[Guest]

Fished all night Saturday with Rajin Cajun with not much success. Only ended up with three smallmouth and one largemouth all on crankbaits. Highlight of the evening was a huge black bear about midnight. As we were fishing we spooked something big that went running out of the water. Shined the flashlight and there was a very large black bear just standing there looking at us. He went slowly on his way after we blinded him with the spotlight. After about 10 minutes there he was again in the water staring at us. He took off since I still don't think he appreciated the spot light in his eyes but moved very slowly and kept looking back at us. Rajin decided to take a nap and about an hour later and a good mile from the last place we saw the bear I heard this heavy breathing. Shined the flash light and there was Mr. Grumpy standing in the water again real close and just staring at me. Almost had to change my shorts at that point. Woke up Rajin and he blasted him with the spot light and away the bear went again. I don't know if he was following us or it was just coincidence. Kind of creepy. Glad I didn't have any snags by the shoreline that night.

 

[Delw]

Damn mark you have all the fun...

Bear season started for archery in certain units, and it starts for rifle real quick so where exactly did you see this bear?

A few years ago at roosevelt lake bobby and I fed one while fishing a tourny at rosy


Delw

 

[Guest]

Bear

He was across the lake from the first point before the marina in the first set of flats. He seemed to stay in the big cove for some time. Keith said he still heard him while fishing and I was catching a little shut eye. You mean to tell me he was probably just looking for a hand-out. Figures with all the campers at Apache. I was hoping to catch a fish and throw it to him to see what he would do. He would have starved to death if he was waiting for me to do that.

 

[Delw]

LMAO mark...


We saw a lion on the ramp a few years ago just laying there enjoying the sun and boaters.



Delw

 

[Flippin Stick]

I always seem to see the "not often seen" animals at Apache at knight. Last time there it was about 2am and heard loud screaming, hit the spotlight and had two lions squaring off up on shore. That was a site to see.

 

[SKIRTS'NBASS]

:shock: OK, so, it was bad enough finding out that snakes can swim and in some instances come INTO boats, now your telling me that bears and lions are hangin out too? Lions and tigers and bears, oh my, lions and tigers and bears, oh my........first monsoon storms, then snakes, now wild animals, what next, anyone else got any more......I WILL NOT GIVE UP, I WILL NOT GIVE UP, I WILL NOT!!! If I keep telling myself that, will it work?? you guys are a riot! :lol:
skirts'nbass (AKA Scardy cat)

 

[Rippinlips]

Debra, did you ever read about the 3 mountain lions Ned02 and I saw at Canyon last year? They weren't too far above the water and there was a boat with 3 guys right below em. Those guys never knew it. We told em later. Hmmm... one for each of em? We saw all kinds of stuff that night.... a fox, coyote.... It seemed like there were "eyes" just about everywhere Jack pointed the spotlight. :shock: See you and your hubby during the morning bite sometime!

 

[Lone Ranger]

Awesome.....who needs to go to the Phoenix zoo to see mountain lions, bears, skunks, snakes, etc. when you can go out fishing at night on Canyon and get a sideshow for free. Awesome reports you guys! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

That explains my experience in mid-May this year at night at Canyon. It was around 1 a.m. on a full moon night. There was something big on the shoreline back up behind some bushes and weeds. I couldn't see what it was and I was only about 20-25 feet from the shoreline and the bank was higher than my boat. It certainly did not speak English! I thought for a moment, "What if it's a big cat (e.g. mountain lion)? Now I can only wonder what it was. :?

 

[Lone Ranger]

Cats Can Swim

While we're on the subject of lions and bears being seen around Apache and Canyon Lakes...

Did you know cats can swim? I lived on the water on Okeechobee and one day there was a stray cat on my dock which I didn't see at first. I walked out on my dock, then we both saw each other. I guess I scared the cat as it ran off the end of the dock and jumped into the water. The cat did the dog paddle and did it quite well! :lol: It paddled it's way down the shoreline into shallow water and made it's way up the bank. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen a cat do. I would guess that a mountain lion can swim too.

