Arizona Lake Fishing

Spinners can be used to catch bass in just about any weather or water temp or time of year. Tournaments can be won fishing a spinner. They’re a great lure for spring and fall when the bass are feeding heavily as well as in winter when the water is cold. You can also fish them in the warmer waters of summer and just buzz them by the fish to entice them to bite.

It’s a good idea to keep several spinners in your box and keep spare blades and skirts on hand so you can test the waters and see what’s biting. But the go-to spinner in my box is always a 3/8th ounce spinnerbait with a #5 willowleaf and #3 Colorado blade. Have one of each in gold and silver. A chartreuse and white skirt and a 3″ white curly tail trailer.

Spinners in Warm Water

Warm water, at and above 60 degrees, means fast retrievals. When the water is warm, run the bait just under the surface fairly quickly until the blade just brakes the water. Then slow down and let the skirt flare.

When the water is warmer, and the feeding is slower, speed up your retrieval and try for reaction strikes by buzzing it right by the bass and letting it brake the water’s surface.

Spinners in Cool Waters

Cool waters, bellow 60 degrees, you want to slow it down. Use a heavier spinner, around 1/2 once. Get heavier and slower as the water gets colder. The added weight will allow you to fish deeper and slower.

Tips for Using Spinners

1. The clearness of the water will tell how quickly to run your lure. In clearer waters you can run it fairly fast but slow it down in murky waters.
2. Try bigger blades. Up to a #7 blade has caught fish and was a popular method a few years ago and still catches fish.
3. Try different colors of skirts and trailers if the fish aren’t biting.
4. Attach the lure with a clip and swivel to allow for quick and easy changing.

Spinners are one of my favorite lures. They are easy to use, easy to fish and you almost never lose a fish on one. The big hook seems to keep them on the hook effectively.

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Tricking a zoom worm will work well right now as the spawn dies down. The bass will begin to come off their beds and will be more aggressive and hit this rig even better. This rig will work in both ponds and lakes.

What is a Zoom Worm?

A zoom worm is a straight worm about 7 inches long and they come in several colors like chartreuse, yellow, white and in natural colors as well.

Rigging your zoom worm

You rig your zoom worm with no weight and you fish it almost like a topwater lure. You can tie the hook directly to the line or put it on a swivel about 6 inches above the hook. The swivel will help keep your line from twisting as you retrieve.

Tricking your zoom worm

As you retrieve your zoom worm, you want to twitch them. This will cause the worm to jump back and forth.

One technique that I’ve found most effective is to twitch them just under the surface. Then pause and let the worm sink.

Best Bass Lakes in Arizona for 2009

1. Alamo Lake – This is the HOME of largemouth bass in Arizona and recent surveys show a large population of largemouth bass for the 2009 season.
2. Bartlett Lake – A great lake for bass fishing, Bartlett Lake is a 2,800 acre lake just north of Phoenix.
3. Lake Mead – An excellent bass fishing lake located near the border for Arizona and Nevada. Lake Mead boasts a whopping 160,000 acres of fishing waters.
4. Martinez Lake – more for the shore angler, Martinez Lake is only 600 acres but is worth the trip near Yuma, Arizona.
5. Lake Pleasant- a 10,000 acre lake also close to metropolitan Phoenix, great bass lake.

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Bass are predator fish and they follow schools of baitfish to prey on. So, if you can find the schools of baitfish, chances are pretty good that the bass are close by. But how do you locate the baitfish?

How to locate the baitfish and intern the big bass

1. Easiest to spot are the small minnows jumping out of the water and if your lucky swirls of bigger fish swimming close behind. If you see these tiny jumping fish, there is a school of baitfish swimming around just under them.
2. Loons also love baitfish. They feed on them regularly. The benefit of seeing loons feeding on fish is that they are easier to spot from a distance than jumping minnows. Follow the loons to the baitfish and the baitfish to the bass.
3. Gulls also prey on fish. You’ll often see them circling in one spot. This is a good place to head out and fish.
4. Herons are another bird species that prey on fish and are easy to spot in the air or on the shore.
5. If you see small dimples on the surface of the water chances are there is a school of shad near the surface. These dimples might look like little raindrops falling over a small are of water.
6. Use a depthfinder. On a depthfinder, a school of fish will look like a ball of solid mass.
7. And finally, when you see a group of boats fishing in one area, it’s probably a good spot to fish. Man also likes to prey on fish and they are very easy to spot in their boats with fishing poles.

So now you found the baitfish, what do you do?

