Join host Scott Watley as he dives deep into Colorado’s outdoor politics with gubernatorial candidate, Greg Lopez. In this episode, Greg shares his real-world experience managing Colorado’s complex and vibrant outdoor industry. Discover his insights on wolf management, the significant economic contributions of outdoor activities, and the intricacies of uniting urban and rural Colorado. This conversation showcases Greg’s dedication to resolving statewide issues—balancing the needs of producers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Throughout the discussion, Greg highlights his journey from the Republican Party to an unaffiliated candidate, emphasizing the importance of experience over mere political affiliation. Whether you’re a hunter,
SPEAKER 11 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado, Colorado’s premier outdoor radio show heard every Saturday afternoon on KLZ 560 with insights on hunting, fishing, archery, guns, and ammo from Colorado’s top outfitters featuring the industry’s leading experts on how to enhance your experience in the great outdoors. Now, here’s your host, Scott Watley.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome to Sportsman Colorado. Thank you so much for being with us today. Hey, we’ve got a great show in store for you. Very exciting weekend here, of course, with our Denver Broncos. And, man, who could have ever dreamed Bo Nix would get hurt? But, hey, this Jarrett Stidham, man, I think he may surprise some of us. And I hope that’s in a good way. But congratulations to the Broncos no matter what. Hey, it’s been a long time since we have had – A good team here, so very excited about the game tomorrow. Now, if you’re hearing this on Sunday, of course, our live show is Saturday 1 to 2. You can catch us twice on Sundays. That’s at 8 in the morning and 8 at night. So hopefully by Sunday night we are going to make Super Bowl plans. That would be awesome. We’re going to kick things off today with our good buddy Greg Lopez. Greg, you know, is running for governor, former United States congressman. He’s a veteran, former director of the Small Business Administration. Greg, I could go on and on there. First of all, welcome to the show. How are you, sir?
SPEAKER 03 :
I’m doing well, Scott. Hey, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, I was looking through and reading a few things, and again, I’ve said this every time you’re on the show, you know, Kim Munson is our star here for political shows, so don’t pretend to have all the knowledge in the world about every candidate. But, Greg, I’ve seen a lot of things, and granted, just on social media, but that they put out, I’m not seeing a lot of experience, man. You know, I’ve seen a dog on a stage, I think, with one and different things. But, you know, I’m just being honest, man. You’ve got to have some experience, not just a desire. You know, I want to play. I’d love to play in the Super Bowl, bud. But you know what? I ain’t got the experience.
SPEAKER 03 :
We would all love to have a Super Bowl ring on our fingers, right? You bet. But look, you’re absolutely correct. Look. Running for governor and being the governor of a state that has close to 6 million people, this is not a hobby. You must have experience. And I am truly the only candidate that has actual public administration executive experience. You know, when I was the mayor of Parker, Scott, that wasn’t just a title. It was a full-time job. Hands-on responsibilities. I oversaw a number of departments and put budgets together. And I made sure that the town ran efficiently. It really is what the governor does for the entire state of Colorado. And there’s so many issues that, to your point, you need a candidate that fully understands the totality and the complexity of how do you make the quality of life better for everybody involved. And to give you a perfect example… You know, I’m a problem solver, not a problem observer. And, you know, the wolf, right, the wolf issue here in Colorado has become more and more visible that it’s the CPW, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is not managing and has not been able to manage the wolf correctly. And so because of my involvement and my experience, I had a lot of producers reach out to me and say, hey, Greg, can you help us? Can you help us? Put a pause. Can you help us get our voices be heard? And so through the forum, I said, yeah, you know what? I’ll see what I can do. I studied. I read. I met with a lot of people. I put together a strategy. And most recently, after all our efforts and my leadership on this issue, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife finally agreed that they will not bring in wolves into Colorado for another year. They haven’t given up. They’re thinking maybe winter 26, 27. But ultimately, right, we know that there will be no more new wolves. But here’s the thing I want to make sure everybody understands, Scott. We still have a problem. Just because they’re not bringing in more wolves, we still have wolves here in Colorado. They’re about to go into their mating season. There’ll be more pups born in April. And we have the Copper Creek Pack, which is the one that’s done chronic depredation. So we need to not only manage the wolves that we currently have here in Colorado, also understand that there’s going to be additional pups. And we must make sure that we pay the ranchers and producers for their losses, which is going to go over a million dollars. And so Colorado Parks and Wildlife better not say that they don’t have the money. Because the people have stated that we need to pay the producers, and so they better find the money some way, somehow. Because if they don’t, this is just another reason why people will not trust their government when they say something, and then they don’t follow through with it. And that’s something that I am not going to stand for. If they don’t pay the producers, I’m going to get involved again. I’m going to monitor. I’m going to encourage. But at the end of the day, we will make sure that those producers get paid what they’re owed because the state said that they would.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep. And you know what? Watching you in interviews and different things, I’ve just seen on TV and listened on other stations, interviews, when you get to talking about the wolf, I can tell the person interviewing you, and whether that’s, you know, quote, high profile here in Denver on TV or radio, they’re shocked at your knowledge and what you took the time. And I’ll say this, you know, so you don’t even have to. I didn’t see anybody else taking that bull by the horn, so to speak, and diving into this to see, hey, was Colorado right in going to Canada and getting these wolves? No. But, man, I’m telling you, I don’t think, you know, if it hadn’t have been for your letter to the U.S. Game and Fish, I don’t think we would be at this point we are right now.
