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Category: Fishing
Colorado Division of Wildlife for National Hunting & Fishing Day
Colorado Division of Wildlife
All day events will be held in Denver to educate and encourage participation
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) will participate in its first-ever National Hunting & Fishing Day by hosting an event on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at the Denver Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver. The full day event, beginning at 9:00 AM, will be jam-packed with educational seminars and opportunities for newcomers and seasoned recreationists to cast, shoot and learn outdoor skills in a safe and comfortable environment.
"The DOW recognizes the importance of teaching the hunting and angling heritage to new generations of Coloradoans. Our wildlife resource is one of the most treasured in the nation--it's critical that we continue to foster stewardship, conservation, and concern about the future of our animals and fish," said Mark Cousins, Hunter Education Coordinator for DOW.
Experienced anglers and hunters will enjoy an array of presentations from Colorado wildlife experts, ranging in topics from quail hunting to mapping your hunt, fishing hot spots to carp fishing on a fly, with noted author Barry Reynolds. Novices, family, and friends of sportsmen can try their hand at shooting a .22, fly rod casting, or getting a Junior Wildlife Officer badge. Plus, a demonstration of hunting dogs by Pheasants Forever will show everyone how skilled and smart these clever canines are on a hunt!
For more information on the DOW's National Hunting and Fishing Day, please visit our website at:
http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/ (scroll down on right side of page)
WHO: Anyone interested in wildlife-related outdoor recreation!
WHAT: National Hunting and Fishing Day at the Colorado Division of Wildlife
WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
WHERE: DOW Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver
HOW: Space is limited, register early at:
http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyres/6A4309D4-C0BF-4D9E-ADB4-E0A0CD74761A/0/FillableRegistrationform_distributed.pdf
If you are interested in learning about the nationwide efforts on National Hunting and Fishing Day, please visit:
http://www.nhfday.org/
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
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Glenwood Springs Receives Another Top 10 Ranking
John Gardner, Post Independent Staff Glenwood Springs Post Independent http://www.postindependent.com/article/20090826/VALLEYNEWS/908269997/1032/NONE&parentprofile=1080
With all its beauty, and close proximity to some of the most popular trout rivers in the nation, and arguably the world, the rural western Colorado town made the top 10 trout fishing towns published by Forbes.com.
The article lists the Roaring Fork, the Frying Pan, Colorado and Crystal Rivers as the reasons for Glenwood being among first-class trout fishing destinations such as Missoula, Mont. and Mountain Home, Ark.
One reason given for consideration was that the fishing is open to the public and is easy to access.
The ranking was no surprise to Steve DiCampo, a local fisherman whose been fishing the waters around Glenwood Springs for close to a quarter of a century.
“I like to fish the (Roaring) Fork,” DiCampo said.
According to DiCampo, who is also part of Roaring Fork Angler's shop staff, while the obvious great river fishing is what gets Glenwood on the list, there are numerous other opportunities for anglers looking to hook a trout.
“Of course there are the four rivers around here,” he said. “But the high country lakes and streams, I've been here for 25 years and there are still some lakes that I've not been to. You could spend a lifetime exploring the entire area.”
Glenwood was also ranked No. 1, as the nation's top fishing town to live in by Field & Stream Magazine in Jan. 2008.
DiCampo remembered that list as well. And while he doesn't know exactly how the people who decide how the lists are determined, he has a theory.
“You know, it's probably someone who comes into town, it's surrounded by rivers, and they figure that they'll go fishing for a couple of days. Then they probably say that it was the greatest place they have ever gone fishing,” DiCampo said.
While DiCampo didn't have exact figures, he estimated that most of the shop's customers who come for guided fishing trips, have been from out of state, as well as out of town. He said also that the majority of anglers booking trips in the past three years have been new customers.
“The majority have been new customers,” he said. “But we do have the customers that have been coming from out of state for the last 10 to 15 years, and they request the same guide every time.”
DiCampo said that the local shop also has a steady stream of Denver residents because the area also provides good fishing opportunities, all year-round.
“It's amazing,” he said. “Fishing is good all the way to mid November. And there is good fishing all year-round on the Pan.”
Just some of the factors not considered in this list. But then again, just more reasons for yet another list next year.
jgardner@postindependent.com
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State Parks Board of Colorado OKs Several Fee Increases
Although daily entrance fees, as well as the costs for annual passes, are remaining the same, the Colorado State Parks Board recently approved an increase in camping/reservation fees by $2 and boating registration fees by $10 to $25 (dependent upon the size of the boat). These fee increases are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2010.
These increases are a result of large budget reduction program initiated by the Colorado State Parks in response to a $3 million decrease in funding due to the economic downturn. Rather than relying on state funding, state parks will now rely more heavily on user fees.
