Desert Southwest Kayak Fishing

We are taking a break from the cold and wet Pacific Northwest winter by exploring the desert southwest looking for kayak fishing opportunities.



It's nice to have such beautiful weather in December. There's plenty of kayak fishing potential around here and not too many fishermen.





We need to refine our lure collection a bit to switch from smallmouth to largemouth bass fishing, but I did manage to get a decent largemouth bass within an hour of launching the kayak.



We are going to be doing a lot of exploring and a lot of kayak fishing so I'll post photos and videos when I can. You can keep track of the fishing adventures on my blog. Internet access and phone coverage can be sketchy, but I'll post when I come into town for supplies.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

We've been fishing for largemouth bass on Mittry Lake in southwest Arizona just north of Yuma on the Colorado River. The weather has been pretty nice, especially for the end of December. Pretty spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the desert.





We've been camping out along the Colorado River. There are a number of places to camp, many of them are free. It is "dry camping", there are no facilities beyond perhaps a pit toilet and a couple fire rings.





There is a lot of kayak fishing potential here and most of the spots are perfect for kayak fishing.





The fishing started off slow for us, I think the cold water temperature had something to do with it, but we are learning how to fish a new area so we have to learn the ropes. The past few days, things really started to turn around for us and we started to catch some pretty decent sized largemouth bass almost every day. Caught a couple catfish as well.





We are in town getting some gear squared away but we will be back out in the desert looking for more largemouth bass in a day or two. You can follow us on the watermanatwork.com blog and I will post some of the photos here.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

I installed a new solar power system to charge electronic devices, camera and fishfinder batteries, so we are staying out in the desert longer and longer to do more kayak fishing. Less time in town to use the internet and update my blog, here's the latest:

Getting the kayak ready for an early morning launch on Mittry Lake



Sunrises and sunsets can be pretty spectacular here. In the low 40's some mornings, it can be a little chilly



Here's a nice largemouth bass caught early in the morning at Mittry Lake



All the bass we catch are released unharmed, maybe a sore jaw



A lot of fishing is tight in the reeds. A kayak is perfect for this and there are big fish in here



Caught a striped bass, pretty common throughout the lower Colorado River. This one is a little skinny.



The only thing that keeps us from kayak fishing is the wind. When it's windy, there are other places to fish where you don't need to launch the kayak



We are headed back out into the desert, I'm working on a kayak fishing for largemouth bass in the desert video while we wait out a stretch of windy weather and you can check out the watermanatwork.com blog, where there is nothing for sale.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Spending more and more time in the desert and on the Colorado River. Fishing has been pretty good. This area is a gold mine for kayak fishermen, especially during the winter months.

Loading up with water for an extended trip into the desert


Kayak fish camp in the Arizona desert


Kayak fishing for largemouth bass. There are fish everywhere in this lake


Some nice largemouth bass are waiting for the lucky kayak fisherman


A few big catfish out there as well


Not a bad place to be in the winter


Kayak fishing for largemouth bass action


Some big bass around. They'll get fatter as we get closer to spring.


Headed back out into the desert for more kayak fishing. Will check back soon.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Back out in the desert for more largemouth bass fishing.



It's been hitting the high sixties and low seventies during the day, but the mornings can be pretty cold, usually about 40°. When 63° water is steaming, that means it's pretty chilly.



The fishing has been a bit more challenging than normal, nobody knows why. Perhaps this annoying algae bloom has something to do with it. This slimy stuff sticks to everything. You have to clean it off your lure after nearly every cast, which really sucks.



When the fish are biting, this basic black leadhead grub is catching most of the fish while the $7.00 super duper bass lures remain in the tackle box.



When the fishing is tough, you have a tendency to search deep in the reeds that surround the lake. It may not look like it, but there are a lot of fish in here. A paddle kayak can get to these spots, a pedal kayak or boat can't.



There are lots of fish in these reeds, including this nice largemouth bass caught in a couple feet of water in the middle of thick reed clumps.



We're headed back out into the desert, hopefully we'll have more photos and video coming soon.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

We've been spending a lot more time on the water and in the desert so been a bit slow on posting photos. Internet and phone service is intermittent when it is available. You can check the latest photos and info on my blog.


Mittry Lake AZ


Mittry Lake largemouth bass


Gila River largemouth bass fishing


Gila River sunrise


Gila River largemouth bass fishing


Mittry Lake largemouth bass


Colorado River largemouth bass fishing


Colorado River largemouth bass


Colorado River largemouth bass fishing


Colorado River


Colorado River largemouth bass


Cloudy Colorado River sunrise


Colorado River largemouth bass


All fish catch and release


Colorado River channel catfish


Colorado River sunset

Wrapping up a little business in town and we are back out on the Colorado River. I will try to be more timely with the forum posts, but I have to stop fishing to do that, so I don't know...

