This time of year is prime time to fish in area waters

Now that bass are spawning at most Yuma-area waters with a share of larger largemouths taking your offering, now is prime time to go fishing — and take a youngster along to enjoy it with you. Remind yourself that our youngsters are the future of fishing traditions and need — and want — to learn your tricks of the trade so they can succeed to keep it going. A good opportunity to help a youngster get a good start with fishing pole in hand will be the March 24th Youth Fishing and Outdoor Clinic, free to all kids, being held at Mittry Lake — read all about it in fishing club news below.

Right now, bass will often grab your lure even though you are near because it’s guarding its nest and will go after any intruder. Also, when bass are spawning they may be hungry and will grab at food for survival as well as to protect the nest. A very important time for each of to practice “Catch and Release” to return the bigger bass back to the water for our future of bass fishing.

Mini-jigs are not only great for crappie and bluegill but for bigger species, like bass, as well. Take a light action spinning rod, and a lightweight reel spooled with 2- to 4-pound test line and an assortment of mini-jigs in various colors and weights and you have a fish catching combination. It seems these small size jigs from 1/8-ounce down to 1/64-ounce makes them ideal fodder for not only panfish, but bass as well, all being tempted by the replicas of minnows.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass, even striped Jean Wilson bass, will snap up one of these easy tidbits, even if it seems to the angler that such a small offering would be ignored. A small meal gained is better than a large meal lost. The mini-jigs are very effective because they don’t scare fish in clear water. The jig slips through the water with a natural swimming action looking just like a baby fish that isn’t watching out for trouble. This non-threatening behavior allows bass and other game fish to pursue their quarry like a cat stalking a bird.

The best approach with a jig is to cast and retrieve as you would other lures. If possible, the mini-jig should be used without additional weight. This ‘flylining’ the jig out and swimming it back can be done in two ways. You can use the rod tip and twitch the little lure along, or simply let it swim steadily. The light weight of the mini-jig compared to the water resistance makes it sink slowly, and almost all have a swirling fall which makes them look just like little minnows.

You can attach a small bobber above the jig; this can serve as a casting weight, a way of suspending the jig at a specific depth, and a strike indicator. Attach the standard spring-loaded bobber by winding the line two or three turns around only one of the bobber’s two spring clips to produce an offcenter wobbling motion as the bobber is slowly retrieved with a series of twitches and pauses simulating a minnow in difficulty.

Fishing clubs

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: 38 boats braved the unpredictable weather and water conditions to get into the action at the latest club tournament with the dad and son team of Keith and Jacob Lue taking the top spot with their 20.0 total pounds of bass weighed in while Joey Mayerchik/ Mike Hernandez teamed to follow in 2nd place with their 18.09 total. Congratulations to Jonny Fugate and Mike Gaither who succeeded in not only catching the #1 Big Fish honors but enjoying the 8-pound pot as well with their largemouth weighing a whopp’n 8.84-pounds. Their total catch weighed 16.68 pounds to take 3rd place. Ed Reeder/John Borghoff fished together to take 4th place with their 16.47 total pounds. In 5th place, just out of the money, was the team of Trevor Reis/Jace Siler with their 16.24 total. Catching the 2nd place Big Fish was the team of Tony Jackson/Jeremy Lovejoy with a 7.68 pounder. The Junk Fish option was won by Brian Velasques/Manuel Garcia with their 1.37-pound Gizard Shad. Keep fishing to stay in practice for the next competition on April 7th at Mittry Lake — more information forthcoming or call Mac or Bobbi McDermott at 726-1984.

• North End Rotary “For the Kids” tournament: To correct the names of the 3rd place team of this event, anglers Heath Joncade fished with his partner Darryl Jordan with their 10.15 pounds of bass weighed in. Sorry for my mix-up, guys! (Mac helped me get this right — much thanks, Mac).

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: Bring your youngster(s) to Mittry Lake March 24th when the club will offer the Youth Fishing and Outdoor Clinic, Free to kids from ages 1 through 17, to try their hand at the fishing, face painting, jumpers, archery and BB gun ranges, hay rides and to get in on the lure making plus free lunch for everyone attending. Kids will also receive a rod and reel, T-shirt and prizes. Sign up at 5:30 a.m. to fish and have a world of fun. Final weigh-in will be at 11 a.m. Call Dave Parrish (all 928) 941-6168 Richard Gill Jr. 580-5646, Billy Morgan 2101378 or Brant Barksdale 210-4275.

• Stay in practice for the 3/17 Jimmy Phipps Memorial Bass Derby launching out of Fisher’s Landing. Anglers are welcome to attend the 7 p.m. March 7 club meeting at American Legion Post 19 hall, 2575 Virginia Dr. to learn details on sign up and times for the fishing, or call Clint Fraser at 580-3231 or Danny Woods at 448-8476.

