Arizona Lake Fishing

After a long summer and hundreds of anglers throwing in spinners, the bass get wise and a jig could be just enough to land that big one. Swimming a jig takes a little fineness and technique to get the presentation just right for a strike but after reading this post you’ll be casting it in like a pro.

The key to swimming a jig for a big bite is all about presentation and how to attract a bite. You want to pay attention to color, the bite (if you’re getting any), your retrieval speed and most importantly setting the hook.

Jig Swimming Tips: Pay attention to the bite.

1. If the bass is inhaling the jig, make no adjustments and keep hauling them in.
2. If they seem to be just nipping at the end of the jig, make a change with your trailer. It’s possible you could be getting the wrong action from your jig.
3. If they are following your jig but not striking, make a complete change in color. If you’re using a dark jig, switch to a bright color with a flash.

Jig Swimming Tips: Pay attention to presentation.

1. Hold your rod tip at about 10 o’clock.
2. Vary your speeds by dropping and ripping through cover.
3. Be sure to set the hook properly. Once you feel that bass on your line give it a good rip back and set the hook before he even knows what hit him. Make it one smooth motion.

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Eating your catch can be one of the most rewarding activities when fishing. But cleaning the fish, especially a largemouth bass, can pose a few problems if you have never done it before. Bass are different from other fish like trout. They have scales, larger bones, and will dull your knife quickly. Filets are the best and easiest way to clean a bass.

The best largemouth bass to eat are around 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Anything over 3 pounds should be released for breeding.

What you need to filet a fish

1. A trash can.
2. A sharp filet knife.
3. A filet knife sharpener.
4. A flat, smooth board to cut on.

How to filet your fish

1. Ice the fish over night. Leaving your fish on ice overnight will produce a bloodless filet and a filet that tastes less fishy.
2. Use a sharp filet knife. You want to make sure you have a sharp knife before you begin. The best way to do this is the sharpen it just before you start. Some people prefer to use an electric knife but many people often cut through the backbone and that can be a messy clean up.
3. Flatten the fish out on the board and slit the belly. Start just under the jaw and move down past the anal fin. Don’t go too deep or you’ll cut through digestive organs and that is very messy. You just need to go as deep as the skin and that’s all.
4. Cut along the backbone. Start at the head and cut down gently until you feel the backbone. Once you’ve touched the backbone, turn your knife and move toward the tail. Be careful not to cut through the backbone. For this step, make sure your fish is nice and flat and that your knife is very sharp to get through all the rib bones.
5. Remove the skin from the filet. This is a matter of preference. Some people like the skin on because while cooking it keeps the moisture in and your filet from drying out. It is also much easier to remove the skin once it has been cooked. If cooked properly, the skin will just slide off. If you prefer to remove the skin prior to cooking, just take your knife and get under the skin. Then follow the backbone to the tail. Stop at the tail without cutting all the way through. Flip the fish over and then cut the skin from the meat.
6. Remove the ribs. This is also a matter of preference. Most of the rib bones you can just pull out with your fingers but some of the smaller ones you might want to use your knife and cut them out. I prefer to leave the ribs in because they are much easier to get out once the filet has been cooked.

Prepping and cooking a bass filet

One of the most popular ways to cook bass is to rub the filet in cornmeal and fry them. Best filets for this are both skinless and boneless.

You will need:

• Cornmeal
• Salt and pepper and/or other spices
• Cooking oil (your preference)
• Frying pan

1. Put the filets in a ziplock bag with salt and water. Add some salt to a ziplock bag. Then add the filets. Fill the bag with water. Let the salt dissolve and squeeze out the water and zip the bag closed.
2. Put in the refrigerator. Leave the filets in the fridge for a day or two.
3. Rinse them with cold water. Once you’ve taken the fish out of the refrigerator, you want to rinse them with cold water and pat dry.
4. Prepare your cornmeal. Put your cornmeal in a large glass bowl. Add some salt and pepper and other spices that you prefer.
5. Get your frying pan hot. You want your frying pan sizzling with a little cooking oil.
6. Roll the filet in the cornmeal and fry. Be sure to cover both sides of the filet with cornmeal. Then add them to the frying pan. Let the cornmeal turn a light, golden brown. Then flip the filet to cook the other side.
7. Remove from the cooking oil and let the filet drain. You can put the fried filets on paper towels to help catch and absorb any excess cooking oil.

Another way to cook bass

This recipe is a bit healthier alternative to frying you filets. This recipe works best with the skin intact and bone-in.

