Lunkers of the Rio Colorado

When the first pioneers trekked across Arizona, they saw the Colorado River as a turbid, unpredictable water serpent that vented its venom on humanity in the form of ravaging floods, dangerous rapids, and whirlpools that could inhale a small craft and spit it up miles downstream as little more than kindling. Treasured as this watery resource was, it also was a river to be feared.

It became a challenge to John Wesley Powell, who first negotiated the river's plunge through Grand Canyon gorge, as it did to John Lee and Bill Ehrenberg, who operated early ferries across this most important waterway in the Southwest.

The river also was used by fishermen, the Mohave, Chemehuevi, and other river tribes who trapped or speared the native giant Colorado River squawfish and roasted the tasty flesh on green sticks over open fires beside primitive mud-thatched huts. Later came the white man with more sophisticated tackle, who likewise was more interested in food than sport.

Today, the Indian huts are gone, as are the crudely constructed ferries. The 700 miles of Colorado River flowing through Arizona today is a blend of preserved parks, wildlife refuges, expensive homes, squatter shacks, farmlands, campgrounds, cities both old and new and a diminishing amount of open space.

The change is largely due to the taming of the river through a series of nine dams, ranging from ten-foot-high Palo Verde Dam to 700-foot-high Glen Canyon Dam that backs up spectacular Lake Powell. These structures not only have changed the character of this once wild and turbulent river, but also dramatically affected the fisheries, bringing national prominence to the Colorado.

Although dams led to the demise of the squawfish by blocking off its migration run, the same dams made possible the introduction of some of the finest American game fish, including bass, trout, panfish, striped bass, catfish, walleye pike, and crappie.

The all-round champion in the major reservoirs of Powell, Mead, Mohave, Havasu, and Imperial is the largemouth black bass. This rough-and-tumble scrapper is equally at home in the subterranean rock piles of Mead and Mohave or in the tule-rimmed backwaters above Imperial Dam.

Lake Mead once was the finest largemouth bass lake in the nation. This was shortly after Hoover Dam became the first engineering marvel to control the mighty Colorado River. In the 1940s and early 1950s, the huge impoundment produced amazing strings of bigmouths, including a national record fish that held for many years. Lake Powell took over the limelight in the late 1960s, following the pattern of spectacular success enjoyed by a new reservoir where initial spawning is almost 100 per cent successful. The "sleeper" as far as largemouth bass is concerned is Lake Mohave, where some of the biggest bass in this or any other watercourse are taken. Now let's take a tour of these stair-step series of reservoir lakes and the river between to see the angling challenges that await rod and reel enthusiasts:

Scenic Lake Powell backs up most of its 180 miles of gin-clear waters into Utah. The fertility of this newborn goliath (completed in 1964) has amazed even the most optimistic fisheries biologists. There seems no end to the diverse number of gamefish species that Lake Powell can support. Initially, largemouth bass and trout were planted in massive airborne plantings. Later came crappie, bluegill, walleyes, catfish, and - most recently - striped bass. Houseboating is fast becoming one of the more popular fishing techniques at Lake Powell. There is no better way to share the beauty of this remarkable reservoir than to cruise along red-rock cliffs and explore the many secret side canyons after bass and other gamefish. Not only does the angler share every changing mood of the colorful cliffs, but he is right there when the fish start to bite.

According to Wahweap Marina, which initiated houseboating back in the 1960s, some 2000 charters were made in 1979. Generally, two or more fishing families will share the cost of a houseboat, while pulling a light skiff or two behind for short angling junkets.

Perhaps achieving even greater national acclaim among anglers are the icy "tailwaters" below Glen Canyon Dam. Water coming from the depth of the reservoir is between 52 and 56 degrees, winter and summer. This combined with an abundance of freshwater shrimp, crustaceans, and other food, makes it ideal trout water, with growth rate running three to five pounds per year. The flesh of rainbow trout from these waters between the dam and Lees Ferry, fifteen miles downstream, is fiery red, like salmon. A five-pound trout barely merits a second look because so many eightto fifteen-pound trout are taken.

