Check out Noah’s 11-pound monster bass
Congratulations to 12-year-old Noah Taylor, son of Tim Taylor, who loves fishing and is exceptionally good. His huge success this year is in catching his monster fish, an 11-pound largemouth bass. Noah’s biggest catch this year beats last year’s biggest bass weighing 10.4 pounds. When asked what he liked doing best, Noah said fishing and basketball. He is a student at Ron Watson Middle School.
Because Papa Joe’s fishing hole is part of the family property, the location will remain private. However, the fishing hole is a natural bedding area for bass as are many areas along the Colorado River. The area was handed down to the family by Noah’s dad’s grandfather, giving the family an ideal area for fishing resulting in a good share of truly great catches. They have been enjoying the area for the past 20 years. Taylor’s grandpa, Joe Smith, was one of the first farmers in Yuma County, also one of the first farmers to dam the river and channel it for farming in the Yuma area. This week’s fishing tips: Which is better for catching fish — artificial lures or live worms and other more natural baits? It seems to depend on circumstances and time of year. When, where and how you plan on attempting to catch that fish and which of those neverending tips and techniques you plan on putting to work in trying for success. I’ll share some of the tips I’ve found in the “Fishing with Artificial Lures” in the hunting and fishing library as well as things I’ve learned from Yuma anglers willing to share ideas. I’m far from being a professional angler by any meaning of the word — I thoroughly enjoy fishing of any kind but spend more time helping kids learn to love it than improving my own techniques. I’ll never tire of learning and trying my luck. However, there are fishermen in the Yuma area who are definitely really good at what they do and a lot of them are glad to share what they’ve learned.
Yuma is fortunate in having a variety of species of fish to try with largemouth bass being very popular as well as are both channel and flathead catfish. Trying your luck for largemouth bass gives you a huge list of possible baits with most fishermen putting artificials to work and being able to present those lures to the fish for best results. Lots of patience and practice comes to mind along with learning where to cast your line in the water. My best advice to any beginning fisherman or woman as well as our youngsters is to get with someone who has been seriously fishing for awhile and loves the sport. This is the best reason I can think of for getting together with one or more of our bass clubs in the Yuma area. For good examples of all the various lures that will do the job, visit a sporting goods store. Sportsmen’s Hideaway on 16th Street comes to mind as does the new Sportsmen’s Warehouse just opening in Las Palmillas Shopping Center.
Fishing clubs
• Desert Bass Anglers “the fun way to fish”: Keep fishing and be ready to fish with the club June 3. For details, call Mac or Bobbi McDermott at 726-1984. More information will be forthcoming.
• ABA American Bass - Yuma division: If you haven’t fished the Yuma area ABA tournaments, it’s not too late. Call Jeff Woods at (952) 8240553 for information on becoming a member and get signed up to fish.
• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: Lots of fishing opportunities this time of year with the Shoot Bang derby May 27 at Mittry Lake that will end this year’s Big Bass qualifying with the Big Bass dinner June 9 followed by the Big Bass derby June 10 launching out of Fisher’s Landing. Mark your calendar to include the July 15 Bob Hefner Memorial derby season finale at Mittry Lake. Costs and options: $40 per boat, $5 big fish option and $5 for the 2-pound pot option, totaling $50 in all with three places paid/100 percent paid out.
A very good reason to join the YVRGC to get in on all the fishing fun and super great practice on the water. Call Becky Mae Pope at 5020121 or email maybhunting@gmail. com or attend any club meeting, 7 p.m. on the 1st Wednesday each month at American Legion Post 19, 2575 S. Virginia Drive.
• Yuma Draw-Series/Pro-Am Bass Club: Call Manuel Garcia at 210-0043 to learn what they have to offer. Yuma is fortunate in having so many fishing opportunities to take advantage of and all the learning we can gain from others.
• Yuma’s High School Bass Fishing Club: A great way for any youngster to learn all about fishing for bass. Members of both the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club and Desert Bass Anglers assist the kids in providing boats and equipment as well as guide the youngsters, both guys and gals, in gaining a good share of fishing know-how’s. Call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started. Any interested high school student will be a part of an exciting year for our next generation of anglers at Fisher’s Landing/Martinez Lake.
