Commission Considering Fishing Regulation Changes
(Surprise Lake Could Be Added To Urban Program)

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is considering a variety of fishing regulation changes for 2003, including adding Surprise Lake in the Town of Surprise to the Urban Fishing Program.

The Game and Fish Commission is meeting Oct. 18 and 19 in Phoenix at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 2 on 19th Avenue south of Thunderbird Road. The fishing regulation changes are slated for the Saturday morning portion of the two-day meeting.

Surprise Lake is a five-acre fishery that was recently filled. It is part of the new Surprise Recreation Campus that also includes a new library, swimming center, and spring training baseball stadium and practice fields. Fishing at the lake is expected to open to the public around February or March of next year. “We have worked cooperatively with the City of Surprise on the lake design and the installation of fish habitat features,” said Urban Fisheries Program Manager Eric Swanson.

As part of the urban fishing program, Surprise Lake would receive up to 22 fish stockings per year and provide quality, convenient fishing opportunities for urban residents to catch trout, catfish, sunfish and bass. “Due to the high, unmet angling demand by residents in the northwest valley that want fishing opportunities close to home, this lake is sure to become a popular fishing hole,” Swanson said.

The commission is also considering the following:

• Modifying the regulations at the Lees Ferry fishery. The proposal is to increase the bag limit and reduce the maximum size limit for trout. From the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam to the upstream end of the Paria riffle, trout over 12 inches could not be possessed. The daily bag limit would be four trout per day and eight trout total in possession. Trout taken from this area shall be killed immediately and retained as part of the bag limit, or immediately released. Current regulations for this reach of river are a 16-inch maximum size with two trout per day and a four-trout total possession limit.
• Move the special regulation boundary for the Lees Ferry “Blue Ribbon” trout fishery from the Marble Canyon Bridge upstream to the upstream end of the Paria riffle.
• Close the West Fork of the Black River from the upper Apache Trout fish barrier one-quarter mile below Fore Service Road 116, downstream to a point 100 yards below the lower Apache trout barrier. This stretch of stream is in Apache County. Barriers were built and the stream was renovated six years ago. The barriers are functional impediments to upstream fish movement. Brown trout were discovered above the lower fish barrier in 1999 and the upper barrier in 2002. Brown trout negatively impact native Apache trout and significantly compromise recovery objectives.

A new Urban Big Fish-of-the-Year record was established Oct. 7 when Martin Maughan, from Glendale brought in a 26-pound, 12-ounce flathead catfish to the Arizona Game and Fish headquarters.

Maughan was targeting large catfish at Alvord Lake by using a stout 7½-foot rod rigged with 15-pound line and with a lively bluegill for bait. The 39¾-inch-long monster catfish put up a challenging fight, but was finally wrestled to shore.

For Maughan, the big catfish is his lifetime-best big fish. A native of the Phoenix area, Maughan fishes Alvord and other Urban Fishing Program lakes 20 or more times a year.

Alvord Lake, at Cesar Chavez Park in Phoenix, is located at 35th Avenue and Baseline Road. At 25 acres, Alvord is the largest lake in the Urban Fishing Program.

“This flathead was not stocked by Game and Fish, but probably came in through the Salt River Project canal that supplies water to the lake,” said Eric Swanson, Urban Fishing program manager.

Swanson estimated the fish to be 15-18 years old. While a 27-pound fish seems huge coming from a park lake in the city, Swanson said there have been three larger fish submitted for Urban Big Fish-of-the-Year entries in 2002.

A new urban and state record white amur (grass carp) weighing 47 pounds was caught at Encanto Park Lake in July. A 30-pound common carp, also from Encanto, was caught in March. Big Fish-of-the-Year entry forms are included in the Arizona Fishing Regulations or the Arizona Urban Fishing Program brochure. For current listings of 2002 Big Fish-of-the-Year top entries, visit the Game and Fish web site at azgfd.com.

Media Note: Digital pictures of the big catfish are available upon request. Call Marijke Van Fleet at (602) 789-3377 or [email protected]

Elk Poached South of Williams

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking the public’s help in solving a bull elk poaching south of Williams near the Drake area, possibly on Sunday, Oct. 5.

