Outdoors Column: Tips, tricks for catching bass or catfish

Fishing in the Yuma area along Colorado River waters will improve as our weather and water conditions continue on the cool side — a good time to toss your line in the water for that great fishing fun — and take a kid along so he or she can share the enjoyment with you.

Topwater is working like a charm this month for largemouth bass — just make sure you choose the right gear so you can detect the slightest change in feel that occurs when a bass takes your plastic worm. Try using a fishing line no heavier than three times the weight of the average size bass you catch (light lines not only enable you to cast a wider range of lure weights but are also harder for a bass to see in clear water). The proper weight of line will also give you a maximum feel as well as adequate strength.

Anglers suggest choosing a rod with a slight flex in the tip to handle a wide range of lure weights. Cast your line quietly and keep the average cast under 30 feet. Keep your eyes locked on the line where it penetrates the surface of the water in order to catch line movement or tension change. Keep your hooks sharp and keep the slack out of your line so you can set the hook quickly. For open water fishing, try 6-pound test for quarterounce lures, 8-pound test for one third-ounce lures, and 10-pound test for halfounce lures. For weedy, brush cover, raise these line tests by four pounds each. If you want to try topwater fishing, nights are still good, mouths of channels going into lakes, shorelines with abundant growth, and points with nearby drop-offs can all be good choices for topwater fishing. While calm waters may work best for topwater plugs, it also works in rougher water but needs more noise to magnify its presence.

Retrieve slow and steady when the cast is to a shallow water structure — often a fish will strike during a pause in the retrieve. If this doesn’t work, vary the speed between fast and slow. And again, keep the slack out of the line so you can set the hook Jean Wilson quickly.

If channel catfish is your bag, try 8- to 10-pound test line with a slip bobber. Place the bobber 4-5 feet up the line (if the line is longer, it becomes too awkward to cast) along with a No. 2 hook and cut bait, use chicken liver, live or stick baits (the stinkier the better). If you are using a spinning outfit, keep the bail open so line can feed freely because catfish almost always swim a short distance before swallowing their food and they will notice resistance quickly. Small fish will attempt to tear off chunks of your bait and will dip the bobber around or up and down. Same is true for a big cat investigating your offering. Once the bobber disappears and does not return, stop playing out the line. Then as soon as the line becomes taut, set the hook firmly. If you have trouble hooking a decentsize channel catfish, check to see if the hook’s barb is exposed enough. If you have buried the hook point too deep in the bait, it may not penetrate the catfish’s mouth when you set the hook. Once hooked, large catfish will make for deep water or sunken timber. Tighten the drag and try to keep the fish from running out your spool or tangling the line. Keep the rod tip fairly high and take every opportunity to reel in the line as often as you can. Once the fish is at your fingertips, watch out for it’s whiskers — this is where wearing a glove comes in handy. Grasp the cat firmly at mid body and remove the hook with forceps or needle-nose pliers. The smaller catfish tend to swallow baits too deeply, so by using only large chunks of cut bait, you can avoid hooking catfish too small to keep.

For flathead catfish, which are still biting like crazy along Colorado River waters, work with a heavy-duty rod and reel and use goldfish for bait for the heftier of the species (live bluegill are also great bait for the big ugly. To keep from losing a flathead once you have him on your line, utilize the same suggestions as for channel catfish, only think tougher and stronger.

Fishing Clubs

• Desert Anglers begins in January: With a format very similar to what Desert Bass Anglers had been, the club fishing tournaments will begin again in January as “Desert Anglers” with Michael Obney and his wife handling it — that will be very good for all anglers in Yuma, San Diego and Phoenix who enjoyed Desert Bass Anglers so much through so many years. The tournament schedule can be found at The Hideaway on east 16th Street (Highway 95) where Mitch’s Bait Shop used to be — or give Michael an evening call at 928-750-708 or Blake Hash at the Hideaway at 928-581-4725. I’ll report tournaments and dates here soon.

