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!

Ok, get ready.  The desert elevations are ready to pop!  We’ve had a warm week of weather, and we have 80’s forecasted for the next week, the fishing is about to catch fire!

Roosevelt Lake has been hot!  Great bass fishing on spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and jigs.  The rivers have been solid around brush, and the main lake is starting to put out some smallmouth as well as largemouth. 

Alamo Lake has also been hot!  Spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and jigs are also the name of the game here.  Fish are staging around brush piles, and are fat and healthy.  Look for this lake to get better and better with this warm weather.

Lake Pleasant has been hit and miss with the clear water.  The water has been struggling to get up in the upper 50’s for temperature, but that is changing quickly.  The last couple of days we’ve had largemouth boils in the afternoons and great crappie action in the creek channels.  There have also been some giant bass coming out this week as they stage for spawn.  Look for this lake to blow wide open this week!

Oak Creek Canyon is still blown out from run-off, but Deadhorse State Park has been fishing really well.  Lots of rainbows in the 12-14″ range.  Small beadhead nymphs and some small dries are the way to go.  We’ve been staying in the ponds to avoid the river runoff.

The highcountry is still covered in snow.  Over 100″ base still exists around most of the upper trout waters.  This will delay the opening of the season, but man is it going to be good when it’s ready to go.

Our good weather finally came to an end.  Good bye 80’s, hello rain and snow!  So this is how the rest of the world lives in the winter!  Ugh!

Fishing was just about breaking loose before this front.  We’ll see the affects in the next few days.  It’s always hard to judge conditions this time of year after a major front.  It’s supposed to rain for a few days in the desert, and snow quite a bit up north.

On the positive side, Alamo Lake has been fishing excellent!  Swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs are all working well.  Fishing the north end and through slop piles is producing the most fish.  This is usually the first lake to get going, and then the rest follow quickly.

San Carlos is also a bright spot right now for crappie fishing.  Lots of crappie are starting to show in 15-25 feet of water on minnows and jigs.  This bite is also just beginning!

Lake Pleasant, Bartlett Lake, and Saguaro Lake have been tough.  We just need the weather to stabalize, and everything will be ok.

Trout fishing is pretty much done for the season.  There is still some good fishing on the Verde River and at Deadhorse State Park, but everything else is snowed in and runoff is starting.

Look for the next few weeks to be the turning point for our prime bass and striper fishing!

Well, the weather continues to be fantastic.  Almost 80 degrees on the desert lakes today.  What a beautiful winter we are having!!!

Bass fishing remains up and down.  Lake Pleasant and Roosevelt Lakes have been the best fishing.  Lake Pleasant is spotty, but chances of stumbling in to boils of largemouth and stripers are still there.  Small swimbaits and crankbaits are the best bet.  Roosevelt Lake has been good for deep structure fishing.  The numbers are up at this lake, and baits like jigs and carolina rigs are catching good fish.  On all of our lakes, look for the next couple weeks to bring on the great spring bite!

Trout fishing has been ok in Oak Creek Canyon.  There is still a decent bite for rainbows on nymphs and streamers.  The Verde River and Deadhorse State Park have been great for rainbows on dries and nymphs.  Look for this bite to continue through the spring.

We just can’t beat this weather.  Sunny and 74 degrees in the desert, this is why we fish in Arizona!

The bass and striper bite has been tough overall, with glimpses of greatness here and there.  The bait is still in the shallows, and on the right days fish are still found blowing up the bait balls.  Whites and Largemouth and the main stay at the moment, with some stripers mixed in.  Shallow techniques, such as crankbaits, jerkbaits, and flukes are the most effective.  Fly anglers are doing best with 200 grain sinking lines and nappy head shads, and DHM’s.  The water at Lake Pleasant is very clear, and on the rise.  Roosevelt is pretty clear and on the rise.  The outlook for this spring is very exciting.  Great fishing will be a sure thing!

 The trout stuff is slowing down with the snow in the high country.  Good snows mean slower fishing now, but great fishing to come.  There is still  a decent fish on Oak Creek Canyon for rainbows, where we’re sight fishing in slow current with nymphs and midges.

If you’re needing to soak up some rays, get out here while the weather is beautiful!  The fish will be biting shortly!!!