North Platte WU
Newsletter Editor
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Call for photos, reports December, 2003 Ice fishing info November, 2003 Pathfinder autumn eyes |
January 8th; 7:00 PM
Game and Fish Office
3030 Energy Lane, Casper
(Business, presentation, drawings)
December Meeting Summary:
The membership mainly discussed organizing the Banquet and Seminar scheduled for February 28th. I'll have a full rundown in the next newsletter.
NPWU has not experienced a dues increase since the club started about 15 years ago. Since that time, inflation has risen, we now receive Western Walleye Magazine, and the price of putting out the newsletter is much more expensive. The formation of a two-tier club structure within the state will require another $5.00 per member charge to support the state level in lobbing etc. For these reasons, a motion was made to increase dues to $25.00 dollars a year for a single membership and $30.00 dollars a year for a family membership. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. At least for the time being, three-year memberships will not be offered.
A few months ago, club records were lost or simply not recorded. Since then, LuCinda Tilton has graciously volunteered to take over the duties as treasurer. LuCinda will have a big challenge trying to get the books and membership data back in order.
I have been asked by President Billy Brenton to post this notice. The club will honor all past memberships that may not have been recorded. If you know of some one who joined NPWU but never received a membership card, the magazine, or newsletter, please have them call Billy Brenton at (307) 472-9887 or LaCinda Tilton at (307) 473-2986. Please tell us if you have one or two years remaining on a three year membership and we will straighten out the membership accordingly. NPWU will be accepting yearly dues at the walleye banquet and seminar held on February 28th.
Winter Outing:
There has been some discussion about having a winter outing at Boysen. Personally, I think that is a great idea. Much like our summer outings we could ask for volunteers to cook and prepare fish, and offer a prize for the big walleye/sauger. I will make a motion to the membership next summer requesting that we hold such an event and plan from there.
As for this year, and weather permitting, a few of us plan on going to Boysen the first Saturday in January. I will be about 2 miles north of Badwater Bay on the east side of the lake. This location is across the lake from where the canal comes into the lake south of Sand Mesa. Look for a copper colored GMC pickup. We welcome anyone who would like to come join us. We can offer lots of advice, good and bad, to novice ice fishers or those unfamiliar with Boysen. To find us, you will have to turn off the highway north of Badwater Creek. I suggest getting a Boysen map.
Call for Photos, Reports and Stories:
Photos:
Mark Henckel, outdoor editor of The Billings Gazette and webmaster for several fishing sites in Montana including Montana Walleyes Unlimited, is our new webmaster. Mark has done a great job putting our website together. Mark would like to have some pictures of 10+ pound walleyes or 5+ pound sauger. Other big fish of other species can be posted on the website also. An electronic copy of the photo or digital photo will work best. Tell us where and when the fish was caught. If all you have is a paper picture, you can send the picture with a write-up stating when and where the fish was caught to me and I will scan it for you. My address will be shown below. E-mail and electronic photos (j-pegs) can be sent to Mark directly at flatlander@montana.com or to me, Bruce Parker, at bparker188@bresnan.net.
Reports:
You are asked to post fishing reports on our website. You can do it directly or by e-mailing a report to Mark. Verbal reports can be given by calling me and I will forward them on. I will also use report information for the newsletter. By the way, newsletters will now be posted on the web at the NPWU site.
Stories:
I am always looking for fishing stories to put in the newsletter. I will publish any story sent to me. These can just communicate a fishing experience or be educational, such as John Green explaining how to fish Alcova, or Chuck McCauley and Rick Walter sharing expertise on Pathfinder. We are all better than average at, at least, one aspect of walleye fishing. We all have expertise to share.
Fishing Reports:
Glendo:
Rick Walter has been doing well jigging spoons at Glendo in open water. He said they caught a lot of walleyes jigging in 15 to 60 feet of water. The deep water was producing more fish but they were smaller fish.
Boysen:
I have been to Boysen ice fishing with friends three times now. The ice is getting thicker all the time. Currently there is about 14 inches of ice at Freemont Bay and 4 inches by the Marina. Water at the south end is stained while the water at the north end is extremely clear.
We have mainly been fishing the Badwater Bay area. Fishing has been slow with spurts of action. We have caught sauger, walleye, perch, crappie, burbot (ling) and trout in 15 to 20 feet of water.
One interesting note: We are finding wild minnows in the holes from time to time. This leads me to believe schools of forage fish are moving around just under the surface of the ice. Maybe we are fishing too deep for the walleyes??????
2911 Belmont Rd.
Casper, WY. 82604
Phone: (307) 472-5349
e-mail: bparker188@bresnan.net
Tight Lines -- Bruce