SPEAKER 03 :
I totally agree with you, Scott. Look, it’s one of those things where when you manage or you oversee an organization or a state, you’ve got to understand the complexity of how do you get people’s attention. And really our letter, and the good thing about this, Scott, is that I also recognize that I couldn’t do this alone. So I brought in two partners that were willing to sign the letter alongside me, and that was the Colorado Outfitters Association as well as the Colorado Wool Growers Association. So by having a consolidated group, that was sharing the same message. And we didn’t focus on the emotion. We didn’t focus on whether it was good or bad. We focused on not only the plan that got adopted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the rules of the Endangered Species Act, and we articulated what violations and what were the concerns that we had and why we were so adamant that there would be a CIS and a CIS order. Anytime that you have a decision maker that has a letter that is articulate, that is not emotional, they can go back and verify everything you’re saying. The conclusion is going to be that, you know what, they’re right. We need to follow their direction. And that’s what we did. And you’re right. No other candidate running for governor was interested in taking the time to evaluate the situation. Well, you know, to me, you want to test the character of a person, you know, Sometimes you’ve got to wait to give them power, but sometimes they will step up through leadership, will step up regardless of whether they have a title or not. And that’s what I did.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, absolutely. Again, Greg Lopez is with us. It’s greglopez.co. And somebody may ask, hey, why is this on an outdoor show? Well, hey, first of all, the wolf issue was huge, and Greg played a huge role in that, and I want to thank him personally for that. Number two, we need Greg to be the next governor of Colorado. Number three, it’s my show. So, hey, there’s the answer. So, you know, Greg, it is important, though, because, I mean, there are so many things. The wolf is one issue, but there are so many issues that, you know, you’ve talked about, you know, of where we’re in trouble in Colorado. And I tell you, I do talk to some people that are just defeated and say, you know, there’s no way we can win. Well, you know what? With that attitude, yeah, you know what? You’re probably right. But if people can understand, there is a way. Hey, right now, a lot of people aren’t giving the Broncos a shot because they’ve got a backup quarterback coming, you know? But you know what? The guy’s experienced. He’s putting the work every day, and that’s what we’re going on. And same here. And, again, you’ve done so many other similar type things, you know, and that’s where I think the rubber meets the road of having the experience to be able to get the job done here in Colorado and give us all Colorado back.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. And, you know, Scott, look, the outdoors, recreation, the hunting, the fishing, right, all those things are a major – revenue generator for the state. That’s, you know, that’s just a different way of life. And so I recognize the importance and the magnitude of the outdoorsman industry. You know, it goes beyond just the people that are out there. You’ve got small businesses, right, that are providing the gear, the tents, you know, the fishing rods. You got, it’s such a big industry that any candidate that is not aware of how big the outdoorsman industry is, They don’t have a real understanding as to how Colorado actually functions in the economy. And so I will fight to protect small business. You know, you mentioned earlier, I’m the former director of the United States Small Business Administration. Small business is the heart and soul of this state. Small business owners create jobs, they support communities, and they fuel their local economies. And that’s why this outdoorsman industry is vital. And I am not going to allow regulations or bureaucracy to strangle and kill the outdoorsman industry, and it’s currently happening. And that is something that we need to stop, and that’s something that I’m going to make sure that we no longer do.
SPEAKER 10 :
when you got into this several years ago with this you know you and i got first of course that’s where i met you was at the international sportsman’s expo in 2020 and uh but were you shocked and kind of surprised how large of community this outdoor community really is i was you know i mean again right until you go and experience it until you go and walk
SPEAKER 03 :
and talk to people and learn how long they’ve been doing it. Generations of families have been doing this. They know the land. They walk it, right? They’re stewards. They understand how important water is, how important, you know, development is and the impacts of all that. I was really surprised at how big the industry is. Because a lot of people in the urban corridor, they don’t have a clue. They think it’s all about trails. They think it’s all about parks. No. Those are for individuals that just kind of want to do that drugstore type of hunter or fisherman or whatever. But the real people that are actually helping the economy, they truly understand the value of the outdoors life. here in Colorado, and we have so many different ways to enjoy the outdoors, truly be part of the land, that I was very pleased and surprised, and that’s why I’m going to fight for people. I’m going to fight for the people that that’s their way of life. We need to respect it, and we’ve got to stop the divide between rural Colorado and the Irvin Corridor. Every individual is important, and every industry contributes to this state, And it’s wrong when one part of the state is trying to dictate to the other part of the state how they should live their lives and what they can and can’t do. We’ve got to stop that, and that’s why I’m running. I’m not running to divide Colorado. I’m running to unite it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. You know, and let’s go there because, I mean, certainly you made a very, very important decision. And I know, one, that you put much prayer and thought into. And when I say prayer and thought, that’s not just a cliche. I know you. You put prayer and thought into it before you did this. So for those that haven’t heard you before, you know, we get new listeners regularly. all the time, you recently made a decision to go unaffiliated from the Republican Party. So I’ll give you a few minutes on that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, look, you know what, as I was looking at this, right, and I’m looking at, again, I’m looking at the state, I’m looking at the entire tapestry of what is going on in the political arena, what is going on with the struggles that everyday families are having, cost of living, housing, crime, and all these types of things. And I realized, look, My goal is to be the governor of this great state. And I’ve tried to use the political system, go through the Republican Party, and try to filter my message just to get onto the primary ballot and then win the primary to go into the general. What I decided to do this time is take my resume, take my experience, take my knowledge, and give it directly to the voters of this state in November and let them decide. whether I have the right qualities, the right leadership skills, the right experience to be their voice, to be their leader as we start making Colorado a state that we can all be proud of once again. So, yes, I became an unaffiliated candidate, which means I don’t have any political machines behind me. The only thing I have is the ability to go out and talk to people, show them that I’m a problem solver, not a problem observer. And more importantly, Scott, being an independent candidate means that I answer to the people. I don’t answer to political ideologies, which means I can work with anyone or stand up against anyone when the future of Colorado is at stake. It is about putting people over politics, doing no harm, and doing what works. That is my governing philosophy, and that’s what I’m going to do. And right now, I think a lot of people are very interested and intrigued at the fact that you will have on the general election an unaffiliated candidate that has more experience. than any Republican or Democrat candidate.