North Platte WU
Newsletter Editors
We have a family outing at Glendo
on June 17th
Sagebrush Shelter
Fish weigh-in at 2:30 p.m.
I know this newsletter is a bit late. I took a bit of time off to manage a bunch of projects that crop up this time of year. Troy Condelario was last months winning loser. At each club meeting we draw from our membership list, and if present wins a $100 gift certificate from Sportsman's Warehouse.
There will be no monthly meetings during the summer months as most people have numerous projects of their own to deal with. We will have a family outing at Glendo Reservoir on the 17th. We have the Sagebrush Shelter reserved, south east of the Whiskey boat launch. All are invited, bring a covered dish, your own utensils and plates. The club will provide soft drinks, chips, onion rings, and cooking oil in the off chance someone catches a walleye. You do not have to be a member of the club to attend so bring a friend or three. Fish must be weighed in by 2:30 PM to qualify for big fish plaque. See ya there.
At our May meeting we spent some of our funds for various projects. We voted to spend $500 to buy more life jackets for the Casper Fire-EMS Department Life Jacket Loan Program. They now have enough life jackets in sizes from infant to 3X at all Fire Stations in Casper, and soon at the Fire Department at the Mall. Some of you may have heard the public service announcements on local radio and TV stations in regards to this program. The North Platte Walleyes Unlimited club and Whites Marine were mentioned as being strong supporters of this worthwhile program.
We also voted to donate $500 for the Wyoming Hunting & Fishing Heritage Expo '06, coming to town on Sept 8,9, and 10 at the Casper Events Center. The Expo is free and open to the public, has a vast array of hands-on activites and educational opportunities for everyone regardless of age, physical ability or experience. Plan to take your family to the Expo for one or more days.
The Wyoming Hunting & Fishing Heritage Expo needs volunteers to help with the various activities at the Expo. You may call 1-888-397-6996 or you can go online to http://gf.state.wy.us/services/education/expo/index.asp to volunteer. The North Platte Walleyes Unlimited club will have a booth available to us if we choose to have one. We have offered the space to the Casper Fire-EMS Depart- ment Life Jacket Loan Program which they have accepted and it would be nice if we could find some folks to man the booth with them to present our clubs goals. Anyone willing to give a few hours of their time?
The club also voted at our last club meeting to spend up to $3000 for a courtesy boat dock to be installed at Glendo. I'm unsure how that project is progressing. I hope to have more by the next newsletter.
Some quotable quotes
It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. -- John Steinbeck
"Who ever said "A bad day of fishing is always better than a good day at work." Never had their boat sink." -- Un-known
"If we carry purism to it's logical conclusion, to do it right {fishing} you'd have to live naked in a cave, hit your trout on the head with rocks, and eat them raw. But, so as not to violate another essential element of the fly-fishing tradition, the rocks would have to be quarried in England and cost $300 each." -- John Gierach
Reminds me of that Patrick McManus story "...I made a slight modification to my Royal Coachman and started catching fish. I added a live night crawler...... -- Anonymous trout fisherman quote
Tourney results
Some of our members enjoy the competition of tournament fishing. Here are some of their results.
At the Lowrance Pro Team Walleye Circuit - Wyoming League Spring Challenge at Keyhole Reservoir on May 6-7, John Green and Rick Walter grabbed first place. Rob Davis and Mike Bailey finished 3rd, Harold Mason and Rick Swim finished 5th, Don Kaufman and Chuck McAuley ended up 6th, Steve Clark and Tom Brown finished 7th, and Briston Brenton and Shawn Robinson won 10th.
The Wyoming Walleye Circuit the following weekend at Keyhole Reservoir on May 13-14 had Don Kaufman and Chuck McAuley finish 4th, Roy Parmely and Clarence Davis finished 6th, Van Russel and Brian Steinke had a 7th place finish, Tom Brown and Steve Clark finished 11th, Zeb Schauss and Cody Carpenter had a 12th, and Jason Brown and Loren Brown had a 19th.
May 17-18-19 had the Lowrance Pro Team Minn Kota/Dee Zee open at Big Stone Lake in Minnesota had Kevin & Keith Reinhart win second place, Rick Walter and Bruce Brugger grab 4th place, and John Marohn and Mitch Horning end up with a 10th place finish.
