Barbs and Backlashes

By now you have probably heard about the invasive “Asian carp”.  That term, “Asian carp” can refer to several species of non-native carp found in our country, but specifically is it used in reference to the bighead and silver carp.  If you want to learn more about those specific invasive species, and more, be sure to take some time and check this out, http://neinvasives.com/ . Asian carp, bighead and silver carp are here, in Nebraska waters.  You can find them …

It has been a busy week.  I am back in the office getting caught up on some things . . . oh yes, did some fishing while I was “out” this week . . . I will give you a report next week.  Anyway, I am glad it is Friday, time to lighten up a bit! Last weekend was a big weekend for auto racing and bass fishing–the Daytona 500 and BassMasters Classic.  Maybe this is how it went? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaCNVMLxcGk[/youtube] …

Those of you who have an interest in pike and especially muskies should know that Nebraska has its own chapter of Muskies Inc., http://www.muskiesinc.org/ , the HUSKERland Muskie Hunters, http://www.mi53.org/Huskerland_Muskie_Hunters/Home.html .  They meet once a month or have a “league night” and get together to fish once a month during the summer.  I will always tell you that a great way to learn about fishing is to find a fishing organization and join it!  That would absolutely be true of …

It has been awhile since I did a purely pointy-headed fisheries biologist science update.  I have some things to tell you about, cue the theme music . . . . She Blinded Me with Science by Thomas Dolby At work, I call this time of year the meeting and sport show season.  I have been to several meetings in the past few weeks; have sat around in rooms with a bunch of other pointy-headed fisheries biologists, so let me tell …

Now here we sit with much of our ice unsafe to fish, and it is cold and snowy.  What to do? Might as well go to a sport show and talk fishing! Here is the website if you want more information, http://omahaboatsportsandtravelshow.com/omaha/ . I will be hanging out on Saturday.  Stop by, give me an update on the BassMaster Classic, and then we can swap stories and pictures, and talk about fishing prospects for this year. “We don’t need no …

If your ice-fishing season is not over, it soon will be.  At this time, many Nebraska anglers are chomping at the bit to do some open-water fishing.  On the eve of a new open-water fishing “season” many of us like to plan our strategies, pick out new lures we would like to try, think about new techniques we would like to master.  Maybe you have thought about learning how to drop-shot for bass this year, troll lead-core for walleyes, learn …

This has been mentioned before, but I want to bring it up one more time.  I have mentioned our volunteer youth fishing instructors and the great things they accomplish for us many times on my blog.  If you would be interested in becoming one of those instructors and pitching in to help, we could use you and here is a chance for some of your to take the certification workshop:

Wow, it has been one of those mornings for me.  Judging by the “alligators nipping at my behind” this morning there must have been a bunch of folks who had a bad Valentine’s Day.  So, lighten up!  It’s Friday, here is another stupid fishing commercial for you.  Hard-core bass anglers will appreciate this one. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj7BNjC_Dy0[/youtube] If it were only that easy to get Iaconelli to shut up. Have a good weekend, get away from the phones and computers, go outside!

One of my favorite things I get to do in my present position here at the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission is keep track of our state record fish.  I will periodically give updates and show a few pictures here on my blog; at this time let me summarize the state record activity for 2012. We had 14 fish certified as state records in 2012.  We recognize state record fish in four categories, hook & line (or rod & reel), …

There was a brief mention of this in the Omaha World-Herald last week and Nebraska residents, especially those in eastern Nebraska that might trailer boats over to northwest Iowa, need to be aware of this. Zebra mussel collected in Iowa Great Lakes SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa – The Iowa DNR recently collected a single live juvenile zebra mussel from Upper Gar Lake on a sampling plate used to monitor for the presence or absence of zebra mussels. Additional sampling was immediately …