Tips to use the baitfish to your advantage

• For your lure or bait selection, try to match the size and shape of the baitfish swimming around.
• Vary your depth to find the feeding fish (largemouth bass but also crappie, walleye, muskie, hybrids, white bass, striped bass)
• Get as close to the food source as possible to increase your odds of catching the fish you set out to catch.

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Carp are quickly becoming a popular sport fish in Phoenix. Fly fishing for carp in particular has become a hot topic in the valley. There are several popular fly fishing locations in Arizona to catch carp. Some are in the Phoenix metropolitan area and some you may need to take a little drive to get to but all are great carp fishing bodies of water.

A reader of Arizona Lake Fishing, Johnny, from Mesa, emailed in with a question:

“Where can I go to fly fish carp in the Phoenix area?”

Well, Johnny, thanks for writing in to Arizona Lake Fishing and if any of you have questions on fishing in Arizona’s freshwater lakes, ponds and other bodies of water gives us a shout at arizonalakefishing {at} gmail dot com we’ll be happy to answer.

So, Johnny, to get to your question, we put our guys out into the local fishing community and have come up with a few top fishing holes for fishing carp around the Phoenix area.

Carp in the Valley

• Salt River Canal – The lower stretch is the most popular fly fishing hole in the valley. But the canals, owned and maintained by the Salt River Project, SRP has introduced a few hybrid carp called White Amur or Grass Carp into their system to help with vegetation over growth. SRP maintains a strict catch-and-release policy for all fish caught in the their canals. Rumors abound of 50 pound carp swimming in these canals but the biggest carp caught has only been in the 20 to 30 pound range with the norm around 4 to 12 pounds. A “bread fly” seems to be working the best.
• Tempe Town Lake – Your best option is on the south side of the lake. Try a “bread fly” here as well.
• Canyon Lake – If a trip to the Superstition Wilderness isn’t too far for you, Canyon Lake is a great lake for fly fishing. Most fly fishing at Canyon Lake is during the winter when fly anglers are going for the nice sized winter trout. But in the spring and summer months it’s great for carp as well as small mouth bass.

Carp in Arizona

If taking a little trip to fly fish for carp is on your list, here are a few popular lakes for catching carp.

• Alamo Lake – The carp population is growing in numbers at Alamo Lake and are expected to be good fishing this season.
• Apache Lake – This is a good lake for carp. Look for them in the murky waters in the coves around the marina.
• Roosevelt Lake – An annual Carp Camp is held at Roosevelt Lake every May and is one of the best lakes in Arizona for fishing carp.
• Silverbell Lake – There are nice sized carp in this Arizona Lake some in the range of over 20 pounds.

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Drop shot fishing is a great way to catch largemouth bass especially in the cooler months when they are a little slower than during the spawn. With a drop shot you can catch bass consistently in deep water, say 25 feet to 35 feet or even at 45 feet deep.

How to rig a drop shot?

Photo: Roboworm: Red Crawler RoboTail

The drop shot rig is a finesse worm technique. I prefer to use Roboworms (pictured above) and have found them to be very effective at Bartlett Lake

1. Tie your hook (#1 wide gap hook preferred) about 18 inches above the loose end of your line. Use a Palomar Knot.
2. Take the loose end of your line and bring it back through the eye of your hook. This will help the hook stay straight.
3. With the loose end, attach a 3/16th once drop shot weight with another Palomar knot.
4. Choose your bait. Work with 3 to 4 inch soft plastic worms or soft plastic shad type imitations. Color is dependent on the water color. Use watermelon or green shades in clear waters and reds to June bug in murky water.
5. There are 3 ways to rig your bait for a drop shot:
   1. Texas rigged where you hook the bait into the worm and bury the hook into the back to make a weed less hook. Texas rig works best in deeper waters.
   2. Wacky style where you hook the bait through the center and leave the hook exposed. Wacky style works great in deep water when fish are suspended away from structure
   3. Standard style hook your bait directly through the nose and leave the hook exposed.

Using a Drop Shot Rig

• A drop shot is best used on a spinning rod and reel. You want a rod that is flexible and sensitive to any taps.
• Your choice of line depends on water clarity. In deep clear water use 6 and 8 lb test line.
• Cast out into the lake. Drop shot has a tendency to twist. Try tying a swivel onto your weight.
• Allow the bait to sink to the bottom. Pay attention and you’ll feel when the sinker hits the bottom through your rod.
• Slowly work the bait back and keep the line taunt. Try walking, skipping, swimming the bait and wait several seconds in between each motion. The timing is important. Cool water bass, like in the early spring and fall, will have a slow reaction time where warmer water bass might move in quicker.
• You’re waiting for the “TAP-TAP”, the trademark of the largemouth bass strike on your bait. Sometimes it’s very soft and you might miss it, others it’s so sharp you can’t possibly miss it.
• When you feel the “tap-tap”, set that hook as quickly as you can. You got a fish.

