June Free Tackle Box Winner

Readi-Lure Tackle Boxes, made by Tackle Tech, are the most unique, versatile tackle boxes on the market.

Every March, June, September and December, a lucky fishing report subscriber will receive an Original Readi-Lure Tackle Box!

This quarter's winner is John J. from Yukon, Oklahoma. Want a chance to win a new tackle box? Sign up here!

Editor's Note: Congratulations Zak and good luck with all your fishing adventures this year!

June Free Lures Winner

Twice a month, www.SouthwestFishingGuides.com awards free lures & tackle to lucky fishing report subscribers.

In addition, once a quarter a lucky subscriber will also win an Original

Readi-Lure tackle box from Tackle Tech AND at the end of the year, one lucky subscriber will win an IM6 Hookhider Fishing Rod.

This week's lures and tackle winner is Gerry W. from Lawton, Oklahoma. Gerry will receive an assortment of lures & tackle from

Lead Babies Slabs, River Bottom Lures, SnapTail Lures, and our newest sponsor, Hawg Wild Custom Bass Baits, home of Larry the Lizard.

Want a chance to win free fishing lures & fishing tackle OR a new tackle box OR a customized IM6 Hookhider fishing rod?

Sign Up Here!

Editor's Note: Congratulations Gerry. Good luck with all your fishing adventures this year!

Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey Tops 10,000 Entries

Want to catch a big bass in Texas? Then check out this report from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:

In May, the Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey continued its run as the most successful program of its kind. Since the survey began in March 2003, anglers have reported catching more than 10,000 trophy largemouth bass from the 27,000 acre reservoir. During its nearly 30-year history, anglers have braved the stumpy waters of Lake Fork in search of the fish of a lifetime- and many have been rewarded! The latest milestone for the Trophy Bass Survey confirms Lake Fork’s legacy as one of the finest trophy largemouth bass fisheries in the world.

The Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey, a voluntary program in which anglers report their catches of trophy largemouth bass on Lake Fork, has been collecting valuable information for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) fisheries managers for more than six years. This survey, which is a cooperative project of the Lake Fork Chamber of Commerce, the Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association and TPWD, provides invaluable details on Lake Fork’s world-renowned trophy bass fishery; information which cannot be obtained through standard fisheries surveys.

The Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey gives anglers an opportunity to record their catches of fish 7 pounds and greater. Anglers are asked to provide information at participating marinas on weights and lengths of these trophy fish. Each month, TPWD personnel collect the survey ledgers and produce a summary of the results. Not only does the survey generate good publicity for the lake, but it also allows fisheries managers and stakeholders a chance to cooperate in a successful project.

During its history, the Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey has recorded 10,127 fish over 7 pounds. Fisheries managers have estimated through their angler creel surveys that through May 2009, 8.1% of trophy fish reportedly caught by interviewed anglers were reported to the Trophy Bass Survey. If the numbers are expanded, that would indicate a catch of in excess of 125,025 fish over 7 pounds since March 2003! That’s a monthly average of 1,667 trophies.

Since March 2003, 8,423 of the Trophy Bass Survey entries (83%) were weighed, and 1,316 of them (15.6%) were 10 pounds or heavier. Fifty-six of the weighed fish were 13 pounds or better, with many of these fish being eligible for entry in TPWD’s Sharelunker program. Anglers measured lengths on 5,985 of their entries (59%) and of these fish, 33.3% were 24 inches or longer. This summary information provides compelling evidence that the slot-length limit is working on Lake Fork, since considerable numbers of fish are growing past the upper limit of the slot and not dying of old age or the effects of catch-and-release before they get to 24 inches.

The survey also confirms that the fishery at Lake Fork remains the most popular destination for anglers seeking trophy bass in Texas. Entrants from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and many foreign nations were represented in the Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey. As expected, residents of the home state participated in the survey at the highest rate. An estimated 62.6% of trophies were reported by Texans. Neighboring anglers from Oklahoma (6.7%), Missouri (6.0%), Louisiana (5.0%), and Arkansas (3.8%) accounted for a combined 84.1% of entries. Anglers from Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi, Kansas and Kentucky combined, accounted for an additional 8.4%. Despite higher gasoline prices and an economic recession, anglers are still willing to make the trip to Lake Fork.

For questions, comments and additional information concerning the Lake Fork Trophy Bass Survey, please contact TPWD Inland fisheries management personnel in Tyler at (903) 593-5077.

Editor's Note: Yep, I caught one of those - a 7.5 lber on the Caney Steps (though that's not the one pictured above).

