Happy Holidays!  Our December has been filled with cooler weather, some snow in the high country, some rain in the desert, and overall cooler temperatures.  The fishing has remained good throughout the state, and looks to stay in a holding pattern for a while.

Lake Pleasant continues to be the highlight of the bass fishing.  Two weeks ago a new state record striped bass was caught on topwater.  The fish weighed in just under 30 pounds.  There are still a lot of stripers and largemouth pushing bait in the backs of the creek channels.  Shallow water tactics continue to be the best offering.  Conventional anglers are catching fish on jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits.  Fly anglers are still using clousers and baitfish pattern streamers.  With the cooler water temperatures, the fish’s metabolism slows so the feeding windows are not as big, but when you are in the right place at the right time, life is good!

There is still some good fishing to be had on our other desert lakes as well.  Saguaro Lake has a decent spoon bite happening.  Roosevelt is a good option for deep cranking.  Canyon Lake is the place for tossing big swimbaits in hopes of one big bite, and San Carlos lake is still kicking out giants and jigs and crankbaits but is slow on bites.

Trout fishing in oak creek canyon has slowed.  Winter months become more technical.  Slow drifts through deeper holes is the best way to hook up.  We are fishing tiny midges and nymphs on 7x.  The stream is beautiful right now with a mix of snow on the ground.  For beginners or for more action, deadhorse state park has been kicking out tons of little rainbows in the ponds.  This is a great place to learn fly fishing.

Urban carp fishing has been solid.  We are still able to sight fish carp on the fly this time of the year, which makes a unique and exciting option for a half day of fishing in town.  There are dozens of ponds and lakes throughout the Phoenix area that are home to several species of carp. 

We are finally back on line with the reports!  Just in time for the cooler weather.  What a fall we had here.  Lots of great fishing all over the state, and conditions look well for a fantastic 2010!

Bass fishing right now is remaining stable.  Lake Pleasant is still kicking out a mixed bag of largemouth, stripers, and whites.  The fish are still pushing bait in the afternoons, so conventional and fly anglers have a good shot at our freshwater grand slam.  Most of the bait right now is 4-5 inches, so upsized presentations are important. 

Roosevelt Lake is kicking out good numbers of fish deep.  Spoons and plastics fished in 30-60 feet are catching lots of fish. 

San Carlos is on it’s last leg, and while the numbers are way down, the quality is way up.  5-10 pound fish are being caught on a regular basis on jigs and cranks.  This is slow fishing, but the rewards can be great!

Canyon Lake is starting to kick out some big swimbait fish.  We’re not seeing the double digit fish yet, but consistant catches of 4-8 pound fish are becoming more the norm.  Big huddleston and baitsmith trout swimbaits are the key here.

Saguaro Lake is still kicking out some great fishing.  Finesse plastics and smaller swimbaits are kicking out good numbers of largemouth bass, and fly anglers are catching largemouth and yellow bass on clousers and baitfish flies on 200-300 grain sinking lines.

Trout fishing remains decent in the Sedona area.  The browns have quieted down, but the rainbows are still looking to eat.  Most of the action has been on nymphs, but on the warmer days you can still find some fish sipping.

The White Mountains are still kicking out some big browns!  We had a 26, 28 and 29 inch brown in the last couple weeks.  Sight fishing and stripping streamers are the ticket here.  We got some much colder weather last week, so this will be close to the end, but some small stream fishing will remain for a while.  Call us for the most up to date info on locations up here.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  We look forward to seeing you all on the water!

Bass fishing at Lake Pleasant continues to be good.  The lake is falling quickly, so the fish are starting to compress.  We’re still finding a lot of fish chasing bait on the surface.  Stripers, largemouth, and white bass are all schooled in the same areas, so catching multiple species on multiple casts is becoming more and more the norm.  Topwater baits and quickly retrieved and stripped baitfish patterns are the ticket.  The bite lasts all day, if you can stand the heat!

Pike fishing at Lake Mary has slowed a bit this week, but still remains decent.  The fish are still reacting to jerkbaits and clousers retrieved quickly anywhere there is grass.  The weather has been great, and there isn’t a more beautiful spot to relax and enjoy good fishing.

Trout fishing remains hit and miss with the warm weather.  Look for the temps to break in the next couple weeks, and fishing will improve greatly!!!

Well, the heat is really kicking in!  Temperatures of over 115 degrees were common this week throughout the desert elevations.  Even in the high country we saw triple digit temperatures.  The good news is, the onset of high temps is usually the beginning of monsoons, which always rejuvenate the fishing.

This week, the fishing was a little slower than it has been, but still overall good. 

Lake Pleasant continues to be the best bet for topwater action.  The striper boils were a little broken up this week, which made it more important to run around a lot in search of feeding fish, but they were still cooperative when we found the right schools.  The fish are still crashing fry, so downsized baits are still the name of the game.  Little swimbaits and topwaters and small streamers in clear and grey tones are the ticket right now.  We also started to see some good sized largemouth chasing bait with the stripers this week, which is a good sign of things to come.  As the lake drops, more and more fish will chase together, and multi species days will become much more common.

