By Ron Johnson In this modern day of fishing, we have more tools at our disposal than ever to locate fish. Furthermore, the lures engineered today look and move so lifelike that it can be hard to separate imitation to the real thing. As a Tournament Angler and Fishing Guide, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting thousands of other Anglers every year. One of the questions I get asked about most often is if I believe fish attractants work.  I am always quick to respond with “ABSOLUTELY!” but then respond back by asking them the same question. Although some use...

  By Ron Johnson As the summer heat turns up in Arizona, fishing gets a bit more challenging. I often hear chatter that the fish don’t bite in the summer, or that it’s too tough to catch fish during this time of year. Water temperatures can reach the 90s and recreational traffic is in full swing, but if you manage your time on the water, the fishing can be quite exceptional. Some of my best days and biggest fish have been in the summer months. First off, with summer in full swing fishing all day is not the most productive...

Fishing Line…Which one to choose? Many choices are available for fishing line and understanding which fishing line to use can be confusing. When you walk down the aisle of the fishing department it’s not unusual to see the same type of fishing line from various manufacturers, so which one do you choose? It is important to know the maximum fishing line size and capacity for your fishing reel. Most fishing reels will have a line size/yard printed on the spool. Using a heavier fishing line diameter exceeding the recommended for that reel can drastically reduce casting distance or lead...

By Ron Johnson May is here and the fish are on the move. Although there are many species of fish to target in our Arizona lakes, most anglers are in hot pursuit of the Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.  For most of our desert lakes, the bass spawning period is about 80% over, but that means most of the bass are in the post-spawn period which is great news for anglers. Bass have a pretty heavy appetite during the post-spawn period as most of them have gone weeks without feeding. Now that the spawning cycle has concluded, both the males and...

Now is the Best Time of Year to Fish! by Ron Johnson March is a great time to be in Arizona whether you are a resident or a visitor looking for a break from the long winter. While others are looking to play a round of golf or attend a Spring Training game, I get excited because this is my favorite time of the year to go fishing! The days are getting longer, the desert is heating up, and the fishing can be red hot now all the way through May.  This is often why most people experience some of their...