Color makes the difference when fishing for bass

In fishing as in fashion, color does make a difference. The right combination of color can turn a drab day on the water into a sparkling success.

In bass fishing, the trick is to find the right lure color — one that works best for the given situation especially when using plastic or rubber worms, because there are so many combinations to choose from. A little research will help determine what color will bring best results. Check visibility of the water — tie on a white or bright colored worm and reel it up against your rod tip. Push the worm down into the water and note at what point it fades from sight. If it disappears at two feet in shaded water, use brighter, more reflective combinations such as a white or blonde body with a fluorescent red tail or light blue with metallic flecks.

The slower the worm sinks, the more times a bass has to hone in on it. For water with six-foot visibility, try quieter colors such as motor oil, pumpkin-seed, brown, black or green. Dingy water calls for a larger worm up to 12-inches long because of it’s greater visibility. In very clear water three- and six-inch sizes usually bring results.

No matter what the situation, bass still need to eat so just go deeper, be quieter and if you’re in a boat, arrive and leave a spot with a minimum of motor noise and fish earlier in the day or later at night. Fishing on dark, overcast, low-light days is another good bet (hard to come by in Yuma). Watch for the splash of bass chasing shad.

A rubber jig with a pork trailer also brings good results in hot weather. Surface lures are good in the heat, when daytime hours are out. Crankbaits can also entice a bass if they are worked slow. Spinnerbaits work well if presented in a lift-and-drop manner along steep shorelines or tumbled over submerged ledges and drop-offs. Don’t overlook nightcrawlers, if all else fails. Jean Wilson

Trolling with deep diving plugs is a method to try for finicky bass, and fish areas where you’ve had previous results. Put plenty of patience to work and if you catch a small bass, be persistent. Chances are “big brother” is not far off.

This time of year, no matter what you work with, plan to be on the water before daylight when it’s still on the cool side for a decent largemouth bass bite. Work areas near heavy cover with weedless lures specifically designed for dense weed beds — they travel smoothly through the weed beds until a bass bites into the body exposing the hooks.

Current weather conditions are prime for capturing big catfish at areas along the Colorado River with channel catfish going after crayfish or shrimp as well as the usually chicken liver, all fished around rocky shorelines. Try leaving your bait free with no weight, drift shrimp or blood bait across a flat near a stream channel to entice a bite. Don’t overlook the foamy tail waters below Imperial and Laguna Dams. Fish live bait such as goldfish, bluegill or even small tilapia or mullet at night for hungry flatheads. Remember to use heavy tackle when going after big fish.

No matter what the weather, keep your fishing pole working in the water. The more you fish, the more you’ll learn and the better you’ll become. Most of all, enjoy every minute!

Fishing clubs

• Free life jacket exchange: The free life jacket exchange is a first for the Yuma area. Bring in your old life jacket and go home with a new one from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Martinez Lake. Have questions? Call the Yuma Region IV office of Game and Fish at (928) 342-0091 or contact Joe Cox at Joe.Cox@yumaaz. gov or JHoffman@azgfd.gov.

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: Be ready early morning Sept. 8 (date change because of dove season) to fish the next tournament.

The club reminds each of us to keep your live-well in good condition — check it often so those fish will be kept in good shape after weigh-in to be returned to the water for catching a next time. Keeping you cool as well is also a necessity when fishing so you can come back a next time. Note from Mac and Bobbi: Because of the early summer hours of tournaments this time of year, lights are now required at launch to prevent close calls at the boat ramp. Don’t violate the light rule — we’d like to maintain our no accidents or injuries record.

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: I hope to get results of the latest Bob Hefner Memorial Bass Season Final 2-day derby so I can report them in my next column or call Clint Fraser at 580-3231. I’ll have results soon, I promise.

• Desert Draw Series Pro/Am Bass Fishing Club: Hopefully you were able to get together with the club for Saturday’s fishing tournament. Check next week’s column for results or call Michael at (928) 750-7081 with questions

• Michael Obney is encouraging non-boaters to sign up for tournaments as well as boaters. In essence, that is what the idea behind the draw is: Pair non-boaters with boaters to exchange ideas — a win, win situation. Call Michael Obney at (928) 750-7081 with questions or suggestions.

• 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 knowhow’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 super young people also help others with their fishing along the way by assisting at local youth events.

Hunt happenings

• “Don’t believe anything you’re told and about half of what you see”: Animals First Arizona, (an off-shoot of and in cahoots with the Humane Society of the U.S. to stop hunting not only in Arizona but eventually in the whole United States) is constantly coming up on Facebook with completely untrue news items, so keep an open mind and be careful of what you believe. Remember, wild game management is a tool used by the Arizona Game and Fish Department along with other decent, law-abiding outdoors organizations who truly care about wildlife to ensure the future of the many species of wildlife that reside in our state. Sometimes when large populations of predators (wild animals gang up and kill other, most times most vulnerable, young wildlife because that is their way of life) destroy other animals that are none-predators without good cause, it calls for drastic measures — hard decisions must be made and it becomes necessary without a doubt to cull the predator herds in order to bring safety to young wildlife as they are beginning to grow. A hard choice, always, but a necessary one. Check next week’s column for a bit of news from the Arizona Wildlife Federation about their thoughts. They promote good support of wildlife animals always and have good and true information to help us to better understand what is going on in our outdoors. Don’t miss it!

