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Arizona Fishing Guides
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We have assembled the very best fishing guides in Arizona. Our guide team is noted as one of the finest in the country, and has been hand selected and specially trained to insure our clients of nothing less than a world class experience. All of our Arizona fishing guides are full time fishermen, and each specialize in different techniques and species.

 

john sr
Ben Koller
John New

Dale Merry



Brett Hite
John Murray
Larry Mantle
Mike McFarland


Jeff Guerrette
Matt Beery
Justin Thompson
Jason Blauvelt

Justin Hallett
Kyle Cook

 

Our Dogs
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Being a full-time fishing guide means loving the outdoor lifestyle. We are passionate about fishing, but we also love to spend time with our families and of course, our best friends:

 

Stormy
Moose
Barkley
Foster

Annie
Chesty, Gunny, and Mack

 

 

Ben Koller
Born and raised in Phoenix, Ben has spent his entire life fishing Arizona waters. Coming from a family with a long-standing Arizona fishing history, Ben spent his childhood years split between the desert lakes surrounding the Phoenix area and the high country lakes and streams in the White Mountains near Whiteriver. His diverse fishing education would eventually lead to an unbelievably successful fishing career, both as a guide and as a tournament angler. It was while attending Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona on a full ride music scholarship that Ben realized that his passion for fishing could not be ignored. After college Ben set out and quickly rose through the ranks of professional bass fishing. In the tournament off-season, Ben started guiding for existing guide services that needed help throughout the state. Ben quickly became the most sought after bass guide in Arizona. Ben has since compiled over 40 first place finishes and over 100 top-twenty finishes in his bass fishing tournament career, including 4 angler of the year titles, and has qualified for every championship that he has fished for. Ben has also logged more client days over the last 10 years than any other guide in Arizona, and has used his time on the water and tournament skills to develop one of the most impressive client sheets of any guide in the world. Ben has been a speaker and headliner at hundreds of trade shows and fishing events throughout the country, was the head instructor of the Orvis fly fishing schools in Arizona before developing his own curriculum for “The Hook Up Fishing Schools”, and has been the featured guest and host of various TV shows on channels ranging from ESPN to the Sportsman Channel. Ben has also traveled extensively with his high school sweetheart and now wife Kelly to various fishing destinations throughout the world in search of new techniques and tactics including trips to Costa Rica, Belize, the Yucatan, Aruba, Hawaii, Alaska, Curacao, St. Thomas, Tortola, United Kingdom, Florida Keys, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Alabama, the Gulf coast, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Bermuda. Ben currently manages The Hook Up Tackle retail store as well as The Hook Up Outfitters fishing classes. Ben is the proud father of two boys and two labs. Ben is sponsored by and a pro team member of Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Motorguide trolling motors, G.Loomis rods, Daiwa reels, Lucky Craft, Hatch Fly Fishing reels, Simms, Kaenon sunglasses, and the Orvis company.



john sr

John New
Born and raised in Phoenix, John has been fishing the state since 1961. As a small child he virtually grew up fishing the old Lake Pleasant. Both the upper and lower lakes, as well as spending summers on the rim, either at one of the many lakes or Tonto and Haigler Creek. In high school he got serious about bass fishing, spending almost every week-end at either Bartlett or San Carlos.

After high school he enlisted in the Marine Corps, a dream of his since he was eight years old. After proudly serving in the Corps, John went back to work for the family business, Grand Avenue Produce Company. The business has gone from a small family fruit stand to the largest produce distributor in the state, employing over 100 people. As the business grew, his time on the water was drastically cut back. However, in 2001 the company was at a point that it could afford him to be gone somewhat, and back to the water it was, averaging 180 to 200 days per year on a lake somewhere!

No longer on the tournament scene, he still fishes an occasional charity derby from time to time. His real passion is fishing with one of his five grandchildren. Whether it’s chasing top water action on our local lakes or fishing the kelp beds off the coast in Southern California, it doesn’t matter to John. Fishing, hunting and spending time outdoors with the kids is what it’s all about. John has fished a good portion of the country as well, including California, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, South Carolina, as well as a long list of saltwater trips, both in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The “top water king”, as we call him, John believes in throwing a top water bait year round. He has the support of a great family: wife, Tammy, sons, Johnny and Anthony and daughter, Caitie along with his five grandchildren. Bulldogs, Chesty, Mack & Gunny are always ready, willing and able to take a nap with John (they don’t swim!). John is also the team captain of the Hook Up Marine Fishing Team and always willing to take a challenge from various teams. The team remains undefeated as of 2008.



