Bass Fishing

An Overview of the Gila Mountains

Online Editors — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:26:31 -0400

Situated in far southern New Mexico, the Gilas boast some of the most remote backcountry fish and game habitat in the Lower 48. More importantly, this range of rugged mountains is home to one of the nation’s most rare salmonids, the native Gila trout.

Once on the verge of extinction, TU and other conservation groups, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, have worked to restore these beautiful native fish to their home waters.

Additionally, the area provides outstanding opportunity for anglers pursuing a host of game fish in the middle and lower reaches of the Gila River. Fortunate anglers can catch smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout and even catfish in the warmer, lower reaches of the river.

Hunters, too, have reason to visit the Gilas—huge elk and deer populations grace this country, as does a prime population of wild turkeys. On the Gilas dryer and lower slopes, quail are common and provide excellent sport for the upland bird hunter.

The mountains, too, shelter some of the region’s priceless cultural artifacts, including remote cliff dwellings from an ancient Native American civilization that to this day puzzles modern archaeologists.

Unfortunately, the area is being impacted by excessive and illegal off-road vehicle use. Pioneered trails are bisecting big game habitat and contributing silt and sediment to the Gila’s trout streams.

Cross-country travel is creating a spider web of improperly maintained trails that wash out during storms and rut deeply, permanently scarring otherwise habitable land for game and fish.

Properly maintaining legal trails is important to the Best Wild Places project—there are no efforts to close legal routes. But illegal and unofficial routs that impact habitat—and hunting and fishing opportunity—must be closed and reclaimed.

It will fall to sportsmen and ORV users themselves to police bad actors and protect this place forever.

What’s in the Gilas?
Fishing assets: Native Gila trout, smallmouth bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, catfish, suckers and various warmwater species in lower reaches of the Gila River drainage.
Hunting assets: Elk, deer, turkey, quail, varmints.
Other: Remains of ancient Native American civilizations, ample camping and touring opportunities, hiking, geocaching, cycling, etc.

Threats: Increased presence of illegally “pioneered” off-road trails that impact habitat and hunting and fishing opportunity.

Fly Fishing Gear That Works: SmithFly Products

Online Editors — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:58:40 -0400

by Kirk Deeter

You know what we don't see nearly enough of in fly fishing these days? Products that actually work better than advertised. We're promised everything from rods that will seemingly cast themselves to waders that wear like footie pajamas, and rarely does the performance really, truly live up to the billing.

SmithFly, an Ohio-based manufacturer of modular fishing gear, on the other hand, over-delivers. From waist packs and vests to boat bags, the best way to describe this stuff is to say it's born of a "tactical" influence: Super rugged and extremely functional. At first glance, they're perhaps not what the "fashionista" angler has in mind.

The concept is pretty simple: Using modular components, you can latch on and build out a vest or bag to your exact specifications, rather than the configuration a product designer assumes you want. That's a huge bonus for the ever-quirky, finicky gearhead types like myself. And the construction (made in USA) is really tough. For example, the boat bag isn't advertised as waterproof, but the other night Romano waited out a 45-minute downpour and everything inside stayed dry.

Here's more of what he had to say:

"I have the Boat Bag and absolutely love that it has one large compartment with a zippered pouch inside. I've been attaching the 2x pouch on the outside and simply slinging this over my back on my stand up paddle board on the bass pond. I've got everything I need in there — soft plastics in the zippered pocket, hard baits in a box, and multiple fly boxes. The terminal tackle and everything else goes in the 2X pouch. I can stuff the kitchen sink in it if I want to, or put very little in it. I had a rain jacket, two beers, water bottle, four fly boxes, a hard bait box, soft plastics, etc., in it the other night and it was very comfortable. I've also had it out with one fly box, tippet and hemos and it felt fine."

You kind of need to see this stuff to get a true understanding of how it works. I expect as more anglers get wind of SmithFly and more fly shops pick up this brand, that will be easier to do.

World Record Fish: 221 Catches Submitted to The IGFA

Sarah Smith — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:48:56 -0400

The International Game Fish Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to game fish conservation and research. Created in 1939, the IGFA maintains world records for both freshwater and saltwater game fishes. Records are divided by line class, tippet class and all-tackle categories. The IGFA introduced a new all-tackle length category in 2011, keeping separate records for length. Entries in this category must be measured on an official IGFA Measuring device — all fish must also be released alive and unharmed.

