Catching Fish in Three Mile Creek

I've gone on plenty of walks on the Three-mile Creek Trail in Leavenworth, and although the creek isn't very big, it does have fish in it.  In August I had a free evening with the kids so we went to see if we could pull anything out of it.  Sure enough, I caught a chub!  We also caught a sunfish or two and a bass.  They weren't very big, but sometimes it can be really fun pulling a fish out of skinny water. We also took some time to play in the creek and catch some crawdads and tadpoles.  Time well wasted!

Nearest City: Leavenworth, KS
Location: Three Mile Creek
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Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info:

Leavenworth State Fishing Lake

We took a trip out to Leavenworth State Fishing Lake to see what was there. It's definitely bigger than the other places we've been canoeing, but that wasn't a problem.  There were a few larger boats out on the lake, but they were full of fishermen trying to catch fish. 

We did some floating and fishing, and even caught a few bluegills and bass.  I didn't see anyone else catch anything.  I think it was still a little early in the year for the fishing to be really hot.  We had a good time though. 

We paddled all the way down to the end of the east arm, and found flooded grass and cattails, full of green algae.  The wind picked up and it made paddling a little bit more difficult, so we paddled back and dumped the tired kids out of the canoe. 

There were a few muskrat lodges there in the east arm.  The muskrats, just like their bigger cousins the beavers, make lodges  just above the water level so that they can be safe and secure.  The only difference is that muskrats make their homes from the cattails and marsh grasses instead of from trees and branches. 

Nearest City: Tonganoxie, KS
Location: 5 miles NE of Tonganoxie
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Leavenworth State Fishing Lake Website

Camping and Canoeing and Fishing at Atchison State Fishing Lake

Sometimes I make mistakes.  I made a pretty significant one a few weeks ago when I asked my kids what they wanted to do that weekend.  I didn't ask them "What should we do this weekend?".  Instead, I asked "Do you want to go camping, fishing, or canoeing this weekend?"  Any guesses what they said?  Their response in unison was "YES!  All of them!"  So, being the good dad I am, I said OK.

Agreeing to go camping, and fishing, and canoeing was both a good decision and a bad one.  Good, because they really had a great time.  Bad, because now they want to do all of them all of the time and are disappointed when we leave any of the options out. 

We crammed the car full of all the gear we'd need, then loaded the canoe on top, not unlike the maraschino cherry on top of a banana split.  Then we drove up the road to Atchison State Fishing Lake.  We set up camp, cooked dinner over the campfire, did a little fishing, and took an evening paddle on the lake before we settled down to bed.  I do have to admit, it was quite the fantastic evening.  I heard coyotes yipping in the middle of the night, and an owl hoot a few times as well. 

The next morning we got up and did some more fishing and some more canoeing on the lake.  We caught mostly crappie, with a few bass, catfish, and bluegill thrown in for good measure.  There were several geese and ducks on the south side of the lake that the kids were pretty fascinated with as well.  They didn't have any babies yet, but definitely will have plenty of them later in the spring.  Mid-morning the wind picked up, and once it did we decided to as well.

I did have to throw in one more picture- I saw a big old dead flathead catfish bobbing in some brush near shore, so I netted it to take a closer look.  It would have been fantastic to catch it when it was alive!  There are some big fish in there!

Nearest City: Atchison, KS
Location: 10 miles NW of Atchison
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Atchison State Fishing Lake Website  There are numerous primitive sites (fire rings, tables, and pit toilets) along the south shore of the lake.  There is also a cabin that can be rented/reserved.

Camping at Fox Valley Lake, Missouri

Back in January we wondered what to do for Presidents Day.  We decided to go to Nauvoo, Illinois since it was a long weekend.  We've had a streak of camping every month since September of 2013 and since it was a warmer weekend (warmer being relative), we packed up and left after work.  We didn't want to drive all of the way there since it's about 300 miles from Kansas City, so Fox Valley Lake seemed like a good place to spend the night.  We arrived late, found a camp spot and set up camp in the dark. On the drive in, we scared off a small herd of whitetail deer grazing in a cornfield. 

In the morning, the kids woke up just before dawn and convinced us pretty quickly to go for a drive and warm them up.  We drove around for a while to see what Northeast Missouri is all about.  It's definitely a pretty area.  When we got back to the tent, we saw a few ice fishermen headed out to see what they could catch on the lake.  I guess there's bass, catfish, and panfish in the lake.  There were lots of dead trees poking out of the ice.  The camping is primitive, but there are restrooms available.  There's also a shaded pavilion full of picnic tables on the east side of the lake.  It seems like a great place to spend some time- especially when it's warmer!