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep, absolutely. Hey, here’s a chance. Saturday, January 31st, it’s 11 to 4. It’s going to be at the Elbert County Ag Building, which is 95 Ute, that’s UTE Avenue in Kiowa, and hosted by we, the people of Elbert County. And as we always say, who is scheduled? Scott Bottoms, Greg Lopez, and Victor Marks. And I only know one of those really well. I’ll tell you who will be there, Greg Lopez. So I hope the other two will show up as well. But, hey, registration, really, you can come and, you know, hey, $10 or suggesting. Do you have to give anything? No, but I’m telling you what, the money will. I guess, Greg, we’ll go into just their organization that’s hosting this there. But this is going to be a cool time. And you and I were kind of talking about this yesterday. There’s going to be some time for questions and all from even the folks there, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, exactly. You know what? And this is, you know, this is the way they structured it is really good. It’s pretty much a five-hour event, right? So they’re going to encourage the candidates to visit and speak one-on-one with all the participants as much as they can for the first hour. And then we’ll take the stage, and we’ll get questions, and we’ll answer questions. And then we’ll come down off the stage, and then we’ll do another hour for us to either elaborate on our answers or if people want to hear more about what we’re thinking. So it really is an opportunity for people to engage with the candidates one-on-one and then hear them answer questions that they don’t know what the questions are, but you will be able to see the knowledge and the depth and breadth of their experience. So if you’re really wanting to make sure that you make the right informed decision, I would encourage you to come and attend. It’s going to be one of the best forms that I believe have yet to be done.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. And once again, that is Saturday, January 31st from 11 to 4. And as I mentioned, it’s at the Elbert County Ag Building, 95 Ute, U-T-E Avenue there in Kiowa. And Greg, as I mentioned, it’s expensive to get into these. Everybody sees all the money and different things like that. But Every dollar that comes into you can help us help you in order for you to help us. So it’s a circle, man. We’ve got to help you. So tell us a little bit about some of your needs.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it reminds me of the movie Jerry Maguire, right? I mean, help me help you. That’s a famous line. But look, go to my website, greglopez.co, greglopez.co. Listen to the video that we have on there. Look at the platform. If there’s anything there that you think you can connect with, if there’s anything there that you feel that, you know what, he’s right, we need to help, we need to contribute. Here’s what I’ve been telling people. You know, this year, Scott, is the 150th year for the state of Colorado. We will be 150 years old. So I encourage people, you know what, give a dollar for every year Colorado’s been around. Give $150, right? If you can do more, great. If you can do less, that’s fine, too. But right now, you know what? Let’s celebrate our 150 years, make a $150 contribution. Let’s change the leadership of this great state, and let’s make Colorado a state we can all be proud of once again.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Well, Greg, hey, man, I appreciate your time and looking forward to Saturday. I have cleared my calendar. I will see you there. All right, Jerry. And, man, we appreciate all you’ve done for us. Continue to do. And, again, I know I speak for so many that listen to this show. Thank you so much for taking the time and the effort to look into the wolf issue here and not only look into it but do something about it. So we are grateful, sir. Thank you. You bet. All right. You’re listening to Sports from Colorado. We’ve got to take a quick break, and we’ll be back with more right after this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Are you in the market for a new firearm or maybe looking to purchase your very first firearm? Well, wouldn’t it be great to have an experience worth telling your friends and family about while making such an important purchase? At Bighorn Firearms, we know how important that is, and it’s our mission to provide this experience to every customer that walks through our front door. Hi, I’m Ryan, owner of Bighorn Firearms, located in southeast Denver, and my team and I are customers too. We know what it’s like to experience the typical specialty store attitude, and we believe everyone deserves a first-class experience when purchasing a firearm. If you’re searching for friendly service, a knowledgeable and passionate staff, and a great selection of firearms, we’d like to invite you to Denver’s best independent gun store, Bighorn Firearms, one mile east of Evans and I-25. Whether it’s your first gun or you’ve been collecting for years, our friendly and knowledgeable staff are passionate about answering all of your questions. Service and selection is our commitment to you. That’s Bighorn Firearms, located at 2175 South Jasmine Street, Suite 105, Denver. Call us now, 303-758-9423, or shop online, bighornusa.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
If you’ve already made your list of New Year’s resolutions, why not make one for your pet? At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, furry friend resolutions are called pausolutions, and their caring staff will help you check off every item. Whether your pet’s list includes an exam appointment, a diagnostic test, a dental cleaning, a medical treatment or surgery, a nail trim, a bath and brush, a boarding reservation, or behavior training, Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center can help with all of your pet’s needs. And if food or pet care products are on your pet’s list, you can shop in their lobby retail store or at their online store and have your items delivered directly to your home. Can’t do a weekday visit? Your pet can visit them on Saturday at no additional cost. At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, helping pets be healthy and happy companions is their number one goal. Why not get started on your pet’s New Year’s Pawsolutions list today? Just call 303-708-8050. That’s 303-708-8050. Or visit Lone Tree Vet online at LoneTreeVet.com. Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center. It’s the place where my pets go.