• Pro/Am tournaments: Anyone interested in taking on Pro/Am tournaments so it can continue in Yuma? In order to take on Desert Anglers for the McDermotts, Michael Obney had to close the Desert Pro/Am Draw Series he had worked so hard at so he needs someone to continue the Pro/Am in Yuma for anglers who prefer that type of fishing club — rumor has it there are a share of fishermen who love Pro/Am and miss it. Give Michael a call (evenings) at 7507081 to ask questions.

• Yuma High School Bass Fishing Club: A great way for any high schooler, both boys and girls, to learn about fishing for bass with members of the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club and other volunteers assisting the kids in providing them with boats and equipment as well as guidance as they learn. It is an exciting year so far for our next generation of anglers at Fisher’s Landing/Martinez Lake. Keep a check on this column for results of Bryce who is a member of the High School Bass Fishing Club once he fishes the National competition coming up. Good luck, fishin’, to this hard working young man! Interested high schoolers can call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started. I’m hoping for an update soon on how the high schoolers are doing.

• Question about kids fishing: Any youngsters with parents who might want to go fishing? Let me know and we’ll set a Saturday date to begin. I say “parents” because at least one adult is needed to come with you to assist your attempts to fish and for safety — there are a few of us who would be there to assist you as well. There is no cost and if you don’t have a pole to use, I have a few to use for this fishing fun. Email me at jeanrenegade@gmail.com. For the youngsters, both boys and girls, fishing is a great sport to get into, then if you like it a lot, you could even get into the High School Bass Fishing Club and learn all about bass fishing with some great teachers.

Hunt happenings

Gearing up for a hunt? Don’t forget the non-lead ammo. Arizona hunters have proven their long-held commitment to wildlife conservation by voluntarily working to reduce the amount of lead exposure to endangered California condors, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is encouraging all hunters to join the effort this fall. Hunters drawn for hunts in Game Management Units 12 and 13 (north Kaibab National Forest and Arizona Strip) are eligible to participate in the department’s non-lead ammunition program and are encouraged to pick up their free ammunition early, while supplies last. Information about the program was mailed to those who drew hunt tags for the selected units. Lead poisoning has been identified as the leading cause of diagnosed death in endangered condors and the main obstacle to a self-sustaining population in Arizona and southern Utah.

Since 2008, 88% of hunters in Arizona’s condor range have voluntarily used non-lead ammunition during their hunts or, if they used lead ammunition, removed the gut piles from the field. AZGFD reminds hunters that if they have trouble finding non-lead ammunition, they can still support condor recovery by removing gut piles from the field that were shot with lead ammunition. Hunters that remove their gut piles (lead ammunition only) are eligible to be entered into a raffle that offers prizes including an elk hunt on the Navajo Nation, Phoenix Zoo Total Experience tickets, Sportsman’s Warehouse gift cards and other prizes generously donated by multiple wildlife conservation partners.

“Hunters in Arizona have always been true partners in wildlife conservation,” said Allen Zufelt, AZGFD condor program coordinator. “Last year, 90% of hunters removed approximately 4 tons of remains that were potentially contaminated by lead ammunition or voluntarily used non-lead ammunition. These successes are clear evidence of our hunters’ continued commitment to condor management.” The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which coordinates condor management with AZGFD, has implemented a lead-reduction program in southern Utah. As the condor population has become more established, the birds have increased their foraging area and now use southern Utah heavily during the fall hunting season.

Studies suggest that lead shot and bullet fragments found in animal carcasses and gut piles are the most likely source of lead exposure. Many hunters do not realize that the carcass or gut pile they leave in the field usually contains lead bullet fragments. Gut piles from animals harvested with non-lead ammunition provide an important food source for the condors and should be left in the field. Arizona’s condor population was reintroduced to the state under a 10(j) rule, a special provision of the Endangered Species Act that designates the population as experimental and not essential to the species’ survival. The 10(j) rule was used to obtain acceptance among communities in Arizona and Utah and assures that “current and future land uses shall not be restricted due to condors” and that the federal government did “not intend to” modify or restrict “current hunting regulations anywhere in the experimental population area.” Information on non-lead ammunition and how hunters can help is sent by mail to those drawn for hunts in condor range. For more information on condors and lead and a list of available non-lead ammunition, visit azgfd.gov/condor.