 

[SKIRTS'NBASS]

At least the critters in the Phoenix Zoo are BEHIND bars. I did see a bobcat (I think) at Saguaro lake one night. It was really late when we finished fishing and Pat let me and my son off at the ramp to go get the truck and there was two very small spotlights in the distance and they were very close together, turns out the guy who was also going to get his truck at the same time was quite frightened too, so the 3 of us stuck together and walked VERY fast! Pat had a standoff with a skunk at the same ramp (#1) a couple of weeks ago, glad we didnt have the dog that night, would of been a smelly ride home! (Pat took the loooooong way to the truck that night!)
Good night
Debra

 

[Delw]

Bobcts and Mt lions like water, you ocassionally will see them swimming across rivers and small ponds


Delw

 

[Lone Ranger]

Now THAT would be something.....hearing a sound in the water at night and thinking it might be a feeding fish....throwing out a big topwater and wham. Hmmm....this thing is big whatever it is. Can't tell what it is, just know it is big. Where's that net? I've never hooked a bobcat or a mountain lion, but I don't think I'd ever try to lip it and haul it into the boat! :?

 

[Bayou]

Howard - Maybe that thing you saw at Canyon in May on the shoreline under the full moon was DelW stalking Lions??? :lol:

 

[Delw]

LOL bayou


Dani and I were fishing canyon(night tourny) about 4 years ago... we were straight across from that boat dock and camping spot up the river.... there is a little cove in there that is boat width at best.

We were fishing the walls with westy's and were catchign a good number of fish. I happened to look up as I was holding the boat up against the cliff with my hand. so dani could parelle the walls. I looked right over the top of her and there sat a bobcat not 10 feet away. if was close and quiet enough to hear it purring....

We take a varmit call when we goto lakes and have called in numorious cats(both lions and bobcats). Unfortunatly its always at night and the only thing you can shoot at night is *****.


Delw

 

[JDBassman]

Apache Lake

Hey MarkR...where exactly did you see the bear?..I guess im a little confused about the location on the lake. Was it across or on the same side as the main marina, and up or downstream from there? :?:
Thanx

 

[JDBassman]

and one more thing....

Seein as though everyone is talkin bout critters, last spring my uncle and myself were in float tubes at about noon one day fishing canyon lake when all of a sudden we heard a loud splash right behind where we just were, and a bobcat jumped out of the bushes and into the water to grab a coot from off the lake. All the other coots tore off across the water as a soaked, yet satisfied feline pulled himself onto a rock just off the shoreline and proceeded to eat his catch no more than 20 yards away. Not something you see everyday I wouldnt think, especially in the middle of the day.

 

[Guest]

Bear location

To be more specific he was around the black rock area and decided to venture up to mazatal.

 

[Lone Ranger]

Delw and JDBassman, excellent stories. I love hearing stories (true stories) about the wildlife around these lakes. I know Walkerdawg would disagree with me about cats (he likes dogs not cats) but I think those mountain lions and bobcats are really cool looking. I think they are beautiful animals. I'd love to see some of them. I've tried a "here fishy fishy fishy" before, now maybe I'll try a "here kitty kitty kitty" next time I'm out! 8)

 

[Delw]

Lone Ranger,
goto a hunting store and buy a preditor call (squeeler type works best) its alot of fun when your not haveing a good fishing day on the lake. you never know what your going to call in.



Delw

 

[JDBassman]

still lost

Okay MarkR, and some of you veteran guys bear with me here, Im still lost as far as where the bear is. I dont know what you guys call Black Rock, or Mazatal. I know the lake very well, but I think Ive always had my own slang for locations, and everyone knows Party Cove 8) , and Hermits cave :wink: , but like I asked before, where is it in relation to the main marina? is it on the 3 bar side? or on the marina side. I wouldnt be so persistant except that I plan on camping, and Im not too fond of having a bear in my lap at 3am. There were a few pics at Liars Korner that showed a bear back in the early 90's when the lake was 38 ft down swimming across the lake in the middle of the main channel :shock: , so maybe im not safe anywhere :?