Here's a link to a photo album for the 2025 Loveland Kids Fishing Derby

 You can view, copy and share photos from this Google Photo Album; we plan to add additional photos over the next few days. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9BxYzf3pB8U63NEG8

Great Day of Fishing at the 2025 Kids Derby

 Great day of Fishing at the 2025 Kids Derby

The first-time anglers ruled the day Saturday at the North Lake Duck Pond, with a 4-year-old and 3-year old capturing prizes for biggest and smallest trout. But everyone seemed to be hauling in fish on a perfect sunny day.

Herons and cormorants gathered on the Duck Pond island and flew overhead as hundreds of youngsters crowded the banks and kept volunteers from Colorado Youth Outdoors and Outdoor Buddies busy cleaning and cooking trout donated to the event by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Loveland Fishing Club kept busy registering anglers, handing out fishing gear and bait and later measuring their catches and presenting fishing gear prizes at the free raffle on the half hour. 

Winner of the fishing pole and tackle box for largest catch of the day was 3-year-old Weston Pharris of Loveland with a whopping 14-inch rainbow. Winner of the prize for smallest trout of the day was 4-year-old Lilah of Loveland.

Weston Pharris, 3

Lilah, 4

Captains and riders needed for May 22nd Boat Day at Boyd!

 

 This month's Boat Day outing, the first of the season, will be from about 7:30 to noon on Thursday, May 22 at Boyd Lake. If you'd like to participate, contact Boat Day organizer Danny Barker asap at danbarker2337@gmail  or 970-302-8965. He'll match up boat captains with anglers needing a ride. 

All club members are welcome, but space is limited to the number of boats. Fishing is followed by a potluck at the state park beach house. The club provides some protein, Dan says, and "everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass, and whatever you want to drink." Dan will also bring cold water. Here's a look at one of last year's outings:

Let's see some fish pictures.

 

Barring a little late spring rain or snow, we should be out fishing! And the rest of the club needs to see some fish pictures. So let's have them! Got any favorites from the distant past? Let's see those too. You can reply to this note or e-mail to billjohnp@gmail.com.

A Big Fish Story about Tiny Little Fishing Gear

 

By Bill Prater

I’m not one to either endorse or talk ugly about anyone's fishing equipment. But I’ve got to tell someone about the remarkable experience I had this week with the lightest  gear I can lay hands on, especially my new 7’ ultralight Fenwick HMG Trout & Panfish rod. And I want to tell everyone I know to forget that old cliche’ about it taking a big lure to catch a big fish.

So there I was, peacefully fishing a small Northern Colorado pond from a belly boat with that 4.8-ounce Fenwick rod, a 1000 series Daiwa reel spooled with 4-pound Nanofil braid and a fluorocarbon leader, tied to a barbless 1/32-ounce Mule Fishing mushroom head jig. Just hoping for a nice bass or bluegill, with no warning I found myself confronted by the biggest carp I’d ever seen: 34-inches long, just a tad under the Colorado state record.

That bruiser and I battled it out for well over half an hour, likely longer. At least I thought of it as a battle; the fish seemed indifferent as it tugged me around and around that pond in a Colorado equivalent of a “Nantucket Sleigh Ride.” Nonstop, the rod was bent like a pretzel and yanked from side to side. From the outset, I was pretty sure I was about to test the replacement warranty on that Fenwick.

Anyway, though it was terrifying to see that $160 rod being put to such an ultimate test, the sweet little thing just wouldn’t break. When part of the fish was finally crammed into my net, I was exhausted, my right wrist was bruised and sprained, but the carp and the Fenwick were unharmed.

Over seven-plus decades of fishing, I’ve managed to torture and snap my share of rods: tried to pull a jig free from an overhead tree, mishandled more than one rod while landing a fish, dropped a couple over the side of my belly boat, even had the wife slam a trunk lid on three rod tips all at once. Also had a kinda costly, heavier rod snapped by a much smaller carp a decade or so back.

Anyway, I’m sold on that ultralight rod and ultra finesse fishing, and thinking I really should add that little Fenwick one-piece 5-footer to my arsenal. Father's Day is coming.

Help us at 9 a.m. Thursday get our loaner fishing poles ready for the Kids Derby

 

Please join Pat Mikulak at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Fairgrounds Park Pavilion to help get our loaner poles ready for the May 17th Kids Derby. Pat will have all we need to get the stuff ready for the Derby at North Lake Duck Park.

The Delaneys are open!

 Okay gang, we've messed around and flat missed first ice out of 2025, but hungry fish still await. North Park Anglers in Walden today reported the following:

"The Delaney lakes and Lake John are fully open. The wind over the last few days has taken care of the last of the ice on the valley lakes. The smaller lakes like Cowdrey, Seymour, and many of the other lakes around the valley are fully open as well. Nymphing with leeches and chironomids is the main game during the day, and stripping buggers, leeches, crayfish, and boatmen in the early and late hours of the day is always a good bet." (I still prefer a good old Gulp Minnow, 2.5 or 3 inch smelt.)

Trouble is, your editor is dealing with the aftermath of a suspect unprecedented fifth visit by Covid-19, and not yet ready to go back to living, much less fishing on a cold, windy but trout filled lake. So if you want to take part in this annual Loveland Fishing Club tradition, someone needs to step up and get things going. Jim Roode last week indicated he was about ready, and willing to carpool. Let me know how you do. Bill

Club members on a previous ice out adventure.​

Final thoughts on the club's Zombie Walleye ...

 Okay, here are the last two Loveland Fishing Club comments on Thursday's report from Doug Money on he, Ken Kesterke and Bill Rottman lip-hooking and landing that long dead walleye:

• Understandably, skeptic Fred Riehm asks: "Was this trip on Tuesday, April Fools?"
• But after hearing about or reading all analysis of the controversy, Bill Rottman, legendary truthteller, offers the final, definitive conclusion: 
• "I know that Ken and Doug are liars, but I was there to witness the whole thing, and on this rare occasion, they were telling the truth." 

Well said, BillR. We now await more member news of early spring fishing. Remember, we love hearing about and seeing evidence of each other's fishing trips, so drop me a note when appropriate. Also remember to send your candidates for Big Fish of the Year to Wayne Baranczyk. Um, include a photo and include a tape measure. BillP

Here's what we reported Thursday:

As news of the club's unprecedented Zombie catch roils through the Northern Colorado Fishing Community, other club members have weighed in on the news:

• Don Schott:  "Sounds fishy and there is no ruler next to it."
• Dave Boyle: "Sounds like someone in the club is into Catch and Release." (Tom Miller denies all involvement) 
• And from Club Vice President Dave Johnson: "I hate to say it but I don't think these three are trustworthy. An inquiry is in order"

3 Fishing Club veterans claim shared title for club's biggest Zombie Fish

Former 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) and Jim Rottman were blissfully trolling along when … SUDDENLY … their bait was attacked by a sizable – but 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.”

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 

3 Loveland Fishing Club anglers land largest known Walleye Zombie

 

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 

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.