I will be hanging out at a boat show in Republican City this Saturday.  Stop by, let’s talk fishing!

RODS: Check your rod eyelets for rough edges that could abuse your line. To preserve cork handles sand out any bumps or dirt, then apply a cork sealing agent or varnish of some sort. It’s always a good idea to store rods in tubes while traveling or not fishing. REELS: To clean and maintain a healthy reel, first take the reel apart, keeping track of the order in which each part is assembled. Thoroughly clean each component and apply a …

Well it finally happened, looks like we are done ice-fishing for the year.  The last day I walk off the ice is one of the saddest days of the year for me. But it was a great ice season!  My partners and I had almost 3 full months on the ice this winter–the way it should be.  We were drilling holes all the way up through last weekend. So, consider this as my last ice report for this year; let …

If you have read my blog for any time at all, you know I love to ice-fish.  As a hard-core ice angler, one of the saddest days of the year is the last day I walk off the ice for the season.  I just do not understand folks who refuse to ice fish, who sit around and wait all winter for open water.  GO FISH!  All the time! I also find it curious that so many folks judge the seasons …

For those of you who are grumpy because you do not ice fish, I have a warmer, more springy, summery blog post this Friday.  I often take a little break over lunch hour and watch some fishing videos.  Although I am not a fly-fishing purist by any means, I love watching fly-fishing videos like those that can be found here, Orvis Fly-Fishing Videos. One of the trailers I found there early this week really caught my attention: That is just …

I am fully aware that spring will some day come, and that day is getting closer all the time.  But until then, I am on the ice!  Last fall I transitioned from fishing open water to being on the ice within a couple of weeks.  I am betting I make the reverse transition this spring. I do not have a lot of pictures to show or reports to share, just a quick update on what I have been doing, a …

If you watched ESPN over the weekend, you might have caught some of their week-late broadcasting of the BASSMaster Classic.  Yes, the tournament actually happened a week ago, but ESPN chooses to bury it for a week.  In other words, if you really care, you know all about it before it hits ESPN.  Whatever.  B.A.S.S. also has decided to hold their “super bowl” to begin the season now, and that pretty much means they will always fish some southern water …

Wow, if there is anything I have learned in the past couple of weeks it is that people’s humors are low.  I am pretty sure that has something to do with this being a good, long winter. Don’t look now, I have bad news–most of this next week ain’t gonna be much better. I know folks would be much better off if they just gave in and learned to ice fish. Seriously, I know the forecast is cold, snowy, and …

I have mentioned this before, but I want to again point out our cooperative effort with the Omaha World-Herald on their GoOutdoorsNE.com outdoor page. I want to mention that again because recently Mark Davis from the “World-Herald” contacted me about doing an ice-fishing story.  Now I have had several newspaper and TV folks on the ice to do ice fishing stories over the years.  I am afraid some of them have frozen while they were with me, but if they are …

Cue the theme music, “Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby: The March 2014 issue of NEBRASKAland magazine just went on-line, Digital NEBRASKAland; there is a short piece there that Nebraska anglers will find of interest.  I have blogged before about how unique Nebraska’s sandhill lakes are, and in recent years fisheries research has taught us a lot more about those waters (e.g. “Blinded Me with Science”–February 25, 2013, “Blinded Me with Science”–November 21, 2011 ).  In March 2014’s issue of NEBRASKAland, …