Although the fees have increased, the Colorado State Parks are still affordable and remain cheaper than many other state parks. In addition, several positions within the state parks have been eliminated and many other budgets have been cut in order to keep the parks up and running, and capable of being enjoyed by residents for years to come.
Colorado's state parks are vital to the Colorado economy, bringing in more than 11 million visitors each year. These visitors are treated to 224,531 acres of land and water, more than 4,000 campsites, and 57 camps and yurts. For more info on this, and other matters regarding Colorado State Parks, visit http://www.colorado.gov/parks.
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2010 Centennial Bass Club Full Moon Open
The Full Moon Open is more an endurance test than a fishing derby. Sure its a bass tournament where the five biggest bass win the glory and money (in this case over $1000 for a club derby!), but this derby has a twist unlike any other I know of. It's 12 hours long - overnight. Yes, anglers are required to fish 7pm through 7am!
Have you ever hallucinated in a boat? I have...the last time I fished this event. Too much coffee, energy drink, sleep deprivation and straining to see the cover you're fishing will do that to you.
This year, I'll be the event emcee (hallucintating is not something I'm fond of...) and we'll film it for an episode of Fishful Thinker TV. The folks here at Crowley Marine came through to ensure we have a couple of camera boats to record all the action and bring it to the audience. Kudos! Other event sponsors include Pedersen Toyota, Ft Collins Muffler, Silvermine Subs, Sportsman's Warehouse, Dyekman Trophy, Berkley, St Croix, Costa sunglasses, and tons of other smaller sponsors too numerous to list.
Since Centennial Bass Club started this 11 years ago as a fundraiser for charity, proceeds go to the ALS Foundation, various area food banks, and the Junior Bassmaster program. Talk about a worthwhile event!
If you live in the area, consider attending the weigh-in at 7am (yes, that's 7 in the morning...afte they fished all night while you slept!) on June 27th at the South Bay area of Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins (details in case you arean't familiar with the lake: http://www.fishexplorer.com/lakedet.asp?lid=2123
Thanks again to Crowley Marine for the help with filming, and keeping my Ranger/Evinrude in top shape at all times! CL
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Preparing for the new "baby"
One of the best parts about a new Ranger boat is that each one is custom built. Sure, you can buy one off the sales floor stock here at Crowley Marine, but many anglers would prefer to order their boat built to their specs. Everything from color combinations, to power choice (although why you’d order one with anything other than an E-TEC is beyond me…), to electronics, and a slew of other features can be selected by the customer. It leads to a truly one-of-a-kind fishing machine tailored to your tastes, and each is built by hand Sweet!
The only bad part about this system is that it takes a little time to actually build and ship the boat from Arkansas to Colorado. Right now, I’m in the “between” time – that time between ordering and receipt. My 2010 Z521 is being built and to say I’m chomping at the bit would be a major understatement. So what am I doing during this time? Preparing for its arrival of course.
I’ve re-organized all my tackle so that it goes into the new boat neat, clean, stocked, and generally ready to fish. I’ve also been cleaning up data – meaning that I’m getting my waypoints and maps thoroughly organized and ready to upload into the Lowrance HDS units that we’ll install in the boat. The new HD units are truly amazing and combined with Lowrance’s StructureScan (www.lowrance.com) technology, they will truly lead to more fish in the boat by allowing us to find and plunder small key spots that go undetected by lesser electronics. It should make guiding a bunch easier and more informative too.
Crowley Marine will be installing the motor and electronics on my new boat so that we can film it for an episode of Fishful Thinker TV. Most folks have never seen a motor or electronics install, so we hope it’s informative. The details would apply both to a new boat, and a repower or electronics upgrade on your favorite boat. Hope you’ll tune in!
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Skeet Reese Wins 39th Annual Bassmaster Classic
Skeet Reese has qualified for the Bassmaster Classic nine times and is finally enjoying a much awaited win this year on the Red River in Louisiana. Reese had previously been awarded the honor of being the 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, but now finds himself achieving the next goal he set for himself.
Reese's sponsors include Mercury Marine and Motor Guide. Reese drives a Mercury OptiMax 250 Pro XS and claimed he couldnt have been happier with the way his engine preformed during the three day competition. Reese beat out the competition with an 11-ounce lead. The weather made him change his game plan when the temperature dropped and the bigger fish had to come out of the muddy water. Even through unexpected weather conditions Skeet overcame well known competitors such as Brian Snowden, Jami Fralick, and Mike Laconelli.
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Awards Presented to Top Ten Finishers in the Ranger Cup
Ranger Boats had a grand tournament year, with walleye pros in all levels of competition being successful. The program rewards the individuals not only for their success on the water and in competition but also for their loyalty to Ranger Boats.