• AZGFD continues innovative public-private collaborations to help fund wildlife conservation: Join Canyon Coolers in supporting the 800-plus species of wildlife that call Arizona home. Now through Nov. 22, click here to automatically apply the discount code “Conserve” at CanyonCoolers.com and you’ll get 10% off and a free copper tumbler (while supplies last). Plus, Canyon Coolers will donate 10% of your total purchase price to the Arizona Game and Fish Department to support wildlife conservation. Use this link to automatically apply the discount code to your cart: http:// bit.ly/2lMqoSp.

AZGFD is proud to announce this unique collaboration with Canyon Coolers, a premium cooler company headquartered in Flagstaff, as part of its ongoing efforts to find innovative ways to fund wildlife conservation. With strong local ties and a deep-rooted interest in the great outdoors, Canyon Coolers is eager to support the department’s mission. This collaboration exemplifies the governor’s emphasis on embracing innovation to promote small businesses while expanding opportunities to fund conservation of the state’s natural resources. The Arizona Game and Fish Department conserves and protects the state’s 800-plus species of wildlife, and this critical wildlife conservation work is done without any general fund tax dollars. Your support makes all the difference in our combined success. Offer valid toward online purchases only. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions.

• HAHWG ready with trivia: The final edits from the Summer HAHWG meeting are in and ready to go in the new Trivia 2.0. The vendor is ready to host a number of viewings. If you haven’t done so already, reserve your viewing today with 4conat@nwtf.net or dburt@azgfd.gov. Let’s get this thing out there, showing and with information for sportsmen about HAHWG, OSN (OutdoorsSkillsAZ), your organization and the need for recruitment, retention and reactivation. A reminder of both quail season and desert zone waterfowl season opened Oct. 18.

Shooting sports

• 4-H Shooting Sports: The Yuma County 4-H shooting sports is open to any 4-H youth ages 9-19 with an end of the year competition in March. Call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 344-0740 with questions or if you have a youngster who wants to join a 4-H club in time for fall training to get in on the shooting sports at the Ware Farm in Gila Valley.

• The Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Regular shooting matches are 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays. Beginning in November, matches will also be held noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Adair Park trap and skeet range with fees $1 to sign up with $6 non-member fee per round of 25 targets. Member’s fee is $4 per round with 5 shooting fields available — field 1 & 2 skeet, field 3 wobble trap, field 4 & 5 trap. Eye and hearing protection required for all shooting. Annual dues $30 per calendar year. Call Bob Avila at 928-919-0622.

• The Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP): The program, open to ages 9-25 still in school, will continue once our weather cools a bit with a team of Arizona Game and Fish Department certified instructors assisting. Call head coach H. McNutt at 928-580-4838 or John Gross at 580-1836 for answers to questions.

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: Keep checking on this column for news of 3D animal shoots being held by Renegades at the Foothills Archery Range or call Kevin Wilson at 928-726-0953.

• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: Get in on the open black powder matches at the Adair Park range, 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453 with questions or to ask about .22 matches.

• Cholla Gun Club: Club NRA approved matches (NRA membership not required) will resume in November at Adair Park. Call Rick Kelley at 928-502-0736. The range will remain open to the public for safe shooting practice until the maintaining club returns.

• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: All shooters are always welcome to shoot with the club. Call Joseph Murek at 928627-4556 with questions. Shooting activities are also available for club junior “Whipper Snipers” for all ages as well. Check club matches along with other club 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, with the cowboy fast draw the 3rd Saturday. SASS cowboy fast draw matches have moved from Saturday to the 4th Sunday. Call Ronnie Gissendaner at 726-0022 to check summer and fall matches. Interested in cowboy action shooting? Call Irene Snyder at 920-6134598 or Bob Wiles at 920-2158.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club: Archery is offered Sundays with the practice range open all week at Adair Park. Call Keith Parsels at 782-1086.

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