Dang! I was gonna go fishing with Jim and Charlie...

"Here's the plan," said Jim Roode:  We wait until ice out at Delaney Buttes, and fish from the bank into the open water.  Big fish."

All of us had Jim's invitation to go to the lake north of Walden, but only Charlie Higgs took him up on the offer.  "You missed a good one," Jim said, upon his return. "That cut bow (see below) was 23" and I also returned a bigger brown that took over 5 minutes to land on 2lb test line. The fish was exhausted and needed to be returned immediately. He was a couple of inches longer measured next to the rod and twice as heavy as that cutbow. I caught 5 more from 10 to 18" in two half days of fishing and Charlie caught more than twice that many. It was a good trip."

Colorado launches new Fishing Atlas for anglers

DENVER - Whether you’re a seasoned angler or you’ve never picked up a rod, finding a place to fish in Colorado has never been easier! Colorado Parks and Wildlife has launched several new tools for anglers ready to enjoy everything Colorado fishing has to offer. 

The Colorado Fishing Atlas, the latest interactive mapping tool offered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, allows users to search for fishing opportunities by species, specific interest or proximity to your home or destination. Use the simple map interface to locate and view recommended opportunities for the family, remote fly fishing or ice fishing. Additional information such as handicap accessible fishing access, stocked waters, boat ramps, special fishing regulations, stream gauges, license agents and Gold Medal waters is included overlaid on top of Bing™ street maps, USGS topographic maps or high-resolution color aerial photography. The Colorado Fishing Atlas also includes a printable Fishing Resource Report that provides nearby state and federal management agency offices, emergency facilities, campgrounds and fishing license agents. The Colorado Fishing Atlas can be found online through the fishing page on Colorado Parks and Wildlife website at http://cpw.state.co.us. New users of the Colorado Fishing Atlas can also watch short video tutorials that explain the system.

In addition to the new interactive Colorado Fishing Atlas, Colorado anglers can now share tips, share recipes, get the latest conditions, find a fishing buddy, find a fishing clinic, ask questions, or post pictures of their latest catch on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Fishing page on Facebook. Facebook users can find and "like" the new page by searching for "CPW Fishing" or by going to http://facebook.com/CPWFishing.

If Twitter is your social media platform of choice, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) has launched a Twitter feed for anglers. Follow the fish on Twitter @CPWFish.

###

Volunteer for Colorado Youth Outdoors fund-raiser

The May 3 "Maverick Sporting Clays Shoot," CYO's annual fund-raiser at Sylvan Ranch, supported by Loveland Fishing Club volunteers for years, is three weeks away and they need some help with Station Masters and Hosts and other positions.

The Maverick Shoot is attended by former pro athletes, local business leaders and shooting sports professionals so you never know who you may meet!

Sign up at Tuesday's General Meeting at Chilsen.  For more information, e-mail or call Brad Wright, 970-663-0800, and identify yourself as a club member.

Using Google Earth to catch more fish! 

 Okay, some of you fish more in a week than I do in a month. And the fish I pulled out of the ice this winter all came from my freezer.  But I’ll bet I AM generally cleverer than most of the club when it comes to scouting and fishing new water.  And I’ll show you how and why:  by taking advantage of new internet technology – especially Google Earth, Bing Maps, another web tool called Angling Technologies that costs a little, and some related new Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife software.