Game and Fish is offering up to a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual or individuals involved in the elk poaching in Hunt Management Unit 8. Call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-352-0700. Callers can remain anonymous and still qualify for the reward.

Game & Fish Gets Valley Forward Award

PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department recently received an “Award of Merit” from the Valley Forward Association at its 2002 awards banquet at the Biltmore Hotel.

The award, in the Salt River Project Centennial Award category, recognized Game and Fish’s historic commitments to sound environmental stewardship over Arizona’s wildlife resources. Game and Fish was also recognized for its strong commitment to its mission to “conserve, enhance and restore Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and habitats through aggressive protection and management programs.”

Input Sought on Statewide Shooting Range Plan

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public input on a draft “Strategic Plan for the development of Arizona Shooting Ranges.”

“It is important to note that the draft statewide plan covers the role Game and Fish expects to play when it comes to shooting ranges across the state. There are certainly other key players, such as counties, cities and federal land management agencies, when it comes to meeting the growing need for public shooting ranges,” said Kerry Baldwin, acting assistant director for the Information and Education Division.

Meetings are set for the following locations from 7 to 9 p.m.:

• Mesa: Region VI Office, Oct. 23, 7200 E. University, Mesa.
• Tucson: Region V Office, Oct. 28, 555 N. Greasewood Road.

“In areas near large metropolitan areas, unresolved conflicts have arisen between land holders, other outdoor recreationists, and recreational shooters. Citizens of many population centers do not have access to public shooting ranges,” the draft strategic plan states. For instance, at the popular Ben Avery Shooting Facility north of Phoenix, shooter days have increased an average of 20 percent per year. Shooter days have increased from 96,000 in 1996 to 155,000 currently.

Since the early 1960s, the Game and Fish Commission has been directly involved in the construction and operation of shooting ranges. The first commission range was the Black Canyon Range built for the 40th World Championships in 1970.

Since then, the commission has constructed four other shooting ranges in Kingman, Mesa, Tucson and Sierra Vista. The commission, through the Game and Fish Department, operates the Ben Avery Shooting Facility north of Phoenix. The Ben Avery Facility is the largest public shooting facility in the country.

The commission is developing a new range west of Flagstaff (just broke ground recently), which is currently being called the Bellemont Shooting Facility. The department is working with a citizen group in the Bullhead City area to develop the Tri State Recreational Shooting Facility.

The Game and Fish Commission has also funded projects at more than 43 other shooting ranges as part of its Statewide Shooting Range Development Grants Program. Currently, the commission using license dollar revenues from sportsmen offers $100,000 of matching grants annually. The draft strategic plan makes the following recommendations:

• Focus resources and staff on completing the Bellemont Shooting Range;
• Work with the Bureau of Land Management and Bullhead City recreational shooting community to obtain a site for, construct and operate the Tri State Regional Shooting Sports Center;
• Update and enhance department owned shooting ranges to meet a 15-year growth projection;
• Focus new shooting range development in those areas identified in the gap analysis that score highest on the “Range Site Evaluation Form.”
• Aggressively encourage existing public shooting ranges in high priority areas to enhance existing facilities utilizing the Statewide Shooting Range Grants Program;
• When annual applications for Statewide Shooting Range Grants exceed funds available by 50 percent, consider increasing the next grant cycle funds to $200,000 per grant year;
• Survey current shooting ranges in the statewide database to establish: types of shooting allowed; numbers of shooting positions; range acreage; and potential threat issues.
• Participate in the Interagency Recreational Shooting Task Force to develop a cooperative model for shooting sites/ranges on public land.
• Where possible, work with local land management agencies to development informal shooting sites in and near communities with a population base of less than 6,000.

Recently, the Tonto National Forest closed more than 80,000 acres of public land to informal recreational shooting in the Cave Creek and Mesa Ranger districts. Game and Fish has taken the lead in an interagency Task Force to try to resolve this issue.

Reminder: Waterfowl Season Opens Oct. 18

Don’t forget – Arizona’s waterfowl season opens Oct. 18 this year, advised Arizona Game and Fish Department officials.

There are several changes to the waterfowl seasons in Arizona, including season extensions for both duck and geese to Jan. 26.

“The most significant change for us waterfowl hunters this year is shifting the season one week later to start on Oct. 18 so the season can stay open until Jan. 26. This year we also aligned the goose and duck seasons so the opening and closing dates coincide,” advised Migratory Bird Specialist Sam Lawry.