SPEAKER 02 :
If you’re in the market for a new rifle for the big game season, or a new shotgun for some doves or upland game birds, head on over to The Gun Room. Kevin Flesch here from Sportsman of Colorado, inviting you to visit Denver’s oldest gun dealer. And that’s The Gun Room at 1595 Carr Street in Lakewood. They offer buy, trade, consignment, transfers, and appraisals. And if you purchase a gun, we’ll cover your background check fee. It’s The Gun Room, 1595 Carr Street. Tell them Sportsman of Colorado sent you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Riding an e-bike will make you feel like a kid again. Just try it. Hi, I’m Randy Crancy, founder of e-bike of Colorado. E-bikes are a fun way to ride the trails. Pedal assist technology flattens the steepest hills. We have 14 major brands to choose from and our expert staff will find you the perfect bike. Come take a free test ride at e-bike of Colorado in downtown Louisville next to the historic grain elevator. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more at ebikeofcolorado.com. Just try it.
SPEAKER 13 :
This is KLZ 560 AM, your home station.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Sportsman’s Colorado. Again, thank you so much for being with us. Exciting weekend here with our Broncos playing tomorrow. And, man, best of luck to them. It is time for another Super Bowl here in the Mile High City. Well, it is great to have our next guest. Mr. Nate Zielinski of Tightline Outdoors joins us now. Nate, how are you, my friend? I’m fantastic, sir. How are you? I’m good, man. I’m good. It’s good to get some cooler weather in here, isn’t it?
SPEAKER 05 :
i’ll tell you what uh you know i i’ve had a 27 year career here in uh the front range denver and ice fishing being the biggest part of that i can’t remember uh a winner ever being semi even close to this but uh we’ll take what we can get and uh we got some cold now
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Well, hey, we want to get you on, and I know our time is short for people to react to this, but hey, this is something that’s super exciting. Nate has, coming up here January 31st, next Saturday at Blue Mesa, we’ve got the Reynolds Roofing Systems 2026 Classic Ice Fishing Tournament, also presented by Eskimo Ice Fishing Gear. And Nate is going to tell us all about it here. And Nate, just looking at some of the things, son, you want to talk about some prizes and cash money. I’ve never seen anything like this.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, so we’re making history next week. So literally next Saturday at Blue Mesa, right there outside of Gunnison, we are going to have the biggest prize list that’s ever been even close to presented in the state of Colorado, if not the entire western United States. So next Saturday at Blue Mesa, one day, one event, we’re giving out over $47,000 in cash and prizes. Wow. By far the biggest prize list that’s ever been out there. And as people listen to this, they’re like, whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on? So it’s an ice fishing tournament, right? So we know we have that. The biggest thing, right, ice fishing tournaments this entire season have been kind of up in the air as far as like, You know, I think we’ve had six different cancellations in the state of Colorado, a bunch more in Utah. So events have been canceling because of the ice, because of the weather, but not us. Blue Mesa is in great shape. As of this morning, we’re sitting at 13 inches of coolness. clear, hard, great ice, and it’s only going to build between now and the event. So safety is always our priority. It’s our biggest concern, and we are in great shape for this event. So first, right off the get-go, we have great ice, great conditions. The forecast for next Saturday looks tremendous. We are bringing, again, the biggest prize list that there’s ever been. And with that, a lot of times when you hear those big prizes, Scott, you hear about, oh, hey, it’s going to be a big tournament. And there’s always like a gimmick, right? What’s the hook? You got to catch a tagged fish. You got to catch a limit of this, a limit of that, whatever. Not us. So literally the first place prize is $7,500 cash brought to us again by that Reynolds Roofing Systems. And that $7,500 cash is for the heaviest single fish, whether it’s a rainbow, whether it’s a lake trout, whether it’s a brown, one fish. So anglers out there, whether you want to count on being lucky or count on being good, it only takes one. So one fish is going home with that massive prize. Then we pay 50 spots down. So first through 50th get prizes. And again, that’s what makes up that little over $47,000 in cash and prizes. And it’s all by single fish. So heaviest single fish goes first. Second heaviest fish takes second all the way down the board.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. And I guess you have kind of a live wave station there around the area.
SPEAKER 05 :
We do. So what kind of makes our tournament series different? A lot of times, right, you sign up for a tournament, you check in at a town center, you know, a local bar, whatever. You go fish for the day, you come back, and you kind of have an awards ceremony. Usually the fish are harvested. We put conservation first, right? So we work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. We work with the Colorado Wildlife Council. And we really prioritize that. So we actually pick a section of the lake. We kind of mark it off with four corners. We have our live scale right in the middle. And we pre-drill the holes 27 to 30 feet apart. So we have a giant section of the lake that we just punch a million holes in. And anglers show up and they’re going to fish in our pre-drilled holes. But it’s kind of cool because now we eliminate knowledge of the lake, but we emphasize angler skill level. So now you don’t have to know the fishery. You’re just relying on your ability to select that right jig, move the jig right, make the most of every bite, get those fish topside and weigh it in. But by doing that style system… we’re able to weigh the fish live and release the fish. We can come into a fishery, have an amazing tournament, and have zero mortality on the fish in that body of water. So it’s great. So we can catch some of those bigger lake trout up there that Blue Mesa has to offer, and we have no harm at the end of the day. It also allows us to do random prizes every few minutes, allows us just to have a great interaction, make it more of an event even than so much of a tournament. And then, again, we also eliminate all foul play situations. That’s kind of been a thing in the last couple of years. We’re hearing more and more of cheating, and we eliminate that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. Yeah, I was wondering how – my next question was kind of the layout like that because I got to thinking, you know, for folks in that area or folks that fish that body of water, I mean, you certainly know some –
SPEAKER 05 :
