If you want big fish closer to Loveland, the private lakes I manage just west of Red Feather produce much bigger fish than Dowdy, average 17" with plenty bigger. It costs $40 a day but no license required and theres no daily fee like Dowdy, so it's close to a wash. You can drive right to the lakes. Here's a typical fish from a couple days ago.
Jeff, what's a typical size you catch at Dowdy?
Lou, that sounds real interesting. He's also bringing his better half and she'll be fishing too so there'd be 3 of us. I'll have to see how many days he is thinking they want to fish and whether they might be interested in taking you up on the offer. And I saw your post about that fish on a thread a while back. What's it called again?
We mostly fish from 4-12' deep and sight fish from portable huts. If we go deeper in midday to find suspended fish I bring out the Vexilar. A 1" pink-white tube jig or hot pink rat finkee is all you need with or without a half mealworm for some scent.
If you want an outing you can rent one of the cabins in Red Feather Village, fish our lakes for a day and Dowdy for a day. There are a couple good restaurants here too.
You won't catch the numbers here that you will get in Dowdy (at least ice fishing - we regularly have 30+ fish days each fly fishing in open water) but you will catch bigger fish. If the fish are moving and you/he knows what you are doing, 15-20 fish are very doable, with a few 20"+ and most of the rest 15-19". Rare to catch one under 14". We have a 3 fish per person limit. Dowdy is 4.
Near dark and many hours later the two came back to the lodge, a little worn out from their outing.
Of course I asked them how was the fishing and in return got a strange response that I will always remember. "Well, in a deep Texas speak, " it took us so long to chain saw a long and wide path in the ice to put the boat in, we never got to fish. Maybe next time we will bring explosives!"
Tricia and I looked at each other and just shook our heads in disbelief.
A few years later, these two Texans returned but this time, they had explosives, yea, like sticks of dynamite. We also noticed that they had brought along a Labrador Retriever as a companion. Off they all went and an hour later I see them driving their old Suburban out across the lake to one of the places I had suggested. Yea, one of my Honey Holes!
I did not see it happen but heard the explosion. Later I found out from a near by fisherman that he saw them park the Suburban, go to the back of the car, and take something from a box. Then he sees something smoking in one of the guys hand, sees him throw this smoking object as far as he could and then both of the guy ducked behind the car. He also noticed that the side door on the Suburban had been left open and a soon as the smoking object hit the ice, out jumps the Labrador and it races across the ice, picks up the object, returns back and jumps in the car. All this guy heard was yelling from the Texans, "NO, NO, NO, stop, stop, stop, and then there was the explosion. Yea, a hole big enough to put a boat in or to sink a ship like a Suburban. Next time I will never tell of my Honey Holes!
PS, Fortunately, the opposite door on the Suburban was open, and after the Lab dropped the explosives in the car, he jumped out just in time and was last seen heading for shore. The two Texans was not as fortunate. "GOD BLESS TEXAS ".
Matt, we fished the same spot I fished with you guys last week, about 5' of water, but today they were really moving. She caught a hook jawed football male about the same size as this female but put it back before I could get a pic. I also had a muskrat come into the hut and had to kick him in the head to get him to go back down the hole. A good day!
Front range lakes are good for trout as well, granby is fun for lakers but unless someone shows you the ropes, they can be very hard to catch.
If you can swing it, head down to South Park and dish Antero and 11 Mile, spend the night. Both are fishing good. You guys could call some coyotes as well. I don’t fish travel much for trout these days as I’d prefer to catch Walleye amd Perch so I try to keep them off which can be hard to do. I’ll send you a note.
Right next to my truck
This last Sat, took nephew's kid, 12, to Antero. Arrived early. Probably 200 other anglers on the north end. Most were in their huts, but weather was so nice, warm and no wind, that many came out to fish in the open. In 3 hours, we never saw a fish. Never saw another fish caught, no one running to their rods, no hootin' and hollerin'. Lots of guys out with their augers digging new holes, looking for the fish. Fish were hiding.
Decided to take the kid to Tarryall, just a few miles out of the way home. Tarryal known for lots and lots of small fish. This was gonna be a slam dunk! 5 hours there, no fish. Saw a few, very few, caught.
Stopped at McDonalds on the way home, ordered a fish sandwich. Figured that was going to be the closest I got to a fish that day.
Maybe I've been watching too many YouTube videos?
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