1 More Free Fishing Day in Arizona

There is one more free fishing day for Arizona on June 13th and the Arizona Game and Fish Department will sponsor a number of Free Fishing Day clinics/events. Loaner fishing rods and bait are provided for free at most of these venues. Times and locations are:

• Tempe Town Lake (on the north shore near the Mill Avenue Bridge, just south of Lake View Drive), 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Loaner fishing rods, bait and instruction will be available. For more information, call Pam Ostwinkle at (623) 236-7219.
• Lynx Lake (near Prescott), call number below for time. This event is held in cooperation with the Prescott National Forest. Trout and catfish will be stocked before the event. Loaner fishing rods and some bait will be available. For more information, contact Zen Mocarski at (928) 692-7700 x2301.
• Deadhorse Ranch State Park (near Cottonwood), 8 a.m. to noon. This event is held in the middle lagoon in cooperation with the Prescott National Forest and Deadhorse Ranch State Park. Admission fees to the state park for event participants are waived (paid for by the U.S. Forest Service). Catfish will be stocked prior to event. Loaner fishing rods, some bait and instruction will be available. For more information, contact Dead Horse Ranch State Park at (928) 634-5283.
• Francis Short Pond (near downtown Flagstaff), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Loaner fishing rods and bait will be available. For more information, contact Shelly Shepherd at (928) 214-1241.
• Garrett Tank (outside Seligman), 9 a.m to 5 p.m. Garrett tank will be stocked with catfish prior to the event. Loaner fishing rods and some bait will be available. For more information, contact Zen Mocarski at (928) 692-7700 x2301.
• Yellow Pine Ranch Pond (outside Kingman, located on Blake Ranch road about 7 miles south of Interstate 40), 7 a.m. to noon. This event is held in cooperation with the Kingman Elks Lodge, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, and the Yellow Pine Ranch. Catfish will be stocked prior to the event. Loaner fishing rods and some bait will be available. For more information, contact Zen Mocarski at (928) 692-7700 x2301.
• Riggs Flat Lake (on Mt. Graham near Safford), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come fish for trout in the cool pines. Loaner fishing rods and bait will be available. For more information, contact Joe Fagan at (520) 730-6398.

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Arizona Fish Consumption Advisory

A fish consumption advisory has recently been instituted for largemouth bass at Lake Pleasant and largemouth bass and channel catfish at Roosevelt Lake because recent samples of those specific species of fish collected at these two lakes showed elevated levels of mercury.

That brings the number of Arizona lakes with mercury consumption advisories to 14.

The consumption advisory is not directed at other fish, such as black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish and redear from either lake. The advisory does not apply to the use of the lakes for fishing, bird watching, swimming or other recreational uses.

However, anglers should take simple precautions and follow the guidelines to limit your consumption of those specific species of fish at these two lakes (see the consumption guidelines below).

Lake Pleasant—largemouth bass:

• Children under the age of six: No consumption
• Women of child-bearing age and children between 6-16 years old: One 8 oz. fish meal per month
• All other adult women: One 8 oz. fish meal per month unless a doctor supports a higher consumption rate.
• Adult men: Five 8 oz. fish meals per month.

Roosevelt Lake—largemouth bass and channel catfish:

• Children under the age of six: No consumption
• Women of child-bearing age and children between 6-16 years old: One 8 oz. fish meal per month
• All other adult women: One 8 oz. fish meal per month unless a doctor supports a higher consumption rate.
• Adult men: Five 8 oz. fish meals per month
  Mercury in the environment can come from various sources and can cause numerous health problems when ingested, most notably its toxicity to the central nervous system. Infants and pregnant or nursing mothers are considered most at risk to possible health effects.

In addition to Lake Pleasant and Roosevelt Lake, fish consumption advisories remain in place for the following water bodies in Arizona:

• Painted Rock Reservoir
• Arivaca Lake
• Alamo Lake
• Parker Canyon Lake
• Upper Lake Mary
• Lower Lake Mary
• Lyman Lake
• Pena Blanca Lake
• Coors Lake
• Soldier Lake
• Soldier Annex Lake
• Long Lake
  

For a fact sheet on fish consumption advisories in Arizona, visit: http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/download/fish-0409.pdf.

For a list of frequently asked questions about the fish consumption advisories at Lake Pleasant and Roosevelt Lake, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/download/fish-pleasant.pdf and http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/download/fish-roosevelt.pdf.

For information about fish consumption advisories at other Arizona lakes, as well as additional information about mercury from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/fish_consumption.shtml.

Story courtesy of the Arizona Game and Fish Deparment.

Green Valley Park Record Catfish

A huge channel catfish was hauled from the waters of Green Valley Park shortly after the Payson Wildlife Fair started Saturday, May 9. Using shrimp on the bottom and fishing the inlet end of the main lake, Tuy Sayasavanh, of Peoria, hooked into and landed the 26.9 pound leviathan.

With over 500 people gathered at the park for the annual wildlife fair and fishing clinic, Sayasavanh’s massive fish attracted a lot of interest and excitement. Most folks were enjoying a pleasant morning catching some of the 1,500 rainbow trout freshly stocked or some of the abundant bluegill found around the lake.

The lunker cat, measuring over 37 inches in length, shatters the previous Urban Fishing Program record 11.4 pound catfish caught in 2002 from Evelyn Hallman Pond in Tempe. Additionally, this is the largest channel cat reported to the department in 20 years and is only five pounds shy of the state record 32 pounder from Parker Canyon Lake.

Story courtesy of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.