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.

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.

Apache Lake is around 90% full, the fishing is good and more anglers are getting out there.

Channel cats are hanging in the marina, Hackberry Cove and Goat Ledge. Try hot dogs, chicken liver and stink bait.

Yellow bass are where the substrate levels off. Use silver. Silver spinners, cranks, what have you.

Small mouth and largemouth bass are biting on plastic worms like Robo Worms. Put them on a drop shot around overhanging vegetation, boulders or ridges.

Carp are biting on yellow canned corn.

Catfish anglers, you’ll love Lyman Lake. Channel catfish are biting on worms and stink baits. Fishing for catfish this summer is your best bet at catching anything on Lyman Lake.

However, a few anglers are reporting a some hits on largemouth bass. Try crankbaits, spinners and spoons.

Luna Lake fishing is fair at best. The lake is down about a foot and a half but the boat ramp is still accessible.

A few anglers have reported catching some trout on spinners, Power Bait and worms.

For best results: Get out in early morning and head over to the dam. Shore anglers seem to be having decent luck over at the dam as well. Use yellow or gold spinners or spoons.

Fishing at Clear Creek Reservoir is fair to good.

The warm water fish like bass, sunfish and catfish are biting.

If you prefer to go for the trout use worms, Power bait and salmon eggs.

For the bass, anglers are reporting hits on spinners, z-rays and crankbaits.

Fly anglers use wooly buggers and peacock ladies.

Fishing at Carnero Lake is good this summer as long as you can get out into open warter.

Anglers are reporting problems with the weeds saying that it’s difficult to get out into open water. Especially, those in a float tube are having difficulty. The weeds along the shoreline are thick and a challenge to maneuver. As the summer progresses, the weeds will become more and more of a problem for anglers.

Carnero Lake is an artificial lure and fly lake. It also requiring barbless hooks with a 2 trout limit. Carnero Lake is open to electric trolling motors only.

Spin anglers are using small lures like spinners and spoons with some success.

Fly anglers are using wooly worms, peacock ladies, and small nymphs to catch decent sized trout.

Becker Lake is down about 5 feet, the fishing is fair and the boat launch is still accessible.

Becker Lake is open to artificial lures and flies only. You must also use barbless hooks and there is a 2 trout limit. It is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors.

For spin anglers small lures work best; Super Dupers, spinners, and z-rays.

For fly fishing, use small nymphs like zebra midges, scuds and pheasant tails. Fly anglers have been hitting it big landing 10 – 18 inch rainbows.

For best results: Fish deep and slow.

Black Canyon Lake is almost full, the boat ramp is accessible and the fishing is fair.

Green and yellow power bait seems to be working well for most anglers, on shore or in a boat. You can also try, salmon eggs, spinners, or wooly buggers.

For best results: Get out on the water at first light. Troll with a cowbell and a worm on the hook.

Due to the high pH levels no stocking will take place until the numbers come down.

12 inch rainbows are being caught at Riggs Flat.
Try using small spinners.

The water is very clear making it easy to see fish swimming around. There is a 10 foot ring of weeds around the shore making it difficult to use lures but the fish don’t seem interested in worms or baits.