lakes and rivers and different things like the back of your hand i mean that’d be easy to do but this sounds like a super fair way to do it for everyone i mean that’s it eliminates all the the kind of outstanding things that put a negative drive on tournaments it’s fun it’s fair it’s huge prizes it’s a lot of energy uh and again it just comes down to your individual skill tricking that one fish and taking the bait uh going home with some serious uh serious cash there we also have a pretty cool thing friday night so we have a meet and greet you can come meet the team uh answer all your questions that’s brought to everybody by the colorado wildlife council so we got a bunch of swag from the council we’ll be doing there and that’s gonna be at the elks club at gunnison on friday night uh so we have a whole weekend lined up saturday morning before the event at 9 a.m we have our excuse me at 8 a.m we have an adult clinic he can teaching you about forward-facing sonar All the latest in ice fishing, teaching skills you need to know. At 9 a.m., we have a youth clinic, and then the event starts at noon. So it is literally, you can make it a weekend. Come up there, hang out, learn about ice fishing, ton of free gear and knowledge. And then, like we said, obviously the biggest prize category there’s ever been in history. That’s from noon to 4 right there at Blue Mesa.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. You know, I ran by Cabela’s this morning before I came over to the show and saw a buddy, and I told him I was going to have you on and told him about the tournament. He goes, man, I don’t know enough about ice fishing. He goes, I kind of feel stupid. You think of a tournament kind of being the best of the best. And that made me want to bring that up to you because I’m glad to hear you say, hey, there’s some introductory classes for youth and adults, and this is not what this is about, the best of the best. I mean, any skill level is welcome, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
And that’s why we designed it like this. You know, I’ve been involved in tournaments my entire career. I actually made a living for three winters just fishing ice fishing tournaments. And I traveled the country and I took bits and pieces from the best and the worst tournaments that I’ve ever fished. And that’s what makes up what ice addiction is. And that’s the goal to where it’s fair. And it’s fair from literally if it’s your first time stepping on the ice all the way up to a 30, 40 year veteran of the sport. everybody has a shot because, again, we eliminate that knowledge of the lake. We eliminate the high-end gear being advantaged. It just comes down to your individual skills. So everybody’s welcome. And even the kicker, we kind of have a cool thing. If you’ve never ice fished, you want to try it out, we’ll loan you rods, reels, tackle, gear, bait, everything you need for the day. You just let us know ahead of time. Say, hey, I want to try it out. We’ll bring you the gear that you can try it out.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, how awesome is that? All right, now, register. Simply go to your website, tightlineoutdoors.com.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s $60 per angle to register. You’ve got to do that before Thursday night at 8 p.m.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, before Thursday night. All right, so now, look, you’re going to hear this show, of course, here live Saturday. You’re going to hear it twice Sunday. Tell your friends. And then next Thursday morning at 9 o’clock, you’ll hear a replay of this show. Hey, get with all your angler friends and let them know about this. It is going to be a great, great time, and Nate has already gone through it. We don’t have time to go through all the prizes and money. Seriously, there is so much here that they are doing. Now, what would you say, what are maybe some common mistakes people make when ice fishing? We’ve got a couple minutes here.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. I mean, if you break it down, I think that first and foremost, and this applies for regular angling and the tournament, everybody goes for the biggest fish in the system. And we see it probably the biggest at these tournaments. You see guys with 10-inch tube jigs or hole suckers, and they’re going for the biggest fish they’ve ever seen. and i ask them like hey have you caught big lakers before you’re like oh no no so they’re really kind of trying to play and win the lottery in general tournaments in general angling i tell anglers if you go out and just try to catch fish that’s the biggest thing that leads to a successful day and usually gives you the skill set to start honing in on some of those bigger fish so whether in a tournament like next weekend or generally on the ice i would say going out to catch fish not to catch the biggest fish, and that’s one step to probably help everybody have more success, and it’s going to lead to big fish at the end of the day. The second thing, and this is going to be the same thing, general angling and next week’s tournament, every ice angler in the state, they go out, they drill their hole. and everybody goes to the bottom. Everybody drops their presentation right to the bottom and focuses on the bottom. The amount of fish that we catch suspended through the ice and really at a tournament will blow your mind. We’re on open water. We have no issues fishing in that suspended water column. But yet on the ice, we think we have to go to the bottom. Fish suspended, it’ll blow your mind the quality of fish that you’ll catch in that suspended water.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now, I don’t care what we’re doing. Man, if we’re sitting in a blind, I could go through a million scenarios. I don’t want to take the time to do that. I want to give you all the time we can. But how long do you sit there without getting a bite and then move? Is that a mistake sometimes, moving too quick?
SPEAKER 05 :
I don’t think it’s ever an issue to move too quick. Setting up camp and staying in a spot is that. Ice fishing, we drill so many holes, you can move around every couple minutes. Honestly, I would say 15 minutes is my window. Now, I might not have to catch a fish in 15 minutes, but I want to see them. on my graph or i want to get a bite i want some sort of activity every 15 minutes and that’s it if i don’t see activity in 15 minutes i’m going to move and i’m going to go to them you know on a boat or on shore we’re casting we’re covering water we’re presenting more opportunity in the the world of ice fishing your whole world is is down an eight or ten inch hole so you just don’t get a cover enough for water so you have to do that by yourself move around so every 15 minutes i am definitely going to be on my feet bounce around until i find those fish
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Once again, Nate Zielinski is our guest. It is the Reynolds Roofing System 2026 Classic Ice Fishing Tournament. As I mentioned, also presented by Eskimo Ice Fishing Gear. It is Saturday, folks, January 31st at Blue Mesa, 12 to 4. Now, the Friday night meet and greet. What time should folks arrive for that?
