ArizonaFishing

I usually cover a pretty wide stretch. About 8 miles of canal. Thanks to my location. Not really trying to tote a bike around. I prefer to walk, fan pattern, and move on. Plus even if I lock it up by the time i get back to it the bike will undoubtedly be missing parts. Canal is a highway for the homeless and drug addicts.

I fish a section of canal near my house almost every day. The canals here in Phoenix are loaded with all different types of species of fish but I target largemouth 99% of the time. I have been fishing this spot for a couple months now. Since it is a short walk from where I live it is quite easy and convenient. I have found that the fish are becoming harder to catch, most likely from the pressure I put on them. I know the easy thing is to just drive to a new location, but I prefer to walk to this one. My question is, what can I do to increase my chances of catching fish? In the beginning top water baits would kill it. But now not so much. Then I switch to Texas rig. And that killed it. But now not so much again. The biggest problem is is that the canals are filled with shopping carts which will steal anything with and exposed hook without regard. And these carts are home to the larger bass. I can get away with fishing crank baits if I swap out with a lighter hooks size and just bend the hook out of the shopping cart. But it's annoying. Canal is a slow moving current, soft bottoms of silt and much, 3-4 feet deep, 15-20 feet wide. 2- bottom vis. Its 50/50. So, what would you all do to change it up?

There are no craws. It's a seasonal stocked pond. Was dry 3 months ago. I put the bass there.

I caught a bass today with red lips. There are no craws in this body of water. Also water temps are very low right now. Rocky bottom, mid January

Here's the deal. We have had "golden algae" blooms here in arizona past couple winters. I have seen healthy waters completely die off. It's a very sad thing. Upon hearing about the problem I did a LITTLE research to be sure there wasn't something I could be doing to prevent the issue. It seems most researchers agree they don't know where the algae comes from. And can be spread from lake to lake via wet gear, waders, boats etc. It also comes on in winter and is set dormant by warming waters. Heres where my problem is. Here in AZ we use a variaty of fish to clean out waters. To avoid chemicals (Extremely expensive chemicals kill golden algae). A set of ponds in the valley separated by no more than 50ft of land. 1 had the algae( public waterway) the other did not (waterway off limits) i know for a fact that water 1 had the "golden algae" bloom since it was reported on the news as well as government(azgfd) websites. I also know that waterway 2 did not have the same problem. Because I have permission to fish it and it continues to be an EXCELLENT fishery. How can a body of water 50 ft away not get hit, but 20 other lakes and pond in the area can? Especially if birds are continuously traveling between waters.

Any anglers who fish the deserts of Arizona know we have unique conditions as opposed to other regions. Our winters can be in the mid 70s but as low as the 40s. Recent weather conditions have brought a cold front to the Phoenix area. Night time temps in the 30s, with daytime highs is the 50s maybe up to 60. Past few weeks the bite have been sporadic. My question is what would be the best time of day to fish? I feel like once the sun is up high and at its warmest I will have the best results. But so far its truly hit or miss as far as timing. I'd like to take a most systematical approach. Any suggestions?

I actually sent in a request today. I really hope it goes through. This is by far the best rod I've owned. We all know the feeling of knowing how a specific one feels when we fish. I really dont want to get used to fishing with something new. I'll post when I hear from them. Thanks!

I have the ike 7'2" for my spinning rod set up. It recently splintered out at the tip. I absolutely love this rods action. I'm really hoping they warranty it! I'll let you all know what happens.

M - MH and I throw anything from 1/4 to 1oz honestly if I can stay under 150 I'd be happy. Although my girl let's me do pretty much whatever, spending a couple hundred on a rod takes a little convincing. And usually ends with me performing explicit favors for her. I'm also kind of hesitant to using an online site for purchasing one. But the local BP is just way too expensive. Also my local independent shop is 50% more than bass pro. Anyone have luck with warranty? I'm assuming because it's the tip that abu will deny a claim.

So bought an Abu Garcia Ike Iconelli 7'2" spinning rod. After about a year and only 100 bass the tip splintered out on me today. I need suggestions for a replacement. I fish only spinning while bass fishing. And trust me I've heard it all about baitcasters. But my OCD wont let my brain use one. It just wont. I figured spending a bit more for a good rod would last me a long time. But that's not the case. I fish 2-3 days a week 95% for bass. I walk to my spots at PIR near Phoenix if anyone knows the area and always bring 1 rod onl. I power fish. Lots of cranks, topwater, texas rig and jigs of all types etc... I rarely finesse fish. Since I've gotten a pretty good pattern down and dont need. question is, what's a good rod? No more than 200... no more... I use braid 99% of the time and usually only tie leaders if needed. I like something 7' or more. 80% or + back bone. Something that's just super versatile. Thanks for the input!

Down by PIR

My local fishing hole flooded from a few storms we've had. It has been this way for at least a month now. Evey year the pond shrinks and divides itself into 5 or 6 smaller ponds. Now that it has rained, it is one big pond. Snaking about. All ponds are connected. Either through a wide ditch, or spill over the bank. My question is, what are the best spots to locate bass? And what are good bait choices? The new ponds that were previously dry? The ditches? Shallow water? Deep water? The temps are high mid to upper 60s, lows mid 40s. I'm not sure the water temp. Thanks!

All great information. Thank you. Since the fish seem to be not dead at this point, I'm going to catch and weigh the fish I can. I found a scale that tells me basically what the fish should weigh at a certain length. I have a second pond that has 0 fish in it atm. I'm may try transfering bream and see if I can get the populations up in there. If I can sustain a healthy bream pop, I may transfer some of the smaller bass and other species. caught last night. Caught on line and tackle. This fish should have been well over 3lbs. But she only weighed 2.1. As soon as I figure out how to upload images I'll post it up

There are few bait fish in the pond. About 5 weeks ago I saw a large school of 1 inch fish swimming terrified near the shore. They have since vanished. I can see a few little bream from time to time jumping out of the water trying to escape a hungry bass. So I'm wondering if something could be keeping them from getting fat? I have not seen any dead fish since I got the pond. No birds really. Only a few here and there. The pond about a mile away has an otter. Fishing there has just died out completely.

I have a pond I recently inherited. It is the size of a football field. Has a rocky bottom, lots of twists and turns, a few old trees hanging in the middle. As well as bushes with no leaves all around the pond interior. Water is fairly clear. I fished the pond. Caught a lot of bass. I noticed two things... one, the smaller bass <1# look healthy, maybe a little skinny. 2, the larger bass >2# have a skinny belly and big head. I caught a 4lber that had the head of a 8# fish. My question is, how do I make my larger LMB fatter? The pond can not be reached by auto or 4wheeler.