September Topwater Is Starting To Bust Loose

By Rory K. Aikens

Arizona Game & Fish

      It’s coming late this year due to higher than normal air and water temperatures, but the topwater action is starting to bust lose in the desert lakes.

Anglers are starting to see an increase in boils of shad being chased by bass. In many lakes, the water temperatures are still in the mid 80s but are consistently decreasing. Once those water temperatures drop into the 70s, the typical fall feeding frenzies should kick into high gear.

Those looking for the most fish (generally pound and two-pound bass) should try Lake Pleasant adjacent to Phoenix or Alamo Lake west of Wickenburg. Pleasant also has a decent population of three to five-pound largemouth bass and enough hogs to keep life interesting. Besides lots of one to two-pound bass, Alamo is good for crappie at night and lots of big bluegill during the day.

Roosevelt and Bartlett lakes are providing terrific action at times. Most bass being caught at Roosevelt are in the slot, or just below it. Bartlett seems to have a huge cadre of 10 to 12-inch hungry bass. When you get on a good bite, it is possible to catch and release a limit or more of bass in a short time.

The patient anglers willing to withstand lower catch rates on the chance of catching lunker bass might consider either Saguaro or Canyon lakes. Each has a reputation for harboring lunkers. At Saguaro, also be prepared with a bait-casting outfit with heavy line and a weedless jig for flipping the tules. Lunkers will often hide in ambush just inside the line of tules.

An outside bet is Apache for largemouth, but topwater action for smallmouth bass could make things interesting there on stormy or cloudy days. You might even want to try for some fall walleye action at Apache. If you have the youngsters along, try some mealworms inside the coves for yellow bass.

In the central Arizona lakes, buzz baits are working great at first light in the backs of coves, and across major points with extending reefs. Poppers are taking a fair share of bass. Stick baits worked in a walk-the-dog fashion are deadly at times.

Spooning adjacent to boils can sometimes produce the larger fish. Crankbaits are good bets at times. Spinnerbaits can be tremendous at times, especially when there is a stiff breeze or cloud cover.

Don’t just look for boils along shorelines – bass are often chasing shad in the main lake basins in open water. Hitting points, islands and reefs is a good way to start. Using binoculars to spot topwater frenzies is a good idea.

This is also a great time for topwater striper action on the Colorado River chain of lakes. Powell is by far the best bet for stripers. The smallmouth bass action at Powell can be terrific. Please catch and keep a limit of smallies at Powell to help thin their numbers and help the fishery. Mead has been good at times for both stripers and largemouth. Both Mohave and Havasu have had hot action at times.

So if you are looking for some of the most exciting fishing action of the year, this is the time to go wet a line.