[OneBlade]

Saguaro Lake Cleanup
January 28th, 2023 9AM-12PM
Location: Butcher Jones and Saguaro Boat Ramps 
We've decided to clean up our lakes a bit. This first trash-pick-up event will be held at Saguaro lake. Shore and watercraft volunteers needed! Shore crews will meet and walk along the Butcher Jones area and surrounding coves. Boats, kayaks and paddle boards welcome; bring your own watercraft! Watercraft volunteers will be throughout the lake but meeting at the boat ramp number 2. Disposable gloves and trashbags will be provided. Please use the below sign up link so we can  make sure we have enough equipment and track the volunteer hours.

Please use the sign up link to register: https://volunteer.azgfd.gov/need/detail/?need_id=761178

Lacey Schmitt
Aquatic Wildlife Specialist
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Office Phone: 480-324-3592
Email: lschmitt@azgfd.gov
https://www.azgfd.com/

[apenland01]

No bass tournament this weekend either, so I'm signed up for this one as well.

[apenland01]

I met my usual bass fishing partner at Saguaro for the lake cleanup volunteer day.  We got a bag of trash out of the reeds and 3 very interesting fish habitats that were dropped in the late 1980's or early 1990's.  They were actually pretty awesome, with very real looking broad plastic leaves mounted to a durable plastic trunk.  They were roughly 7 feet long and looked like they could be re-deployed with very little work.

It appeared the bolt, or whatever fastener was used to keep the habitat attached to the weight to keep it down had broken free and these floated into the depths of the reeds for who knows how long.  We only discovered them after digging out milk containers and water bottles.  We thought they were bags at first, then realized they were fish habitats...

[OneBlade]

Those habitats look to be in too good of shape to be from 1980s/90s, wow built tough.

[Fishless]

Yup the "banana plant" trees regrettably they are not made anymore you can find a few on E-bay at incredible costs. 30 years ago probably when they dropped Saguaro for dam work g and f went in and put a bunch of those in Saguaro they naturally stand up and you use a small block to anchor them. TNF when they did habitat work at Bartlett again 30+ years ago their first generation of cubes made with PVC had short versions of those trees on the baskets and also they put in lots of the full size trees like in the picture. They were absolutely the best habitat for crappie at Bartlett the crappie loved them and you didn't get hung up on them when throwing a jig. There are still a few left in Bartlett and if you know where they are at when the water level is right the crappie still love and use them. G and F looked for them after I had told them how well they worked that is when they found out they are not made anymore they were fantastic for holding crappie schools. The new moss back trees  g and f bought should work well at Bartlett when installed this March?

[apenland01]

Well, I hope they get redeployed because all they need is a connector to a weight and some new foam shoved into the top.  They are structurally sound all the way around.  It would be a shame if these three habitats didn't get a quick and easy repair, then go back into the water where they belong....