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Starting to get hot here in the southwest desert. Have to get as much fishing in as we can before we have to head back north like the birds.



Launching before dawn to take advantage of the relatively cool morning temperatures. It's a couple miles of paddling to the fishing spot, paddling in the cool darkness is the way to go. Wildlife is very active in the early morning, plenty of outdoor entertainment on the cruise to the fishing hole.



The largemouth bass fishing has been pretty good. Some of the mornings have been overcast, a welcome relief from the scorching desert sun that will be coming up in an hour or two.



The fishing has been pretty steady, some days are a little slow, but other days have seen fifteen or twenty nice largemouth bass caught.



The lower Colorado River is an ideal kayak fishing spot. Plenty of largemouth and striped bass fishing opportunities here.



I got real lucky and pulled this big Colorado River largemouth bass out of a clump of weeds. Pretty sure it's my personal best.



Sitting out a dust storm here in town but we are headed back out to the desert as soon as we are done with business.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

That is quite an adventure, and some great pictures too!

This area is well suited for kayak fishing. Lots of places to fish.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

The great kayak fishing for largemouth bass on the Colorado River continues. Not as many big fish as last week, but there were fish to be caught all day long.









Back to the river for more kayak fishing!

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

The great kayak fishing in the desert southwest continues with an expedition out to Picacho State Park in southeast California. Picacho is a spectacular place that is well off the beaten path.



We camped at the Taylor Lake boat-in site. Taylor Lake is one of the many Colorado River backwaters.



Taylor Lake is a great place for kayaking, either fishing or seeing the sights.



The Colorado River around Picacho has a steady and fairly firm current, a day of kayak fishing will leave you worn out.



There are a few largemouth bass in this stretch of the Colorado River, but the main fishing attraction is smallmouth bass.



Despite the remote location and voracious mosquitoes, Picacho is a real kayak fishing location any kayaker would love to visit.



We made it back from Picacho with the truck in one piece, no small feat, and found the fishing on the Colorado River as hot as when we left.



Hitting it early in the morning is the key. It's starting to get real hot and the fishing tends to slow down in the late morning and early afternoon. Still plenty of nice largemouth bass active early in the day.



While fishing for largemouth bass, I noticed a school of striped bass chasing baitfish. I paddled over as quick as I could, cast into the feeding frenzy and came out with my first real Colorado River striped bass.



I only was able to get one striper, but the largemouth bass continued to be red hot.



Even the locals came over for a few fishing tips.



The desert weather starting to get hotter than our gear can handle, so we are going to try for a couple more days of kayak fishing on the Colorado River, then we will be heading back to the Pacific Northwest.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Great pictures and love the “picture videos” or whatever you call it.

That’s the greenest Smallie I ever saw.

The animated images are "GIFs" which stands for Graphic Interchange Format. The individual frames are taken from video footage.


Local fishermen told me that this is the southernmost limit of the smallmouth bass range. They are probably eating fish and frogs that give them that green color. The bass we catch in the PacNW are dark brown, they eat crayfish with a side of small bait fish.


The time has come to say adios to the desert southwest as daily temperatures are reaching 105° and a frigid 75° at night. That's a little too hot for our camping gear so we are "leaving them biting" and headed back to the PacNW, where the smallmouth bass are waiting.
It's been a great kayak fishing adventure and we will be back for sure. We put in some long days knowing we would be leaving and were rewarded with great fishing. We will miss this view that we would see every morning as the sun rose over the Colorado River.



Early mornings in the desert are awesome and usually the fishing is good. There are always the largemouth bass



Every once and a while there would be a little surprise like this big crappie



One of the many fishing highlights was chasing schools of striped bass and managing to have a run of four straight days where I caught at least one striper



Landing fish, losing a bunch more because largemouth bass almost always launch into the air as soon as they feel the hook and light biters always ensured a lot of fishing action.



We came here looking for largemouth bass and we found them. Lots of them. World class largemouth bass fishing.



All good things must come to an end, so we are headed home to the Columbia River Gorge. We will be back on the PacNW Kayak Fishing thread until next winter.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog

Kayak fishing at Mittry Lake Arizona.



Kayak fishing for largemouth bass during the winter of 2017-18.

_________________
Waterman at Work - Kayak Fishing Photos, Video,Kayak Rigging - Blog