The rainbow fisheries continue all the way through Grand Canyon, but these waters are only accessible to hardy backpackers and river rafters. Were it not for this inaccessibility, the Grand Canyon might be the West's most popular trophy trout water.

Below Grand Canyon is the Colorado's oldest reservoir Lake Mead. As noted, largemouth bass fishing isn't what it once was and probably will never again return to this lofty pinnacle of success. However, newly planted striped bass are giving the lake a rebirth in angling. While catches still are running relatively small - twelve inches to five pounds on the average enough big fish have been caught to indicate that Lake Mead may eventually become one of the hottest striped bass fisheries in America.

Below Hoover Dam, the stretch of river commonly called Willow Beach is another scenic desert-type canyon with astonishing fishing for big rainbow trout.

"We began hanging photographs of every angler who scored a trophy class five-pound or better trout on the wall back in 1963, and we've run out of wall space, with recent additions being relegated to hallways and storage rooms", laughs Butch Webb, who operates Willow Beach motel and marina.

Visitors to Willow Beach should take in the large federal fish hatchery, Located a few hundred yards above the marina. Trout can be seen in all stages, from fingerlings to the size that dreams are built upon.

Upstream, where the best trophy trout fishing is found, visitors also stand a good chance of seeing bands of desert bighorn sheep ambling down to the river for a drink.

Many professional bass fishermen consider Mohave the premier bass reservoir in the state. Oddly enough, the lake is underfished, with most of the pressure coming from Californians. The added attraction is trolling deep water in the main basin for king-size rainbow trout.

In 1966, striped bass were planted in the Colorado River below Davis Dam and Lake Havasu in a cooperative effort by the Arizona and California fish and game departments. The experiment worked, and these ocean fish, which came from the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento River, have done exceptionally well. The program ranks as one of the top fisheries success stories of the century. The present freshwater world record striper of fifty-nine pounds eight ounces came from a quiet pool just below Davis Dam. In winter months, the best fishing is in Lake Havasu, but spring ignites the spawning passions of the striped bass, and they move upstream, spawning as they go, until reaching the "headwall" of Davis Dam. Here fishermen have a circus casting into the foaming water coming out of the dam's seven outflow tubes, where stripers congregate to feast on live or maimed baitfish that come through the dam's power turbines.

Parker Dam backs up Lake Havasu, but there is little fishing in the carnivallike stretch of river from the dam to the town of Parker. This is the most heavily used portion of the river. A maze of businesses, dwellings, and parks flank the Arizona side, and heavy boat traffic deters the serious angler.

"It wasn't always this way", recalls Jeannie Branson, whose Branson Resort is one of the area's best known river retreats. "I remember when my trailer was about the only piece of civilization on the Parker Strip, and fishing was great for bass and catfish, provided you could step between the rattlesnakes to reach the shore."

Catfish become the primary species below Parker and particularly in the boggy morass of Topock Swamp. Continuing downstream, Topock Gorge is a wildlife refuge, with fishing permitted, but no shoreline camping.

The stretch from Blythe to the headwaters of Imperial reservoir isn't considered prime fishing water, but it is popular with tubers and canoeists. Fishing picks up again at Martinez Lake and the backwaters of Imperial Dam. Here a maze of intricate channels through dense stands of tules take the adventurous angler to hidden "lakes" where fishing can be excellent for bass, catfish, and bluegills. Similar good action is found above Laguna and Morales dams, while irrigation canals and the river between the dams boast a hardfighting South American exotic called Tilapia. These moss-eating fish were planted to help keep the canals clean.

The character of the lower Colorado has changed dramatically since the first white men invaded the domain of the Colorado tribes. No longer do the challenges of periodic flooding, whitewater rapids, and negotiating braided channels and marshlands plague the outdoorsman. The challenge these days is filling stringers with a blend of champion game fish.

Editor's note: The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is proposing to limit fishing methods to artificial lures and flies at Lees Ferry, in an effort to protect and enhance this unique trout fishery. The Department feels that the current regulations may result in overharvest and eventual decline of this fishery. At present, it is one of the outstanding trophy-trout producers in the world.