Loveland Fishing Club Blog

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

 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

 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.  

  By Bill Prater Newcomers to the Loveland Fishing Club often ask, “Who is the best angler in these parts?” Even when my name doesn’t come up, there is considerable debate over what even constitutes “best.” This is a subject more divisive than the best way to skin a catfish. Nonetheless , we are prepared to answer.   The problem is, this sport is infested with narrow-minded anglers dedicated to one darned species or another: bass, trout, walleye, bluegill, carp. But the truth is, there is neither a single best sportfish nor a single best way to catch them. Dave, Barb, George, Kathleen, John may tell you something different, based on their angling skills of choice. But the Honest to Abe truth is: You can catch a hell of a lot more fish if you drastically downsize your gear and stop worrying about which species or size of fish should be encouraged to take a bite of your worm. There is a related truth you may not be prepared for: You really oughta just appreciate whatever kin...

 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. 

 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 “s...

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