You will need:

• Fresh lemon (the fruit)
• Fresh onion
• Fresh garlic
• Salt and pepper and/or other spices
• Butter or olive oil (your preference on salt in or salt less butter)
• Tin foil

1. As above, put the filets in a ziplock bag with salt and water. Add some salt to a ziplock bag. Then add the filets. Fill the bag with water. Let the salt dissolve and squeeze out the water and zip the bag closed.
2. Put in the refrigerator. Leave the filets in the fridge for a day or two.
3. Rinse them with cold water. Once you’ve taken the fish out of the refrigerator, you want to rinse them with cold water and pat dry.
4. Prep all the fruit, onions and garlic. Slice the lemon and onions into slices. Then peal the garlic. You can either use the garlic whole, chop it, or mince it. What ever you prefer.
5. Prep the fish filet. Lay a sheet of tin foil flat on the counter, place one filet in the center of the foil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the butter or oil. Add 2-3 slices of lemon. Add a few rings of onion. Add the fresh garlic.
6. Fold the foil into a pouch around the filet and other ingredients. Grab the top and bottom of the foil and bring them together over the filet. Folder over the edges. Then fold the left and right ends into the center.
7. Bake in the oven. Put the pouch and it’s contents into the oven and bake.

This method also works well with fresh caught fish and a campfire. Just add the pouch to the hot coals and let cook for several minutes.

Tips for keeping the filets fresh

• You can keep a bass filet for several month in the freezer. Be sure to put them in a freezer ziplock bag.
• If the fish is a “white meat” fish like bass are, the fish will keep in the freezer for many months.
• Oily fish, like hybrids, however, will only keep for 2 months before going bad.

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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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What is Pitching?

Pitching is a bass fishing technique anglers use to guide their bait to a desired location. It works best when you need to get your bait into a small opening near heavy cover, under low-hanging limbs, and/or around boat docks. The best anglers, the ones who always catch the big ones, are all proficient pitchers.

Pitching is ideal for:

1. Off-color or muddy water
2. Targets between 10 and 30 feet away
3. Target provides a quiet lure entry into the water

Pitching for Bass You’ll need:

• 25 pound test 100% fluorocarbon line
• 7′ 6″ heavy rod with plenty of backbone to wrestle the biggies

What to Pitch

A jig. But nearly any single-hook bait can be pitched. Rig it into a Texas rig.

How to Pitch for bass

1. With your rig on the line, face the target.
2. Depress the line release and let out enough line so the bait is even with the first guide.
3. Put the bait in your off-hand at about waist level.
4. Lower the rod tip toward the target and put a little tension on the line.
5. In one smooth, quick motion, swing the rod tip toward the target and upward. Letting go of the bait.
6. As the bait moves under the rod tip, release the line and continue raising the rod tip and control the spool with your thumb.
7. Stop the line just before it enters the water.

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It’s that time of year again and you should know what I’m talking about. It’s time for spinner baits and the big bass. It’s time to roll those big 1oz. spinners off the edges and over the humps. And we have some tips to get you started and on your way to catching the big one.

Tips for Using Spinner Baits

1. Rigging is most important. The best, is to rig a spinner on a medium-to-medium light tip rod.
2. Use braided line to help control the action and the line to hook the fish.
3. Look for shad chasing your spinner. If you do, you know you’re in the right place. If not, move on.
4. Use angles when fishing a spinner.
5. If you have shad but no bites, try changing your angle of presentation.

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You’re on the lake, just staring your day and wondering where to start fishing. Here are some tips to keep in mind on how to read where those lunker bass might be hanging out.

1. Look for subtle changes in the lake bottom. Even a change of depth of just a few feet could be a productive fishing spot. The bass use these small highways for feeding on bait fish.
2. Watch for bait fish. Wherever they are, the bass aren’t too far behind.
3. Keep an eye on the changes in weather. Just a few degrees warmer and the bait fish will move a foot or two deeper in to the water.
4. Works well in both shallow and deep water. Use this info all year round when fishing for 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 at Topock Marsh has slowed since the water levels continue to go down through out the winter. With the lower water levels use caution when launching your boats.

Crappie fishing has picked up even with the lower water levels.

A recent study by game and fish biologists has revealed a strong and healthy population of largemouth bass, channel cats are also at a healthy population. Crappie were present but only in small numbers.

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Fishing at Bartlett Lake has been a little slow and cold. Flows from the Verde River has picked up slightly so keep an eye out for floating debris.

Some anglers are getting a bite now and then on pumpkin green or watermelon jigs. Go along the walls and work the jig.

Cranks and white spinner baits are also working for some but fishing has slowed due to the turn in weather recently. Drop shot may also work for you.

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Rainbows have been stocked and fishing is on!

Use power bait with a slip sinker or a bobber. Worms are a trusty standby for Tempe Town Lake and will catch just about everything in the lake.

Try Everything … from corn to spinners

Some anglers have walked away happy with a full bag limit using only canned corn on a bobber, others are using power bait or worms. It’s not that the fish are biting like mad, it’s that they are being finicky. Some will bite corn other’s want a flashy spinner. Be flexible and patient and you will go home a happy angler.

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