The very best place to fish is pretty much the middle of the lake. They come in models that run at different depths, so you can choose one that will stay within a couple feet of the surface, or tie on a big one that will probe depths of up to fifteen feet. The Lake Pleasant Harbor Marina and Lake Pleasant Harbor Convenience Store provides wet slips, dry storage, fuel and a store for supplies. Use a heavy fishing rod with a light spinning outfit and 10 to 20 pound fishing line, and go for live bait such as herring, eels, bloodworms, or sandworms for the best results. Trolling slowly with a worm is one of the best ways to hook a striped bass! Lake Pleasant Regional park is located within Peoria, Arizona. If you are good at throwing spinnerbaits, do it. John has won more boats and more money than you would believe, and Lake Pleasant was always one of his favorite lakes, in spite of the fact that it can be great one day and incredibly tough the next. From Phoenix, AZ  take the I-17 (aka Black Canyon Freeway) north and exit on Carefree Highway (Exit 223) and head west and  becomes Lake Pleasant Road ask known as State Route 74. Lake Pleasant - Sonora Desert, Arizona Fly Fishing Reports & Conditions ... and makes for very exciting fishing. Other species in … On the other end of the swivel, attach a leader from two to four feet long. Alternate Fishing Times: 12:00AM to 12:00AM. Please "click On" Fishing Map to learn more about fishing at Pleasant Hill Lake Park. Where to Fish in Arizona for stripedbass. There, you will find lake access to the 4 lane boat ramp as well as shoreline camping areas and the Cottonwood day-use only picnic area which provides restroom convenience. Spoons and shad-imitating lures work best. Texas-style worms, jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits also catch their share of Lake Pleasant bass. Tie a worm hook onto the leader, rig a lizard on it, and drag it around the bottom. Central Arizona. The Pop-R has a concave face that blurps and spits when you tug it across the surface. The constant fluctuations in water levels at Pleasant make it even more difficult than most lakes — it goes up and down up to 100 feet every year!. This is good when the bite is really tough and the fish want something small and slow. A white buzzbait with a touch of blue has been the “secret bait” at Pleasant for the past couple of springs. Then tie on a swivel. Narrow your fishing down to your strengths. Whether for a day trip or an extended stay, Lake Pleasant is one of the top attractions to see. History & Nature Just an hour north of the heart of Phoenix , the reservoir has been expanded to feature 114 miles of shoreline prime for family fun. Spring and fall are generally the best times of year for fishing in Bullhead City. To protect anadromous sockeye smolts and adults, there is an eight-inch minimum on all trout, and 18-inch maximum length limit on Kokanee. Tips and Tactics. “Lake Pleasant fish are not the fish they wrote the book about,” Murray declares. Anyone with some experience can reel in a great catch using fly fishing, trolling, spinning, or jigging. This has been killer at Pleasant all year long almost since the new dam was built. Whether you choose to dock your boat at the marinas, trailer in your own boat or you can rent a boat, there are plenty of amenities at these marinas the includes: fueling docks, boat repair services, convenience stores, fishing supplies, boat slips and restaurants with water-side bars from where you can enjoy watching the action. They cover lots of water quickly, and can be fished slowly or fast, depending on the mood the fish are in. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This outdoor park offers boating, fishing, camping, hiking trails, scuba diving, and much more. Sight casting largemouth and carp. Minnow (Team Diawa) gaining every year. Regardless of conditions, Murray always seemed to be able to bring a limit of bass to the scales, and years ago he shared some of his Pleasant tips with us. Some start to float slowly upward when they stop. It is even visited regularly by re… Lake Pleasant offers a clear, deep, desert lake has produced a number of monster strings of bass, and at times been a longtime favorite of tournament anglers. Fishing Lake Pleasant, AZ on 12/2/2020 will be best from 12:00AM through 12:00AM, and from 12:00AM to 12:00AM. Try both and see what the fish want. Spinnerbaits are a great way for finding fish as they cover lots of water quickly and can be fished at various speeds (slow or fast) all depending on the mood that the fish are in. A Carolina-rigged lizard (watermelon green) has been a real producer at Pleasant for years. Rancho Santa Margarita Lake Fishing Guide, Website Built & Managed by Phoenix Web Design Studio. Due to their saltwater genes, striped bass are constantly on the move, sometimes traveling as … Baits To Consider Would Include: Drop Shot Rigs, Alabama Rigs, Cranks, Spinnerbaits, Spoons, Swimbaits, Jerk Baits, And Carolina Rigs Just To Name A Few. When he is pre-fishing for a tournament, Murray does just that, and he doesn’t even care if he catches a fish or not–he’s just looking for bites so he knows where to start fishing during the tournament. You don’t usually use a leader and swivel, you just pinch a split-shot onto the line about 18 inches up from the hook. When you start fishing, it’s easy to go in with unrealistic expectations … My husband and I love to hike with our grandkids, fish, hunt, shoot, and explore in our 4WD truck and on our Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail. Fishing at the Bagnell Dam in Missouri. I absolutely love to help people find fun things to do with their kids and grandkids. There's a wide variety of fish that is offered at Lake Pleasant, AZ. At Pleasant, the fish haven’t read the rules. If you aren’t catching fish, don’t speed up, slow down. Lake Pleasant is located in Erie County, Pennsylvania. A split-shot rig is like a Carolina rig, but smaller. Grab your freshwater fishing license, read these fishing basics then head out to one of the many freshwater lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams and rivers. Guide Gary Senft targeted largemouth bass Wednesday — in 25 mph winds during the early morning. If you prefer crankbaits, throw a plug. To reach Pleasant Harbor Marina, take Interstate 17 north to Exit 223 (Carefree Highway). “Look for how deep the shad are,” he