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. That meet and greet is going to be from 5 to 7 p.m. I would say try to get there 5, 5.30. We’re going to have some games. We’re going to do our awards ceremony for our elite tournament that’s taking place on Friday. That’s already sold out, but it’s going to be great. So that’s, again, 5 p.m. at the Elks Club in Gunnison. You can see that on the flyer. The overall clinics are 8 to 10 a.m. on saturday and then the main event 12 p.m to 4 p.m on saturday uh but again go to tightlineoutdoors.com get all the information follow us on social uh facebook tightline outdoors uh and we’ll get you all the information we’d love to have everybody out and again this is one of those things that we encourage everybody you do not have to be a hardcore tournament angler think about this as an event think about this something that you bring to family bring the kids uh everybody’s gonna have a good time here
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, Nate, you see it all the time on social media, folks saying, hey, I just moved here trying to meet some friends. Man, if you’re wanting to get into ice fishing, this is the place to do it and meet some outstanding folks as well.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, the amount of family and friends that people have met at this tournament series is unbelievable. I mean, just to come, just to meet people, it’d be worth it for sure.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. And we want to thank the Colorado Wildlife Council. Nate does some work with them, and we are now as well, as you’ve heard these last few weeks. So we are thankful for their sponsorship as well. Also, the Mile High Hunting Fish Expo, let me mention real quick, March 20th through the 22nd. So make your plans for that. So, Nate, we appreciate it, sir, and I know it’s going to be a great time. Folks, don’t wait. Go to tightlineoutdoors.com right now. Reserve your spot. Tell your friends. It’s going to be a great time. $7,500 cash for the largest fish. You won’t find that anywhere. So, Nate, we appreciate it, my friend. We’ll do this again soon.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you, sir. We’ll talk to you soon.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. That’s Nate Zielinski. You’re listening to Sportsman of Colorado. We’re going to take a quick break and be back with more right after this. Here’s your Water Talk Minute with Paul the Waterman, brought to you by Water Pros.
SPEAKER 01 :
Folks, everybody needs to go to the EPA website and check out the contaminated candidate list. There’s unregulated contaminants that have been in our drinking water forever. And what that means is that municipalities don’t have to test for them. So we have 1,4-dioxin. It’s an unregulated contaminant that’s been in the water supply since the early 1900s. We have synthetic estrogen that’s in our water supply. We have pesticides, herbicides in our water supply. So this is something that educate yourself. This is why we need a point-of-use reverse osmosis system for our drinking water, because of all the contaminants that the EPA is not allowing our municipalities to tell us about.
SPEAKER 09 :
Here’s why you need personal injury attorney Kevin Flesch on your side. He understands the way the jury thinks. In the context of a personal injury case, you’ve been hurt by someone else’s negligence. The idea is that you’re going to try to recover so that you can get back to where you were just prior to that incident occurring. What that really means from a jurist’s perspective is that you’re going to be asking them to award you money. So when we talk about fairness, we’re talking about six people that you don’t know. Those six people view the evidence and make a unanimous decision that will decide what the fair value is. When you’re the one who’s hurt, you have a good idea of what you think it’s worth. The question is, can you persuade those other individuals whom you don’t know and were witnesses to believe that’s what the case is worth? Kevin Flesch understands the way the jury thinks. Call now for a free consultation. 303-806-8886. They’re the first on call and the first on scene.
SPEAKER 08 :
But did you know the suicide rate for first responders is one and a half times higher than the general public? At Hometown Hero Outdoors, we help to provide healing for veterans, law enforcement, and first responders by creating memorable outdoor experiences designed to focus on camaraderie and mental health. Our mission is to serve those who have served us. Help us make a difference. To join Hometown Hero Outdoors or to help by donating, visit hometownherooutdoors.org.
SPEAKER 10 :
Sportsman of Colorado Radio is brought to you by the Colorado Wildlife Council. The council works to educate the public on the importance of scientific wildlife management, conservation, and the benefits of wildlife-related recreational opportunities, specifically hunting and fishing. For the hunter and angler community, this educational mission is vital. It empowers us to become effective advocates for the wildlife and outdoor traditions we value. Their mission is to ensure that Colorado’s wildlife is preserved for future generations through public education. Learn more about their work and how it supports your role as an advocate at cowildlifecouncil.org. We thank the Colorado Wildlife Council for their support of Sportsman of Colorado Radio.
SPEAKER 13 :
KLZ 560 AM, your home station.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Sportsman of Colorado. Again, thank you so much for being with us today. Always good to have our good buddy Austin Parr. Austin was kind enough when we started Sportsman of Colorado back in January of 2013 to come on our show with us and help us out from the fishing side. And he has just been huge for us through the many, many years. So we certainly appreciate his support and Discount Fishing Tackle’s support as well. Austin, we’re getting older, man. That was quite a while back there.
SPEAKER 04 :
It was. I just saw that memory pop up on my social media. So it’s been some time all of a sudden.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, hey, a lot of places I want to go here with you, but let’s start off with maybe some fishing reports. It looks like maybe finally we can start getting some decent ice around with these cooler temps, but fill us in there.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. So, I mean, as far as front range stuff, it depends. appears that we’re a little bit colder than what the original forecast was so we’ll see where that goes but in general the front range is not really a thing but with that being said we are seeing good action up in the mountains finally so you know the uh the the mountain lakes uh that are even the big water starting to freeze so currently right now there’s the Three Lakes tournament that’s still going on, and that particular tournament is at Granby and Shadow Mountain and Grand typically, but then they added Willow Creek this year as well just because the conditions have been so bad. So we’ve just been seeing such rough stuff that really it hasn’t been there yet. Now, with that being said, we’re still at a point where it is not fully safe right now. I mean, you’ve got to be really careful wherever you’re going, and as much as getting this cold weather is helpful. We also have just a little bit of snow, which of course we need. But the deal with the snow is it’s just covering up that ice. So you’re not able to see quite as good as we were with that slick ice. So just spud your way around. But the fishing has been pretty good. A lot of the lake trout bite has been really worthwhile as of late. And folks are finally starting to get out. They haven’t really been pressured since boating. So it’s been months that those lake trout haven’t been pressured in the The bite has been good out to about 45 feet of water on Grand Beach Grand. Folks are having good success on the eater-sized lake trout in that depth, which, of course, is what the tournament is focused around up there on Three Lakes. It’s 19-inch and under lake trout, which helps to promote a good, solid fishery with those adult lakers being so old. But those large fish are being caught up in the shallows, and typically that’s what happens. You’ll find those lake trout sit in groups of equivalent size. So if you catch a lot of small lake trout, you don’t always get into those bigger ones. So I always have my best success working up into the shallows and finding my fish there as those there up there hunting the rainbows and potentially pushing some of the coconuts up shallow too.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. You know, there’s so much to know, and this is what we hear so much about people that come to your store is that, man, it’s great to walk in there, ask a question, and really get educated answers. And I don’t know about you, but walk in a lot of big box stores, ask different things, and, man, you know, they’re just not very skilled in the outdoors.