Dale Merry
Born in Pompano Beach, Florida, and raised on the small trout streams on Pennsylvania, Dale didn’t discover his passion for bass fishing until his family moved to Arizona in 1976. Dale’s family quickly became avid fishermen on all of the desert lakes, and Dale realized quickly that he wanted nothing more than to fish every day. Now, many years later, Dale is regarded as one of the premier bass fishing guides in the Southwest. He currently logs more guide days on the water than any other guide in the state, and has more repeat clients than any guide we have ever had on staff. Dale is the epitome of what it means to be a world class fishing guide. He loves guiding and his passion for putting his clients on fish in evident in everything that he does. His great work ethic on the water and his complete devotion to each and every client puts him on top of Arizona’s fish counts every year. Dales laid back demeanor and unbelievable patience make him a favorite amongst everyone. Almost every client that fishes with Dale sends a thank you note praising his great guiding abilities and his remarkable ability to put his clients on fish. Dale is the proud father of four and the proud husband of one. When not guiding you can be assured to find him on the water fishing with one or more of his kids. Dale is also a very accomplished tournament bass angler, and currently fishes the FLW Stren series and the WON BASS tour. Dale is a pro team member of Ranger Boats and Southwest Boats, G.Loomis rods, Shimano reels, Pepper Jigs, Maui Jim sunglasses, and the Orvis company.


Brett Hite
Another rare native Arizonan, Brett grew up in a die-hard hunting and fishing family, and developed his passion for the outdoors at an early age. Brett spent most of his time bass fishing on the central Arizona waterways of Alamo Lake, Roosevelt Lake, and Lake Pleasant, as well as hunting quail, deer, and elk throughout the state. Brett knew early in life that he wanted to be a professional fisherman, and his dreams became a reality while still in high school, when Brett won one of the biggest tournaments on the west coast, a WonBass pro-am. That win sparked the jump from high school right in to the world of professional bass fishing. Now one of the most successful touring pro’s from the west coast, Brett has fished every major professional fishing circuit in the country, including the FLW tour, the Bassmaster top 150’s, the Bassmaster Elite 50 tour, the Everstart series, the WonBass tour, and the Bassmaster opens. Brett has won over 50 tournaments in his career so far, is an FLW Everstart Champion, a 2 time WonBass Champion, and a 2 time Bassmaster Classic qualifier. Brett joins The Hook Up during his tournament off-season to bring his skills and techniques from the tournament trail to his guide clients. Although a fantastic guide for anyone of any level, Brett’s love is doing instructional trips on Lake Pleasant and Roosevelt Lake, and being able to pass on his vast knowledge to his clients. Brett is sponsored by Ranger Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Evola rods, Sunline, Gary Yamamoto custom baits, Bait Breathe, Roboworm, Purolator, Lucky Craft, Lowrance electronics, and Kaenon sunglasses.


Mike McFarland
Mike McFarland is known as one of the most passionate and energetic guides in the state. Born and raised in Arizona, Mike has fished every drop of water in the state, and is an incredible book of knowledge on our fisheries, wildlife and culture. Mike is one of our top instructors and loves teaching beginners and newcomers to the sport. Mike is also a very successful tournament fisherman, winning the 2010 Arizona State Angler of the Year. Mike not only lives for Arizona fishing, but he is also an avid hunter throughout the state as well as a very accomplished musician. Anglers stepping on board Mike’s boat should expect an exciting and fun trip from one of the state’s best anglers. Mike is sponsored by Lake Fork Tackle, Shimano, G.Loomis, Lowrance and Sunline.


