By Rhine Messmer, Activities Director

The chance of rain and wind did not deter members and friends of the OBPC from this year’s Prineville Reservoir fish outing on May 16-19. This year club members camped at Prineville Reservoir State Park along with a campground full of friendly anglers taking advantage of the plentiful black crappie.

Fishing success was dependent on what you were fishing for; crappie excellent, bass hard to find for most, and a “goose”and trout were also reportedly caught. Crappie in the 7-9 inch range were plentiful but few were caught that were over 10 inches.

The crappie spawn was just heating up so there are likely larger fish to be had later in the season. At least one Club member found several nice largemouth in flooded willows but even some of the Club’s most experienced anglers could not catch bass.

The potluck on Saturday was enjoyed by 25 hungry anglers who enjoyed the many great dishes and desserts brought by Club members. We were able to hold the potluck at a member camping spot so it was a cozy and dry gathering. The rain did not hit us until Sunday, but it was light and tolerable.

Overall the outing was a success and the campground was a very pleasant place for our Club outing. We did miss the Club members who are long-time Prineville anglers, who opted not to come this year or could not get reservations. There is always next year, but we will need to make our campsite reservations early if we return to Prineville Reservoir State Park.