Arizona Game & Fish
Fishing is really busting loose right now from the high pines to the lower deserts.
Full moon is Sunday. We have nice warm weather shooting up into the nineties this weekend in the deserts. This should definitely be the time for the crappie to spawn. Mini-jigs and live minnows should be the trick for most.
Alamo, Roosevelt, and San Carlos should be going gangbusters. Bartlett should be fairly good, but for some reason this year anglers haven't done quite as well on the speckled beauties. That could change right now. Anglers are still catching some huge crappie, on occasion, at Lake Pleasant.
We should also see a spawning surge for largemouth bass right now. Check the backs and sides of shallow coves. Use polarized glasses to see. For lures, think bright colors -- ones you can see if you plan to sight fish the beds if you are so inclinded.
But please, if you catch a bedding fish, immediately release it. Give nature a chance. It's not a requirement, just a good ethical and responsible practice. Okay, enough preaching.
For those of you who aspire to a catch-and-release fish record, be sure when you take the picture of your proud fish that it you include a tape measure ruler or other measuring device next to the fish in the photograph. Check page 36 of the Fishing Regulations for complete information.
For the high country, great news just keeps coming.
I just talked to the Black Mesa Ranger District in Heber. The Rim Road to Woods Canyon will open on Friday, April 15, but the parking lot and boat ramp etc. at Woods will not be accessible quite yet -- you'll have to walk in a little bit to fish there. It will likely be another couple of weeks until the Rim Road is open to Bear Canyon Lake. Right now, it's wait-and-see time.
But Willow Springs Lake has been open, and even stayed open during last weekend's snow storm. Black Canyon is also open and accessible. You can get to Chevelon via the FR 504 from Heber (turn left just past the Circle K on the hill above Heber).
Another piece of great news -- Knoll Lake is now open off Highway 87 on the Coconino National Forest side of the Mogollon Rim. I chatted with the Blue Ridge office of the Mogollon Rim District and was told the roads are open on the Coconino, but there are spots or segments with barricades. But the FR 300 (Rim Road) is open from that side into Knoll Lake.
CC Cragin (Blue Ridge Reservoir), has been open for some time.
GREAT NEWS -- Highways 261 and 273 into Big Lake from the Sunrise area opened the morning of April 14. Remember, it's paved all the way now. We have a juniors turkey hunting camp in the area -- be sure to wave. Big Lake has been ice free for some time and the store is open. If you are looking for information on the campgrounds at Big Lake and in the area, click here http://www.rrmofa.com
Ashurst Lake near Flagstaff is now accessible. We culled the pike population a little using nets last week (see the lake report for more details) and will be stocking it very soon with 15,000 trout. I'll update this report when I get word it has happened.
Here's something you'll like, it's a radio add about fishing -- it's the coolest fishing add I have ever heard. Check it out. http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/images/takemefishing_GotAwayFamily_30sec.mp3
Now that you are sufficiently jazzed, be sure to take the pledge at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation to Take Someone Fishing.
Pick your favorite fishery and go. Spring fishing is definitely ascending toward its peak -- don't miss out. Go catch some memories. Maybe I'll see you out there.
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