advises, “wherever the shad are, that’s where the bass will be.” If you have a depthfinder, this is fairly easy–you just look for balls of fish on the screen. Desc: Who said you couldn't enjoy trophy bass fishing and great scenery close to the city? If you prefer crankbaits, throw a plug. If you locate a school (often 20 feet deep or deeper), the fishing can be excellent as long as you stay with the school. Pleasant Lake has a year round open fishing season. Head west for about 15 miles and you'' want to turn North on Castle Hot Springs Road and then continue for 2 miles to the Lake Pleasant park's main entrance. The Suave is a Lobina Lure, a company Murray helped to found. Look for the clearest water you can find (mostly main lake) and cast a bright fly that you can see so when it disapears you can hammer down. ngling Stripers can be caught on shad, anchovies, "cut" bait, spoons, plugs, jigs, crankbaits, and streamer flies. If the fish won’t come all the way to the top, try a jerk bait. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), John Murray's Tips for Fishing Lake Pleasant, Sabino Canyon - The Perfect Winter Destination. At Pleasant, you wouldn’t believe how shallow some of the fish are. For tips on fishing with live eels, read on! Shore anglers mostly go after catfish, sunfish and carp, while boating anglers pursue all 12 species of fish … There is fair opportunity for Coastal Cutthroat Trout, with Kokanee fishing improving later in the spring. The guy in the front may cast to all the good spots and leave the poor non-boater with nowhere to throw. The Rogue (Smithwick) is the perennial favorite, with the T.D. If those times won’t work for you, 12:00AM to 12:00AM looks promising. Night Fishing for Stripers @ Lake Pleasant - posted in Fishing: Ive fished for a great many types fish in nearly every type of water, but I have not night-fished for stripers before! When fishing, anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish including Lake Trout and Rainbow Trout. Lake Pleasant is about 35 miles from downtown Phoenix. The deeper they run, the faster you get tired. The striped bass is the top of the food chain in Arizona waters. Work it through the bushes, then let it drop, barely moving it. He usually tries to keep the lure within one or two feet of the bottom, and feels that when it comes to speed, the slower the better. Lake Pleasant Regional Park has been the primary attraction for decades for Bass fishing and is the largest lake in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area straddling the Maricopa and Yavapai county border northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. The park is located within the municipal boundaries of Peoria, Arizona, and serves as a major recreation hub for the northwest Phoenix metropolitan area. View all posts by Margaret Anderson. Lake Pleasant real estate is a beautiful, but lesser known, market for lake homes and land in Pennsylvania. The best colors at Pleasant seem to be black and chrome or blue and chrome. Slip a glass bead on your line, then a 3/4- to 1-ounce egg sinker. This lake is 61 acres in size. When it comes to Lake Pleasant, John Murray says you just have to remember that the fish are there.You just have to keep trying until you find them. Located in the desert scrub brush country just 30 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix, Lake Pleasant the core of Lake Pleasant Regional Park has become the most popular outdoor recreation spot in Arizona. Other fishing in Lake Pleasant. Download the Arizona Fishing Regulations Guide to see all the rules and regulations in fishing at Lake Pleasant as well as other lakes in the great state of Arizona. Map: Lake Pleasant, AZ. I've been an outdoor writer for over 30 years and have written for pretty much all the major fishing magazines, The Arizona Republic (I did the outdoor page til they discontinued it), and many online sites. The water temperature at Lake Pleasant Wednesday topped out at 60 degrees, with morning air temperatures at 43 degrees. Spoons and shad-imitating lures work best. To date, Lake Pleasant is home to 12 species of fish: White Bass; Striped Bass; Large Mouth Bass; Bluegill; White Crappie; Black Crappie; Bigmouth Buffalo Fish; Channel Catfish; Flathead Catfish; Green Sunfish If you don’t have a depthfinder, ask another fisherman how deep the shad are. Access and download the AZ fishing rules and regulations guide for fishing at Lake Pleasant. When you're ready to go fishing at Lake Pleasant below are some some quick directions to get your destination. Like white bass and yellow bass, striped bass move and feed in schools. Freshwater Fishing. Lake Pleasant in Arizona is open 24 hours all 365 days a year. These voracious feeders gather in large schools in search of bait, and have been seen in Lake Pleasant in schools as large as a mile wide. I'm an Arizona native and daughter of an Ojibwa Indian dad who took me camping, shooting, and hunting all my life. Story be told, the fish at Lake Pleasant haven’t read the rules. Freshwater fishing is often ideal for beginning anglers since it can be enjoyed from shore or land using a simple tackle set up. In early spring, the Carolina rig and the split shot rig are great at Pleasant. Fish: Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Sunfish, Catfish (Channel), Tilapia, Carp, and Buffalo fish. So try a spinnerbait, a crankbait, a jerk bait, or a lizard. Fishing Conditions in Lake Pleasant, Arizona. Both are schooling fish that feed on shad. Lake Pleasant is located between the Villages of Lake Pleasant and Speculator. Anglers can head to 20-30 feet of water at first light and target these predatory fish with spoons, paddletail swimbaits (white or pearl shad colors), Alabama rigs or Kastmaster spoons. First of all, John says, don’t discount any part of the lake — fish all over, no matter what time of year or time of day it is. It is often filled to capacity, especially on the weekends, by anglers, boaters, water skiers, swimmers, wind surfers, sailing enthusiasts or those who just want to soak their feet and cool down. The lake is also known for its populations of white bass and stripers. These skinny minnow-shaped lures are worked in a jerking motion–pull, stop, pull, stop–that makes them dart and rest in the water. Please be advise there will be an entrance fee to get into Lake Pleasant. 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