Tabla de contenidos para June/July 2022 en Game & Fish West

Of you’ve been waiting to introduce someone to fishing, now is the time to do it. Kids go on summer break, leaving their days open for a trip to the water. And if you’re looking to take an adult on his or her first outing, longer periods of daylight leave more time at the end of the workday for a lesson. No need to make it an all-day event; newbies won’t likely appreciate a hard-core approach no matter how good the fishing. An hour or two in the morning or evening is perfect. Summer is a time for ponds and panfish, which is the ideal combination for new anglers. Moving water introduces current into the presentation equation, which can be tricky for beginning anglers to understand. Large bodies of water…

Water temperatures approach their annual peak as the sun climbs higher in the summer sky. As their environment warms toward uncomfortable or even lethal levels, gamefish respond in predictable ways in an effort to do one simple thing: cool down, even by just a few degrees. While many fish concentrate around deep cover or suspend in deep water, some fish—often largemouth bass of exceptional size—make the exact opposite transition, moving into thick, matted vegetation in shallow water. These fish ride out the summer heat in the slop. SUMMER SHADE The number of quality largemouth bass that are sucked into shallow slop by midsummer is amazing. The primary reason for this predictable congregation is rudimentary. Matted weed growth on the surface—and the duckweed, algae and “gunk” it collects—provides protection from the…

Go ahead, ask your hunting buddy. What percentage of poachers in America are caught and convicted? Half? A quarter? Not even close. Research sponsored by the Boone and Crockett Club and its partners indicates that the number is incredibly, depressingly much lower. Based on early studies of a decade of wildlife crime citations and court data from Kentucky, researchers estimate that fewer than 3 percent of poachers in the Bluegrass State are caught and convicted. That’s probably not an outlier; poaching rates in other states are distressingly similar, based on earlier studies that looked at illicit wildlife exploitation. Poaching is not only a theft of animals and opportunities from legal hunters, but it turns out there’s a tremendous monetary cost, too. Using only the minimum penalties assessed for fines and…

Crawfish live in streams throughout much of the West, and if you’re not dropping a crawfish trap or two on your next fishing trip, you’re missing out on some of the best and easiest-to-get wild food nature has to offer. Here’s how to go about getting yourself a meal of miniature lobsters as streams warm from spring into summer. METHOD NOT MADNESS Using traps is the most efficient method for catching crawfish, as they allow you to go trout or bass fishing while the traps fill up. Just come back at the end of the day and reap your reward. Even on catch-and-release fishing trips, you go home with dinner. If you are on a two-day fishing trip, even better: Set your traps the evening before you leave and pull…

Few plugs have had an impact on trout fishing like the Mag Lip. The fact that it can be trolled multiple ways in lakes, and back-trolled as well as cast in rivers, speaks to its diversity. For trout, the top three Mag Lip sizes are 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0. It’s the skip-beat action of these plugs that really captures the attention of trout. If wanting to cast a Mag Lip, go with light line and a long, limber rod. An 8-foot rod and 6-pound monofilament or a thin braid are a great combination. Mag Lips float, so if casting from shore, slow the retrieve so it doesn’t dig into the bottom. If fishing from a boat, you can reel faster to gain more depth. The faster you reel, the deeper…

Trout may be king across the West, but for a small group of die-hard warmwater anglers, catfish are every bit as challenging, abundant and accessible, and these disciples are eager to spread the gospel of the whiskerfish. But we’re not just talking about lazy-water channel catfish. The region has a surprising number of flatheads and blue catfish—and big ones, too. Most of these trophies swim in the region’s biggest reservoirs, but rivers also produce impressive numbers and sizes of catfish. The West’s warmwater fisheries are among the most diverse in the nation, ranging from big, tidal-influenced rivers such as the Sacramento to large flatland rivers like the Missouri and Arkansas. Stillwater options range from large impoundments such as Utah’s Lake Powell and Idaho’s Brownlee Reservoir to smaller turbid gems like…

Crawfish are usually cooked with other foods to make a meal. A classic is a crawfish boil. In a large pot, put baby potatoes and andouille sausage cut into bite-sized pieces, then add water to a level above the food. Cooking a boil is not an exact science. Feel free to adjust ingredient amounts according to how many folks you’re feeding. Put in an appropriate amount of seafood boil seasoning. I prefer either Louisiana Fish Fry Products’ Crawfish Shrimp & Crab Boil or Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil mixes. For amounts, follow directions on the packages. Boil until the potatoes are almost done, then add some ears of corn that have been husked and broken in half. Put in whole crawfish. Depending on how much other food is in…

Anglers who head to offshore hotspots like the Tanner and Cortez banks off San Diego or the blue-water break off Oregon and Washington have long been aware of the effectiveness of vertical jigging, but the relatively new gear and approach used in a method known as slow-pitch jigging is making the tactic much easier than ever before—and more successful. Anglers are loading up on bottom species including ocean whitefish, lingcod, sea bass and the various species of rockfish found all along the Pacific Coast without ever touching natural baits. Not only that, the same gear also has proved amazingly effective on a wide variety of pelagic species, including albacore, amberjack, bluefin and yellowfin tuna, dorado and even the occasional wahoo—all species primarily caught suspended in mid-water depths. The slow-pitch process…