SPEAKER 04 :
and it’s great to come in there and ask you know no matter a beginner type question or the other you know very experienced angular question you guys can help them out man so we appreciate you guys yeah we pride ourselves in that for sure you know i have a set of guys that work for me some of which guide uh but you know they’re everybody’s a fisherman and and although we may have not fished the exact body of water that you’re heading off to this week it’s something that that we’ve we’ve heard about and we can we can at least get you pointed in the right direction so that’s something like i said that we we really pride ourselves in there and try and continually do it because especially right now, you know, we’re dealing with this ice where we’re not necessarily having a normal season, obviously. So we have a lot of conditions that are strange and not normal, so we can help to provide those reports and then help to provide the tackle to get you out and have some good success because there’s a lot of nuance to it, just like there is with anything in the outdoors. And getting the appropriate techniques is always an important thing to do.
SPEAKER 10 :
yeah hey we finished up the international sportsman’s expo and um you know man i saw you on stage there i got to listen a few minutes on a couple of your seminars there uh those were well attended there what do you what do you see in there as far as the are you seeing the kind of all across the board the the brand new guy or gal getting into fishing versus your really experienced anglers that sat there for you and visited with you
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, and it’s just a variable deal. You know, I had a couple of different types of presentations down there, even some hunting presentations as well. And, you know, I had people from folks just looking to get into, you know, the hunting and fishing that we were discussing. I talked about a lot of upland hunting in Colorado, so I had some new folks discussing that with me as well. But I even had folks that were seasoned upland hunters, and the same thing went with the fishing. So that is… Definitely a cool opportunity to provide that. And it’s kind of the same thing we see at the store all the time, too, where, you know, it’s variable. I mean, it just depends upon what type of customer you have on that specific day. Because, I mean, already today we’ve had people from the very beginners looking to get their kids out all the way through the most seasoned anglers getting out there and just looking for specific equipment. So we’re able to do both. And that kind of echoes at the Sportsman’s Expo as well.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, sure. You know, hard to mention Expo, too, and I was going to wait until the end of the show to mention this, but I’ll do it here. Chad Lachance, our friend, gone way too soon. It was just, man, I had a lot of thoughts. I mean, you were much closer to him than I was, but, you know, we’d become friends over these last several years. But, man, that’s a guy that truly left his mark in this world here, and not just from the fishing side, just as a great guy.
SPEAKER 04 :
Chad was a really good guy, and, I mean, just like yourself, gave me an opportunity at a very young age to get in on media production. And for folks that don’t know, he ran Fishbowl Thinker TV for decades on air and was a regular contributor on local radio as well. But Chad was not only a good angler, but he was a good steward of hunting and fishing. That’s kind of the lesson that I’ve been trying to learn and continue to do my best with because As hunters and anglers, as all of us well know, we’re under attack right now in Colorado, and losing somebody like Chad doesn’t just hurt for the fact that we’ve lost a good friend. We’ve also lost an ally for hunting and fishing both and a really strong voice. So that is a spot where we’re missing that now with him, and he’s missed in many ways.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, absolutely. Again, Austin Parr is with us. Discount Fishing Tackle, 2645 South Santa Fe. All right, let’s touch on the store, and then we’ll get into another topic here, but anything new and exciting at the store or something you got in lately you want to talk about?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, so right now, the biggest new and exciting thing is the fact that we were able to gain about 1,000 square feet from the store next to us, and we’ve done a pretty full remodel toward the back section. So we have a brand new wader area, brand new fish pond displays, tons and tons and tons of new rod racks, as well as increasing our fly tying selection and our new BFS selection, which are the Japanese bait finesse system products, which have gotten really, really popular. So that’s all My answer to that question is it’s actually different than what’s normal. We have a lot of new stuff going on right now, and we’re pretty proud of it. So it’s something where if you’re in the neighborhood, come check it out. We’ve got a lot of new inventory, and we’re going to continue to have the best selection on fishing tackle in the whole state.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow, that is so awesome. And I’ll tell you, I was so shocked the very first time I ever went in a discount fishing tackle, and I don’t even remember how many years ago that was. But from the outside, it looks kind of like a small store. You walk in, and, son, it is wall to wall and ceiling to ceiling. I mean, you guys have done a great job packing. So, hey, getting 1,000 square feet, that’s awesome.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s a big deal. It’s allowing us to spread out a little bit and having the opportunity there to – get more inventory in a more organized fashion. That’s always been my dream, and we are accomplishing that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right, good deal. Hey, we just finished up an interview with Greg Lopez. Of course, Greg’s running for governor here and was instrumental in helping with some of this. wolf issues going on actually wrote a letter to us game and fish and we went through all that so i won’t recap it here but i’m only saying this we’re gonna have to start having a political spot here i think because we have so many things uh coming at us coming back at us and then the new things they throw at us and i know you probably never pictured uh jumping in that political arena as much as you have already but i I think you’re going to be doing more there, and I want to say thank you because, man, I’ve been around you a long time, and you do a great job. When you get involved in something, you study the issue. You’re great at getting the points across, so we appreciate all you’re doing so far, but kind of fill us in a little bit of what’s going on.