After driving five hours though increasingly arid desert to meet Bob and
Sportsman's Hideaway, I was beginning to have my doubts about Arizona as a
fishing destination. However, Bob and Lanny made a believer out of me! The
Colorado River channel and sloughs shape up to be a great fishery, with a
bonus of bordering in one of the most starkly beautiful states in the
country.

I called Bob as I drove into Yuma, asking him where I could pick up a $3
Colorado River permit for my license. (Actually, not a license, but a scrap
of paper with my 1-day license number scrawled on it, which in AZ is the
same thing, evidently.) After a swing through Wal-Mart, I arrived at Lanny's
tackle shop a minute or so before Bob pulled up towing his boat. Ten minutes
later, Secret Weapon prostaffer and regional American Bass Association
director Dave Willhide joined us for a jaw session. Lanny listened for
awhile, rang up my purchases, and then heard Dave say a cold would prevent
him from joining us as a third on the boat. Lanny couldn't stand it any more
and told Bob and me to wait up while he grabbed his rod, a small tacklebox,
and his PFD.

The three of us chatted as we drove Bob's comfortable Chevy crew cab over
gravel roads between fields of lettuce and other produce at all stages of
growth, often with an irrigation canal paralleling the road. The canals
looked pretty inviting for an old bank-fisherman like me, and Bob and Lanny
assured me that they were well-stocked with largemouth and smallmouth bass,
stripers, and even an occasional walleye. Our destination was Little Senator
Wash, a slough divided into two small lakes joined by a narrow boat path
through otherwise impenetrable patches of tulles, reeds, and rushes.

Bob was as generous as Dave had proven to be earlier when he gave us two
bags of a closely guarded "secret" flipping bait that has performed well for
him (despite the fact that Bob would be competing against Dave in this
weekend's bass tournament). Bob handed me a rigged rod with one of his
favorite spoons, and he put his whole arsenal of rods and tackle at my
disposal. After a half hour of fruitless casting in the first pond, we made
our way through the twisting path to the second lake. I took advantage of
the lull to swap my spoon for a spinnerbait and requisitioned a second rod
fitted with a smoke Senko-like bait as a follow-up lure.

Bob connected first on his spoon with what was easily the largest bass of
the day for our boat. He and Lanny had me ready at every cast for its big
sister to glom onto my spinnerbait, but the action was unusually slow. Maybe
it was the weather.... I just happened to be there the one cloudy day of the
year, evidently. When my white shad spinnerbait failed to get a sniff, I
switched to a darker bait (a chartreuse shad, I think), from which I removed
the front Colorado blade so that I was fishing with just a single, gold
Indiana. As clear as the water was, I wondered if I was creating too
imposing a target, but three bass didn't seem to think so. They, like the
other two we caught, were buried in weed patches in open water and ambushed
the lure as it fluttered by overhead. Rattling and swaying tulles anywhere
from one to fifteen feet back from the waters edge convinced us that the
big-shouldered bass we had come looking for were burrowing back in the thick
stuff, and unless we wanted to take turns using Bob's flipping stick, we
weren't going to reach them or have a chance at jerking them out.

Before the day wound to a close Bob suggested that we take a quick run up
the river so I could get a better feel for the lay of the land. We ran a
couple miles at about 50-60 knots -- plenty fast for 46 degrees weather
since I was dressed for Arizona weather with just a light fleece -- until
I'd seen most of the typical river features. At one point we passed a huge
mound of sand and gravel on one end of a bar. It turned out that was a
monument to Lanny's navigational skills. He had spent a productive hour or
two there the day before extracting his boat from its gritty perch, and he
claimed his poor catch today was the result of his being still stiff and
sore from the exercise. It did explain to me, though, why a shovel is
standard equipment on any Colorado River angler's boat.

I told Bob and Lanny that they had just seen the Nile, for at that point in
its path, the Colorado resembles nothing so much as that famous river.
Instead of papyrus reeds and Nile perch, the water we covered today was
lined with tulles and more familiar fish cruised its currents, and the
Colorado was narrower and swept along faster on the stretch we explored, but
the same date palms marked its course. In both cases the river was the
lifeblood of the region, with arteries and veins carrying water that slakes
the thirst of parched yet fertile valleys.

Too soon we had to return to the ramp so I could begin my return journey and
reach Ft. Huachuca, southeast of Tucson, at a reasonable time of night. I
thoroughly enjoyed meeting Lanny and getting better acquainted with Bob and
Dave. They told me that once one drinks of the water in Yuma, they never
want to leave. Wisely, I stuck to root beer, but I can see why one might
want to return regularly to this area. They invited me back and suggested
that the best time of year for bass fishing is March and April, but that if
you can take the summer heat, fishing is to be had all year long. I believe
it, and I'm already thinking of how I can manage a return visit.

Thanks, Bob, for your hospitality.

Joe Haubenreich
www.secretweaponlures.com
Only real spinnerbait innovation in 50 years!


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
t...
Yup, we fished today. It was overcast all day and uncharachteristically
cool. Very unusal weather for Yuma. On the other hand we all caught fish.
Joe caught the most, but unfortunately the one picture I took of him with a
fish didn't save on my camera. I think I turned it off to quick. Oh, well
I posted one of me and Lannes on ABPF.

Joe nailed three keepers today. All on Secret Weapon Spinner baits. I have
to say he proved his product. I threw a spoon for my one keeper, and Lannes
nailed his on a Senko.

Hey Charles, Hey Bob... Ask Joe to see those frogs I sent him home with. I
gave him one each of Gilbert's Moss Frogs and Flippin' Frogs.
--
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com
All about fishing in Yuma, Arizona
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