John Murray
John has won over two millions dollars in his tournament career so far, including 2 Bass Master Events, 7 Won Bass Events, 2 U.S. Open Championships, 4 Daiwa Cups, has won over 30 bass boats, and has qualified for 5 Bass Master Classics.  John competes on the Bass Master Elite Tour, is a regular on ESPN’s Bassmaster Television show, and is the host of Bassfan.com’s “Big Stick on Tour”.  John is an Arizona resident, and has joined The Hook Up guide team during his tournament season and off season to create this one of a kind guiding opportunity.
John is considered one of the greatest western anglers of all time, and he is excited to share his knowledge of bass and techniques with his clients.  John guides on famous Arizona waterways Lake Pleasant and Roosevelt Lake, as well as Saguaro Lake and Bartlett Lake.  He specializes in instructional trips, teaching bass behavior, seasonal strategies, bait selection, and technique.  Anyone looking to gain an edge in their own fishing or learn tournament winning strategies should expect to learn a ton from their day on the water
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Matt Beery
Matt was born in Kansas City, KS and spent his childhood playing sports, skateboarding and fishing local lakes and farm ponds.  He fished primarily for Largemouth and Smallmouth bass with the occasional trip for crappie and catfish.   He moved to Arizona in 2001 to go to school and met a good friend that took him to a local pond, and he quickly discovered what he had been missing and vowed to spend the rest of his days with a rod and reel nearby.  Since then Matt has been completely enamored with all things fishing.  Fishing is the biggest part of his life and Matt spends every waking moment trying to find a way to get on the water.  He is a student of products and techniques from around the world, and spends his down time researching new developments and advances in the Fishing Industry.  Matt is The Hook Up Tackle’s lead product researcher, and has a knowledge of tackle that has to be seen to be believed.  Matt is on the cutting edge of new products being developed and imported in to the U.S. market.  Anglers stepping in to our tackle shop can expect great insight from Matt into the current and up and coming baits and techniques!


Larry Mantle
Growing up in Jefferson City, Missouri, Larry learned how to bass fish on the waters of the Ozarks. After serving two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Marine Corp. Sergeant, Larry moved to Arizona and teamed up with another Arizona fishing legend, John Murray, and the two became the dominant force of bass fishing tournaments throughout the 80’s and 90’s. Larry is still considered the guy to beat anytime he hits the water in Arizona, and is known throughout the sport as a fun and energetic guy who everyone respects. Larry’s other hobbies include skeet shooting as well as baseball and basketball. Larry and his wife have three daughters and eight grandkids, and Larry is often found on his days off teaching his younger grandkids the joy of bass fishing. Larry is a seasoned professional, and loves teaching, laughing and having a good time on the water. Larry fishes from a 20 foot Skeeter iClass powered by a 250 horsepower Yamaha outboard. Larry is sponsored by Skeeter, Yamaha, Shimano and Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits.


Justin Thompson
Born and raised in Arizona, Justin’s father Marvin is the one responsible for hooking him on the outdoors. Justin spent thousands of days hunting and fishing as a kid throughout Arizona with his dad, and always knew he wanted to make a living doing what he loved most. It was during a fishing trip to Roosevelt Lake when Justin saw his first tournament weigh in, and he caught the competition bug. He started fishing local club tournaments at the age of 12 and over the years progressed to bigger more competitive tournaments. Since then, Justin has amassed several first place finishes and over 20 top ten finishes, including an angler of the year title. While Justin loves fishing Arizona, he says one of his favorite destinations was Sitka, Alaska, where he recently fished for Salmon and giant Halibut with his dad. Justin is the proud new owner of Bo, a beautifully trained German Sheppard. Justin in a pro-team member of Southwest Boats and Ranger Boats, GLoomis rods, Shimano reels, Kaenon Sunglasses, and The Orvis Company.    


Jeff Guerrette
Arizona native Jeff Guerrette is regarded as one of the best tournament bass angler in the state. Jeff has spent his life pursuing bass in Arizona waters, and has made an extremely successful career doing it. Jeff has won over 100 tournaments in his career, including several angler of the year titles and is a 3 time B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship qualifier. Jeff was the first guide Ben Koller hired at The Hook Up back in the beginning, and is know the retail product specialist for the company. If anglers are looking to learn from a true professional that really knows his stuff, Jeff is the guy that can teach years worth of knowledge in minutes of time. Customers can expect real information that they can apply to fun fishing or tournament scenarios when learning from Jeff, and expect to laugh and have a good time while learning it. Jeff is a master at all bass fishing techniques, from flippin to finesse, and can shed light on all new techniques and advancements in fishing products. Jeff fishes from a Triton TR-21 powered by a 225 horsepower Yamaha outboard.
 