Nearest City: Kahoka, MO
Location: N° W°
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Additional Info: Fox Valley Lake Conservation Area Website

Canoeing at Bernard Park in Lansing

Several months ago when we knew that our time in Arizona was drawing to a close, my wife and I talked about some of the things that we hoped we would find in our new community.  I do have to admit, one of the greatest wishes for me was water for fishing and canoeing.  A nearby trout stream was crucial therapy during my teenage years, and I admit that for several years I sought therapy multiple times a week.  I tell my wife that she is my true love, but that fishing was my first love, and one of the amazing things about my wife is that she understands.  She calls it my obsession, or one of them. She enjoys fishing too, but as "part of this complete breakfast" of fun things to do outside. 

One of the things we enjoy doing together is canoeing.  We had the Green Monster, our first canoe, when we lived in Fort Collins, Colorado.  It was an old fiberglass canoe that I found for $50 on craigslist.  It had a few cracks and holes in the hull after being brutalized by falling branches from a windstorm.  It wasn't pretty when we first got it, but the price was right for our newlywed budget.  A little bondo and some fiberglass cloth and epoxy made it seaworthy and a great vehicle for our enjoyment of Northern Colorado outdoors.  We took it to several of the ponds and lakes in Fort Collins for afternoon paddles, floated down the Poudre River on it, and even took it on an overnight canoe trip.  Our first child loved standing up in the front as we paddled along, then slept on a blanket spread on the bottom for naptime.  We had some great times and have some awesome memories in that old beater canoe.  We sold it when we left Colorado for a new job and didn't quite know what our living arrangements would be. 

After we got settled in Utah, we started to miss our canoe, so I looked around and found a red canoe that was a little newer and a lot nicer.  We had some good times taking it to the several ponds in the county, as well as hauling it up to the Bear River for a few day trips.  The oldest still loved going out on it, but #2 would get nervous from the rocking boat and the restrictive life-jackets.  Still, it made for a great afternoon whenever we'd load the canoe up and go for a paddle.  A hiccup at work forced us into re-evaluating my career path,  so we sold the canoe and moved to Arizona.  We knew there wouldn't be many places to paddle, and thought we could find a canoe there if we needed to.

After we got to Arizona, I missed fishing, and we missed having a canoe, but we sure had fun running around in the desert.  There just wasn't anywhere close enough to justify buying a canoe.  Deep down though, we both knew that we weren't done.  Another canoe was waiting for us somewhere.  I started to put plans in place to build one. 

The way forward proved to be a career advancement that required yet another move.  We uprooted our growing family and moved to the Midwest.  We'd never lived far from the mountains before, but better opportunities were here, so we picked up and moved.  We hadn't been here long before I started looking around for a canoe.  I found one for a good price, and bought it and hauled it home late on Christmas Eve.  The kids sure were surprised when they saw the yellow boat sitting outside on Christmas morning! 

We took our newest canoe out for it's trial voyage in late December at Kenneth W. Bernard Park in Lansing.  There is a small pond there that wasn't frozen and was open for a paddle.  We had a blast paddling back and forth from one end to the other.  It wasn't an epic canoe journey, but it didn't need to be.  I'll take open water in December!  I think future canoe trips here will include fishing poles and we'll take the opportunity to float around and try to catch a few fish. 

Bernard Park is a great little outdoor playground.  We've discovered a lot there on our several visits.  There's a network of hiking and mountain biking trails that loop around the park in addition to the pond.  We've been back since and taken the trails back into the woods and along a couple of small creeks.  There's a few scraggly looking blackberry plants here and there along the trail that I hope will have juicy berries on them this summer.  An osage orange tree really had the kids wondering why the round balls looked like rotten oranges.  The kids wondered if any animals lived in a hollow log.  We really like Bernard Park.  Even when we haven't done a big walks or explored, the kids have had fun just playing on the playground.  As the weather warms up more, we'll definitely enjoy visiting it in the different seasons. 

Nearest City: Lansing, KS
Location: 4-H road, west of Lansing
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Lansing, KS Webpage

Riverfront Park in Leavenworth Kansas

A few days after we made it to Kansas, we were all ready to get out and do some exploring.  All along the Missouri River there are signs directing you to historic sites along the Lewis and Clark Trail.  We saw one of the signs in Leavenworth and followed the directions to Riverfront Park.  We checked both ways, then drove across the train tracks, and shortly found ourselves in a parking lot, where we parked the car and got out to explore a little bit.  We soon found ourselves standing in front of the Lewis and Clark historic marker.  "On July 1, 1804 the party of Lewis and Clark traveled this reach of the Missouri River, advancing twelve miles this day.  They suffered very much from the heat.  They observed large quantities of deer and turkeys."  So even though they didn't actually stop in Leavenworth, they passed through the area.  I'm sure we'll stop at lots more of Lewis and Clark Historic Sites while we're here.

