Fishing Report – August 6
You can read the full report online every week HERE.
Back on subject; the big trout from Hawley also highlights another tip – the higher elevation lakes, especially the larger ones, will likely be the best producers right now. Big Lake on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and Hawley or Reservation lakes on the White Mountain Apache Reservation are probably the top three contenders. By the way, an angler wrote that the store and boat rentals at Reservation Lake are closed. So get a tribal fishing permit etc. before going there (try the Hondah Resort near Pinetop).
Woods Canyon, Willow Springs, Bear Canyon and Knoll lakes along the Mogollon Rim are all worth a refreshing visit to rediscover hungry trout jumping after flying insects while soft mountain breezes push puffball clouds across the sky.
Fishing is best at first and last light, or right before afternoon rain showers. However, if there is lightning, don’t be caught near or on the water with a fishing pole in your hand.
Trout fishing high country lakes at night is also terrific. The moon is in the first quarter right now, making this a pretty good time to see shooting stars as well during the Perseid meteor shower. Also, while out camping the past two weeks, we saw satellites crossing the heavens on just about every night while sitting around a campfire (after we let it go to hot coals).
By the way, congratulations to Royal Norman, the weather guy at Channel 3, who just caught-and-released his first golden beauty – an Apache trout – ever while fishing the Little Colorado in Greer along with his family.
Speaking about weather, according to NASA Space Weather, the annual Perseid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday morning when forecasters expect 50 to 100 meteors per hour. Get away from city lights if you can; plan a camping or fishing trip! The darker the sky, the more meteors you will see.
On the warmwater lakes, it’s tough to beat Lake Pleasant right now. Some anglers are encountering boils – bass (stripers, whites and black bass) actively chasing shad at the surface – at most hours of the day. Sometimes these boils are out in open water that is 50 to 100 feet deep. Take along binoculars to spot the boils. Also watch for bird activity, especially gulls or herons actively feeding on shad at the surface. The night bite is pretty good using anchovies for stripers and catfish.
Mead, Powell and Havasu are also good choices for angling fun chasing surface boils. This is not your typical sit-back-and-relax fishing, it’s intense and exciting. Be sure to have new line on your reels. It sounds like the main lake at Powell might be a little slow, but anglers near Hite (where the Colorado enters the lake) or those fishing in the San Juan Arm are catching 50 to 100 stripers per day on topwater lures. It’s worth the extra travel time for this world-class angling action.
This is also time for three other critters: frogs, bluegill and dragonflies. Bass forage on all three. Topwater frogs can be a hoot. I especially like Arivaca Lake in southern Arizona, but any lake will do. Try throwing the frog on shore and then working it into the water with sporadic movements. When a bass explodes on a frog, it’s pretty dramatic. For bluegill, try some of the swim baits. They might just get you that hawg wall hanger. Fly anglers especially will want to imitate dragonflies. Sometimes the bass will jump out of the water to gobble the flies in mid air, even on your back cast.
This might also be a good weekend for night crappie fishing under lights at Alamo, Roosevelt or Bartlett. Small jigs and live minnows should work well. If you don’t catch anything in an hour or so, move. As I mentioned before, keep a watch on the night sky for meteors.
It sounds like the cicada bite is continuing at Lees Ferry in northern Arizona. Plus, spin anglers are cleaning up using Marabou-style jigs and the like. With gas prices in the somewhat reasonable range again, this is an excellent time to visit the Ferry.
