Anyone from Arizona?

Going to be in Sun City for a couple of weeks. Any help on the fishing front?

Boat? Shore fishing? I lived in Tempe for a few years…fishing in the valley is not that great. The are several reservoirs, Lake Pleasant just NW of sun City and Apache and Canyon Lakes on the east side of the valley that provide some bass action and a small chance at a walleye. The best fishing (stocked trout) I found in AZ was in the small lakes east of Payson off of Hwy 260 on the Mongollan Rim.

Long time ago, about 1988, I was on Canyon Lake in late fall/early winter and caught lots ( about 2 dozen in about 3 hrs.) of them there walleyes –about 18″ to 20″ average. The spot? “Beer Can Point”–on the right side of the point looking in at shore. The bait? Flashy MN. type ice fishin’ spoons such as Swedish Pimples( no meat) –vertical–ripping/jigging up and letting them free fall. I had crawlers/spinners and leeches along and couldn’t get a bite. The bait had to resemble the local dying/darting shad….I guess.

The locals ( the owner of “Kiss My Bass” bait shop in Mesa) went nuts seeing that many walleyes and put a pic in the big news rag down there. ( and my mailing address of all things) I had a pile of letters when I got home asking for advice on how to catch’em. Midwestern transplants and snowbirds had no idea those fish lived in their backyard.

Thanks Guys. I’ll be fishing from shore. I’m guessing there’s got to be some shore fishing around there. Lake Pleasant sounds like a lake I’ve heard of.

There are some stocked ponds in and around the Phoenix area, too.

http://azgfdportal.az.gov/Fishing/Community/Phoenix

Not sure if you know the area well and only want to fish this time but every time I go to Phoenix and have free time I end up checking out the cliff dwellings north of town then the painted desert park a little further. Both are fascinating.

Thanks Winnebago, Suzuki we get down almost every year for a week. This time father in-law is having surgery and I’ll have time ( 2+ weeks)
to fish.