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