Pike fishing at Lake Mary continues to be excellent.  big fish count days are still the norm.  As the water heats up, the fish are turning to surface baits.  Buzzbaits and large prop style baits ripped on the surface are the ticket.  Even though the temps are climbing in to the 90’s, this is still a great break from the desert heat!

Trout fishing has slowed quite a bit this week with the onset of the heat.  Look for the monsoons to spur this back in action.

Summer fishing continues to be hot!  As usual the bass and striper fishing have taken main stage, but some fantastic pike fishing is starting to happen and steal the show!

Lake Pleasant continues to have striper schools chasing and boiling bait.  The last week it has been a little sporadic, but the days that are on are very exciting.  Look for crashing and boiling fish over open water chasing the shad fry.  This is the best way to chase down fish this time of the year, and the most exciting way to catch them!  The best baits have still been the top shelf hollow minnows, Sammy 65’s, and small clouser minnows and nappy head minnows in clear colors.

Lake Mary near Flagstaff is kicking out some fantastic pike fishing.  Large numbers of fish are being caught on just about everything.  We had two fish pushing 20 pounds this week, which for Arizona, is monster pike.  The fish are chasing perch, so stick with quick moving baits and flys such as buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and bunny streamers in black and chartreuse colors.  This is a great escape from the heat of the summer, and one of the prettiest lakes in the state!

 Good fishing continues at Roosevelt Lake.  These fish are locked down on crawfish.  Look for the best bite to be between 15-30 feet.  Dropshots and jigs are the best bet.

Trout fishing continues to be good in the White Mountains.  The little colorado river is kicking out some great fishing for rainbows and browns on big dry flys.  Other places to check out are Earl Park Lake, Pacheta Lake, and Becker Lakes.

Our summer season is upon us, and the fishing is fantastic!  Lake Pleasant is on fire with the striper boils.  Large schools of fish are being found all over the lake.  The fish are chasing everything from bass fry to shad to baby carp.  This is run and gun fishing, chasing boils, and the adrenaline never stops!  Some schools are staying up for as long as 10 minutes munching bait.  If you have thought of fishing during explosive topwater feeding, this is the time to get out!  The best baits for conventional gear have been little dippers and top shelf swimbaits swam quickly through the schools.  Fly fishermen have been having the best luck with small clousers and nappy heads.  You need to very the colors of the baits based on the forage of each particular school.  For instance, when the fish are feeding on shad, use whites and clear colors.  When the fish are on bass fry, mix in some olives and greens.  When the fish are on baby carp, hints of gold and tans are the ticket.  If you’re heading up to tackle it on your own, touch base with our shop for the latest up to date report on the areas where the fish have been.

Roosevelt Lake has continued to fish well.  The deep structure bite has been hot.  Jigs and worms fished in 20-40 feet are catching a ton of fish.  Look for steep banks and ledges.

Pike fishing in Lake Mary is still on fire.  Conventional gear and fly rods are both smacking pike.  The fish are tight to the surface of the water, so use baits that be retrieved quickly.  Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits are great options, as well as prop baits and frogs.  This is a beautiful escape from the heat of the desert.

Trout fishing is starting to slow a bit with the hotter temps.  There is a small cicada hatch in Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona.  Large dry flies thrown in the deeper pools are catching some nice browns.  Willow springs lake on the rim has also been kicking out some good fishing for rainbows with some smallmouth mixed in.

Fishing has been fantastic throughout Arizona!  As usuall, the hotter the weather the better the fishing, and the fishing is starting to really break loose.  The summer bite should be off the hook!

Temperatures in the desert are already above 100 degrees, and that has our water temps skyrocketing in to the 70’s, and the fish are starting to chase bait and become active. 

The topwater bite at Roosevelt is crazy right now, with lots of numbers of 2-3 pounders.  There are some bigger fish as well coming out, some on topwater, some flippin brush in the rivers.  The bite is pretty wide open, that you probably catch fish on anthing you want to.

Lake Pleasant is coming to the end of spawn, finally.  The bait is starting to show up, and the fish are starting to crash.  We have had some explosive surface action days on stripers and largemouth this week.  This bite is just starting, and what most people are looking for in this heat.  Another week or two and this should be lights out awesome!

Alamo Lake and Lake Havasu have been been fantastic as well.  Alamo has had a solid flip bite and jig bite going for a few weeks now.  Not a lot of size, but good numbers of fish.  Lake Havasu still has fish spawning, mostly largemouth, and the worm bite for postspawners has been great!

Trout fishing is heating up in the high country.  Lake Mary near Flagstaff has been ridiculous.  50-100 fish days are common right now, with fish eating everything from dries to streamers.  There’s not a lot of water left in this lake, so try to make it up in the next 6 weeks before it starts its drying out cycle.

