WHAT ANGLERS ARE CATCHING A WEEK AFTER STOCKINGS
No doubt about it, the first 3-5 days after a fish stocking offer the best catch rates for catfish. But it is a serious mistake to think that “all the fish have been caught out.” Time after time, Game and Fish biologists witness, and get reports, of anglers catching limits of catfish from one week to three months since the last stocking. Instead of catching a couple fish an hour, it may take a couple hours to catch a fish. But persistence will pay off. After a few days of leaving the easy life as a hatchery raised and heavily fed fish, catfish begin to develop “wild” behaviors in their new urban lake homes. These wary fish have grown “street smart” and are not easily fooled by conventional methods, or overanxious anglers. After monitoring catfish stockings for over 20 years, biologists have determined that 80% of stocked catfish are caught within the first week of stocking. That leaves 20% of the fish to carry over into the weeks and months ahead. On September 23, the day of the first fall catfish stocking, biologists encountered an angler with a limit of four catfish taken BEFORE the stocking truck arrived. Those catfish had been in the lake at least 12 weeks since the final spring catfish stocking the end of June. These reports are quite regular.
There are also many other species of fish waiting to be caught in the urban waters. Bluegill and redear sunfish are abundant in most lakes and can provide rapid action for anglers that target them. Try meal worms on a size 10 hook, fished under a small pencil bobber using 2-6 pound test line. Largemouth bass are present in all the lakes, with the better populations found in the larger urban waters. Specialized bass techniques and approaches have been developed by urban bass anglers. This group of avid catch and release anglers tend to be rather tight lipped about their bass fishing tips. In the past week, an angler reported excellent fishing for crappie up to 12 inches. A couple of the urban lakes have yellow bass populations that peak and ebb from year to year. Even the common carp can provide great sport for anglers fishing corn or dough balls and the smallest of sinkers to hold the bait in place. Carp from 3-10 pounds provide quite a thrill. So take up the challenge to modify your fishing strategies to catch some of the other, abundant fish found in the urban waters.
OVERVIEW OF FALL CATFISH AND BLUEGILL STOCKINGS
The fall fish stocking season began September 23 with a delivery of 1.5-2 pound channel catfish at all 20 Urban Fishing Program waters in the greater Phoenix and Tucson areas. The fall season includes four deliveries of catfish, 14,000 pounds per load, delivered every two weeks through early November. Catchable size bluegills are delivered once in the fall. A truckload of 11,000 bluegill will be delivered from Arkansas on the week of October 26-31. Each urban lake will receive from 80-100 fish per surface acre. Bluegills are fun to catch for all ages and will bite all day long. Daily bag limits for sunfish (bluegill, redear sunfish and hybrid sunfish) are 10 fish per person at Urban Lakes and 5 fish per day at Urban Ponds.
URBAN FISHING REPORT
Fishing for catfish is good to excellent now that the fall stockings have resumed. Catfish have been biting throughout the day. While the majority of stocked catfish are caught in the first five days of stocking, anglers are still catching cats 1-2 weeks later at a slower rate. Top baits for catfish have been stink baits, shrimp and worms fished on the bottom in the deeper lake sections. Use smaller sinkers and 6-8 pound test line to get more hookups. Fishing for bluegill is good along the shorelines in 4-8 feet of water. There have been some good reports of largemouth bass being caught and released in the early morning hours by anglers using spinnerbaits and Texas rigged plastic worms. At Green Valley Lakes (Payson) fishing for bass, bluegill and crappie is very good with some nice 2-4 pound bass showing up. Fish stockings (trout only) at Green Valley will resume the week of October 19-24.
STOCKING SCHEDULE
- All UFP waters in Phoenix area and Tucson area - Last stocked catfish Sept. 23 (first of 4 fall stockings). Next stocking, catfish the week of Oct. 5-10.
- Green Valley Lakes (Payson) - Last stocked trout May 9 (last of spring stockings). Trout stockings will resume the week of Oct. 19-24.