Great fishing close to home

PHOENIX – Want to start the New Year off right by catching a whopping 2- to 5-pound pound rainbow trout close to home?

If so, grab your favorite fishing pole and make sure you have a 2010 Urban Fishing license, because the “incentive” trout stocking is slated for the week of Jan. 11-16 at all Urban Program lakes.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said this special incentive trout stocking in the urban lakes includes trout in the 13- to 18-inch size, with some going even larger – like 3 to 5 pounds or more.

“This is a great way to start off the New Year and helps highlight that an urban fishing license is one of the best recreational buys out there – it’s a ticket to fun all year long,” said Eric Swanson, who heads up the urban fishing program.

Trout are routinely stocked in the urban program lakes from early November through the middle of March. Starting in March, channel catfish are stocked.

“These urban lakes also have sunfish and bass to catch. Plus, these lakes are all in city parks that also offer other recreational opportunities for the whole family,” Swanson said.

The Urban Fishing Program is self supporting, and the cost of the fishing license helps defray the cost of purchasing and stocking the fish. “It’s a user pay, user play concept that can net you a lot of fun throughout the year,” Swanson said.

For more information on the Urban Fishing Program, visit www.azgfd.gov or obtain one of the newly-printed Urban Fishing Guides.