The pike fishing at Upper Lake Mary is heating up as well.  We had some fantastic fishin this week on jerkbaits and swimbaits.  The fish are bunched up chasing perch, and starting to get very aggressive.  Look for this bit to strengthen in the upcoming heat!

It’s hot, I know, but so is the fishing!  Get out, take a swim if you have to, and catch a bunch!!!

I’m sorry for lag in reporting.  Spring break, 80 degree temperatures, and great fishing have had us hopping!  What a time to be in Arizona fishing.  Everything is starting to break loose!

In the Phoenix / Scottsdale Area, Lake Pleasant and Saguaro Lake have been great options.  We are starting to see large numbers of stripers moving in to the traditional pre spawn areas at Lake Pleasant.  On the good days we’re catching fish every cast at times.  Cut bait is the ticket for spin fisherman, and heavy sinking lines with shad pattern flies have been the go-to for fly guys.  Some stripers are starting to show shallow early and late in the day, and are biting well on jerkbaits and clousers.  Because we’re still having fronts come through here and there, the fishing can be a little inconsistant, but the good days are really good!  There is also a new wave of largemouth moving up in the shallows, which should provide us another month or so of good sight fishing.

Just a little outside the Phoenix area, Roosevelt Lake and Alamo Lake have been fishing excellent!  We have had several giant largemouth this week out of Roosevelt flippin heavy cover.  Alamo has been kicking out a ton of fish on swimbaits and flippin.

In the Sedona area, Oak Creek Canyon has opened up and is now finished with runoff.  Fishing has been good, with some decent browns coming out last week, and a good numbers of rainbows.  nymphs are still the ticket for now, but there are signs of hatches starting to come off, so a mix of dry flies and nymphs are the ticket.  Waters high in the canyon seem to be the most productive stretches for now.

Other trout waters: Ice is starting to melt, and more and more waters are opening up throughout the high country.  Most of our lakes and streams are full of water this year, so expect to see some fantastic fishing!

This year is shaping up to be a fantastic spring!  The waters are still on the rise, and the fishing is getting good.

In the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, Lake Pleasant is getting hot.  Largemouth bass are moving in to the shallows to spawn, and the great water visibility makes them very accessable.  Sight fishing with various plastics and flies is the ticket.  This is the only time of the year to sight fish, so get out while you can!  The stripers are starting to heat up as well.  They’re not totally consistant, but big fish count days are becoming more and more common.  We had a couple 100+ fish outings this week.  Most of the fish are in the 40-60 foot range, with cut bait still the best option.  Look for these fish to move up towards the surface to spawn in the next couple weeks.

Roosevelt Lake and Alamo Lake are also great options within a couple hours of town.  The spinnerbait bites and flip bites are off the hook at both places. 

In the Sedona area, Deadhorse Start Park on the Verde River continues to kick out good trout fishing.  Various dries and bead head’s are the ticket for schooling rainbows.  Look for the schools cruising the shorelines.  Lake Pleasant is also a good option not far from Sedona.

This is the time to fish in Arizona warmwater lakes.  If you get a chance, get out!

This is what we all live in Arizona for.  85 degree temps, water temps warming to the 60’s, and fish moving up in force into the shallows!  The spring bite is here!

Lake Pleasant is turning on strong!  White bass and Stripers are starting to stage.  The bite is still inconsistent, but the good days are awesome, with large numbers starting to show.  Cut bait and spoons are the best bets for the deeper fish, and small jerkbaits and clouser minnows are the best bet for the shallow fish.  There continues to be a decent crappie bite in the upper end of the lake on minnows and little crankbaits fished around brush.  The largemouth bass are also starting to stage up in the shallows, and with our water clarity being almost 30 feet in some areas, the site fishing in setting up to be banner this year.  The big females are moving up!  the next few weeks should be excellent!!!  Non-bedding bass are vulnerable to jerkbaits and little swimbaits.  The bedding fish are munching jigs and dropshots.

 Roosevelt Lake continues to kick out great numbers of fish.  Largemouth, Smallmouth, and crappie are all biting well.  Big numbers of bass are in the shallows.  Senkos, spinnerbaits, and bed fishing are all producing.  This lake has been hot for a while, and continues to kick it out!

Alamo Lake slowed a little this week, as the lake came up 4 feet overnight a few days ago, and positioned the bass a little funky.  With our warm weather, expect this lake to get back in action very quickly!

Deadhorse state park is still kicking out some great trout fishing up in the Sedona area.  Big numbers of rainbows are munching dry flies in this warmer weather.  Try small caddis or hare’s ear flies, and look for the schools of trout moving in and out of the shallows.

The urban Carp bite has been fantastic.  If you’ve ever thought of tangling in to a carp on the fly rod, this is the time of year to get out and do it!  We are seeing all the species, the common carp, grass carp, koi, goldfish, buffalo all up in the shallows, and accessible to sight fishing.

It’s spring!  It’s warm!  And the fishing is getting hot!  Get out here and enjoy while the getting is good!