A couple of days fishing in Sunny Arizona.

[Garry2Rs]

On Monday Buck and I went fishing at Mittry Lake just north of Yuma Arizona.

A friend suggested that we try the 2 feet deep flats, at the north end of the lake, with a chartreuse and white spinnerbait.

This produced one small Bass, which Buck held for a picture...grin

 

I tried to take another picture but the batteries were toast.

We decided to take a tour of the reservoir before we quit.

Most of it has been closed since November 15th as a bird sanctuary.

 

Mittry Lake is a series of interconnected canals.

We rode around reacquainting ourselves with the lay out and dropping a line here and there, without success.

On our tour I noticed that we were marking groups of fish, some quite large, at the junctions/intersections of some canals.

These were the deepest spots in a given area. On our way back to the ramp we stopped to fish one of the largest of these "crossroads."

The fish we were marking were at 5 - 8 feet in 10 - 12 feet of water.

I tossed the spinnerbait a few times, but I wanted to try my SPRO Aruku Shad lipless crankbait.

This year most of the big Bass I have hooked have come on this lure. I couldn't very well quit without giving it a couple of casts!

As I rigged up, two boats came around my corner.

They slowed down to pass us, but the wake from two boats close together really churned up the water.

On a hunch I cast into the middle of the waves and hooked a heavy fish.

Buck had stayed in the boat for the small fish, but this was much more of a temptation!

The fish boiled the surface and almost put him into the "red-zone" but luckily I was able to call him off and keep him in the boat.

Pushing my buddy out of the way with my knee, I was able to get between Buck and the rail to lip my catch.

This fish wasn't beat-up, so I don't think the spawn has started.

It was just over 22 inches long and weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces.

That makes it about a quarter pound heavier than another fish I caught two months ago, which was the same length.

Flush with our success of Monday, Buck and I returned to Mittry Lake Wednesday afternoon.

Once again we started in the shallows with a spinnerbait, but we found no takers!

Recalling our prop wash/wake fishing theory from the other day, we motored into a "T" intersection of canals at speed.

We hung a tight "U turn" and started casting. This is the intersection of canals that I was fishing...

This time we were using a BPS lipless crank in bleeding Tennessee Shad.

This bait is Olive over Silver with a few red tear shaped marks near the throat.

I though that it might be a good match for the small sunfish that are the main forage in this lake.

After a couple of casts another boat approached.

He started to slow down, but when we waved him on and he powered up and churned up the corner pretty good.

I was fan casting the center area as his wake spread across in front of us.

The trolling motor on, so the angle was changing on each cast. On about the third cast I got a solid hit.

Buck went on "high alert" but we discussed the desirability of his staying in the boat.

He agreed, and in due course the fish came over the side.

This one was just over 19 inches and had a few marks on it's side...Battle scars?

It weighed 3 pounds 8 ounces.

We stayed another 30 minutes but nothing else happened.

Garry2rs

[waterwolf]

great report , very jealous . must be awesome throwing something horizontally to fish .

 

seems like a lifetime ago for me . congrats on your success.

Edited March 14, 2008 by waterwolf

[trapshooter]

Beauty bass Garry!! Congrats on that pig.

[lunkerbasshunter]

im so jealous you get to bass fish down there. This global warming needs to hurry up and warm the north so we can fish in the winter for bass. lol

 

Nice fish you got into for sure!

 

Cheers!

[Garry2Rs]

Thanks guys.

I got out again yesterday and will make a new post shortly.

Garry2R's

[foggy]

I look forward to your reports Garry2R's. Great stuff

[GbayGiant]

Nice fish Garry, I wish I was there this snow is driving me nuts, the scenery looks amazing with the mountains in the back.

[mattyk]

thanks for sharing.

[scuro]

Arizona, it's all desert...no?

[Joey]

You're such a tease Garry. Great report

 

Joey

[Garry2Rs]

There is a lot of desert around here that's for sure.

But Yuma, where I am, is on the Colorado River.

There's not the variety or the number of different spots to fish, like in Ontario.

But for a Bass fisherman it's better than sharpening hooks for six months.

Did I mention there's no snow?

[setomonkey]

There is a lot of desert around here that's for sure.

But Yuma, where I am, is on the Colorado River.

There's not the variety or the number of different spots to fish, like in Ontario.

But for a Bass fisherman it's better than sharpening hooks for six months.

Did I mention there's no snow?

 

Sounds pretty good to me right now, after the winter we've had up here...

 

Mike

[Tarzan's Jane]

What a handsome fishing buddy you got there....enjoyed your report.

[Spiel]

....You're killing me Garry. 3 1/2 months to go here before I can play topwater games with the local bass population.

 

Nice to see you and Buck are having a ball down there.

[Garry2Rs]

Thanks Chris.

The fishing slowed down from mid Dec. until about mid Feb. We were still getting the odd one, but also got skunked plenty of times.

The local guys claim the fish are in Pre-spawn mode now and that things will improve every week. The spawn here is spread over several months. I was hoping to try "Bed Fishing" before I headed home, but we might be gone before it starts.

On the other hand, there's three feet of snow in my lane and the same amount in front of my door...If you guys don't gets some warmer weather I might be here until May...grin.

Garry2rs