Hunt happenings
• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: A reminder that the 2017 Prairie Dog shoot will be the weekend of July 8. Club members need to reserve your room before they run out. Again, the event is staying at the Stagecoach 66 Motel in Seligman. The motel asks members to call the motel directly at (928) 422-3470 to make your reservations in order to receive the YVRGC discounts. Do not reserve a room through an online booking agency. The link to the hotel’s webpage with all their information is: http://stagecoach66motel.com/ motel.htm. The link to the current 2017-18 Arizona Hunt Regulations is https://s3.amazonaws.com/azgfdportal-wordpress/azgfd.wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/28135605/ mainregs.pdf.
• Upcoming skills events: Have you ever wanted to try hunting or harvest your own food? The Outdoors Skills Network is your one-stop resource for events offered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and a network of partners who conduct hands-on events to teach you the basics about hunting, fishing, trapping, safety, wildlife and other outdoor skills. Beginning in June, the events will be:
Introductory Cabela’s Fall Hunt University “during the hunt” at Cabela’s in Glendale, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 3; introductory Outdoor Skills Summer Adventure Camp — AOE (/events/view/102674) in Phoenix June 5; introductory to J.A.K.E.S. day at Parker Canyon Lake, Elgin, Ariz., 85611, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17; introductory Shoot ‘n Shindig, Stan Greer Memorial, Sierra Vista Shooting Range, Tombstone, Ariz., 85638, 9 a.m to 5 p.m. June 24; introductory Cabela’s Fall Hunt University “after the hunt” at Cabela’s in Glendale, 85305, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 1. July, August and September events will be forthcoming.
• Hunter education reminder: There will be a class at Sprague’s Sports Shop June 19-22. Sign-up at www.azgfd.com. Also, online classes are a self-paced program completely online once the passing score of 80 percent is successful, with stations for line of fire and matching practical hunt and a written exam. Average completion is one hour. Visit www. azgfd.com/education/hunting and get signed up or contact Pat Headington at yumahuntered@gmail.com.
Shooting sports
• Yuma 4-H Shooting Sports: The 2017-18 training season will begin in September. If you have a youngster who is either a member of 4-H or interested in being a part of a 4-H club in order to get into their shooting sports program, call the 4-H office in Yuma at 726-3904 or Stanley Gourley at 344-0740 to learn what they offer.
• Renegade Archers of Yuma: If you and your family might like to learn all about shooting archery from the beginning, call me at 247-4450 or Kevin Wilson at 726-0953 to get together at the Foothills Archery range for shooting fun and great practice. The practice range is open (free use) daylight hours all week for your much-needed practice and enjoyment. Do what you can to prevent vandalism at the range so all can enjoy. There will be a 3D trail set-up to shoot at 9 a.m. a few Sundays each month, open to all for great recreation and practice. Shoot fees are $3 adults, youngsters of all ages free. Call the Wilsons for directions to the range or answers to questions.
• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Anyone interested in trap and skeet can shoot 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays. It’s summer hours now so no weekday matches until fall. Call Bob Avila at 910-0622. Youngsters in school who might be interested in getting together with the Yuma Young Guns and the scholastic clay target program, can call head coach H. McNutt at 580-0918.
• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: Open black powder matches at the Adair Park range, 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. .22 matches are held the 1st Tuesday as well. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453.
• Cholla Gun Club: The club offers a full schedule of shooting at the Adair Park metallic silhouette range, all open to the public with instructions available upon need. Call Rick Kelley at (928) 502-0736.
• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: Scheduled shooting matches at the Adair Park big bore (high power) range are done now until Sept. 9 when the club will begin fall matches with NRA conventional pistol matches followed the next day with across the course matches. Vintage service rifle matches will begin again Sept. 16 at the Adair Park range. Call Joseph Murek at 627-4556, Paul Lerma at 580-7456 or Gerald Brooker at (858) 349-1311 or visit hprifleyuma.com or Joseph
• Yuma Matchmasters: A variety of matches are offered at the Adair Park small bore range, all open to shooters with 7 a.m. sign-up, shooting at 7:30 a.m. includes the steel challenge the 1st Saturday, multi-gun matches the 1st Sunday, IPSC combat matches the 2nd Sunday, and the SASS cowboy matches the 4th Sunday. Call Larry Wiles at 920-2157 or Irene Snyder at (920) 613-4598 if you are interested.
• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club: Archery is offered on Sundays with their practice range open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 7821097.
Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@ gmail.com or call 247-4450.