Spring is in the air — get outdoors and have some fun!

Spring in Yuma this year is congenial as it usually is with both water temperatures and weather warming nicely, ever-so conducive to good fishing along Colorado River waters. There are good populations of hungry fish, especially our largemouth bass already in or entering the spawn as they do this time of year, as well as other species hungry as well, most ready to grab onto your offering once your line is in the water.

It’s not a time for sitting at home. Better to get off your duff, grab a fishing pole (even a cane pole — or a tree limb — a line and fish hook and bucket of worms will do if there is nothing else handy) and get to the water for some fishing fun. Best stop by a sporting goods dealer nearby for your fishing license that is an absolute must to have in your possession when fishing. Good size hungry bass go after bluegill as well as worms and artificials so some small hooks to use first for that bluegill bass bait (be sure to check the fishing regulations for the minimum size you can use for bait) is a winning suggestion worth trying. It really works! By the way, bluegill will bite on any offering from wiggly worms of all kinds to pieces of hot dogs and corn, and they are most always hungry. Best to wear a hat to keep cool and don’t forget the sunscreen. Take along plenty of drinking water and if you get too hot, get wet!

Just checked with Yuman David Parrish, a ‘fishin’ fool,’ who really puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to kids and fishing. He will work with the High School Bass Fishing Club kids in Yuma at this year’s Arizona High School State Championship bass fishing tournament held at Fisher’s Landing on April 18 at Colorado River waters with the assistance of Desert Bass Anglers Mac and Bobbi McDermott as well as Mike Obney of the Desert Draw Series Pro/ Am Fishing Club in Yuma who are all also ready at the drop of a hat to assist the kids.

All of the guys who are assisting the high school students club deserve heaps of praise for all they do, always ready and raring to take them safely out on the water in boats while providing tips of the trade to the kids along with teaching them all the various techniques for catching fish, all at no expense to the kids, so these youngsters can also become knowledgeable anglers who will one day continue the fishing tradition Jean Wilson so many of us have enjoyed for so long.

For additional information on Yuma’s High School Student Bass Fishing Club, call David Parrish at 941-6168 or call school sponsor Terry Hurt at 580-6567. Also visit StudentAnglerFoundation. com.

• Game and Fish fishing reports: Fishing reports information is in transition so visit the Fish AZ site at http://www.fishaz.org for a seasonal fishing forecast at www.azgfd.com/fishing/forcast/ that will be updated four times a year with the spring fishing forecast in now. Also anglers can sign up (http:// list.robly.com/subscribe? a=7fca2776b89bbf3c078c9d 34acd3bc57) for the fishing report newsletter.

Visit local bait-andtackle shops. Sportsman’s Hideaway has plenty of information to share about fishing. You can also keep these reports fresh for your fellow anglers by sending your reports and photos to BFishing@ AZGFD.gov — one will be selected for catch of the week. They will also be working on a new and improved fishing and boating map. Stay tuned!

Fishing clubs

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: Be sure to fish the Sportsman’s Hideaway/IRS bass derby April 14 launching out of Fisher’s Landing. Call Clint Fraser at 580-3231 or Danny Woods at 448-8476 for details.

This year’s Jimmy Phipps Memorial Derby had 40 boats in competition on the water with the team of Jimmy Waits/John Turner taking the top spot with their total of 17.78 pounds of bass while Chris Walker took second place with his 16.50 total of bass caught. In third place was the team of Travis Hurley/Jeff Bauler with their total catch weighing in at 15.94 pounds. Winning big bass honors went to No. 1 Brent McKay with his bass weighing 6.18 followed in second place by Louis Gonzales with his 4.71 while the team of Tyler Shaddy/Steven Laurel caught the third biggest largemouth weighing 4.51.