To qualify for weight records, a fish must weigh a minimum of one pound. With the exception of all-tackle records, anglers must submit their claim to the IGFA within 60 days of the date of catch for fish caught in U.S. continental waters. Applications for fish caught in other bodies of water must be received within three months of the date of catch.

In order for a fish to qualify for an IGFA record, it must be weighed on a certified scale. Anglers must also submit a completed IGFA form, mandatory length of line and terminal tackle used to catch the fish, plus photographs. For more information, visit the IGFA website.

Huge 74lb. Striper Pulled From Long Island Sound

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:43:28 -0400

Captain Blaine Anderson, owner and operator of Anderson Guide Services, pulled this monster 74lb. striper from the Long Island Sound on Wednesday, May 23. Check out his amazing photos plus a video of the fight here!

For more information on Anderson's guide services, which include one or two person light tackel charters, visit his website, call 860-667-4523 or visit his Facebook page.

Video: 20,000 Trout in a Bucket

Online Editors — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:15:37 -0400

by Tim Romano

The title of this post is a little misleading. While in theory these little guys are in a bucket, what you're actually seeing here is 20,000 freshly hatched cut bow trout (a hybrid between a cutthroat and a rainbow) in what's called an egg jar.

This is where the little guys get blown around in freshwater at the hatchery before being let loose inside in small raceways when they get a little bigger and have consumed their egg sacs. After that, they are transferred outside and fed until they're ready to be stocked in a river or lake. I found watching them to be pretty mesmerizing. I hope you do too.

The CatchFeed: 50 Top Photos from Catchbook, Field & Stream's New Social Fishing App

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:43:40 -0400

These 50 photos are our editors' picks for the best shots posted so far by users of our new Catchbook app!

About Catchbook Fishing Reports
Catchbook is a free social fishing app we built for the iPhone to help you share photos of your fish while recording the spots where you caught them. Check out more great fish photos from around the country (and start posting your own catches) by downloading the app from iTunes! Visit fieldandstream.com/catchbook for details on how the app works, and why it'll help you catch more fish.

Catchbook Photo Contest
We're giving away a Columbia PFG Blood and Guts™ Ball Cap, for the best photo posted each week (as chosen by our editors) from now until then end of July. At the end of each month we'll pick our favorite overall shot and run it in the magazine! Each monthly winner will also receive a Columbia Airgill Chill™ Long Sleeve (men) or Ultimate Chill™ Long Sleeve (women). Click here to learn how you can enter this contest. Click here for the official rules.

Smallmouth Jerkbait Tips from Bass Pro Bill Lowen

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:37 -0400

by Joe Cermele

Last week I spent some time chasing smallmouths up in Buffalo, New York. If you're a smallmouth freak like I am, at some point you have to fish Lake Erie. Even the small fish are footballs and the shear number of bass is insane. One day I shared a boat with Elite Bass Pro Bill Lowen, who proceeded to crush me in the numbers of bass category. It seems every time I fish with a bass pro, I'm like Baby Huey. Case in point, at the end of this video featuring some great jerkbait tips from Lowen, you get to watch Billy yank a treble hook that's buried to the bend out of my hand. It was bound to happen sooner or later while I was rolling a camera. Enjoy.

Step-by-Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "Banksia Bug" Fly

Online Editors — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:47:55 -0400

Tie Talk: Tying the Banksia Bug (Step-by-Step Photos)

Online Editors — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:19:23 -0400

by Tim Romano

Here's another sweet little bug from our friends at flyrecipes.com. It's called the Banksia Bug (formerly known as the Patchouli Pupa) and was created by my friend and warm water fly fishing guru Jay Zimmerman.

"I began tying this fly to imitate the masses of free-living caddis larva in all my home waters here in Colorado and elsewhere in trout streams all over the West.

I have rarely found good commercially available flies that can fill this niche. Its a very productive fly because this particular caddis larva is a notoriously poor swimmer, often getting swept away in the current, making it an easily recognizable food organism and makes up a large portion of a trouts diet," says Jay.

"I have found this pattern to work well in rivers with an abundance of small to medium-size stonefly nymphs leading me to believe my fly is suggestive enough for trout to mistake it for any number of long-bodied aquatic insects as well. With this in mind, I am now using this fly in lakes with equal success! I was hoping it could double as a case maker caddis larva, but have found it works exceptionally well in lakes with a lot of active damselflies."

You can purchase the fly at your favorite fly shop that carries the ump qua brand or follow these instructions and tie it yourself.

Our 20 Coolest and Strangest Fish Stories

Online Editors — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:05:51 -0400