How To Catch Fish In The Phoenix Area: Bottom Feeders Galore

February 24th, 2021: Back for round two of "Fishing In A New Place'' with your host and multi-species angler, Tim. In the previous edition, we talked about my approach to dissecting a new water body. We discussed checking online reports, speaking with locals, and embracing the fish species most available. The last line rings especially true for me since I've spent the previous 24 days living just outside of Phoenix. Known for golf and hiking trails more than largemouth or crappie, I've learned quickly there are more places to fish in the Phoenix valley than you might think.

Ponds and small lakes litter the suburban sprawl east of Phoenix, and if you pick the right one, it may be stocked with trout, bass, or panfish. But that's not what interests me; I've been looking for that one big bite from a behemoth bottom feeder.

Learning The Playbook

To learn the area and get insight on the local fishing scene, I joined an AZ Urban Fishing Community, a group of engaged local anglers. Nervously, I posted letting the club know that I was in town and looking for a big carp or catfish with a slim glimmer of hope that somebody might help me out. Within minutes, I received comments and DM’s with suggestions, tips, insights, and even GPS coordinates to precise fishing holes.

Interesting tidbits from conversations I had with a few local anglers:

‘’The bass you'll find in ponds are typically smarter than most bass, they've been caught and released so many times they won't bite anymore, catching one in a public pond is a feat of itself. I take to the salt river or Saguaro lake for bass and flathead catfish, channel catfish, carp and bluegill dominate public ponds. Catfishing our ponds is a blast, don't seek bass too hard unless you're going at night with live bait and thin line. Canal carp are a blast to fight against the current with a proper setup, 10-25lb braid and a small treble hook paired with a sturdy rod such as Ugly Stik GX2 or any lighter catfish combo because they will thrash and break your rod or pull it in the water they are very strong’’ - Josh, a Phoenix area multi-species angler

‘’If you're trying to fish for carp, give this place a try. Been a while since I've been there but last i went i was catching giant carp all day with bread balls on a hook. Big catfish too on hotdog pieces.’’ - Rodrigo, a Mesa area carp angler

‘’If you're looking to get onto some carp, hit the canal around sunset with a strong pole holder and your drag loose, they aren't picky if they’re hungry, people use everything from bread to grapes and cheese. Small treble hook or bait holder hook, they have small oval shaped mouths and act like bottom feeders plucking at the floor. Sometimes you can ball up some bread and free line it, letting it float down with the current and they will slap it off the surface makes for an amazing fight. Carp are strong but their bones and skin is delicate, it's important to keep the fish wet and not allow it to flop around and break its own rib cage on impact like the often do, so wear them out really good before attempting to pull them up.’’ - Josh

You Can Lead A Horse To Water

Nightcrawlers, split shot weights, and a hook is one of the simplest and most effective rigs to catch a bunch of fish.

After taking notes and establishing a game plan, my cousin and I set off on a quest to catch a quality size carp or catfish. Our goal was simple; soaking nightcrawlers near the bottom using live bait rigs, on cheap fishing rods leaned up against Y-shaped sticks we jammed into the ground. We attach clip-on bells to the tip of the rod to alert us of any swipes. This approach is exceptionally relaxing and effective. You should try it.

Here is an example of how we set up our bottom rigs. We back the drag off each reel to help prevent rods getting yanked in the water.

We repeated this routine on large ponds, small lakes, public canals, and a pristine section of a nearby river. Here are the results so far.

A Chubby Channel Catfish

This catfish came from a small pond and ate a tiny piece of nightcrawler suspended near the bottom under a small float. We only had a light spinning rod with a 6lb test at the time, which made for an epic battle.

My First Grass Carp (White Amur)

I cruise the bike paths that run adjacent to Phoenix's vast canal system, and after continually patterning fish in the same area, we decided to give a specific spot a try. The water was clear and shallow, which is a double-edged sword in this situation. It makes seeing carp easy but catching them quite challenging. To prevent spooking the very skittish carp, we nearly army crawled to the canal's bank, lobbed out a cast, and then slowly crept back far enough away to prevent spooking the group of fish below us. Twenty minutes later and this fish freshwater torpedo was on.

The Elusive Sonora Sucker

Two weekends ago, I found a campsite about 30 minutes outside the city that sits on the banks of the Lower Salt River; a waterway chalked full of fat fish. We pitched a tent and fished hard one evening well into the darkness with not even a nibble. Fishless and defeated, we retreated to camp for dinner. That night's special, two plain hot dogs each roasted over embers from the fallen branches of a nearby velvet mesquite tree. Feeling tranquil yet unsatisfied, we motivated ourselves for the next morning as we sat under the stars in the Superstition Wilderness.

I woke early with a noticeable uptick in my heartbeat, not from a bad dream or restless sleep but instead from the anxiety of someone else fishing in the deep section of the river we found the previous night. Conveniently, it was only a short walk from where we pitched our tent.

Instead of camp coffee, I grabbed my miniature stove, filter, and Folgers and made the 100 or so paces down to the fishing hole. Thirty minutes after setting up my lines and making morning coffee, I had a rod double over and nearly get pulled in the water. Not today! I dropped my thermos, grabbed the rod, and engaged in a surprisingly short and uneventful battle. As the fish surfaced, I laid eyes on my first ever Sonora suckerfish. Unsure and excited, I knew I needed a picture. I screamed loud enough towards the camp to wake Charlie and get him down to the river.

Charlie cherishes sleep and is not a morning person, but he answered the call and helped me out. About two minutes later, the second rod bent over, and Charlie was hooked up with his own Sonoran sucker while half asleep. As you can tell in his picture, he was excited but tired.

So, after 24 days in the Arizona desert, I feel a little more confident in my ability to catch a fish. That is mostly thanks to the helpful anglers I've met along the way and my cousin Charlie, both have kept me motivated to stay on the hunt. Bottom feeder boys out.

Bonus Arizona Catches

This bluegill came out of a small Arizona canal on a, you guessed it, a small piece of nightcrawler.

The Salt River about 40 minutes east of Phoenix. We didn't catch any fish this day, but we saw schools of carp cruising back and forth. We estimated some fish to be up to 20lbs.

One of the cookie-cutter-sized channel catfish I found in a small canal. Fish were biting both hotdogs and nightcrawlers that evening. I tried fishing with corn for carp but didn't have a single bite before switching to catfish as the sun began to set.