Fishing Report, May 14, 2013

Cabela’s is back with the annual “Fish for Millions” Contest
Cabela’s is again sponsoring the “Fish for Millions” Contest and four Colorado waters are stocked with tagged fish that could put a licensed Colorado angler in the money. Register for the contest online at Cabela’s website, and then head out to catch the fish with the orange tags in Blue Mesa Reservoir and the reservoirs at Pueblo State Park, Chatfield State Park and Cherry Creek State Park.

Vega State Park opens to boating for the season

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has opened Vega State Park to boaters. The Island boat ramp is now open and the Oak Point and Early Settlers boat ramps will open by Memorial Day weekend, depending on water levels. Beginning May 15, park personnel will be turning the water on in the campgrounds as well as the dump station and camper services building. Vega State Park is located on the Grand Mesa in western Colorado and offers beautiful views, fishing, camping and great water sports opportunities.

Lake Pueblo hosts family fishing festival on May 18
Lake Pueblo State Park will host a “Family Fishing Festival,” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 18. This is a family friendly fishing clinic that will give people a chance to learn or tune up their fishing skills. Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff will have stations setup to cover several ways anglers can improve their skills. Spin cast poles and bait will be given out on a first come basis. Anglers can take a lesson and then apply what they have learned by fishing in Anticline Pond. Fly fishing lessons and tours of the Pueblo Hatchery are also on the agenda. The adventures start at the parks visitors’ center where you can enjoy several kids’ crafts and try your hand at our casting game. Maps of the park and stations will be available. Prizes and give away items available while supplies last.

Understanding Colorado’s live bait regulations
Live aquatic bait can be a little confusing, so here are the current Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic bait regulations: All live aquatic bait must be purchased from an authorized Colorado bait dealer and must be accompanied by a dated receipt. The receipt is valid for ANS inspections for seven days. Live fish are only allowed for use as bait on the Eastern Slope below 7,000 feet and at Navajo Reservoir. In those areas, the transportation of live fish as bait is prohibited between waters unless it was purchased from a Colorado dealer, as described above. Fish harvested in the wild for use as live bait can only be used in the water in which it was caught and cannot be transported and stored for later use. The exception is fish harvested within Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero, or Prowers counties which can be transported and used only within those five counties. The transportation of live crayfish is prohibited on the Western Slope and from Sanchez Reservoir. It is unlawful to transport live bait across state lines without a permit.

Colorado 2013-2014 fishing licenses available
2013 licenses went into effect April 1 and are valid until March 31, 2014. Don’t forget to get your new license before you head out. Buying your license online is easy, just go to http://bit.ly/cpwlicensesales. You can also find the 2013 Colorado Fishing Brochure on our website.

Stocking Report
The following waters were recently stocked with catchable (approximately 10″) trout:

Join our new CPW Fishing community on Facebook
Colorado anglers can “like” the new CPW Fishing Facebook page to get tips, share stories and more. If you love fishing, this is the place to be. Before you head out fishing, head for facebook.com/cpwfishing.

Fish with us on Twitter
Colorado anglers can get fishing updates directly from CPW on Twitter. Follow @CPWfish.