The Professional Walleye Tour (PWT) tournament at Devils Lake, ND had Rick Walter finish 23rd with a three day 15 fish total weight of 48.11 pounds. Rich Mclaughlin finished with a three day total of 46.52 pounds which put him 32nd overall. The winner of the tournament, some no name guy had a 15 fish total for the three days of 75.18 pounds an average of over 5 pounds per fish. Devils lake had to be fun that weekend.
Then came the Wyoming Walleye Circuit at Glendo on June 3-4. Steve Clark and Tom Brown finished 2nd, Mark and Miles Bundy finished 16th, Chuck McAuley and Don Kaufman ended up 18th. Steve Clark and Tom Brown won 3rd place big fish on day one and tied for big fish on day two which helped them grab a second place finish. They only weighed 4 fish on day two and missed the top spot by 1.16 pounds.
On June 7-9 at Lake Oahe, South Dakota the Lowrance Pro Team Walleye Circuit, Yar-Craft Boats Challenge, had Rick Walter and Bruce Brugger win a 4th place finish, John Green and Key Mayer finished 7th.
Fishing tips and tricks
Glendo has slowed down a bit they say, but if you try a crawdad or perch flavored #4 or #5 Shad Rap 20' back behind boards in Elkhorn over 18 to 25' of water at 2.2 to 2.4 mph you might find a fish or two that hasn't heard about the slow down. Pitching cranks over the weeds in Muddy might work also. I had good luck with a Gulp maggot attached to a jig and plastic to get my limit last time out.
Pathfinder is starting to perk up with lindy rigs and harnesses working in 10 to 12 feet or cranks worked in the 6 to 10' of water.
I have not heard much on Boysen but they should be getting hungry soon. Trolling something just over the tops of the weeds would be my first choice. Don't forget to put the big ones back.
For Sale
2003 Crestliner 202 Tournament. 225 Mercury Optimax and 15hp Mercury Bigfoot kicker motor. Fully loaded fishing machine. $28,000 or best offer. Contact John Green 258-4233 for details.
A recipe
I know some of us fish for trout. And some only fish for walleyes. But most of us have failed to take advantage of the what I call the "in-between" fish. Good eating, fierce fighters and plentiful, we have not fully appreciated the mighty carp. On a worldwide scale carp provide more protein for consumption than cattle. And the best part is you don't need any fancy clothes to catch carp. Here is the first, of many to come, recipe for this tasty new addition to our dinner tables. Next month will be "carp cakes", I know I can't wait.......
Buttermilk Fried Carp Fillets
2 pounds carp fillets
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup biscuit mix or pancake mix
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried lemon flakes
Remove the skin of the carp. Take out all the brownish-redish-colored part of the meat, the "mud vein"; discard. Chunk up the rest of the carp fillets. Place fillet pieces in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over them and let it stand for half an hour, turning the fillets over once during that time. Stir the salt into the biscuit mix. Take fillets out of the buttermilk and pat them into the biscuit mix, covering both sides. Fry fillets in deep fryer or in hot oil in fry-pan for 5 - 10 minutes until cooked through and browned on both sides. Use tongs or slotted spoon to turn them. (If oil is too hot, they will brown too quickly and not cook within.) Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges if available. Serves 4-6.
On the lighter side
The Old Pastor's Last Request
An old pastor lay dying. He sent a message for an IRS agent and his lawyer to come to the hospital. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his room. As they entered the room, the pastor held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed.
The pastor grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything. Both the IRS agent and lawyer were touched and flattered that the old man would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled because the pastor had never given any indication that he particularly liked either one of them.
Finally, the Lawyer asked, "Pastor, why did you ask the two of us to come here?"
The old pastor mustered all his strength, then said weakly, "Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I want to go."
Want to see something?
If there is anything you would like to see in the newsletter, let me know. This is for all the members. Have something to sell or would like to buy?? Have any fishing questions or tips? Do you have an announcement that would be of interest? Want to learn a specific technique relating to our local waters? Someone in the club would be glad to help. All you have to do is ask and we will help find an answer. We can't work miracles, like find a good trout recipe for example, but other than that we are here to help.
wyowalleyenewsletter@hotmail.com
Tight Lines -- Woody G.