In past years, the duck season opened in early October on the same date as the small game (quail) season. The goose season started later rather than coinciding with the duck opener. Aligning the goose and duck seasons with the same open and closing dates (Oct. 18 to Jan. 26), should also make life a lot simpler for waterfowl hunters. Having a later season should enhance opportunities.

Arizona Waterfowl Is Dependent On Weather

Lawry explained that Arizona’s waterfowl hunting is dependent on available habitat, waterfowl migration patterns and weather. “Extending the end of the season one week later coincides with peak migration times, giving all of us waterfowl enthusiasts more opportunities for hunting when the birds are here,” he said.

Lawry said it typically takes bad weather in the northern states to move waterfowl south to Arizona. Sometimes, that doesn’t happen until the later part of the season. “Last year, the many northern states experienced a mild winter, so we experienced much lower densities of waterfowl coming to Arizona, especially in the early season.”

Although overall numbers of the north American waterfowl breeding populations declined from last year, Lawry said, the current numbers still support the longer seasons and seven-bird bag limits that hunters saw last year. This years regulations continue to allow a seven-bird bag limit with no more than two female mallards, two redheads and four scaup in the bag. Canvasback Hunting Shut Down

However, the 2002 breeding population estimates for canvasbacks continued to decline, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed the season on canvasbacks in all four flyways, which means you can’t harvest canvasbacks in Arizona either.

Pintail Hunting Still Restricted

The 2002 breeding population estimates for pintails is at an all-time low. “This is largely tied to Canadian habitat conditions being extremely poor for pintails,” Lawry explained.

As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a restrictive package for pintail with a one-bird bag per day and a 60-day season. Arizona’s pintail season is Nov. 28 through Jan. 26, with a bag and possession of one and two birds respectively. Scout Major Waterways/Lakes

Lawry highly recommends that waterfowl hunters do some scouting this year. “Unless Mother Nature blesses us with a lot of rainfall very soon, we can expect a lot of our traditional wetlands to be dry due to the state’s prolonged drought. Therefore, plan on scouting the river systems and the state’s plentiful lakes,” he advises.

Fall Fishing Hot Spots
By Rory K. Aikens
Arizona Game and Fish

This is one of the two best times of year for fishing in Arizona.

Fish are looking to put on fat before winter conditions arrive, which means they are often aggressive and easier to catch. With the nights getting cooler and the days turning milder, this is a great time of year to be out fishing whether in the high country or at our plentiful desert lakes.

If you are looking for great fall family adventures, keep in mind that the tree squirrel season opened Oct. 11. In the lower elevations, the quail season is underway. Waterfowl season opens Oct. 18. Try a mixed-bag trip for small game and fish. It’s also a way to maximize your recreational dollars.

Trout - This is the time to hit the high mountain lakes for feisty trout looking to put on body fat before winter conditions arrive (the aspen are also turning golden in the mountains). The top spots are Big Lake, Woods Canyon, Willow Springs, Knoll, Chevelon and Ashurst (see www.azgfd.com and look under “What’s New”). This is also a great time of year to visit the Blue Ribbon Fishery at Lees Ferry.

Winter trout stockings have begun at mid elevation waters, such as Oak Creek, Lynx, Mingus, Rose Canyon and Parker Canyon. Other waters will be coming on line in the next few weeks, including the Lower Salt River, Saguaro and Canyon lakes.

Prepared baits, such as Power Bait, are very popular. Trolling lures, such as Cowbells, can be very effective at times. Small spinners, such as Mepps and Blue Fox, can be devastating at times on many waters.

Largemouth Bass - Roosevelt Lake and Lake Pleasant are holding top honors for the best bass fishing right now, but Alamo and Saguaro lakes are contenders as well. Mead, Mohave and Havasu are also worth a trip. The Lower Colorado River near Yuma, especially backwaters such as Ferguson Lake, can provide good lunker action this time of year.

Largemouth bass are actively chasing schools of shad to put on weight before winter conditions arrive. Topwater lures and soft plastic jerk baits fished in the mornings are good bets. Look for surface boils. Topwater can be effective off-and-on throughout the day.