Although the Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl I took to Saskatchewan was brand new, it felt like I had been shooting it for years. Anyone who has wielded a shotgun that seemed to become an extension of the arms will understand that’s high praise. A slim fore-end and new barrel design made pointing the Pro Waterfowl intuitive, and it was light and easy to swing. Perhaps the most surprisingly aspect of the shotgun, however, is its ability to reduce felt recoil. The 940 Pro line is equipped with a new gas operating system that throws spent shells 12 to 15 feet and uses up much of the energy that contributes to recoil. It cycled flawlessly as I chewed through a case of ammunition. The shotgun is adjustable for drop, cast and…

Years ago I’d disappear into the wilderness to hunt elk for 10 days or two weeks at a time. No one would know where I was, or even if I was still alive. It was awesome, but it was also dangerous and stressful for my family. Those times have changed. Now I carry one of Garmin’s inReach satellite communication devices anytime I venture afield. With it I can text my friends and loved ones, check the weather, navigate, mark waypoints, save tracks and much more. And should I become seriously ill or injured I can, with the push of a button, summon search and rescue directly to my location. My go-to inReach device has been the standard Explorer unit, except during hard-core backpacking hunts. For that I carried a superlight…

Bowhunters practice a lot. In the months leading up to bow season, it’s not uncommon to see bowhunters shooting in their backyards every evening. Gun hunters, on the other hand, rarely practice. For many, the closest thing they do to practice is checking to see if their rifle is still sighted in a few days prior to the season starting. This obviously explains why so many deer are missed and wounded with rifles every year. It could be the reason you missed or wounded a deer last season. The key to becoming a better shot with a rifle is to practice. Understandably, it is hard for most to shoot their rifle in the backyard; a trip to a suitable and safe range is needed. Also, ammunition is expensive and currently…

Fishing is many things to many people. It can be as easy as stepping out of your vehicle next to a stream or lake and walking a few feet, or jumping in a boat tied to a slip, or hiking to a destination that requires some degree of physical ability. Many of my favorite fishing memories involve adventures I’ve had in the back 40 or high in a remote wilderness. The idea of just getting away from people is plenty of reason to visit the backcountry, and we all know about competition among anglers. It’s often true that the less pressure, the better the fishing. I’ve learned you don’t need to trek many miles in the wilderness to enjoy backcountry fishing. I’ve had outstanding angling in places where just a…

Rounding the corner in a little lake, I was shocked at the level of recreational activity. Kids frolicked in various crafts, enjoying themselves in the afternoon heat, smack in my favorite stretch of trolling water. Moving into a secluded arm, I found trout holding where I’d never caught them before. The weeds growing from the bottom were sparse—about 5 feet tall—and the trout were tucked into the middle, seeking cover and cooler conditions. Rather than troll, my buddy and I switched to floating bait. The bites were subtle but plentiful, and soon we were cleaning our limits. SUMMER HEAT CHALLENGES As summer temperatures escalate and people seek relief in rivers and lakes, the human activity forces trout to move—often to deeper, more hidden places in lakes and into totally different…

Daiwa, Okuma, Penn, Shimano and others now make rods specifically designed for slow-pitch jigging. The rods are designated by the weight of the lures with which they’re intended to be fished. Rods are typically 6 feet 6 inches to 7 feet 6 inches long, with an extended butt section so the rod can easily be tucked under the arm. The action of the rods would probably be designated parabolic or medium-slow. They flex across most of their length rather than just at the tip, which is the case with the fast-action rods that are favored for casting most artificials. Models designed for lighter jigs in the 50- to 100-gram class look like freshwater bass or walleye rods except for the extended butt section. Those designated for 100 to 300 grams…

Mother Nature has a unique sense of humor. We had gone to bed with bare, dry fields and roads but woke to 8 inches of fresh snow. Part of our hunting crew suffered delays getting to camp, which meant only a handful of us were crazy enough to consider a morning hunt. We pulled onto the highway, and there were no other vehicle tracks. The snow was up to the hubs on the trailer wheels, and it was still snowing hard. I could not help but think about the passage from Robert Ruark’s “The Old Man and The Boy,” when the Old Man remarked that you had to be crazy to be a duck hunter, as foul weather also spells fowl weather. I went bugged-eyed trying to see through the…

Tyler Mann came from eastern Canada years ago to hunt waterfowl in Saskatchewan and never left. Being at the top of the Central Flyway and in an area where many migrant birds find their first agricultural fields, he knew he had found paradise. Mann established the Saskatchewan Goose Company (saskgoose.com) shortly thereafter. The lodge is first-class and was converted from an automobile service station to four-bedroom, three-bathroom accommodations, with half the space as a kitchen and social area. Its duck, goose and deer mounts leave new clients staring at the walls for hours. Adventure-seeking waterfowlers can explore options for a DIY trip through Tourism Saskatchewan (tourismsaskatchewan.com). The organization’s website is a valuable resource for planning hunting and fishing adventures, and it offers a guide to top experiences, including guided packages.…

Jigs are one of the most versatile and effective bass lures of all time. They can probe the entire water column and produce in any habitat, including heavy cover or snag-laden structures where other baits struggle. They’re also known for catching big bass. Historically, jigs have done a great job of visually and audibly attracting bass in environments that few other lures can reach. But now with the introduction of Berkley PowerBait Jigs, which utilize the company’s proprietary infused skirts, anglers can fish jigs that appeal to bass’ sense of smell and taste, too. I recently visited Berkley’s laboratory in Spirit Lake, Iowa, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the development and testing of PowerBait Jigs. Although the chemists and technicians there didn’t reveal any secret formulas, they did shine…