• Pre-season shoot at the Adair Park trap and skeet range Aug. 26: Plan now to get in on the practice for dove season beginning Sept. 1 to be ready and able to enjoy a successful hunt. The practice matches will begin at 7 a.m. lasting until there aren’t enough shooting for a squad. Match fees are $5. Winners will receive a $15 gift card from Sprague’s along with a one-time range pass for that extra practice. Call Sprague’s Sports at 726-0022 for information for winners and Bog Avila at 919-0622 with questions about the shoot.

• Scout before the dove hunt: Get out one evening just before dark and keep your eyes peeled. Doves will typically pick densely vegetated areas for roosts. If you locate a lot of birds heading for roosting areas (dense stands of honey mesquite, salt cedars, palo verde trees or citrus groves or are using a riparian area along the river with access to both food and water), it’s a good bet they’ll be there again sometime in the mornings. The trick is to be where the doves want to be — where there’s food on hand and water nearby.

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: If you’re wondering where to find early morning dove to hunt opening day, make yourself available Sept. 1 to take your youngster for the Clint Curry Memorial Youth Dove Hunt at Moore Farms in Dome Valley. Arrive by 5 a.m. to sign in, get together with Pat Headington of Game and Fish to go through all the firearms safety issues prior to getting into the field for the hunting. If hunt licenses or bird stamps are needed, Chris Bedinger of Game and Fish will be on hand with what you need along with giving each youngster a free box of ammunition. Accompanying adults will get to hunt along with their youngster(s). Questions? Call Brian Shadd at 271-1234. I’ll have more information each week as the date gets closer.

Also plan ahead for the 12th annual Mike Mitchell Memorial Dove Hunter’s Barbecue the evening of Sept. 1 at Cocopah Bend RV Resort, 6800 Strand Ave., sponsored by the YVRGC Club and Southwest Wildlife Foundation. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., with dinner starting at 6 p.m. Bring the whole family for lots of fun, win guns and gear and more. Meal tickets are $25 with kids meal (12 and under) $10. If you’d like to be a table sponsor or assist with a donation of some kind, call Cheryl Jones at (928) 920-6934. There will be live and silent auctions, games and raffles going throughout the evening with all proceeds to benefit youth and wildlife conservation efforts. Anyone who might enjoy becoming a sponsor and want to make a donation of any kind can call Cheryl.

• Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop set for Sept. 7-9: For women who just want to find out what the outdoors experience is all about. Signing up for a Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop is a great place to start. The Arizona Wildlife Federation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will conduct its next BOW workshop Sept. 7-9 at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott. The workshop introduces like-minded women (18 and older) to outdoor skills in an enjoyable, no-pressure setting with expert instructors.

For information, visit www.azwildlife.org email awf@azwildlife.org or call (480) 644-0077.

Shooting sports

• 4-H Shooting Sports: The Yuma County 4-H training schedule for shooting sports will start on Sept. 20 with a safety class and answering questions about the project, open to any 4-H youth ages 9-19 that are a member of a Yuma County 4-H Community Club. Training will begin at the Yuma County Fairgrounds with archery and air rifle, then in December move to Dome Valley and add black powder, small bore .22 and shotgun with a training camp out in January and end of the year competition in March. Call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 344-0740 with questions.

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: If you’d like to shoot the trail of 3D animals with us at the Foothills Archery Range, call Kevin at 7260953 or Jean at 247-4450. Archery instruction for anyone interested is free! 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 (also free use) daylight hours all week for archers practice and enjoyment. You might be better satisfied bringing along your own target — people seem to be intent on tearing down the expensive cotton bales — 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 at Adair Park, located off Highway 95, 15 miles east of Yuma, turning west onto Adair Range Road, first range on the right. Call Bob Avila at (928) 919-0622.

• The Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) will begin again when weather cools a bit. Call head coach H. McNutt at (928) 580-0918 if you are interested.

• Mark your calendar to be at the trap and skeet range Aug. 26 for great practice for a successful dove hunt (see information above).

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

• Cholla Gun Club at Adair Park: Call Glenda Graves at (928) 5800915 for shooting times. Watch for their shooting schedule beginning again this fall.

• 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 Paul Lerma at 580-7456 to learn about shooting at the Adair Park big bore range. Club junior “Whipper Snipers” will begin their shooting activities for all ages again in September. Check club matches as well as Whipper Snipers news 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.