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Colorado Fishing and Hunting News Edition

Quotable
"Normally I see a lot of turkeys in my yard. I haven't seen a turkey all winter. "
—DOW's Patt Dorsey of the Durango office, on how the low snowpack in Southwest Colorado may adversely affect turkey hunting come April.

In the March 9, 2006 issue

FISHING
Crystal River rainbows * Elevenmile Reservoir kokanee * North Park lakes tournament * Delaney Butte/Lake John/Cowdrey trout * Granby lakers, kokanee * South Platte River rainbows * I Was There: Bailey trout * Taylor Reservoir kokanee, lakers * Green Mountain kokanee * Bear Creek trout/smallies/saugeye * Chatfield Reservoir rainbows * Jackson Creek rainbows * Jackson Creek cats/walleye/ wipers * Barr Lake trout * Gross Reservoir lakers/kokanee/rainbows/tiger musky * Piedra River trout * State record laker Q&A;

HUNTING
Proper calling brings in tricky turkeys * Lost Canyon Ranch turkeys * Kansas turkeys * Photos Afield * Weld County coyotes * Rampart Range turkeys * Poudre Canyon turkeys * Lampton Ridge turkeys * Storm Mountain turkeys * Southwest turkeys * 2005 spring turkey stats * Expert turkey Q&A; * I Was There: S.D. pheasant

EVERYTIME
Statewide Trends * Editor's Picks * Quotable * Letters to the Editor * Trophy Tale * Astro Tables * In the Bullseye * The Traveling Outdoorsman * Around the Nation * Limerick Contest * Photo Contest Winners * Where To Go on the Web * Gearing Up * Where To Go * Outdoor Outlet

This Issue's Featured Article

Cold fish: Temps to -26 (that's 26 degrees below zero) didn't deter determined tournament anglers like Stan Sweney of North Park, who took second place in the Delaney Butte ice fishing contest in February. (F&H; News photo by Mike Kennedy)

Last chance for ice fishing at Delaney Butte Lakes

Walden — The North Park lakes (Lake John, Delaney Butte and Cowdrey) usually open up from their ice lids sometime in April. That's according to Bill Willcox, owner and operator of the Lake John Resort (970-723-3226). Between now and then is the window of time that's available to get in your last ice fishing trip of the season to these productive lakes.

Cold derby: The annual Delaney Butte Trophy Ice Fishing Contest was held back on Feb. 11. Anglers showed up from all over the state. The weather was extremely cold (it was -26 degrees when I got to the lake), and most everyone's electronics froze up. Augers didn't want to work and reels and lines were freezing up.

However, the fishing experience was great. Winners of the contest were Scott Graham of Walden, first place, who won a trophy and $500 with a 101.2-cm (length and girth) cuttbow from North Lake. Second place went to Stan Sweney of the North Park area, who earned $400 with a 91.3-cm cuttbow from South Lake. Joe Nagel of Pueblo west captured third place with a 71.9-cm cuttbow from South Lake. And fourth place went to Allen Clay of Greeley, with a cuttbow he caught from East Lake.

New regs: Delaney Butte has new rules for 2006. No baits may be used with any kind of scent (not even salt) and cuttbows and rainbows in the 18- to 22-inch slot must be released immediately. The rule to release brown trout in the 14- to 20-inch slot is still in effect from prior years. The previous rule that anglers could not use plastics under 1 1/2 inches in length has been removed, and when fish are sluggish, going super small can be the answer. I caught all of my fish on either a No. 10 or No. 12 Rat Finkee or a scud.

This time of year it's best to call the Lake John Resort for the latest conditions. To get there from Denver, go west on I-70 to I-40, t hen head north through Granby. Just west of Granby take Highway 125 north 55 miles to the lake.

— Mike Kennedy

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