Arizona Lake Fishing

It’s a good idea to always tie on a split ring, swivel or clip in front of your lure. This will help improve the action of the lure and lessen the time it takes to change out lures. It also works best for any lure that needs to move at the end of your line such as crank baits, spinner baits and top waters.

If you’re like me, I’m sure you’re wondering which one is better for certain situations. I’ve had experiences where I almost lost a catch or a lure because the clip came open. But we continue to use that clip or split ring because we like the convenience of the quick switch of the lure that a clip or split ring allows.

Which one is best for what?

Use Swivels:

• On flukes or other soft jerk baits
• On rigs like the Carolina rig
• Use on a light line - 10 pounds or less
• Do not use on baits. Try a loop knot instead

Use Snaps:

• On a light line - 10 pounds or less - with crankbaits
• On spoons with a light line
• When you need more movement
• When you need to change out lures fast
• Use on baits

Use a Split Ring:

• On all topwater plugs
• On all crankbaits
• On all spoons
• Use on baits

Whatever your choice, use a method that works for you and that won’t lose a fish! Also keep a little bag of each in your tackle box just in case you need them.

Lake Pleasant is 75% full, at just over 1600 feet in elevation.

Mornings are best before 9am. There is some fish activity but the shad boils don’t last too long and after 9am, the shad boils drying up. Some anglers are seeing the activity taper as early as 7am.

Striped bass, white bass and largemouth bass are all biting now in varying numbers. Most are being caught in the north coves of the lake, as well as Scorpion Point.

For best results: Get there early; before dawn. Try topwater lures for the stripers and whities. Specifically, the Diawa diving topwater lure works really well in the northern coves.

For spin anglers, that’s ultra-light rods or lightweight rods, use night crawlers with a little or no weight. Cast slightly upstream into the ripples. Let the current carry the bait downstream to a deep pond or back eddy.

Also try small spinners like a casting spoon. Cast perpendicular to the flow of the current and maintain tension on the spinner by slowly reeling in as the current sweeps the lure downstream.

Typically, once the spinner lure gets at 45 to 60 degree angle from you downstream, the lure will spin with an increased action. The extra action causes the trout to hit.

Zara Puppy, Zara Spook, Zara Pooch – Brand names of topwater lures.

weedless – A description of a lure designed to be fished in heavy cover with a minimum amount of snagging. Various strategies are often employed to make a lure weedless.

tight-action plug – A lure with short, rapid side-to-side movement. Typically used when fish are more active in spring, summer and fall.

Super Duper – A brand of lure typically used for trout fishing. It can be cast but is often trolled.

stinger-hook – An additional hook placed on a lure, spinnerbait or bait rig; also called a trailer hook.

stick bait – A slender plug or topwater lure that is given action by the angler manipulating the rod and reel, sometimes making the bait go back-and-forth to resemble a wounded shad, which is called “walking the dog.”

Sassy Shad – A brand of soft-plastic lure that resembles a shad.