The club is open to all, but club events take place during the week and we meet at Chilson Senior Center in Loveland, CO. Our basic purpose is to fish, but we're easily distracted by the chance to work with youngsters or improve northern Colorado outdoor resources.
Caught a few fish on Thursday night's catfish venture on Boyd Lake, but none of them had whiskers. Still,. eight club members turned out for a night of fishing on a beautiful late August evening. We'll figure them out next time. Below are Darrell Knight with a nice white bass and Wayne Baranzyk not long after turning one loose.
Okay, several in the club plan to confront Boyd Lake's catfish population Wednesday night, and you can still be one of us. Just meet us near the jet ski boat ramp around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 28. Some will fish by float tube, others will be finding a good spot along the shore.
Catfishing is not something the club is overly famous for, so suggestions for success are welcome. You can also stop by and poke fun, if you bring treats.
Not sure if Vicki Tesar will be joining us, but as you can see in the photo below, taken in her youth with brother Rene,Vicki had a knack for harvesting bullheads from the rivers and creeks of Nebraska. "Our catfish bait was generally chicken livers or guts," she reports. I personally plan to stick with liver- or blood-flavored Gulp! Catfish Chunks. Not as messy or stinky, tucked in next to the snacks in my belly boat.
Join us!
An invitation to fish! (With long explanation to follow)
Where: Boyd Lake. Meet near the jet ski ramp
When: around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28th
The following has been posted to the blog, http://lovelandfishingclub.
By Bill Prater
Loveland Fishing Clubbers tend to be a tradition-loving folk. But as we advance into our Golden Years, we also tend to forget what some of those traditions were.
So it’s with considerable satisfaction that Jim Roode remembered that it is past time to resurrect a club tradition informally known as the “Great Boyd Lake Annual Night Catfishing Expedition.” We haven’t been out there bobbing around in the dark since well before Covid, but remember it sure was fun. I dimly recall we didn’t catch many fish, but hey, we caught fish. And I clearly remember the absence of the more annoying aspects of that lake right down the road:
So some of the club’s most distinguished anglers – right now that’s me, Jim Roode, and surely Darrell Knight and Wayne Baranczyk– will meet around dusk at the Jet Ski Ramp at the state park to decide the most likely spot to drop our lines. You are welcome to join us.
We four will be fishing from our float tubes – including Jim’s new watercraft and Wayne’s new waders and new life preserver (ask that tight wad why he sprang for new gear). But a more productive way to cat fish is probably from the shore. Also, if you launch your motorboat before the stop ANS inspections, I believe you can fish in dry comfort all night long. We in the belly boats will listen to our spouses and/or bladders, and wrap up around 11 p.m.
As a locally famous philosopher/angler (okay, me) wrote: “It may be a dumb idea, but it’s an idea.”
And who knows what might be lurking out there in the cool, deceptively clear water of our local fishing hole? If there is an expert night catfisherperson in the club, he or she stays pretty damned quiet. But if you have suggestions for a successful trip, send them to Lovelandfishing@gmailcom. And then get out your night gear.and come along.
I myself plan to bring a few worms, maybe some leftover shrimp, possibly some kind of stink bait, like the stuff we used on that ghastly night fishing trip to Lake Glen Elder in Kansas a decade or so ago. (Come to think of it, that was another brainchild of the late Norm Englebrecht, the club’s legendary planner of questionable field trips)
Looking back at some of the more questionable things the club has done over the years, this one’s pretty mild, and could even result in tasty catfish fillets or a memorable photograph. An even dumber idea – a night belly boat expedition next month to the wind- and rain-swept Delaney Lakes - is still in the planning stages.
If you’re planning to get in the water with us, remember to bring a life preserver, whistle and light. Bank anglers just need mosquito repellant and a comfortable chair. Best way to catch a catfish? I dunno. As I kid I did pretty well with night crawlers or catalpa worms under a cork. But you kids these days don’t even know what a cork is. We’ll figure something out.
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While the rest of the club waits for cooler weather, Dennis Kelsey's out fishing and occasionally showing off his catch, like this fat 20 1/2-inch largemouth. You might recognize the spot of his capture: that's a fishing dock on a River's Edge pond. The minimum size for a Colorado Master Angler Award for a largemouth is 18 inches, so Dennis' friend puts him in the hunt for Loveland Fishing Club's Angler of the Year. The competition runs through year-end.
This month's Boat Day outing will be from about 7:30 to noon on Thursday, Aug. 22 at Boyd Lake. If you'd like to participate, contact Club President Danny Barker asap at danbarker2337@gmail or 970-302-8965. He'll match up boat captains with anglers needing a ride.
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.
Over the years the club has gone back and forth about the best possible get together for the annual picnic. To me, the fondest memories involve potluck contributions from the club's finer cooks, and I'm looking forward to what they bring on Tuesday, Aug. 20. (Along with the chance to see everyone's smiling face of course.) Don't forget now, the gathering begins around 2 p.m. at the Railroad Park pavilion. The club is providing the main dish, chicken, along with water and lemonade. Our individual side dishes will make up the balance of the meal, so plan on bringing a side dish or dessert of your choice. If you have questions, check with Carol Orswell, 657-247-8204 or Wayne Baranczyk, 443-326-2310.