The latest Youth Fishing and Outdoors Clinic just held by the club at Mittry Lake was truly outstanding with well over 500 youngsters signed up to fish and enjoy all the various activities going on when they took some time away from their fishing fun — all youngsters were given new rods and reels to fish with and super cool event shirts. Thank you to Crossroads Mission for not only donating all the hot dogs and buns and trimmings for a delicious lunch but they cooked and served it all as well and always with a smile. Thanks to Desert Bass Anglers with Mac and Bobbi McDermott and to Desert Draw Series Pro/Am Bass fishing club with Michael Obney and to Yuma’s High School Bass Fishing Club guys and gals who were at the event to offer their assistance where needed, and to FTS for assisting on rod and reel purchases and to all the many sponsors who helped in so many ways. Thanks to David Parrish and his hard working crew and to all his volunteers and club members who all did such a bang-up job with everything. The whole day was perfect in every way possible and with a lot of the youngsters already looking forward for next year’s event.

Here are the final results of the youth fishing and outdoors clinic with age groups: 1-5 years: 1. Kinley Lute, 2. Rustion Curry, 3. Emma “I’m Lucky” Nelson; 6-8 years: 1. Connor Swanson & Cailee Walker tied, 2. Victoria “Ritchie” Arviso, 3. Sarahi Rodriguez; 9-12 years: 1.Cheryl Shadd, 2. Brady Friar, 3. Alick Carrazco; 13-17 years: big fish and 1. Sydney Manley, 2. Logan Walker, 3. Dustin Ricker.

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: Hope you were able to enjoy the competition with the club Saturday. I’ll report results in my next column or call Mac or Bobbi McDermott at 726-1984.

• American Bass — Yuma division: The next tournament planned for the Yuma division will be April 14, launching out of Fisher’s Landing. Call Jeff Woods at (951) 824-0553 or Ray Mayo at (951) 616-0372 to become a member of ABA. The ABA Yuma fish-off championship will be June 2 out of Fisher’s Landing.

• Desert Draw Series Pro/Am Bass Fishing Club: The club enjoyed a beautiful day of fishing with an excellent turnout at Mittry Lake at their latest tournament with a good share of nice fish making it to the scales. Team Curt Cernik/ Bob LaLonde took first place honors with a 15.03 pound bag followed in second place by the team of Brian Velasquez/Joseph Williams with their 13.87 pound bag. The No. 1 big fish, a 6.08 pounder, was caught by Velasquez/Williams while Cernik/ LaLonde enjoyed the second place big fish weighing 5.72. Don’t miss fishing the April 21 tournament launching out of Fisher’s Landing. For details, call Michael Obney at (928) 750-7081. Be sure to take advantage of what Obney offers in his fishing endeavors with this new club.

• 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, 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. This bunch of young people also help others with their fishing along the way by assisting at local youth events.

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: Shoot the trail of 3D animals at 9 a.m. most Sundays at the Foothills Archery Range. Call Kevin at 726-0953 or Jean at 247-4450. Bring your youngsters for free archery shooting instructions, we’ll be glad to assist in their learning (call ahead so we can bring along extra bows and arrows). The practice area at the range is open (free use) daylight hours all week for archery practice and enjoyment. You might be best satisfied bringing along your own target. Do what you can to prevent vandalism while at the range so all can enjoy.

• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Anyone interested in trap and skeet? Shoot 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Adair Park. Call Bob Avila at (928) 919-0622. The Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), will practice 6 p.m. Mondays April 9, 16 and 23 and will travel to Ben Avery Park April 21 and April 28. Call head coach H. McNutt at (928) 580-0918 for details. The board meeting is 6 p.m. April 30.

• 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. Matches open to the public with instructions when necessary. All firearms must comply with NRA guidelines. Membership in NRA is not required. No belted magnums, cartridges must not result in damage to targets. Small bore defined as .22 long rifle. Ammunition (no .22 mags). Pistol and rifle matches including a share of black powder, silhouette and vintage rifle matches held the fourth Saturday and/or Sunday, 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 (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 website at hprifleyuma. net.

• 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 the 2nd Sunday, 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 Bob Wiles at 920-2158 with questions.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club: Archery is offered on Sundays with their practice range also open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 7821097.

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