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Roosevelt Lake is at 100% full and the bass are starting to bite. Just about the entire lake is a good spot for fishing bass but there are a few hot spots to keep in mind once you’re out there.

The Salt end and the Tonto end seem to be the hot spots for largemouth bass. At the Salt use shallow crankbaits and at Tonto try blades or cranks at about 20 feet deep. The drop-shot method might work at Tonto as well.

Another area you can try is over by the dam, both largemouth and smallmouth bass are going for topwaters. Mid-lake has also been working for anglers try a nice jerkbait for large and smallmouth bass.

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Photo: Alamo Lake, Arizona

Mark Your Calendars for February 28, 2009

AZ game & fish is organizing the annual Alamo Lake clean up from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on February 28.

Photo: Alamo lake, Arizona campground

Fees are Waived for Participants

AZ State Parks will waive camping and boat launch fees for those who registrar to help in the annual Alamo Lake clean up. Participants will be staying in the Cholla Campground and using the Cholla Launch Ramp.

For more information:

For more information, contact Wildlife Manager Stewart Kohnke at (928- 684-3763 or (928) 342-0091.

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Fishing Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Dead Horse Ranch State Park boasts of 423 acres of outdoor opportunities for fishing, hiking, camping and several other outdoor actives. The Verde River runs through the park and forms large lagoons which are called Dead Horse Lake by some. There are 80 miles of fish able water in the park and the lagoons are stocked regularly by the AZ game & fish.

Dead Horse Ranch is a great place for both spin anglers and fly fishing. Spinners focus on using spinners, worms and power bait.
Fly fishing is best along the Verde River between the River Front Park and Dead Horse State Park.
Dead Horse Ranch Fish

• Rainbow trout
• sunfish
• Channel Catfish
• Largemouth bass

Dead Horse Ranch Rules

• No Amplified Music and PA systems
• No Swimming in lagoons
• No Firewood gathering
• No Generators
• No Rowboats and float tubes are only permitted in lower lagoons

Small boats are permitted along with float tubes but restrictions do apply.

Dead Horse Ranch Amenities

These amenities are at Fain Lake.

• Handicap access is available including cabin rental with accessible showers and restrooms near camp site.
• Bathrooms & Showers (with hot water)
• Picnic area (covered Ramadas)
• BBQ grills
• Playground
• Camp Sites
• Hiking Trails
• Visitor Center (open 8 am to 5 pm)

Getting to Dead Horse Ranch State Park

The easiest way to get to Dead Horse Ranch is to take the I-17 towards Cottonwood. Then Exit on Highway 260 for Cottonwood. Stay on Main Street (Hwy 260) and follow the signs to Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Map To Dead Horse Ranch State Park, AZ

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Largemouth bass is the most popular sport fish in America. And for good reason. They have a decent fight, require at least a little skill to catch and are great on the dinner plate.

Arizona lakes hold a unique opportunity for the avid bass angler and that’s the sheer number of bass that inhabit Arizona lakes. Whether it’s shore fishing or in a boat, Arizona has a lake to offer up to everyone.

Top 5 Arizona Lakes for Catching Largemouth Bass

1. Alamo Lake – This is the HOME of largemouth bass in Arizona and recent surveys show a large population of largemouth bass for the 2009 season.
2. Bartlett Lake – A great lake for bass fishing, Bartlett Lake is a 2,800 acre lake just north of Phoenix.
3. Lake Mead – An excellent bass fishing lake located near the border for Arizona and Nevada. Lake Mead boasts a whopping 160,000 acres of fishing waters.
4. Martinez Lake – more for the shore angler, Martinez Lake is only 600 acres but is worth the trip near Yuma, Arizona.
5. Lake Pleasant- a 10,000 acre lake also close to metropolitan Phoenix, great bass lake.

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Fishing is relatively good at Alamo Lake. Anglers are reporting largemouth bass, channel catfish and carp are all being caught on – get this – WORMS! Who says you need to spend a small fortune on lures to catch fish these days?

The best fishing time is during the day, sun up to sun down between 7am and 5pm. Let the sun get up over the mountains and begin warming the air.

Channel cats are in high numbers this season, especially in the upper portion of the lake. Most tend to be on the small side around 2-3 pounds but there are some that can get up to 7 and 8 pounds.

Carp are also growing in numbers this season and are quickly becoming a favorite angling fish, requiring finesse and accuracy. There are several Arizona lakes for carp fishing and Alamo is one of the most popular.

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