Catfishing meet

Tentative trip details:​

What: Catfishing!

Where: SB Cove (Bartlett Lake) - Click here for the map (it's all pavement the entire way, but we don't want your girlfriends tagging along on a fishing trip so tell them to leave the Cavaliers and Jettas at home). We park at the top in the parking area and have to walk down to the "beach"

When: Friday night, July 13 from about 7pm until whenever Saturday morning. If this is successful, looking at doing a second trip the following Saturday night on the 21st.

Needed: Bring your own fishing gear (unless pre-arranged to borrow), cooler, drinks, food, chair, lantern/flashlights, etc.

Fees: None! This is a "services-restricted" area now so the USFS isn't regularly maintaining it, thus NO TONTO PASS NEEDED and overnight stays/camping/fishing allowed!

Other details: You will have to walk from a parking lot down to the water (few hundred feet) so bring gear that's easy to carry, like a cooler with wheels. No driving allowed down to the beach. LEO's patrol the area so no gunfire, bonfires, glass bottles, drugs, etc. Booze is ok to the 21 and older crowd. No drinking and driving, please. Also, you need a current STATE fishing license.

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As requested, here are some catfishing tips/tricks/recommends for this area:

Tackle

• Rod/reel - 7' rod is recommended, with a medium to heavy action reel that can hold at least 100 yds of 12-15lb test. Smaller rods/reels will give you issues if you hook up with a large fish and it starts taking line. Most of the cats in Bartlett can be caught on 8-10lb test, a good 7' rod, a clean real that can hold over 100 yards of line, and a little common sense. Bring a reel that holds lots of line and is easily castable in the dark.
• Hooks - treble hooks (3 barbs) recommended. Size 1 are good. Get hooks that can hold a nice piece of bait but that the bait will completely cover the hook. Small hooks tear up baits, oversize hooks are hard to hide the bait with. Single shank hooks (1 barb) are good for tougher baits like large shrimp (which are conveniently hook shaped!)
• Swivels - the kind with the clips on one side. I usually tie a 1/2 oz weight about 3 feet up the line from a small metal clippable swivel, and then attach the swivel to the hook eyelet. The reason I do this is to be able to take the treble hook off, push the eyelet of the hook through fragile baits like chicken livers, and clip the hook back onto the swivel. I don't usually like to use swivels in fishing in general, but it seems to still be ok for catfishing and not bug them too much. The convenience of being able to re-bait with this technique is worth it. If the fish are too picky, I'll remove the swivel and just tie the hooks straight to the line. Catfish are touchy sometimes.
• Line - 10-12lb test minimum, but don't go heavier than that unless you plan to use larger gear. No need for anything over 25 lb test unless you're REEEEAAALLLLY lucky

Bring at least a half dozen hooks, weights, and swivels. Make sure that the line on your reel is no older than a year or it will be brittle, especially if you stored it in the garage. It's worth $5 to go get some new Stren from Wal-Mart and reload it. Make sure the reel and rod are in good working order - nothing more frustrating than crappy gear that breaks when you hook into a good fish.

Bait

• Shrimp (works great on a single shank hook or a smaller treble hook. No swivel needed) - great for the smaller catfish
• Hot dogs - a cheap easy favorite but they fall off the hook easy when casting and get stolen by smart catfish
• Chicken livers - a tried and true favorite, but the most fragile of them all. Hard to cast and get to stay on the hook.
• Dip baits - spongy type lures that you dip in various nasty goos. I don't like to mess with these but they do work
• Live bait - come early and catch some small bluegills/sunfish/tilapia and you'll have the best bait you can use. Live baits are what catch the big cats. Remember, catfish are true predators - not garbage eaters. They hunt for protein, preferably the live kind. A 4-6" bluegill can catch a 20+ pounder easily. Crayfish work great, too. If you can find a bait shop that sells water dogs, those are awesome but pricey.
• Lunch meats - all types work, you'll have to experiment. The firmer, the better. Those lil smokies or small sausages work good because they stay on the hook
• Squid - yes, squid. You can buy squid steaks either fresh or frozen, and it's surprisingly affordable (usually cheaper than shrimp even). It's as tough as leather and has a great protein stench that brings em in. When it's fresh, it even glows in the dark after recharging under your flashlight.

Bring a variety of baits. I'll be there to catch some live bait before the sun sets. I'll bring a variety of shrimps, seafood cuts, hot dogs, etc. to experiment with until we find what's working.

License Info

For those who are too lazy to get a license in person and want to just pay online, here's the link. Resident and non-resident can use this online form, but there is a $1.25 internet fee for using the online service. Make sure you have a printer attached to the computer you use because you will NEED to print your license (not just the receipt) from the confirmation page after you pay.

https://az.gov/app/huntfish/home.xhtml

A license covers you from January 1 through December 31 of the same year. If you buy a full license now, it's only good for 1/2 of the year. Just an FYI. Also, for this lake you only need the standard state license, not the urban license, trout stamp, etc. Read the info by each to make sure you purchase the right license for you.