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, so the next big issue that we’re facing is, On March 4th and 5th, CPW Wildlife Commission meeting in Denver, which is an advantageous deal, there is a new citizen petition for a statewide commercial fur ban. So in essence, you’re unable to commercially sell fur products, and it’s to be determined if feathers are included on this, like fly-tying hackles. Within this fur ban, they have adjusted this in comparison to what we faced in Denver last election cycle for the commercial fur ban there. They were going to wind up banning flies and felt cowboy hats. In this particular one, at least on the fishing side of things, they have exempted flies and cowboy hats from this, but they are explicitly not exempting fly tying material. So elk hair, pine squirrel zonkers, rabbit strips, hackle on the skin, Any and all of this is all going to be dead in the crosshairs on the fishing side of things. Dan Gates has done a really good job helping to unite the hunting community, but this is a wake-up call for the fishermen as well. Growing up, I always kind of knew there was an attack on hunting, even when I was a young man. there’s a lot of anti-hunters out there, and even on the firearm side, a lot of pushback on that politically. But I always kind of thought that fishing was somewhat exempt from that, and I am learning quickly here that that is most certainly not the case. And it’s something I want to have anglers take seriously, because we just faced a live minnow ban from a group that is looking to ban all live bait in the whole world. That’s their entire goal. And This particular group here is one that’s directly attacking the fishing community as well. So I need folks at the March 4th and 5th meeting coming up here. It’s kind of the end story. I’ll be posting a lot more as we get closer. We’ll definitely need emails and comments to the commission. But at the end of the day, folks need to show up down there, and this is not a long-distance meeting. This is in Denver. So March 4th and 5th, Wednesday and Thursday.
SPEAKER 10 :
Sure. And don’t forget, we’ve got the Mile High Hunting Fish Expo coming up. That is March 20th through the 22nd. Austin will be there as well. And now we’ve got a promo code for you for tickets. So it’s just SOCR, for Sportsman of Colorado Radio, SOCR2026. Now, that’ll get you 10% off of a ticket. Now, we didn’t do a dollar amount like where they’ll get you $2 or $3 because some people have bought multiple days to come back, and the 10% actually saves you more money. So it’s a 10% off your ticket purchase, and just go to milehighhuntexpo.com. Put in that promo code SOCR2026. We’re excited about the new venue at the National Western Expo. stock show there, the new event center. And it’s called the National Western Center. And actually, I’m going to go down this afternoon and look at that. But it’s going to be great there. And we have some great, great, great folks going to be with us, including Austin as our main fishing guy there.
SPEAKER 04 :
austin uh hey let’s touch on this real quick because you’re just telling me you just finished up a nice hunt and you know a lot of people don’t get into sharp tail hunting but what’s a couple of tips out there and tell us just briefly about your hunt well as far as the sharp tails are concerned the closest locations that that we have in colorado for you know a generally open season is in wyoming and nebraska yesterday we were way up in the sand hills in nebraska and in the north central portion And sharptails are a native grouse species, as are the prairie chickens. And they generally thrive pretty well in that undisturbed, tall grass, sandhills country up there. And they’re a tough bird to get. I mean, they are in big groups at this point of the season, and it’s a lot of walking. But it’s definitely a rewarding hunt in country that you’re not normally in. It’s not pheasant country. It’s big, open pheasants. open type grasslands type country and it’s challenging to break down. You’re not dealing with edges like you are with pheasants. It’s a wide open type of landscape and We were able to be successful yesterday, but it’s definitely something that’s different than your average pheasant hunt.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, for sure. Well, if you’ve got questions, get by and see Austin and his team at Discount Fishing Tackle. They’re on Santa Fe. And I tell you, they can help you out a lot. They’ve got everything. And be very careful on the ice, Austin. Take 60 seconds and just talk about that because, man, safety is everything when we’re out on the water, but especially when we get into this early ice, isn’t it?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yep, and the challenge isn’t necessarily as much early ice as it is inconsistent early ice. If it gets cold really early, it’ll lock up a little bit better than what we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of freeze-thaw type cycles, which has created a lot of treacherous conditions. So a couple things I like to look for, obviously some form of a float suit or a life jacket is always a good idea, but the number one piece of equipment that you’ve got to have is a spud bar. Spud bar is a heavy piece of metal that you’re able to actually check the ice out in front of you. And we’ve dealt with so much thawing that there’s been a lot of gas pockets, especially on Granby, where it has not been good, where you’ll be good on one step, and then that next spud bar hit drops right through. So I’m checking everywhere I’m going right now. And then the other big thing that I want to make mention of are your pressure ridges. And Pressure ridges are always hazardous. That’s where you have two sheets of ice pushing up against each other and creating literally a ridge of ice. But the big deal right now is that the pressure ridges are just incredibly unsafe. We’re finally starting to get, obviously, some sub-zero temperatures here. But in general, they just have not been solid enough to even consider crossing. So any pressure ridge I would avoid at the moment.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep, absolutely. Well, Austin, I know you’re busy, bud. We appreciate your time, and I’m sure I’ll get by and see you soon.
SPEAKER 04 :
Cool. Thanks so much, Scott. We’ll look forward to it.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Same here. That’s Austin Parr, Discount Fishing Tackle, 2645 South Santa Fe. And don’t forget, get your tickets now. Mile High Hunting Fish Expo, March 20th through the 22nd. And once again, that promo code is SOCR2026 to save 10%. Today’s show has been brought to you by the Colorado Wildlife Council. Thanks for being with us. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend. Go Broncos.
SPEAKER 07 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
