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#1

General Discussion / AZGFD News - Grant money avail...

Last post by OneBlade - May 01, 2026, 04:52 PM

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is increasing the funding of its annual Local Sportsmen's Group grants to $100,000. The grants help organizations provide public, mentored projects focused on the recruitment and development of new hunters and anglers.

"This year, funding will increase by $25,000 — an exciting and much-needed boost," said Doug Burt, AZGFD's recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) program manager. "The grant has remained at $75,000 since 2007 and no longer carries the same buying power due to inflation and rising costs associated with hosting events, projects, and activities. This increase will help support our partners in their R3 outreach efforts."

Projects eligible for this cycle's grant funding are those that involve the pursuit or harvest of fish or wildlife with a valid license (and any necessary hunt permit-tag) and are geared toward participants who have the appropriate experience and skill levels relevant to a particular project.

Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process. Online applications and instructions are available at www.azgfd.gov/LSG. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time), Sunday, June 14, 2026.

"This grant program continues to help Arizona's conservation organizations connect with the public through quality, mentored projects focusing on traditional outdoor recreation," said Burt. "These efforts return far more in value than the grant dollars would on their own by providing safe, ethical hunting and fishing experiences, and helping participants understand the vital role hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation."

There is no cost to Arizona taxpayers for this grant program. AZGFD does not receive any of the state's general tax funds and operates under a user-pay, public-benefit model. The grant program is an investment in the continuance of wildlife conservation efforts and outdoor recreation participation in Arizona.

Visit www.azgfd.gov/wsfr for more information about how hunters, anglers, shooters, and boaters fund wildlife conservation through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program.

June 14 is deadline to apply for Local Sportsmen's Group grants

To learn more about AZGFD's Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) program, visit www.azgfd.gov/outdoorskills for hunting, and www.azgfd.gov/FishAZ for fishing.

#2

Upcoming Events / Re: Mudshark Marine Arizona Te...

Last post by OneBlade - April 22, 2026, 07:36 AM

The final 2-day championship weekend tournament for the Mudshark Marine Crappie Trail is in the books!  The total payout for this weekend was $2100 with the top 3 places and big fish taking home some nice plaques.

Weekend Results:

* 1st Place: Florin Nesiu – 17.01 lbs ($975)
  * Also took Big Fish with a 2.15 lbs crappie ($150)
* 2nd Place: Randy Howton, Brock Howton, and Gunner Bernard – 15.99 lbs ($585)
* 3rd Place: Tim Mraz, JT Butler – 14.01 lbs ($390)

The Mudshark Marine Crappie Trail crew provided burgers and sides for all attendees on both Friday and Saturday nights. Richard Johnson of Get Out and Fish LLC fried up fresh crappie on Friday evening and supplied many of the jigs used throughout the weekend.

This event also concludes this season for the crappie trail. The tournament trail awarded Angler of the Year some pretty sweet trophies!

2025-2026 Tournament Trail Results:

* 1st Place - ANGLER OF THE YEAR: Randy Howton, Brock Howton, and Gunner Bernard (597 points and $3,425 earnings)
* 2nd Place - Florin & Andrew Nesiu (594 points and $2,889 earnings)
* 3rd Place - Tim Mraz & JT Butler (591 points and $2,168 earnings)

You can find the entire tournament trail results along with some pictures on the Arizona Crappie Association website at https://azcrappie.com/events-and-tournaments/mudshark-marine-az-crappie-trail/

The Mudshark Marine Crappie Trail would like to thank their sponsors and those who helped make this happen as they couldn't do this without you: Mudshark Marine, AZ Lead Works, Richard Johnson Get Out and Fish, Liars Korner, BnM Fishing, Canyon Coolers, and the Arizona Mule Deer Organization.  Additional support provided by the Arizona Crappie Association.

#3

Upcoming Events / Re: Arizona Mule Deer Organiza...

Last post by OneBlade - April 22, 2026, 06:46 AM

The 2nd Annual Mal Hiatt Memorial Crappie Tournament is officially in the books.

This event was presented by the Arizona Mule Deer Organization (AZMDO) and Terry Herndon, and hosted by the Mudshark Marine Crappie Tournament crew alongside AZ Crappie Sniper Guide Service.