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Who's Going:

• Seabass (+1)
• ColtsTRD (+wife and buddies)
• Specalt - tentative
• cmack
• MonkeyProof
• Cortland
• 08pretaco

Scott, Brian and I are looking to meet up around Pima/101 in North Scottsdale. Since we're talking Pima Rd. up to Carefree, it makes sense to meet up here somewhere.

Meet area:

Shell gas station on the east side of the 101...by Taco Bell and Boston Market.
15752 N Frank Lloyd Wright Bl, Scottsdale, AZ

Meet time for convoy: 6pm
Departure time for convoy: 6:15pm

 

I'm interested. I don't fish, but I can drink beer and that's all that matters.

 

I second this. I wouldn't mind learning how to fish!

 

I wish I was closer I would be there, havent catfished in a while

 

Dude i'm in for sure!


I have tackle other folks can use too if they don't have anything!

I have about 10 good quality rods and reels!

 

I like the way you think!

 

I'd be down crackin' a few los gatos on their skulls.. I was out last week on plez and put the beat down on about a dozen channels and 30 of so strippers under the lights.

 

I'm in

 

Time and Date?? Just not this weekend plz.

 

Hmmm, Friday this weekend would have been the only night that would work but with the mod day starting early on Saturday morning, I think this week is out. Catfishing trips are cheap and easy, and this is prime time to get some good nighttime catfishing and beer drinking in.

There should be plenty of knowledge to go around, and like Scott said, plenty of gear for those who want to give it a try.

I've had shoddy luck at Lake Pleasant with big cats, but Bartlett always treated me well. It just gets busy. Horseshoe Dam always produces, but the good spot is a little bit of a hike under the dam and to the other side, where the boulders covered with scorpions are. The front side spot is always occupied by a group of people unless we get there on a Friday and stake a claim.

I would like to give Pleasant another try. I know a good area or two around the back side (pre-runner friendly) that would be good for us to fan out and try different baits.

Let's try this... pick one of the two nights from next weekend and the most votes wins (we can always do another trip the following weekend, too):

Friday night, July 14th
Saturday night, July 15

Votes:
Seabass - Friday

 

I vote Friday, provided it's in the evening. Get to recover the rest of the weekend.

 

I can go anytime after 5:30 BUT, it might be a good idea to commandeer a spot early...they fill up damn quick!! I think as long as we were out there by 5-5:30 we'd be okay cause most people are still getting off of work! And that'd give us some time to catch the bluegills for bait and drink of course lol!!!


Votes:
Seabass - Friday
staticsquelch - Friday
ColtsTRD - open

 

Oh, and if your gonna need a pole PM me so I can bring you one. I'll make sure it has new line, hooks and weights on it for you


Otherwise I'll just be bringing gear for myself!!

 

I agree with Scott about trying to claim a spot as quick as possible, especially for somewhere like Bartlett or Horseshoe. With Pleasant, we can have more space and fewer people if we go around to the back side, but then it's too easy for people to get lost.

I'm checking into getting the Rattlesnake Cove group site at Bartlett Lake all to ourselves for next Friday the 13th. That way we'll have the whole part of Rattlesnake cove to ourselves and can spread out and camp overnight. The other developed areas close at 10pm.

 

Alright, just got off the phone with the Cave Creek ranger district office. Here's a Bartlett Lake update:

Rattlesnake Cove group use area is closed temporarily, even for reservations, due to low staffing and budgets in that district. They don't maintain the facilities so they can't allow folks in there. I even asked "what if we hike in from the regular Rattlesnake Cove entrance?" and they had an LEO call me back and say that there would be nowhere for us all to park that was suitable for overnight use, and that we would be in violation if we used that area. So...

Due to the restricted services, SB Cove is also under a similar restriction but right now does NOT require the $6 Tonto pass, AND we can fish overnight there (and camp if anyone wanted to). It's first come, first serve, but because there's a walk down to the water from the parking area, most people are too lazy to make the hike and just drive over to Bartlett Flats. As any of us know who frequent Bartlett Lake, the flats area is a big redneck party every summer night and not the best suited for some quiet fishing time.

My vote is SB Cove if we fish at Bartlett Lake. No Tonto pass needed, should be less busy than other areas, and we can stay out there all night. Just no glass bottles and we're good to go. REMEMBER... the sheriff's station is less than a mile away at the marina so anything obnoxious would draw attention (gunfire, bonfires, etc.).

I'm coming equipped with a lawn chair, small cooler of food/drinks, lantern/flashlight, fishing gear and bait. I'm not going to camp, but I plan to be out there most of the night until the fishing shuts off or we get bored. It's more than an hour drive to get home from there for me. Scott, I agree we need to get out there as early as possible to stake a claim and catch some live bait. I can bring my gear with me to work so I'll be in north Scottsdale and can head straight out there after work (I can leave as early as 4pm).

 

Poll added to see if next weekend or the one after works. You can select multiple options, so choose all that work for you.

I'll probably still go next weekend anyways, and would probably be up for doing 2 weekends in a row.

 

Scott, what time can you head out on the 13th?

 

About 5:30-6. That's when I'm off work.

 

Sooooo you guys are going out to a lake to do some fishing on Friday the 13th??

......anyone else see a movie in the making here?