Later in the day, you might switch to deeper techniques, such as drop-shot outfits or Carolina-rigs. You might want to keep a crankbait handy (shad colored) for working any point, any time of day. Spoons can also work, especially following surface boils. Smallmouth Bass

Fall fishing for bronzebacks can be terrific at times. The top two spots are typically Apache Lake on the Salt River chain, and Lake Powell in northern Arizona. Please catch and keep all you are allowed (the limit is 20) at Powell. Roosevelt and Canyon lakes are both outside bets. An interesting area to fish is the Parker Strip below Parker Dam (Lake Havasu). We have also had reports of some decent smallie fishing on Havasu.

Topwater lures can be especially effective this time of year. Crayfish-like lures can work great at times. Or try crayfish-colored crankbaits. Look for rocky or boulder-strewn shorelines, and reefs. Sandstone cliffs with lots of fractures or irregular features can also hold bronzebacks.

Northern Pike - Anglers have been catching good-sized northern pike at Long Lake east of Flagstaff. Some expect a new record pike out of this water. Long Lake is also pretty good for trout.

Another great spot for pike is Parker Canyon Lake in southern Arizona. If fishing Parker Canyon, please catch and keep all the pike you can. Parker Canyon is also stocked with trout in winter. Pike are eating the trout, so rainbow trout imitating lures would be a good strategy.

Small spinners, such as Mepps and Rooster Tails, can be deadly this time of year. Water dogs have been known to entice monster pike.

Game & Fish Gets Award From Sea Aquarium Foundation

The Sonoran Sea Aquarium Foundation recently honored the Arizona Game and Fish Department with an award for its support of aquatic education in Tucson. “We were recognized for our outstanding educational materials on native fish species and Arizona’s aquatic habitats,” said Kerry Baldwin, acting assistant director for Game and Fish.

The Sonoran Sea Aquarium has an active educational outreach program to school age youngsters in Tucson. The group is also working to develop an aquarium in Tucson that will provide exhibits on the major Arizona river systems, including the native fish and wildlife found in them, and on the Sea of Cortez.

Duncan Farms Annual Pumpkin Festival

Welcomes the Game & Fish Department The Arizona Game and Fish Department is a big part of this year’s Duncan Farms Annual Pumpkin Festival.

The department has a “Backyard Bass” kids casting area, a virtual hunting game where kids can experience the thrill of a hunt, and lots of information and goodies.

The department’s booth at the festival includes information and goodies from the Information and Education Division, the watercraft program, the off-highway vehicle program, the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program, the Heritage Fund, Ben Avery Shooting Facility and others! Some of the goodies include a kids “Fish

ing Fun” how-to book, a “Be Bear Aware” coloring book and stickers, free copies of the agency’s “Wildlife Views” magazine, and the brand new hot-off-the-press 2003 calendar that includes lots of photos of wildlife around the state!

Also, on the two remaining weekends of the event, the Game and Fish Department will be joined by the Arizona Cowboy Shooters and the Desert Fly Casters. The Cowboy Shooters are a group of folks who dress up in authentic western wear and shoot period-style weapons. Although they won’t have live ammunition at this event, the kids will love their costumes! The Desert Fly Casters will be there to give fishing and casting tips – and they may even show you how to tie some flies to catch that next big fish!

The Duncan Farms Annual Pumpkin Festival continues on the upcoming Saturdays and Sundays this month, Oct. 19 & 20 and Oct. 26 & 27. Other events at the farm include wagon rides, a corn maze, pumpkin baked goods, a pumpkin patch, live bands, a petting zoo and more!

If you take the wagon ride, be sure to watch for the Game and Fish Department’s display as you go through the field! You’ll see a desert tortoise, a javelina, a deer… and a large bird on its perch will be keeping an eye on you! The festival is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is located at Duncan Farms, 17203 W. Indian School Road in Goodyear.

Media Contact: Marijke “M.J.” Van Fleet, [email protected], 602-789-3377

Note: The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes they have been discriminated against in any Game and Fish program or activity, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the Game and Fish Deputy Director, 2221 W. Greenway Rd., Phx., AZ 85023, (602) 942-3000 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the Game and Fish Deputy Director as listed above or by calling TTY at 1-800 367-8939.

Rory Aikens