For 2008 the awards went to the Top 10 finishers in the point standings for walley anglers. The award recipients walked away with Ranger Cup money as well as bonus money from the two contingency programs, "Powered by Evinrude" and "Powered by Yamaha".
In total the award money came to about $43,000, which did not include the new, 2009 Ranger 620V which was awarded to the first-place finisher Dan Stier. Stier walked away with not only a brand new boat to enjoy, but also over $1000 in prize money from both the Ranger Cup and the contingency programs.
The ranger cup in general awards points to anglers who compete out of Ranger boats during qualifying tournaments. A first place finish earns 50 points, with each following finishing position decreasing by one point. Anglers must register in the program and must fish from a Ranger boat, along with meeting various other requirements such as clothing and decal display. For more information visit www.rangercup.com
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Win-Win Scenario With Ranger's New Z522 Comanche
Bass Anglers have two main needs when it comes to their boat. The first is for high performance and acceleration, and the second is space, storage, and impecable styling providing good looks on and off the water.
Evolving from it's predecessor, the Ranger Z520 Comanche, the Z522 is expected to surpass any previous expectation of the 22-foot fishing platform. The Z522 Comanche is rated for a maximum 300 horsepower and numerous features that make the vessel both versatile and fisher friendly.
Ranger took no shortcuts with the Z522, equipping it with fishing features that are now in demand such as Lowrance or Hummingbird electronics, a 24-volt trolling motor, a compression lid lock system, hydraulicjack plate, and remote oil fill. The instrument panal on the Z522 Comanche is impressive as well as it boasts 7 guages including the speedometer, tachometer, fuel, trim, water pressure, temp and voltage.
The new Z522 Comanche provides any angler the possibility of getting to remote spots and back again with a sound mind due to its pair of 32 gallon fuel tanks. They can do this in comfort and style as well with the new sleek appearance and Ranger's exclusive SRS Soft Ride Seating® system.
The Z522 Comanche holds the promise of becoming every anglers desire, and its not forseen for it to fall short of that promise.
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Snow day break
Don't look now, but its snowing in Colorado...again...in May no less. It's OK though, because a snow day is a good way for me to step out of the boat and get some office work done. Since our 2010 Ranger Z521 arrived and was rigged with an Evinrude 250 E-TEC at Crowley Marine, its been non-stop angling, guiding and filming. My wrist is wounded from working jerkbaits, I have tennis elbow from casting, and my shop looks more like mid-season than early spring as far as organization goes. The wrist and elbow will heal...the shop needs real help!
After a month with the new boat, one of the coolest aspects of it is the Lowrance electronics, specifically an HDS 8 flush mounted in the dash and HDS 5 in the bow. They are both networked with LSS-1 Structure Scan meaning I can see both side imaging and down imaging with ridiculous clarity. Want to dissect a piece of structure or scan a flat in a hurry? This package will do it! Brent at Crowley Marine performed a super clean install on ours.
Looking out the window, it looks like the snow is fading. Trout bite well as the snow subsides, so my elbow and wrist may have to wait another day or two to rest. Now, where's the keys to my Tundra...? CL
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Dawg days of summer
No it's not a typo...I'm fully aware that the term dog days of summer refers to a lazy dog layin' in the shade to beat the heat. So why then did I try to be so cool as to title this blog "dawg days"? Because its more akin to the term "hawg" - as in the southern term for an ol big 'un, bucketmouth...or whatever. I'd have to be more southern to come up with others.
The dog days can be the hawg days if you keep a few things in mind. First, water temps are high. My Lowrance reports temps as high as they'll be for the year right now. Second, there's lots of food in the system, so your lures have to compete for the hawgs attention with the real deal. Third, true hawgs are old fish that have been through summer fishing seasons before - they've seen many lures and perhaps have been caught and released - an experience they're likely to avoid.
So how does this all add up to the hawg days for you? In a nutshell, make your baits big and easy to catch. Since fish metabolize food faster in warmer water, big meals are no problem and in fact represent a more efficient food source than a bunch of little bites. Average anglers toss average size baits - so big, educated fish learn that size range. Either smaller or larger than average lures will help you get them to bite, but larger lures will increase the strike zone because of the efficiency aspect. More calories for the effort. Larger baits are also easier for fish to detect from a distance. Making your bait easy to catch appeals to the lazy nature brought on by warm temps and also plays into the efficiency thing. A big, easy to catch meal is just the ticket for big summertime fish.
Try huge flutter spoons or swimbaits for a variety of species including walleyes, trout, wipers, pike, and bass. A 10" or longer plastic worm is great for bass too. Big, slow crankbaits will also get bites from lots of fish.
As things heat up on your pond, get out the big baits, but fish them slow. You may not have to be a southern boy to to turn the dog days into the hawg days! CL
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