The park is located under the big blue bridge that spans the Missouri River between Kansas and Missouri.   It was a drizzly rainy day, but it was still great to get out.  We also learned a little more about Leavenworth. 

 

The Kansas Historical Marker says: 

 "The City of Leavenworth 

Two weeks after Kansas was officially opened for settlement the state's oldest city was born. 

The date was June 12, 1854, and the town was named for nearby Fort Leavenworth.  In September, type for the first regular weekly newspaper in Kansas was set under and elm tree on the levee.  The newspaper came "even before our sins," a journalist wrote later.  Within four years Leavenworth's population had soared beyond 10,000 as steamboats and freighting wagons, supplying western forts and the ever advancing frontier, made business boom.

"Buffalo Bill" Cody, William T. Sherman, and Fred Harvey were early area residents before they won fame respectively as an army scout and showman, Civil War general, and restauranteur. Abraham Lincoln, on a speaking tour, spent four days here in December 1859.  The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, established in 1858, operates nearly 100 schools and colleges, including nearby St. Mary.

Prisons abound near Leavenworth.  South, at Lansing, are the state penitentiary and women's industrial farm, while north of the city are the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth and the federal penitentiary.  The historic Fort Leavenworth - Fort Gibson military road, laid out in 1837, passed near this marker."

 

WOW- There's TONS of history here.  I've definitely got to get out and explore and explain more.  One thing I love about travel is the way separate places link together to form a web of relations.  I'll try to call them out as I find them- for example we visited Buffalo Bill's grave when we were in Colorado.  And the Mormon Battalion, which journeyed through Southern Arizona, began their trek here at Ft Leavenworth.  So, if anyone ever asks you what Buffalo Bill, Lewis and Clark, and the Mormon Battalion have in common, now you know- they've all been through Leavenworth Kansas!



There's also a boat launch on the Missouri River here.  The Missouri River flows amazingly fast, so be cautious along the river.  I'll have to make it back here to try out some fishing.  There's a campground on the north end of the park for $10-12 a night, but I don't think I'll ever camp here.  Why?  Because of the train tracks.  While we were wandering, a train drove by and it was really loud.  I don't think I'd sleep very good with the occasional train driving through in the middle of the night.  It's a pretty campground though if you don't mind trains!  There's a trail on the north end of the campground that we started to follow along the river, but by then the kids were cold, so we packed them up and called it a successful day. 

Nearest City: Leavenworth, Kansas

Location: East end of Dakota Street in Leavenworth

Time Needed: 30 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Kid Friendly: yes

Additional Info: Riverfront Park Website

Catching Record Fish in Yuma

Over the Veterans Day weekend we took off to Yuma.  "Why Yuma?"  or "What's in Yuma?" people would ask us.  Our standard response was "I don't know, we've never been there, so we're just going to see."  But secretly, I had different reasons for going to Yuma.  More on that later. 

We left Sierra Vista after work on Friday, then drove for 300 miles or so to Yuma. I didn't know exactly where we were going to camp, but knew there were some primitive sites in the vicinity of Mittry Lake, about 10-12 miles north of town.  Sure enough, we found a great little site overlooking Mittry Lake.  In the morning, we got up then went down to the lake to cook breakfast and go fishing.  My wife would say that she cooked breakfast and I went fishing and it would be complete truth.  I remind her occasionally that my first love is fishing, but she's my true love.  She laughs and tells me that her first love is rocks, and that I'm her true love.   

Anyway, we caught a few redear sunfish and other panfish at Mittry Lake.  The kids still like catching more then they like fishing, so they'd watch their poles for 20 seconds then go and dig in the dirt for a while.  After one of the poles really started moving and someone reeled in a 12-14 inch catfish their attention spans got a little longer.   So we fished for a while until the kids were done fishing.  Then we packed up, and went down to the boat ramp, and took a walk.  I've gotta be honest and say it sure was nice to spend some time on the water.  Then we packed up and headed into Yuma to see what was there. 