Justin Hallett

Justin Hallett was born and raised in Southeastern Arizona.  He has lived in Arizona his whole life, spending the majority of his time among the beautiful and remote places the state has to offer.  Justin grew up in Hereford before moving to Flagstaff in 2005.  There he attended Northern Arizona University (NAU) and completed both his Bachelor and Master degree in Forestry.  He enjoys fishing for all species of fish found in Arizona and fly fishing in remote locations others dare not go.  When Justin is not on the water, he is traveling the state, visiting family and planning his next hunting trip. He is the proud father of Tristan, who just recently turned two years old.  Justin is a young, energetic, easy going guy with a contagious drive for fun and enjoyment in life.  Justin is an Orvis, Hatch and Simms Endorsed guide.

   


Kyle Cook
Born and raised in Phoenix, Kyle learned to fish on the streams of the Arizona rim country, catching his first fish out of Christopher Creek when he was 18 months old. Kyle has spent the last 3 decades fishing every water in Arizona, and is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable bass fishermen in the state. Kyle is known as a trophy bass hunter, and is often found chucking giant swimbaits all day for 10 plus pound fish, and lists San Carlos Lake as his favorite Arizona destination. Kyle splits his time between The Hook Up and the Union Pacific Railroad where he is a freight conductor. Kyle is the proud father of four, including a recent Marine Corp. boot camp graduate. Kyle is sponsored by G.Loomis, Shimano, Kaenon and 3:16 Lure Company.
   


 

Jason Blauvelt
Born and raised in Idaho, Jason grew up with a love for the outdoors, especially trout fishing with his dad. He started tying flies at age 10 and quickly became an efficient tyer and a fantastic angler. It was in his early teens when he caught his first smallmouth bass that the bass bug hit him and has never left. At age 17 Jason fished his first pro tournament and finished 3rd, giving him confidence to keep going. He has since logged over 35 tournament wins, 60 top 5 finishes and has 5 angler of the year titles. His tournament fishing has taken him to every major waterway in the western United States. Considered to be a very versatile fisherman, Jason excels in finding patterns that most anglers overlook, whether it’s finesse or power fishing, shallow water or deep, he can do it all. One of our favorite things about Jason is his humility, and passion for continuing to learn. He is soft spoken and extremely informative, and has a passion for teaching others how to catch more fish. Clients fishing with Jason should expect a fun day on the water while learning a ton about why the fish do what they do. Jason is sponsored by Triton Boats, Complete Marine, Lowrance electronics, G.Loomis Rods, Shimano Reels, and Banana Boat Sunscreen.
   








Our Dogs



Stormy
The best fishing dog in Arizona! Stormy whines every morning she gets left behind and cant wait for that occasional off day when she gets to go fishing. Stormy knows the sound of a hook set and trembles with excitement when a fish jumps or screams drag. Often found leaping off the side of the boat after the fish, Stormy also loves stalking bluegills and bass on the boat ramps. Stormy is the proud owner of Ben Koller.


Moose
A new addition to the family, Moose is Ben and Kelly Koller’s “souvenir” from their last trip to Montana. Although he hasn’t quite honed his fishing skills yet, Moose is an excellent jumper, and can be found launching himself off the boat docks after ducks while his big sister chases fish on the ramps.


Barkley
The most difficult thing about Barkley is keeping him onboard the boat when it slows to no wake. He can be found jumping off Dale’s boat on just about every chance he gets. Undoubtedly the best fisherman in the family, Barkley loves the Merry family fishing outings of bird chasing, fish catching, and kid soaking when he shakes.


Foster
Manny’s Australian Cattle Dog is almost nine months old and is a member of the Rusty Clan. Foster’s biggest thrill in life is hauling across the lake as fast as possible, and then diving in as the boat slows. He is also great at flushing quail, and is one of the only dogs we’ve ever seen actually remove teddy bear chollas (jumping cactus) with his teeth.


Annie
The Griffith family dog is a nut about the lake, and an even bigger nut around the kids. Annie can be found splashing around at every Griffith family outing, and is one of the sweetest labs you’ll ever meet.