Fishing Report

STAFF REPORT ~8/3/2011

This is a scaled down, North Valley focused, version of the weekly fishing report produced by Arizona Game and Fish. To view the complete listing go to http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/FishingReport/J26-Fishing-Report.shtml

LAKE PLEASANT - Lake elevation 1,671 feet (66 percent full). Fishing is very good for striped bass at night using frozen anchovies as bait, but there is also a sporadic daytime topwater bite for both striped bass and largemouth bass. Most of the action is in the main-lake basin, especially where there are extended lake points. Islands, reefs and submerged humps in the lake can also produce.
A couple of morning anglers kept 32 stripers. Fishing was pretty good around sunrise then quickly faded as the sun climbed higher in the sky. The best lures were gunfish and white Rapalas. The better fishing spots were by the buoys in the Aqua Fria and later in the day by the 1,702 sign outside the Aqua Fria. The mouths the northern coves were productive as well. They also caught one largemouth on a Skinny Dipper.
Another angler also enjoyed the morning bite using topwater, jerkbaits and cranks. Spoons were also working for him as well. Largemouth bass were real active at the surface.
Two nighttime striper fishermen kept about 65 stripers and two channel cats. Another 30 stripers and three cats were on the small side so they were released. The largest striper was 22 inches long. Nighttime fishermen usually use anchovies although the bait choice was not mentioned.
One angler started at 5 a.m. and stayed a couple hours. He threw topwater Ricos in the mouths of the northern coves and out towards the main lake. He caught 12 stripers and most were pretty small around 1 to 1.5 pounds. He caught five largemouth bass with the largest about 3 pounds.

BARTLETT - Lake elevation is 1,759 feet, which is 51 percent full. Reservoir release is 150 cfs. This can be a summer hot spot for bass, catfish and crappie at times.
The small bass are plentiful and real hungry at Bartlett. They like to hang over rocky substrate next to steep drop offs. Topwater works well as does dropshot and jigs. Bass are chasing shad in the coves and around the points.

During the daytime, try fishing the rock stringers, reefs, islands and major points in the lake using crankbaits, topwater lures, drop shots, and/or jigs.

This is the time of year when bass can be actively chasing shad at the surface. This daytime topwater bite can be sporadic in July, but will continue increasing in frequency and intensity throughout August. By September, the topwater action here can be stupendous. The more you fish Bartlett, the better you can dial in this action as the season progresses.
SAGUARO - Lake elevation 1,524 feet at 92 percent full. This is a good time to go for a mixed bag of bass, catfish and bluegill. Saguaro also has plentiful yellow bass. The best fishing will be at night -- the lake can be crowded with recreational boaters during the daytime, especially on weekends.

A father/son duo caught about 25 bluegills before the sun went down. Using the bluegill they caught 4 largemouth bass on split shots in 20 to 30 feet of water. They found a cove and started catching large yellow bass on cut bluegill and three channel cats in the 2- to 5-pound range. In all they caught four largemouth, about 35 yellow bass (kept 15 of them), and three channel cats. It seemed as though flatheads got the better of these anglers; they could never keep them on the hook (for long). They got off the water about 3:30 a.m.

Note - If you happen to reel in a lunker, there is a certified scale at the marina to get an official weight and still release your catch. Two witnesses are needed for the weight to be official.
APACHE - Lake elevation is 1,910 feet (97 percent full). This is a great time to fish this scenic lake along the Salt River. The smallmouth bass are still on the comeback trail, but largemouth bass and yellow bass are plentiful.
A couple anglers had real good luck catching smallmouth bass on jerkbaits and jigs. When the sun went down the bite died for these guys. Although they did catch 4 more fish from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. In total they caught about 35 bass; most were smallmouth. They fished the reefs and points.
CANYON - Lake elevation is 1,657 ft, which is 95 percent full. This is a good time to fish at night for lunker largemouth bass, but don't expect high catch rates.
A shore angler and his girls fished a few hours and caught three 1.5 pound bass and a couple catfish using cranks. His kids caught too many bluegill to count and a couple yellow bass using worms under a slip bobber.
Catch any whoppers lately? Email photos of your recent catch to ffeditiorial@hotmail.com with the name of the angler, the time, date, the name of the lake, where you are from, the kind of fish caught and weight and length if you know it along with the kind of bait/lure used to make the catch and you could see it on the newspaper’s Facebook page (facebook.com/TheFoothills.Focus).