Mal Hiatt was a dedicated angler who loved nothing more than being out on the water crappie fishing with friends. He was a member of the Arizona Crappie Association (AZCA) and part of the original group that fished the AZ Corn Belt Crappie Trail and AZ NCL Crappie Series. Mal passed away in 2024 and is deeply missed. After a memorial gathering at Alamo Lake, AZMDO established this annual tournament to honor his legacy.

This year's event featured 11 teams, with a total payout of $1,575 returned to participants.

Results:

* 1st Place (Total Weight): Florin Nesiu – 9.76 lbs ($412.50)
  * Also took Big Fish with a 2.15 lb crappie ($500)
* 2nd Place: Randy Howton, Brock Howton, and Gunner Bernard – 7.80 lbs ($247.50)
* 3rd Place: Daniel Gutierrez Sr. and Daniel Gutierrez Jr. – 7.65 lbs ($165)
* Goon Fish: JT Butler and Tim Mraz – 3.09 lbs ($250)

The Mudshark Marine Crappie Trail crew provided burgers and sides for all attendees on both Friday and Saturday nights. Richard Johnson of Get Out and Fish LLC fried up fresh crappie on Friday evening and supplied many of the jigs used throughout the weekend.

Thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and helped make this event a success. It was a great weekend honoring the memory of a true friend.

#4

San Carlos / Re: San Carlos

Last post by OneBlade - April 22, 2026, 06:01 AM

I don't think San Carlos will be saved this season as it's down to 10k acre-ft: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-09469000/#dataTypeId=continuous-00054-0&period=P30D&showMedian=true&showFieldMeasurements=true

Thanks for the report there.  No limits best to fill your freezer and get them while you can.

#5

Roosevelt / Re: roosevelt lake

Last post by OneBlade - April 22, 2026, 05:59 AM

Hey Ralph thanks for the report. I've had many of those poor Roosevelt trips sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's not.  You using Livescope or how ya fishing?

#6

San Carlos / San Carlos

Last post by Ralph - April 21, 2026, 11:43 AM

fished 4/15, fish a little smaller but still 1.5 lb still there caught between .75 to 1.5 pounders, lake down to one lane on putting boat in and out ,, go east of rocks surfacing and watch out, go slow to main channel.. 18 ft by dam. hope it rains and feeds some water in there.

Ralph

#7

Roosevelt / roosevelt lake

Last post by Ralph - April 21, 2026, 11:36 AM

Fished Roosevelt 4/20 salt end one crappie one bass not a good day, seen gizzard shad popping up and looking at us, thought they were carp at first, but they didn't look like carp. lets pray it up for rain at San Carlos. Roosevelt sucked. Ralph

#8

Alamo / Alamo 4/18 - AZMDO Mal Hiatt C...

Last post by OneBlade - April 19, 2026, 08:18 AM

Fished Alamo Lake as part of the Mal Hiatt memorial crappie tournament on Saturday. This event was setup and sponsored by the Arizona Mule Deer Org along with help from the Mudshark Marine crappie trail. I'll post those results in another topic.

Perfect weather no wind it was just me on my boat tried chasing crappie with livescope casting jigs, plus had a long pole on the back. Caught 1 on the long pole (bare minnow) so put my casting rod away and trolled for a couple hours with 2 long poles off the front instead but didn't catch anything. Back to casting jig tipped with minnow to 1s and 2s crappie was able to catch 20+ crappie. However max size was 1.29lb so I didn't do well enough to place in the tournament.

But this was first time I think with just me in the boat with livescope and got my confidence up. Helped to have minimal wind. Found sweet spot to cast 20-45ft away as if you get too close they go down or move away. Just needed to cast well and multiple tries and eventually they'd hit it.

Finished middle or so of the tournament was very happy with that given the competition was tough.

[Crappie in Arizona: Species, Identification, and Stocking History]

#9

Crappie Questions / Re: What Types of Crappie Are ...

Last post by OneBlade - April 16, 2026, 06:39 AM

Crappie in Arizona: Species, Identification, and Stocking History

In Arizona, there are two species of crappie you can catch: black crappie and white crappie.

The primary species found in most Arizona lakes—including Alamo, Bartlett, Lake Pleasant, Roosevelt, Patagonia, Lake Powell, and others—is the black crappie. This includes the blacknose crappie commonly caught in Bartlett and Roosevelt Lakes. Blacknose crappie in Arizona are still black crappie; they simply have a natural genetic marker that produces the distinctive black stripe along their back. These fish were introduced through stocking efforts by the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD). They are not hybrids or Magnolia crappie—just a strain of black crappie.

