fishing for a few boys

[catfish]

Looking to take a few kids 12 to 16 fishing and haven't been out in the past couple years. Where would a good place be for success and a good hangout area

[CouesPursuit]

for the day, overnight, full weekend?

 

this weekend or in the next couple months?

 

can they cast well?

 

is success measured in inches or quantity?

 

access to a small boat or kayak?

[catfish]

Full weekend. And yea they can cast pretty good and succes would be in quanity and a fun time

[longshooter]

Havasu

[Big Browns]

What type of fish are you looking for? Would you be happy with a bunch of Carp & Cats?

[bowhuntaz1]

I'm interested in the catfish and carp big browns. My girls have been asking me for a few weeks now.

[CouesPursuit]

I'll be able to type a good recommendation tomorrow but last question, access to a small watercraft?

[CouesPursuit]

Here are 2 good options if you have an entire weekend.

 

1- In February, one of my favorite trips used to be to Hawley lake in the White Mountains for Brown trout. For whatever reason IMO in Feb they are most susceptible to bite and there is opportunity at catching 20+" fish. I've heard they may be spawning but most literature says they spawn in the fall. At any rate, I've had success bait fishing with a couple split shots and a 20" leader tipped with a meal worm and a kernel of corn, yes both. Check the legality of using a treble hook on the reservation but best way to rig this is meal worm across 2/3 of the treble hook and 2 kernels of corn over 1/3 of the treble hook. My favorite Brown trout casting lures are Blue Fox spinners.

This is my favorite pattern but most any would work.

Several kids could stay entertained in the highlighted north shore area.

 

 

2- In March-April, crappie and bass start firing up with the warmer temps. If I was leading a trip with a few boys, looking for a good hang out and potential at catching a lot of fish, consider an overnight trip to Roosevelt, Alamo, or Bartlett Lakes. This is where I was asking if you had access to small watercraft. But, I would get set up with a 12v deep cycle battery and a couple 'crappie' lights. They have both submersible (often green) and floating (mostly white) lights, I use both but the floating white lights work just fine and are cheap.

I still use a couple of these $10 night blasters that are literally as old as me.

Setting it up right as it gets dark, get those lights connected to a battery in the kayak/small watercraft, and use some ingenuity to anchor it a casting distance away from the shoreline. Ideally the water should be at least 10' deep and less than 25' but the max doesn't really matter.

Here is a screen shot of a place on the Tonto end of Roosevelt lake I caught several last year, something like this is good.

Within an hour or so, hopefully you start to witness a food chain - Lights attract plankton, which attract balls of threadfin shad, finally attracting crappie, largemouth, yellow bass, and catfish. You should be able to witness predator fish darting in and out of the light. You can cast just about any lure that resembles a baitfish, in but especially just outside the lights. The best bait is a minnow on a small aberdeen hook with a split shot and a slip bobber. You can go through several dozen minnows on a good night or you can waste a dozen watching the constellations move.

I've really only touched the surface so let me know if you are interested and have any questions. I do several "night stalks" a year in my boat, especially in May/June. Something to be said about beating the heat and being under the stars this time of year. Some nights are unbelievable with the fishing. I'll document my process one night this spring and make a thread.

[reezenhunter]

Hawley lake is closed