end of the lake. Crappie fishing is good at this time in the northern coves; try jigs or live minnows. Don't forget that a portion of the Agua Fria arm of the lake is closed for the nesting bald eagles. Largemouth bass have moved deep and the fishing has slowed. Drop-shotting is the technique of choice, tight lines. Power Worms, jigs, Carolina-rigs and Westy Worms are proven producers. Catfish, sunfish and carp have become lethargic and are inactive due to cold water. ROOSEVELT LAKE - The lake is 79-percent full at elevation 2,134 feet. The Salt River was flowing at 184 cfs Tuesday. Fishing is very good. The bass fishing outlook is excellent. Anglers had been catching large numbers of bass, mostly slots and unders. Try tight-line drop shot rigs, Westy Worms and Power Worms. Fishing off points in 10-25 feet of water has been effective. Live shad or minnows are also good baits, either with bobbers or free-lined. Crappies are being caught during the day by trolling jigs. Black Blue Chartreuse(BBC) Kalin and Jumping Cholla jigs; try the Tonto end or around Windy Hill. Catfishing is slow. Fishing for smallmouth bass can be good, especially on windy days. Try areas where waves are stirring up the shoreline. Use inline spinners and crayfish imitations, especially off rocky points and cliff walls. Remember, the slot is in place for smallmouth as well. Catfish, bluegill and carp fishing are slow. Note: Anglers are reminded of the slot bass size limit that remains in effect at Roosevelt. Bass between 13 and 16 inches in length must be released immediately. Also, those bass below 13 inches and above 16 inches that are kept can only be gutted with the head and tail attached so the legal length can be determined. All other fish such as crappie, catfish and bluegill harvested from the lake must have a piece of skin attached to the fillets so species can be determined. APACHE - Lake is 91-percent full at 1,905 feet. Fishing has been good for yellow bass. Walleye can be caught off cliffs and rocky points with inline spinners or drifting night crawlers. Try rock-runners with worm harnesses or shad-patterned crankbaits for walleye after dark. Yellow bass are hitting jigs and spoons. Fish for them around balls of shad in 20-60 feet of water. Cut bait also works well for them. Catfishing is slow. Carp fishing is slow. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is tagging walleye with a blue spaghetti- type tag near the dorsal fin. If you catch one, please note the tag number, location caught and accurate length of the fish and call the department's Mesa office at (480) 324-3544. You can keep the tag and the fish. There is a certified scale at the marina boathouse. CANYON - The lake is 96-percent full at 1,658 feet. Bass fishing is decent, especially in the Boulder Recreation Area and small coves. For bass, drop shotting (fish slow, letting the worm rest on the bottom for a few seconds at a time) is still the method of choice, although it is time to break out the swim baits for rainbow trout.