Arizona
Nov 15, 2019 20:11:54 #
Arizona Tom
Loc: Cottonwood,. Az
Could someone describe or show me what a wooly bugger. Looks like? Good for trout fishing? Thanks, Tom
Nov 15, 2019 21:19:15 #
Nov 15, 2019 21:20:34 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
They come in many colors, shapes and sizes. The one above is the one I use.
Nov 15, 2019 21:25:15 #
Arizona Tom
Loc: Cottonwood,. Az
Charlie,. Thanks so much for your reply and picture. I'll be trying them at Ashurst Lake and Kaibab Lake here in Arizona.
Nov 15, 2019 23:09:42 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
I love Ashurst! Fished it often in my younger years. Kaibab a few times also. Ashurst has great ice fishing, too. If you spin fish, don’t hesitate to throw #1 Willow Leaf Mepp’s in silver or gold on light line. I prefer 2lb test. You can also troll with them if you have a boat.
I love AZ.
I love AZ.
Nov 16, 2019 23:10:49 #
Arizona Tom
Loc: Cottonwood,. Az
Hi Charlie,. What part of the state do you live in? I'm in Cottonwood,. I fished Ashurst Lake a while back but only caught a couple of trout. Wind blewe off. The water, had a hard time getting the boat on the trailer. Never tried ice fishing, have you?
Nov 17, 2019 18:36:07 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
I live in Texas near Austin. I miss Arizona. We used to troll Ashurst with Willow Leaf Mepp’s (#1 in Gold or Silver) Using 2lb line. Always did well. In the winter they shut the maintenance down so you had to 4-Wheel it in and sled your gear out on the ice. We hauled a small flasher depth finder and battery. Fished with fireballs and corn. Didn’t have all these fancy trout baits back then. Drop your bait down and watch the flasher. Any blip would be a trout. You bring your bait to that depth and bingo.
Trout were the only fish in Ashurst back then. May be different now.
We also ice fished Lake Mary for Pike using waterdogs and tip-ups. We did well but never kept them. They seemed to always hit just before dark.
Trout were the only fish in Ashurst back then. May be different now.
We also ice fished Lake Mary for Pike using waterdogs and tip-ups. We did well but never kept them. They seemed to always hit just before dark.
Nov 19, 2019 03:57:36 #
Haven't had the chance to get up that way yet, but looking forward to it ! Fished Upper Lake Mary
some years ago; didn't have much luck, but two of my friends got a couple of trout each out of Lower Lake Mary ! Ashurst is a designated trout lake, and some really nice 'bows' and browns were taken there this year; that said, it also holds channel 'cats', and the state record northern pike (32 lbs. 5.6 oz.) was caught here back in
2004 ! There are 'bows', browns, brookies, channel 'cats', pike and bluegills ! Friends lived in Cottonwood but are no longer there, but I'm down in Mesa which is nearly 3 hours away, so getting there to fish tends to be more than just a day trip ! Hope this hel p s !
some years ago; didn't have much luck, but two of my friends got a couple of trout each out of Lower Lake Mary ! Ashurst is a designated trout lake, and some really nice 'bows' and browns were taken there this year; that said, it also holds channel 'cats', and the state record northern pike (32 lbs. 5.6 oz.) was caught here back in
2004 ! There are 'bows', browns, brookies, channel 'cats', pike and bluegills ! Friends lived in Cottonwood but are no longer there, but I'm down in Mesa which is nearly 3 hours away, so getting there to fish tends to be more than just a day trip ! Hope this hel p s !
Nov 19, 2019 08:59:40 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
While visiting my folks in Phoenix many years ago, my Dad, brother and I drove up to Ashurst to ice fish for trout. We enjoyed it so much we did the same for the next 7 days, driving round trip every day.
Gotta love it.
Gotta love it.
Nov 19, 2019 09:02:12 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
..... and by the way, how did all those junk fish get in there. Pike?
Gads! Trout slurpers!
Gads! Trout slurpers!
Nov 19, 2019 14:26:13 #
Don't know ! That lake already had pike when I first came out here in 1993 ! Was here for 10 years, went back east for family concerns in '03, then returned here in 2012, almost as soon as I retired ! From what I heard, they were tossed in there illegally, probably from Upper Lake Mary or Long Lake ! That far back, they also could have come from Stoneman Lake which had some decent pike before the drought turned it into a mudhole !
I know they scarf down a lot of smaller trout, but there have still been some really decent rainbows and browns caught there this
year ! There are also channel cats in there, so maybe the pike prefer to feed on them !
I know they scarf down a lot of smaller trout, but there have still been some really decent rainbows and browns caught there this
year ! There are also channel cats in there, so maybe the pike prefer to feed on them !
Nov 19, 2019 18:15:29 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
Stone man is (was) supposed to have nice sized yellow perch. I never could figure them out.
Nov 19, 2019 18:49:44 #
You're right about the yellow perch; before the drought, Stoneman held some decent-
sized pike, and the Arizona
state record perch (1 lb.10 oz./ 13.5 in.) came from there !
sized pike, and the Arizona
state record perch (1 lb.10 oz./ 13.5 in.) came from there !
Nov 19, 2019 19:42:28 #
Charlie H
Loc: Greer, Arizona
Wow! Nice!
Supposed to be excellent table fare.
I have yet to taste one.
Supposed to be excellent table fare.
I have yet to taste one.
Nov 19, 2019 20:57:09 #
Seriously !?! Don't know/never met many fishermen who haven't had perch growing up ! Along with several species of sunfish and bullheads (which we called horned pout back east), perch was among the first freshwater fish I ever caught/tasted ! Liked them, but had to be careful of some of the smaller bones ! Surprised you've never had any since we do have them in Arizona; apparently, you'd have to go further north from Austin in Texas or east to Louisiana to catch them, but you do have some there, also ! Maybe you'll get a chance to try them yet ! Since you have Culver's restaurants in Austin, you could try their close cousin, the walleye; I'm told the taste is very similar, although many people think walleye are better ! According to the local Culver's here, they supposedly serve walleye during Lent (Ash Wednesday to Easter); you may want to check with your local branches if you're interested in going that route ! Good luck !
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