Thursday, April 3, 2025

 

Former Loveland Fishing Club President Doug Money swears this is what happened recently out in the middle of Boyd Lake– and why would he lie about something like this?

It seems Doug, Club Treasurer Ken Kesterke (past winner of the club’s annual championship, by the way) and Jim Rottman were blissfully trolling along when … SUDDENLY … their bait was attacked by a sizable – but apparently long dead – walleye.

“Here she is hooked right in the mouth,” Doug notes while sharing the photographic evidence below. There’s no obvious category of Colorado Master Angler award that qualifies the fish for the club’s annual Big Fish contest. And Doug concedes “it was Ken who gets the credit for reeling in this trophy fish. I netted it.” We assume Jim just watched in admiration.

Doug adds that the phantom strike occurred on a purple diver running 15 feet down in 30 feet of water. How the hook got in its mouth we will never know.”

If you have an opinion and choose to speculate, drop me a note. Bill 





Monday, March 31, 2025

Water's warming; Rick's catching bass

 This chunky largemouth was one of several nice fish falling to Rick Golz and his annoying nightcrawler technique recently at Colorado Youth Outdoors. 



Thursday, March 20, 2025

A fine but chilly outing at Rivers Edge

 Sixteen determined anglers turned out Thursday for a chilly day at the ponds of Rivers Edge Natural Area, bolstered by hot coffee, pastries and good company. It should be a good bit warmer for next month's Rivers Edge gathering, on Thursday April  17th, two days after the general meeting.


Tom Canchola landed this fat 15-inch largemouth on a Gulp minnow under a small float.
Others tried the new dock on Bass Pond and other points around Bass, Sandpiper and Dragonfly.



































Photos by Darrell Knight

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Getting ready for the May 17th Loveland Kids Fishing Derby

 Here's the flyer that will be used to inform families about this year's derby. Please share the information with friends and family - anyone who might want to participate in this popular annual event.




2025 Loveland Kids Fishing Derby

Saturday, May 17th 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

North Lake Park Duck Pond. Open to kids up to age 15

  • A free Loveland tradition for decades!

  • The Loveland Fishing CLub offers prizes for largest and smallest trout, and raffles giving all kids a chance to win fishing gear

  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife stocks the pond with catchable trout.

  • Colorado Youth Outdoors teaches kids to clean and cook their catch

  • Loveland Kiwanis clubs provide family-priced food and drink.

  • Registration is free; to qualify for raffle prizes, kids should register before starting to fish at the Fishing Club’s booth in the high school parking lot east of Duck Pond or at the shelter on the west side of the pond.  



Friday, March 7, 2025

Who is the best angler in Northern Colorado? Here's the generic answer

 By Bill Prater

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Open water! First open water fish of 2025!

 Those who moan about frozen lakes and ponds can rest easy: the high winds and higher temps of the past week have blown away the ice caps of most water.

The ponds of Rivers Edge Natural Area, the Recycle Pond, Westerdoll, Heinrici and others are virtually clear, except for thin ice mostly along the south edges. The Marina Inlet at Boyd was still locked up Wednesday afternoon, but much of the lake appears open, and nearby Horseshoe was open as well. There was still ice across some of Lake Loveland, but it's mostly ice free as well.

Fishing's going to be slow yet for awhile, but this is a great time to get out and see what's biting. Fished Recycle for an hour or so Thursday, and found a couple of gullible trout. 



Monday, February 10, 2025

Why I gave away my boat

 By Bill Prater

Usually when a fisherman starts a conversation with, “Truth be told…” everyone nearby knows to groan and grow wary. He or she is either about to lie about fish or fishing spot, or feeling guilty over what they lied about. In my case, though, truth be told, I gave away my perfectly usable boat because I really didn’t care to fish from it anymore. And I really didn’t want to sell it. 

Let me explain.

My brother Paulie (the Reverend Paul to everyone else) found that boat for me at a bargain price 25 years ago, beginning to rust away in the back of a sales lot in Central Illinois. For the next quarter century that 18 ½-foot bass boat took over an entire bay of the Prater garage. But it also started up with a roar nearly every time she was on the water, and reliably took us where we wanted to go. During all those years, a healthy chunk of my favorite fishing time was spent with that annoying older brother of mine. My elder by just 10 ½ months (Dad called me his “six-week checkup baby”), Paulie pestered  me relentlessly as older brothers will. But he also taught me all sorts of useful things -- including how and when it’s okay for even a Methodist minister’s kid brother to lie about fishing. And after he passed away two years ago, I gradually realized I hadn’t sat in that boat ever again.

Aw, truthfully, the situation wasn’t that melodramatic. Stuff like crowded docks, Covid, paddleboarders, wake boats and evolving fishing preferences all figured into the equation. But whatever the motivation, I learned this about myself: I really didn’t want to sell that old boat. Didn’t seem right. So rather than glance her way with regret every time I got in and out of the truck, last fall I just donated that old Bass Tracker to the “Make A Wish” Foundation. Hopefully it’s funded a kid’s trip to Disney World, or fishing trip with Kevin VanDam.

Also, truth be told, these days I get more satisfaction and fish with my aging but still seaworthy float tube and increasingly tiny baits and gear. And now, over the next few months, I plan to share what I and a few enlightened Loveland Fishing Club fishing buddies are learning about the still-evolving sport of multi-species, micro finesse fishing. Between now and open water season, I plan to share a few of those tactics with a truthiness astonishing from an old, old northern Colorado angler.








Paulie in the back of the boat. Below, mine's bigger.





Wednesday, February 5, 2025

John the Bass Man

The air was a good bit colder and the ice a good bit thicker than expected Tuesday, when John Grady and friends stepped out for a day of fishing on a Loveland pond. Rumor has it he was using minnows to land and release three chubby largemouth, including the one below. Let us know when you've been out there and what you've found.

Photo by Wayne Baranczyk








Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Barbaryk and friend on the ice

 

With last week's Loveland Fishing Club's St.Vrain State Park outing fresh in his mind, Jim Barbaryk took a young neighbor and his Dad to the park this week. Jim and the kid did great. 



Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Largemouth and Bluegills and 5 inches of Front Range Ice. Oh My.


Three of the Loveland Fishing Club's finest took to the ice on a pond near Loveland Tuesday. It was a beautiful, balmy day though fishing was lousy for small stuff. But some very nice largemouth and bluegill just couldn't resist our deadly ... waxworms. 

Bill Prater got the day going with a pot-bellied 21-inch largemouth, and Wayne Baranczyk followed up with some nice fish of his own. New Club President Darrell Knight? Well, someone had to take pictures.

The largemouth easily earns Colorado Master Angler status, at 117 percent of qualifying standard, and at least one bluegill measured close to a Master Angler qualifying 10 inches. But neither is eligible for the Club's Big Fish Contest for 2025, since they came from private waters not open to all club members. So start tallying up some fish of your own.