Later in the afternoon, we made it back for some more fishing.  This time we stopped at Betty's Kitchen- a fishing hole along the Colorado River.   I was unsure if the Arizona Fish and Game department counted Mittry Lake as an Inland or Colorado River water, so we decided to try a spot that was definitely a Colorado River fishing hole.  An email returned after we got home from the AZ Fish & Game indicated that Mittry Lake is considered by them to be a Colorado River water, but we didn't know that until we got home.  One of the things I like to do is canvass the State Fishing Records.  A while back, I noticed that Arizona breaks their records into several categories- in addition to the "hook and cook" category, you have the catch & release categories.  Furthermore, Arizona has "inland" and "Colorado River" divisions.  Well, the inland records are all pretty well set, but I noticed that the many of the Colorado River Catch & Release records were unfilled.  So, back to "Why Yuma?"  I think you can probably see where this is going.  My mind put it together like this- All we've got to do is go to the Colorado River and catch something, measure it, take a picture, release it,  and send in the documentation to the Fish & Game Department and we've got a new state record.  Done done and done!  The hardest part is going to be getting to the Colorado River.  I didn't have a hard time convincing myself that it was a good idea to take off for the long weekend.   

So at Betty's Kitchen, we did a little more fishing.  I first caught a 8 inch largemouth bass.  Unfortunately, that was one of the record categories that was filled.  I'd need another 20 or so inches on that fish to stand a chance.  So, I baited up and cast again.  After letting the bait sit on the bottom for a while, there was a tug on my pole.  I set the hook and fish on!  I called over to my wife and kids who were talking to some other people fishing and they smiled and waved and kept talking.  A couple minutes later, I called them again and they thought that coming over would be a good idea when they saw I was still fighting the fish.  Shortly after that I landed a nice 26" channel catfish.  It was my personal best catfish by a couple inches.  Even better was that the C&R record for channel catfish on the Colorado River was unfilled.  We measured the fish, took a few pictures, then turned it loose.  Mission accomplished!  I filled out the documentation and sent in the paperwork when we got home.  We'll see if I hear anything back about setting the state record. If so, it's gotta be just about the easiest record fish I've ever caught. 

Nearest City: Yuma, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: varies
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info:

Fishing at Dankworth Pond State Park

We stopped at Dankworth Pond to see what was there.  I didn't intend to stay long because the kids were starting to get sleepy as naptime was approaching.  Right as you enter, there's a sign for a hot spring. It's more of a hot well that drains into the pond, with a small wading area before it gets there. 

We waded in the warm water since there's not enough to soak in past mid-calf. 

The pond looked pretty nice.  It used to be a catfish farm, but now is part of the Arizona State Park system.   It's a smaller subunit of Roper Lake State Park, and is just for fishing, walking, and boating in small motorless boats.  As far as fishing was concerned, we saw several fishermen there, and several of them were catching fish.  As we'd been skunked so far at the Gila River and Roper Lake, I gave in and we got out the fishing poles. 

We wandered down the dike that makes the north shoreline of the pond, found a fishy looking place, and casted out a few poles.  Fish on!  We had several nibbles and a few solid hookups.  Grasshoppers about 2 feet under a small bobber was the perfect meal ticket for the bluegills and bass.  The kids even were able to handle things all by themselves.  Can you spot the fish in the picture above? 

The fish we caught weren't very big, but the kids were determined to keep them and bring them home to eat for dinner.  Bluegills are great for helping kids learn to enjoy fishing- they're easy to catch and if you find them there will be plenty of action.  We caught enough for dinner, but not quite our limit then headed home.  If I'm ever back near Safford to go fishing, I'll pick Dankworth Pond over Roper Lake any day!

Nearest City: Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
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Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info:

Playing at Roper Lake State Park

Roper Lake State Park is about 7 miles south of Safford.  We stopped by to go fishing and soak in the hot spring.  Unfortunately, the hot spring has been improved since our last visit, and is now thoroughly surrounded by concrete.  I'm partial to primitive springs, but other then that it's still a great soak.  I didn't soak when we visited because it was just too hot out.  Weather in the 90's is just too hot!  We tried our hand at fishing to no avail. 

This little guy kept waiting for a fish to bite.  After about half an hour with no luck, we decided that it just wasn't our day. 

 



 The kids had a great time swimming at "the island" area of the park.  They could walk out quite a way and still not be in over their heads.  We had a great time splashing in the water, digging in the sand,  and picnicking.  It was a great afternoon.  After we left, we went to Dankworth Pond because the $7 admission fee to Roper Lake is good for over there as well.

