Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 45

i E6 The Arizona Republic Wednesday, June 8, 1994 of iTnnnp Calendar BASKETBALL GIRLS BASKETBALL CAMPS: Monday-June 17. Girls grades 5-12. Call 423-6608. s. YBAA OPEN TOURNAMENT: June, 15-July 13, in Ahwatukee area.

Ages. 14 and under. Call BEN HOWLANDS NAU BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP: Begins Monday-June 17. Ages 6-10 9 a.m to noon and ages 11-15 at 1-4 p.m. Call Mike Adras at (602) 523-5353.

Want to know about a secret spot that's loaded with rainbow trout? Read this. DUALATHON FHP HEALTHCARE STATE OF ARIZONA DUATHLON: Sunday June 19 at Pinnacle Peak 6 a.m. 5K Run, 18-Mile Bike, and 5K Family Fun Run. Registration begins at 5 a.m. For more information, call Dave Berman at 998-8877.

OUTDOORS -v i K4t v.v.. i. j'V, si tin. SUMMER OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SERIES: Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. Birds of Prey Raptor, At Kiwanis Community Park, Call 350-5211.

RUNNING i 1 v. An it, i ABCO FOODSKNIX SUMMER SERIES: Saturday, 5K Run, 5K Racewalk, 5K Fitness Walk, 6:30 a.m. at Kiwanis Park. Registration begins at 5:30 a.m. Call 998-8877.

GRAND CANYON STATE GAMES TORCH RUN: June 18, at Papago Park at 6:30 a.m. 5K Run, 5K Walk. Registration begins at 5:30 a.m. Call 998-8877. vj, iff Fishihg Report Barry BurkhartThe Arizona Republic Matt Burkhart, wading into Sponseller Lake despite the leeches, shows why it's worthwhile by displaying this string of 17-inch rainbow trout.

DESERT LAKES Alamo: Top-water bite taking over. Ricos, Rebels and Sizzel Sticks all producing good catches. Early and late best. Also good spinnerbait bite on main lake on secondary brush line. White by far the best.

(Remember; Bass between 13-16 inches must be returned to water immediately.) Apache: Top-water baits and jerkbaits producing on rocky points. Big Reapers also working well on Carolina rigs. Weenie Worms also good. Bartlett: The story here is catfish. Fishing good in upper end of lake.

Night bite best for bass. Westy Worms the way to go off points. Mostly small fish. Canyoru Mepps spinners working well for walleye in mouth of river. Some big bass taken off walls on Westy Worms.

Horseshoe: Half empty and dropping. Live minnows catching catfish, crap-pie and bass. Pleasant: Bass (both black and white) fishing still great on top water. Ricos, Sizzel Sticks and Zara Puppies all great. But don't forget Power Worms in eight to 10 feet of water.

Try lower lake on old road beds. Roosevelt: The night bass bite has turned on. Westy Worms, the summer staple, are doing well, mostly on rocky banks. (Remember: Bass between 13-16 inches must be returned to the water immediately). Saguaro: No reports.

San Carlos: Excellent for big fish. Spinnerbaits and Ricos on outside points awesome. Shad-pattern Salt Craws also working well. The lake continues to fall, so don't count on brush. ujwiji p.i.n mww IMW'lW' INETOP-LAKESIDE This looks like anything but a dream trout lake.

Sponseller Lake is more like a swamp. It isn't the open, im mum Outdoor Editor COLORADO RIVER settled to the lower part of the legs, making him look like Popeye. I laughed so hard tearS came to my eyes. He also brought tears to my eyes by burying me fishing. Thomas and I had limited luck on flies.

Actually, I had no luck. Thomas landed one on a leech pattern and lost several others. Matt and Dodd, using bright Z-Ray and Kastmaster spoons, massacred trout, all big ones. I changed to spinning gear, and landed one. All the fish were taken in the deep water at the island.

We got back to shore about dark, just in time to see Wildlife Manager Mike Godwin ticket a py for driving into the habitat area to launch a boat. That should cost about 140. We hit the lake again Sunday about 6:30 a.m. Matt was a little goosey after he found a leech on his waders. He tucked in all his clothes so one wouldn't get inside.

Of course, we told him that if a leech latched on to him, it would die of blood poisoning. The rest of the guys headed for the island. I drifted into a large open spot near the shore and began casting a passionate pink Z-Wobbler with black dots. Through polarized glasses, I could see the trout making a wake to hit the lure. One even came out of the water and tried to jump on top of it.

I never have seen trout that aggressive. I caught trout on four consecutive casts at one point. Those four, plus the one the day before, left me one short of my possession limit. So I messed around for a while, then broke off one big trout before filling out my limit. Thomas was having trouble with flies.

My theory is that the fish were so glutted with leeches and snails that those patterns weren't particularly attractive. But give them a lure with bright colors, and they thought it was ice cream. He later switched to a weird fly called a Yuk Bug and began to hook a lot of fish. But even with a 5-pound leader, he landed only one fish. Everything else broke off.

That wasn't hard to do when the trout ran sideways through all those weeds. That is the best trout fishing I ever experienced when size is considered. Unfortunately, it won't last long. Just last weekend, fishing slowed as pH levels rose. That's why we brought home trout.

Most probably will die unless heavy monsoon rains come soon. I hate to see a small lake glutted with anglers, but there's no use wasting these fish. Besides, this isn't a pristine lake. It's on public land and stocked with the public's fish. There are no secrets here.

It's just a wonderful place. At Lakeside, turn east on Porter Mountain Road toward Scott Reservoir. Continue on the blacktop. When the blacktop ends, continue on the road for 5.7 miles. At that point, the road turns right, but take a two-track dirt road to the left.

It's rough but is only one-half mile long. Park by the gate and walk on down. Good luck, and don't eat the leeches. inviting, deep lake one associates with the White Mountains. Instead, it is about 30 acres of water weeds with a few open spots.

It averages about 3 feet deep, although there is a spot near its only island where the water is about 17 feet deep. Launching a boat is tough enough since you must carry it about 200 yards from a fence line above. The lake is inaccessible by road since it is part of a designated habitat area. Any type of boat motor would be useless. Water weeds are so thick that a motor would become mired almost immediately.

The lake is shrinking quickly and the pH level is rising. That means fishing won't be good for long. In fact, it's falling off now. But in the past few weeks, this lake has been awesome. Here's why: Sponseller was stocked with 5,000 8-inch rainbow trout a little more than a year ago.

Normally, the lake wouldn't have been stocked. It primarily is a waterfowl marsh. But because of heavy rains and snowfall is was full and prime. The lake (OK, marsh) has large populations of snails and leeches. Don't worry.

They aren't those big, wretched African leeches, just little guys about an inch long. (OK, so they still give me the creeps, too.) The snails and leeches have provided the rainbows with immense quantities of food. By this spring, the trout had grown tremendously. They range in length from 17 to 21 inches, depending on their actual size when they were stocked. That puts these trout at anywhere between 2 and almost 4 pounds.

All of them. There are no small trout. These trout are footballs, taking on the belly size reminiscent of the good old days at Lees Ferry on the Colorado River. We fished the lake on Memorial Day weekend. Never were there more than nine anglers on it at once.

Yeah, this is a secret lake. (But it won't be anymore.) Ron Thomas, Phoenix hairstylist and avid flyfisher, my son Matt and I attacked the lake on a Saturday afternoon. We were joined by Norris Dodd of Pinetop. Thomas and I had float tubes, neoprene waders and fins. It even was difficult for us to get around because of the thick weeds.

Both of us were flyfishing. Dodd, carrying his small daughter on his back, had only waders. It was tough going, but he made it to the island and deep water. Matt had no equipment. I lent him spinning equipment, lures and leaky waders.

Thomas had an extra tube but no fins. Matt soon discovered he was better off wading, leeches or no leeches. He filled the waders immediately, and when he walked out on the island, the water f-J Map I I 1 Phoenix 2 1 k-T Sponseller Lake Show 2f I Low KpScon APACHE L-t COUNTY Rainbow Lakr Pinetop-Ukeside NAVAJO -1 COUNTY 5 miles I 6 km Havasu: Striper fishing excellent on anchovies and Spots. Largemouth hitting in coves with water weeds. Lees Ferry: Trout fishing good on scuds.

Mead: Good fishing for largemouth on jerkbaits and top-water. Go to inside brushy points. Also try shelves with Westy Worms. Small stripers easy to catch in Overton Arm. Mohave: Stripers fair at Stop Sign, Telephone and Cabinsite coves, even from shoreline.

Powell: Smallmouth fishing still good in rocky areas in the backs of coves. Some walleye also hitting. Striped-bass spawn is over and fish are scattered. Look for them to run in schools now. Upper end of lake murky.

Gus WalkerAThe Arizona Republic TROUT STOCKING The following waters are scheduled to be stocked next week with catchable-size rainbow trout: Ashurst, Beaver Creek, East and West forks of the Black River, Christopher Creek, City Reservoir, Coconino, Dogtown, East Clear Reservoir, East Verde, Fool's Hollow, Haigler Creek, Little Colorado River (Greer and Sheep's Crossing), Mormon Lake Pond, Oak Creek, River Reservoir, Rose Canyon, Santa Fe, Show Low, Tonto Creek, West Clear, Willow Springs, Woodland, Woods Canyon. MOUNTAIN WATERS Here's a list of good or better lakes: Dogtown, Kinnikinick, Chevelon Canyon, Becker, Fool's Hollow, Greer lakes, Hulsey, Luna, Rainbow, Scott Reservoir, Sheep Crossing, Show Low, Woodland, Sunrise, Christmas Tree. and, net fishing extended at Picacho Reservoir Outdoor Notes SALTWATER By Barry Burkhart Arizona Republic Outdoors Editor This promises to be a dry summer, and already anglers have been able to ignore normal fishing regulations to take fish that will die in drying-up lakes. The harvest already is going full swing in Lower Lake Mary near Flagstaff. Now anglers can do the same at Picacho Reservoir near Casa Grande.

Beginning Monday, bag and possession limits will be removed from the lake. Licensed anglers will be allowed to remove fish by hand, with nets, with spears and pitchforks. Anything but instruments that discharge projectiles. This lasts through July 31. This lake is fed by water from San Carlos Lake on the San Carlos Indian Reservation.

The 50-acre impound- set at Lake Pleasant. The record, which will be broken frequently, is 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Bryon Sanders of Scottsdale set it. Because of Central Arizona Project water brought from the Colorado River to Lake Pleasant, the lake will continue to be stocked with striped bass. Because of the great forage base in the lake, the stripers will grow quickly.

I'll start getting excited when a 42-incher is caught. It will happen. Short shot REI, an outdoor cooperative at 1405 W. Southern Ave. in Tempe, is offering a free seminar on Arizona's great dream, the Arizona Trail, at 7 tonight.

Everything's free. Game and Fish also spends large sums of money to haul water to these catchments when precipitation is scarce. Now let's turn urban. Last weekend Game and Fish, through Heritage Fund money, dedicated a wildlife water catchment in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve near 7th Street and Thunderbird Road. It is designed to provide year-round water to wildlife in the preserve.

Small shrubs also have been planted to provide additional food and cover for urban wildlife in the area. At the same time a 60-car parking lot, also from Heritage was dedicated, which will allow people to hike through the preserve, especially to the Shaw Butte loop. More clinics We are in the midst of National Fishing Week, and we must add a couple of events to those we touted last week. Lynx Lake near Prescott will be the site of a free clinic Saturday. About 6,000 extra rainbow trout will be stocked for the event.

Youth are asked to participate from 1:30 a.m. Another such fishing derby for kids will be held Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Upper Lake Mary at the Narrows Day Use Area. Besides the derby, there will be a raffle and free food. Teach the children, save the sport.

Another record This isn't big deal yet, but another striped-bass record has been ment is drying up fast because of a lack of precipitation and will dry up before summer ends. Largemouth bass, channel and flathtad catfish are involved as well as bullheads, carp, crayfish and many sunfish. Water for wildlife The Arizona Game and Fish Department, along with various volunteer groups, helps build water catchments all over the state for wildlife. The Arizona Bighorn Sheep Society is particularly active in helping to build these catchments, which can sustain wildlife during dry months. At San Diego, local kelp producing good numbers of calico bass, barracuda and bonito.

Some yellowtail being taken off LaJolla and Coronado Islands. At Rocky Point, Mexico, a 94-pound grouper, a 35-pound pinto, a 25-pound halibut and a 227-pound black sea bass all weighed in at the Cholla Bay Sportsman's Club Derby. Last leg of derby is Friday and Saturday. At Cabo San Lucas, best marlin fishing in past three months. Lots of pargo.

Some' tuna and dorado taken. A 186-pound' swordfish was highlight of week. At East Cape, 81 -degree water arrived. With it came sailfish and blue marlin. Fishing is also wide open for striped marlin.

For information, call 968-3868..