The other species, white crappie, is currently only found in Lake Pleasant. It is unknown when or how white crappie were introduced there. They were also present in the San Carlos Reservoir prior to the 2018 fish kill, though their origin there is also unknown.
If you catch a white crappie in any Arizona lake besides Lake Pleasant, please share a picture.

How to Tell the Difference
The most accurate way to distinguish between black and white crappie is by counting dorsal spines:
    • Black crappie: 7–8 dorsal spines
    • White crappie: 5–6 dorsal spines
Additional visual differences:
    • Black crappie: darker, random speckling with a deeper body
    • White crappie: vertical bars with a more elongated, slender shape

Stocking and Sourcing
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has explored stocking white crappie but has had difficulty sourcing them. Their current supplier for black crappie is Mr. Fish Transport out of Arkansas.

Hybrid Crappie
Hybrid crappie are not a separate species. They are a genetic cross between black and white crappie, producing an F1 (first-generation) hybrid. These can occur naturally and are typically not sterile, though they have reduced fertility and lower reproduction rates.

If any natural hybrids exist in Arizona, they would most likely be found in Lake Pleasant, though they are expected to be rare. If you catch one, please share a picture.

Magnolia Crappie
Magnolia crappie are a hatchery-produced, sterile (triploid) hybrid created by crossing a male blacknose black crappie with a female white crappie. They are produced in controlled environments using pressure-treated eggs.

About 60% of Magnolia crappie display a prominent black stripe from the dorsal fin over the head to the lip, which can lead to confusion with naturally occurring blacknose crappie. However, Magnolia crappie are not present in Arizona.

If you catch one in another state, please share a picture.

Recent Crappie Stocking History (AZGFD)
    • 2016 – Tempe Town Lake
    • 2017 – Tempe Town Lake
    • 2017 – Roosevelt – 10,000
    • March 2019 – Bartlett & Roosevelt – 11,000
    • March 2021 – Bartlett – 14,000
    • March 2021 – Roosevelt – 14,000
    • March 2022 – Bartlett – 30,000
    • March 2022 – Roosevelt – 75,000
    • Feb 2023 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • Feb 2023 – Roosevelt – 10,000
    • March 2023 – San Carlos
    • May 2024 – Roosevelt – 20,000
    • May 2024 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • March 2025 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • March 2025 – Roosevelt – 10,000
    • March 2026 – Bartlett – 10,000
    • March 2026 – Roosevelt – 10,000

Walleye Stocking
Many crappie anglers also enjoy targeting walleye. Recent stockings include:
    • June 2022 – Apache & Canyon – 1.5 million walleye
    • 2024 – Apache, Canyon, and Saguaro – walleye

If you catch a walleye in Arizona, please share a picture and the lake where it was caught.

Learn More
To learn more about the Arizona Crappie Association:
    • Website: https://azcrappie.com
    • FAQ: https://azcrappie.com/contact/
    • Community Forum: https://forum.azcrappie.com/

#10

Upcoming Events / Re: Arizona Mule Deer Organiza...

Last post by OneBlade - April 15, 2026, 07:04 AM

They have the large group site and weather looks good.  Who's going?  Here's more info from AZMDO:

Hey all! Come on out and support AMDO while catching fish! Saturday the 18th of April at Alamo lake!
Be there Saturday at 5 am and check in. Two people per team and $150.00 per team to enter. You can have two teams in each boat.
Once you are there you can add to the Big Fish pool and the Goon Fish pool.
The team winners will be for 1st,2nd,and 3rd after the 50/50 split for AMDO. Goon (any fish other than Crappie) and Big Fish (crappie only) will be a strait 50/50 split with AMDO.
We will be at the big event's campground but  you will need to go to the Alamo Store and get your daily permits.
We have a great time and Saturday we have a burger and dog dinner.
We will have several items for the bucket raffle and the top prize will be a firearm.
Please come on out and let's have some fun!
#crappiefishing
#alamolake
#arizonafishing
#HuntingHeritage
#drivenbyconservation
#arizonamuledeerorg
Randy Blachley Jr.
#mudsharkmarine