October 11th, 2012
APACHE LAKE - No recent reports. Lake elevation is 1,907 feet (93 percent full).
BARTLETT LAKE No recent reports. Lake elevation has been holding at 1,758 feet, 50 percent full. Should be good topwater action for bass off-and-on throughout the day. Try working the main lake points, islands and reefs, but don't ignore the deeper coves, especially in the morning. Sometimes you can find bass feeding on large schools of shad in the coves.
CANYON LAKE - No recent reports. Lake elevation is still holding at around 1,659 feet, which is 97 percent full.
LAKE PLEASANT The lake survey is not yet finished, but preliminary data suggests excellent largemouth bass numbers in the Aqua Fria and Humbug arms of Lake Pleasant. Sunfish numbers were also high. All size classes were caught from young-of-year to lunkers of these species. Electrofishing is not typically efficient for catching channel catfish (and that proved to be the case), but a good number of flathead catfish ranging from 6-7 inches to one in excess of 3 feet were caught mainly in Aqua Fria and Humbug coves. The points on the southwest portion of the lake were productive as well for largemouth bass. Surveys of the lake are not yet complete. Young stripers were also caught during electrofishing and larger ones were caught in nets. Some cursory stomach analysis indicated the largemouth bass were eating crayfish and shad. The stripers were eating shad. Full-fledged stomach analysis will be done at a later date.
Fishing success is based on many factors, one of which is the moon and sun phase. Fish tend to be most active during the 90-minute windows surrounding the sun and moon rise and fall. When the moon is at full or new moon stage, the effect is stronger. There are many apps you can use that display this information for you. As anglers know, severe weather changes have an impact on the way fish feed. If a cold front is approaching, the fish tend to move deeper into the water and lay low. Barometric pressure is a good indicator. If it changes quickly, the fish tend to be less likely to show interest in your bait. If the change is gradual, the fish will respond favorably.
One of the best things you can do is keep a fishing log noting air and water temperature, weather conditions, moon and sun phase if you are fishing in the 90-minute time period surrounding the rise or fall, location of catch, and lure types used and which ones were successful. This may seem tedious to many of you, but I havent come across anyone who said it was a waste of time if they put in the effort.
ROOSEVELT LAKE - No recent reports. Lake elevation is at 2,099 feet and the lake level is 45 percent. Try fishing in the shallows (1 to 4 feet) with surface lures in the backs of coves and over rock piles. Drop shot works pretty well on the outside points, flats and backs of coves in 30 to 10 feet of water, but altering the drop shot technique to a Texas nose hook and whacky style setup is productive, especially when the typical setup does not hit the mark. The technique of how you reel the drop shot in is important: slow and steady, or slow with little jerks, or jerk and let it fall over and over again are some styles to play around with. Rock piles are typically productive using plastics bouncing along the substrate. This is still a good time to try for channel catfish using sink bait. For flatheads, live bait such as bluegills or small carp work best. For channel catfish, try any stinkbait, chicken liver or blood baits.
SAGUARO LAKE - Lake elevation is 1,525 feet at 93 percent full. Three anglers who were fishing from a boat yesterday (Oct. 10) from 8 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. reported they caught 96 fish, most all on 1/8 oz. kastmasters nickel/blue color. Breakdown was as follows: six channel cats, one at 4 pounds, the rest around 1.5 pounds; six largemouth bass, one at 15 inches, the rest between 12-14 inches; four bluegill, one at 6 inches, the rest around 4 inches; and 80 yellow bass, about 30 at 11-12 inches, the rest between 8-10 inches. At least 45 fish were caught in the Butcher Jones area, the other productive spot was off the points across lake from Bagley Flat. They spooned those fish up from 25-30 feet underneath shad schools they saw. Overall, a great day fishing a fall pattern! back...
BARTLETT LAKE No recent reports. Lake elevation has been holding at 1,758 feet, 50 percent full. Should be good topwater action for bass off-and-on throughout the day. Try working the main lake points, islands and reefs, but don't ignore the deeper coves, especially in the morning. Sometimes you can find bass feeding on large schools of shad in the coves.
CANYON LAKE - No recent reports. Lake elevation is still holding at around 1,659 feet, which is 97 percent full.
LAKE PLEASANT The lake survey is not yet finished, but preliminary data suggests excellent largemouth bass numbers in the Aqua Fria and Humbug arms of Lake Pleasant. Sunfish numbers were also high. All size classes were caught from young-of-year to lunkers of these species. Electrofishing is not typically efficient for catching channel catfish (and that proved to be the case), but a good number of flathead catfish ranging from 6-7 inches to one in excess of 3 feet were caught mainly in Aqua Fria and Humbug coves. The points on the southwest portion of the lake were productive as well for largemouth bass. Surveys of the lake are not yet complete. Young stripers were also caught during electrofishing and larger ones were caught in nets. Some cursory stomach analysis indicated the largemouth bass were eating crayfish and shad. The stripers were eating shad. Full-fledged stomach analysis will be done at a later date.
Fishing success is based on many factors, one of which is the moon and sun phase. Fish tend to be most active during the 90-minute windows surrounding the sun and moon rise and fall. When the moon is at full or new moon stage, the effect is stronger. There are many apps you can use that display this information for you. As anglers know, severe weather changes have an impact on the way fish feed. If a cold front is approaching, the fish tend to move deeper into the water and lay low. Barometric pressure is a good indicator. If it changes quickly, the fish tend to be less likely to show interest in your bait. If the change is gradual, the fish will respond favorably.
One of the best things you can do is keep a fishing log noting air and water temperature, weather conditions, moon and sun phase if you are fishing in the 90-minute time period surrounding the rise or fall, location of catch, and lure types used and which ones were successful. This may seem tedious to many of you, but I havent come across anyone who said it was a waste of time if they put in the effort.
ROOSEVELT LAKE - No recent reports. Lake elevation is at 2,099 feet and the lake level is 45 percent. Try fishing in the shallows (1 to 4 feet) with surface lures in the backs of coves and over rock piles. Drop shot works pretty well on the outside points, flats and backs of coves in 30 to 10 feet of water, but altering the drop shot technique to a Texas nose hook and whacky style setup is productive, especially when the typical setup does not hit the mark. The technique of how you reel the drop shot in is important: slow and steady, or slow with little jerks, or jerk and let it fall over and over again are some styles to play around with. Rock piles are typically productive using plastics bouncing along the substrate. This is still a good time to try for channel catfish using sink bait. For flatheads, live bait such as bluegills or small carp work best. For channel catfish, try any stinkbait, chicken liver or blood baits.
SAGUARO LAKE - Lake elevation is 1,525 feet at 93 percent full. Three anglers who were fishing from a boat yesterday (Oct. 10) from 8 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. reported they caught 96 fish, most all on 1/8 oz. kastmasters nickel/blue color. Breakdown was as follows: six channel cats, one at 4 pounds, the rest around 1.5 pounds; six largemouth bass, one at 15 inches, the rest between 12-14 inches; four bluegill, one at 6 inches, the rest around 4 inches; and 80 yellow bass, about 30 at 11-12 inches, the rest between 8-10 inches. At least 45 fish were caught in the Butcher Jones area, the other productive spot was off the points across lake from Bagley Flat. They spooned those fish up from 25-30 feet underneath shad schools they saw. Overall, a great day fishing a fall pattern! back...
