01-13-2003, 01:05 AM
[cool] First, just remember that fishing is always good...even if the catching ain't. Those two puppy norhterns had to be a darn sight better than numbing your mind watching weekend drivel on TV.
We do get some hard water on our higher altitude lakes in Arizona, but they are at least a three hour drive, and the ice is often iffy at best. Most of our winter fishing is for winter pattern largemouths, smallmouths, walleyes and crappies. We also have both yellow bass and their larger cousins the white bass in different lakes around the Phoenix area.
Depending on a variety of factors, the bass can be anywhere from right on shore to sixty feet deep. In the lakes where they plant hatchery pets (trout) in the cold weather months, big largemouth move in to intercept any that try to make a break for the open water. Skilled swimbait fishermen hang some of their biggest fish of the year...up to 12 - 14 pounds. Other Arizona anglers are spooning deep water structure or drop shotting right now. some find occasional spinner bait bites along steep banks.
We have a couple of lakes in the Salt River chain that have both smallmouths and walleyes. The walleyes are all stocked, since the water never gets cold enough to trigger a natural spawn. Both species are sometimes more active in the cooler waters of winter than the largies.
Crappies usually stratify at middepth, over deeper water this time of year. Those who know crappies well, and how to use a good sonar system, can sometimes score well on the suspended fish with vertical presentations.
Both white bass and yellow bass feed on threadfin shad, and will usually be found near concentrations of this food source. This time of year, that might be very deep. About the end of February, most years, these cousins of the striped bass move closer to shore for the annual spawning ritual. Find a school at that time and it is more difficult to find something they won't hit than something they will.
No ice fishing here right now, but a good time to tinker with tackle and plan the spring assault. But, by next weekend, I plan to have my new license and my lake permits...just in cast the 75 degree temps forecast for this week set off a case of "fishing pox" that I need to doctor on the water.
Hey, AZBassMan. Have you been out?
[signature]
We do get some hard water on our higher altitude lakes in Arizona, but they are at least a three hour drive, and the ice is often iffy at best. Most of our winter fishing is for winter pattern largemouths, smallmouths, walleyes and crappies. We also have both yellow bass and their larger cousins the white bass in different lakes around the Phoenix area.
Depending on a variety of factors, the bass can be anywhere from right on shore to sixty feet deep. In the lakes where they plant hatchery pets (trout) in the cold weather months, big largemouth move in to intercept any that try to make a break for the open water. Skilled swimbait fishermen hang some of their biggest fish of the year...up to 12 - 14 pounds. Other Arizona anglers are spooning deep water structure or drop shotting right now. some find occasional spinner bait bites along steep banks.
We have a couple of lakes in the Salt River chain that have both smallmouths and walleyes. The walleyes are all stocked, since the water never gets cold enough to trigger a natural spawn. Both species are sometimes more active in the cooler waters of winter than the largies.
Crappies usually stratify at middepth, over deeper water this time of year. Those who know crappies well, and how to use a good sonar system, can sometimes score well on the suspended fish with vertical presentations.
Both white bass and yellow bass feed on threadfin shad, and will usually be found near concentrations of this food source. This time of year, that might be very deep. About the end of February, most years, these cousins of the striped bass move closer to shore for the annual spawning ritual. Find a school at that time and it is more difficult to find something they won't hit than something they will.
No ice fishing here right now, but a good time to tinker with tackle and plan the spring assault. But, by next weekend, I plan to have my new license and my lake permits...just in cast the 75 degree temps forecast for this week set off a case of "fishing pox" that I need to doctor on the water.
Hey, AZBassMan. Have you been out?
[signature]