Arizona Game & Fish
The weather may not necessarily seem like it, but we are slowly turning that autumn corner and are peeking at October.
Don't forget the Oct. 1 openings of Fossil Creek (see article below) for native chub and Silver Creek for native Apache trout. Two great fishing opportunities to keep on your radar screen, not just for Saturday, but throughout the fall and winter seasons as well.
The winter trout stocking season slowly ramps up starting the first week of October with rainbows going into some of the waters around Prescott. Check out the full Winter Trout Stocking expected schedule at www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/h_f/fishing/stocking/WINTERTroutStockSchedule.pdf. It may seem counterintuitive, but Arizona provides some of the best winter trout fishing in the nation. This is an amazing state!
Also don't forget that tree squirrel season opens Sept. 30. Blue grouse season is already underway.
I chatted with the good folks at the Big Lake store, and although many anglers are catching limits, the really great fall bite has not started yet, although that may change this week if the expected storms visit this weekend.
Apparently Power Bait and worms are working much better than lures right now at Big Lake, and fish are around 14 feet deep still -- they haven't moved up into the shallows yet. But they might be shallow by the time you read this. You can always check with the Big Lake store at (928) 521-1387. By the way, one lucky angler caught a 20 1/2-inch rainbow trout that tipped the scales at 4.2 pounds.
Not hearing a lot from the other high mountain lakes right now, but this is typically the time of year for increased trout activity levels, but daytime temperatures are holding above normal; does make it pleasant weather for fishing.
In the desert impoundments, we are definitely seeing increased action as predatory fish actively chase bait fish, mostly at or near the surface. The action can vary from lake-to-lake, or even from hour-to-hour. You should go armed with topwater lures, crankbaits and jerkbaits (spinnerbaits at times too) to fish the top of the water column. Then be prepared with drop shots, Texas rigs, spoons or whatever to go after the deeper fish.
Pleasant, Bartlett, Roosevelt and Havasu are all good bets, but Saguaro, Apache, Alamo, and Powell can provide great fishing as well. Pick your favorite lake and go, or look at this as an opportunity to learn a new lake while the fish are a little more active.
I also really like Lees Ferry this time of year. It's pretty good fishing, but lonely as heck. This is the off-season, probably because most trout anglers are off experiencing the good trout bite where autumn colors are dressing up the landscape.
Right now there is a waxing crescent moon, with a quarter moon this weekend. Full moon is Oct. 11. Night time fishing can still be viable right now, especially under submersible lights. However, the daytime fishing can often surpass the night-time catch rates, but not always.
On a sad note, Wittman Lures in Tucson, the makers of Z-rays, has gone out of business after 60 years. For a glimpse of some great photo memories over time, visit their website at http://www.zray.com/. They have been a good friend to the Arizona Game and Fish Department over the decades and have always been a personal favorite of mine -- I caught my first bruiser brown on one of their lures at Chevelon Lake a few decades ago.
This is a superb time to stock up on fishing adventures for the memory book. Good luck, maybe I'll see you out there.
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