Nearest City: Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
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Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Roper Lake State Park Website

Camping at the Gila Box

At the end of September we had a "Birthday Weekend" -basically the weekend closest to the family member's birthday is set aside for an adventure.  Our oldest wanted to go camping, fishing, and soak in a hot spring.  Since the closest hot springs are near Safford, we headed up that way for our short weekend trip.  I'd wanted to go check out the Gila Box, so we went to the Riverview Campground to spend a night under the stars.  We left a little late, and it was an hour or so after dark by the time we got there.  Along the way we saw a rattlesnake crawling across the road.  We drove in and discovered that we had the whole campground to ourselves.  We picked a site, set up camp, then went to bed.  There was a small possibility of rain, so we put the rainfly on, fortunately because there were a few sprinkles during the night. 

We woke up, ate breakfast, and opened presents.  Then we went down to the river and discovered that it was high and muddy- not a good combination for fishing.  So we drove over to Bonita Creek and the Serna Cabin.  The Serna Cabin was a line cabin for ranchers, but for a few years it was permanently occupied.  There's a small interpretive sign nearby.   Bonita Creek wasn't much- more like a trickle.  We wandered down to the Gila River, saw a few raccoon tracks in the mud, then decided there were better places to go with young kids.  Normally it would have been fun to stay, but heavy rain earlier in the week had made the banks muddy and the river high and fast.  You can do float trips through the Gila Box, and it looks like a fun trip to do if you time it right.

Here's a view of the lower Gila Box from a bluff overlooking the river.  It's a beautiful area, and quite surprising that it was as secluded and lonesome as it was. 

We stopped at the boat take out at the west end of the Gila Box to see if there was a better fishing hole, but it just wasn't our day.  We packed up and headed for Roper Lake for some fishing and hot springs.

Nearest City: Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
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Additional Info: BLM website for the Riverview Campground

Heritage Park- community fishing pond

In Garden City, Utah they have a new little community fishing area right by Bear Lake.

 

 

Heritage Park.

Since we are not Utah residents, and did not want to get non-resident fishing licenses, we just let the kids run around and play.

 

No fish for us, but the kids sure enjoyed having the time to run around and unwind (for that matter, so did I!)

 

It is a fun spot to spend a few hours out in the beauty of nature.

Nearest City: Location: N° W° Time Needed: Difficulty: Kid Friendly: Additional Info:

Bear Lake

While we were in Utah we headed to Bear Lake for a couple of weeks of good beach time.

There are many different spots with public beach access.

We checked out a few different areas while we were there.  Each spot, of course, has different benefits.

We ended up being there on the 4th of July, and many other people had the same idea.

 

 If you have never been to Bear Lake before, it is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.  It is a gorgeous blue and the scenery is amazing.

Of course the activities are a blast as well.

Boating

 

 

 Playing in the water

 

 

Sandy beaches for building, digging, creating.

 

 

Nearest City: Location: N° W° Time Needed: Difficulty: Kid Friendly: Additional Info:

Officers Club Pond, the closest fishing to Sierra Vista

For most of my life I've been a spoiled and lazy fisherman.  I grew up 1/2 mile from the Weber River in Utah and spent the best parts of my teenage years running up and down its banks, or more appropriately, wading up and down and through it's riffles and runs.   When we lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, I had the Cache la Poudre River and numerous small community ponds nearby.  Then we moved to Kaysville, Utah and had the Kaysville Ponds nearby whenever I wanted to get away for a quick fishing trip.  Then we moved to Sierra Vista.  It was pretty much a death blow to my fishing life.  Most of the time when I'd ask around about fishing opportunities, people would tell me to go to Parker Canyon Lake or Patagonia Lake.  Umm, no.  Is there anything closer?  Not that I'm against driving to go fishing, but the truth of the matter is I'd rather be fishing then driving to go fishing.  I finally found a workable solution in the Officers Club Pond on Fort Huachuca.

I have to admit, it's not much to look at.  But the important part is that is has fish in it.  I've caught mostly bluegills and green sunfish, and they're not huge by any means.  There are quite a few mosquito fish in there as well (I've caught a few of them), and I think I've seen a bass or two swimming.  The problem with the pond is that there are too many fish in there.  Because there are so many fish, there aren't any "big" fish.  The biggest fish I've caught is about 5 inches long.   So, if you go, have fun and be glad that there's a spot to go fishing close to Sierra Vista!  Please don't keep any of the bass- throw them back in to help control the smaller fish. 

This green sunfish is just big enough to be catchable, but just small enough to be pretty hard to make a meal out of unless you're a heron.  I've had a time or two where the master fisherman was lurking nearby and would perk up as soon as I hooked something.  I'd reel the fish in, then toss them on the bank and the heron would come and gobble them up.  I figured reducing the fish population slightly would be a good thing.  The heron certainly enjoyed doing his part!

Nearest City: Ft Huachuca, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: