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.