• Desert Draw Series Pro/ Am Bass Fishing Club: This club promises to be well worth taking part in with their next “open” bass tournament planned for March 31 at Mittry Lake. Sign up 3/30 at Sportsmen’s Hideaway until 5 p.m. for the draw that will follow. For details, call Michael Obney at 928 750-7081.

• American Bass – Yuma Division: Call Jeff Woods at (951)824-0553 or Ray Mayo at (951) 616-0372 to become a member of ABA or for details on the 3/17th tournament launching out of Hidden Shores.

• Yuma High School Bass Fishing Club: A great way for any High Schooler 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 them with boats and equipment as well as guiding the youngsters in gaining a good share of fishing know-hows. Call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started.

Shooting sports

• 4-H shooting sports: For information on a great organization for youngsters, call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 344-0740.

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: Please give us call — Kevin at 726-0953 or Jean at 247-4450 — if you’d like to shoot the trail of 3D animals at 9 a.m. most Sunday’s at the Foothills Archery Range. “Free” archery instructions are always available as well. • The practice range at the Foothills Archery Range is open (also free) daylight hours all week for archers practice and enjoyment. You might be best satisfied bringing along your own target.

• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Shoot 8 a.m. to 12-noon Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesdays and Thursdays noon to 4 p.m. matches at Adair Park. Call Bob Avila at (928) 919-0622. For information on the Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), active at the trap and skeet range with practice dates and times forthcoming or call Head Coach H. McNutt at 928 580-0918.

• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: Regular “open” black powder matches are 1st and 3rd Saturdays at the Adair Park range at 8:30 a.m. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453 — ask about .22 matches.

• Cholla Gun Club: Shooting is ongoing at the Adair Park metallic silhouette range — get your firearms in order and join in the shooting. All shooters welcome. Sign-up at 8:30 a.m. for shooting at 9 a.m. sharp. The club business meeting is 7 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday now through March at Villa Alameda RV Park. Pistol and rifle matches including a share of black powder, silhouette and vintage rifle matches held the 4th Saturdays and/or Sundays, alternating Tuesdays as well as Wednesdays and Fridays: Call Glenda Graves at (928) 580-0915 for shooting times.

• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: Check with Joseph Murek at umpire1@q.com or Gerald Brooker at brookergerald@att.net or call 1-858-349-1311 or call Paul Lerma at 580-7456. Club junior “Whipper Snipers” shooters activities as well as a list of matches are listed on the club web site at hprifleyuma. net. Check it out!

• Yuma Matchmasters: A variety of matches are offered each month at the range, all open to shooters at 7 a.m. with the steel challenge the 1st Saturday, Multi-gun matches the 1st Sunday. IPSC combat matches held the 2nd Sunday with the Cowboy Fast Draw the 3rd Saturday and SASS cowboy matches the 4th Saturday. Interested in Cowboy Action shooting? Call Irene Snyder at (209) 613-4598 or George Wagner at (719) 660-9466 with questions.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club: Archery is offered to archers on Sundays with their practice range also open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 782-1097.

Hunt happenings

• Reminder: Game and Fish, on Dec. 27th of last year in their Antelope and Elk hunt application and draw information, reported that draw results will now be posted “ONLY” to portal accounts. The department encouraged all applicants to sign up for a free AZGFD portal account that allows customers to create a secure account where you can manage and view your draw applications, license history, bonus points, gain access to your “I Support Wildlife” membership and more in the “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. A portal account also provides convenient access to the online license purchase and draw application systems. Just click on “My Account” in the upper right-hand corner of the www.azgfd. gov/ (http://www.azgfd.gov) home page and then select the “Register” option, filling in the requested information.

• AGFD Outdoor Expo coming March 24-25: The largest hands-on outdoor recreation expo in Arizona is coming soon! Dates are set for the Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo presented by Shikar Safari Club International. Come out Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25 to the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 25. The Outdoor Expo is easy to find, located on Carefree Highway, about 1/2 mile west of I-17 in Phoenix.

• 2018 Becoming an Outdoors Woman Event: If you are interested in BOW, the registration for the April 13-15 workshops event is now open. No experience is necessary and BOW is for women of all ages and fitness levels with the location at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott beginning on Friday noon, ending at Noon Sunday. The fee is $250 that includes lodging, meals and most classroom materials. For a registration packet visit online at www.azwildlife.org or call Kimberlee at 480-644-0077. After this camp, the next one is Sept. 7-9th. Be sure to ask about the scholarships, available to attend the camps.

Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@ gmail.com or call 928 247-4450.