Barbs and Backlashes

Quick blog post before I head out the door for a long Independence Day holiday!  The “4th of July” has always been one of our favorite holidays, if not THE favorite.  We love the time spent with family, the feasting, fun, and, of course fireworks.  We usually slip away for some fishing too! I have shared this quote before, from our country’s second president, John Adams.  Seems particularly meaningful to me this year: The Second Day of July 1776, will …

The July issue of Nebraskaland has a story about some of the improvements that have been done recently at Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala (Lake McConaughy Recreation Area, Big Changes at the Big Lake).  Let me focus more specifically on some of the angler access improvements done at Lake Ogallala.  Beside the Nebraskaland story, let me share some photos and details.  First, the photos: Colby Johnson is our regional park superintendent out in those parts, and he sent me most of …

I usually have an idea of what I am going to blog about for the next week or two.  But, what good would blogging be if you did not post the “hottest”, most recent, breaking information? Most of you know that we have had a couple of notable state record fish caught in Nebraska the past two weeks.  First it was a big flathead catfish, then a big hybrid striped bass.  I was joking with my supervisor yesterday that fishing …

With all the cornonavirus “stuff”, I have not been able to spend any time meeting with any of Nebraska’s angler groups.  I do not get around to every meeting for every group, but usually drop in on at least a few.  However, this spring the Cornhusker Fly Fishers have done a couple of FaceBook Live meetings, and I was able to drop in on them. Last week the topic of discussion was bass.  Yes, specifically that would have been bass …

Many of you will remember our Take ‘Em Fishing contest last year.  We wanted to encourage our avid anglers to make it a point to find someone new, or someone who had not fished for a while, and get them back on the water.  Then all you had to do was snap a photo, submit it online, and you might win prizes including up to a fully-rigged boat! We are doing it again! Accept Take ’em Fishing Challenge for chance …

Got a good Orvis video to share with you.  It is appropriate for Father’s Day: If at all possible, take your dad fishing this weekend! You will never regret it. Let me dust off an old photo, one of a fishing trip long ago.  A trip to Lake McConaughy with both my Granddads and my Dad (the rest of the family too, but this is Father’s Day).  Wish we could do that again!

I posted a week ago that recently I had been out-fished by both my kids, Outfished. Here, I want to note that if you keep casting long enough, eventually things turn your way. My daughter was not with me on this trip, but my son was.  In a couple of evenings, we did not catch a lot of fish, but some really nice walleyes.  I caught all of them. But he took some really good pictures! Thanks, Daniel! The fish …

Got into the office this morning and found documentation for another state record fish.  This was another notable catch, a big fish, a big popular sport fish! For years I have been saying that if our rod & reel record for hybrid striped bass, wiper, was ever going to fall, it was going to come from Lake McConaughy. It did! Tou Kong Yang from Colorado caught this beauty yesterday! That fish weighed in at 21 pounds 9 ounces, beating the …

One of the biggest tricks to being successful on the water or in the field is figuring out how to be in the right place at the right time.  I know a good stick who once said he would rather spend a couple hours on a good spot at the right time than all day at the wrong time. So what is the right time? Well, I know waiting to hear it in an “outdoor report” is the surest way …

I am always thrilled to see folks introducing their kids to fishing at a young age, some of them at a very young age.  There is only one thing I warn them about:  Some day they will grow up and out-fish you! Recently, both of my kids caught their biggest walleyes, same day, same evening.  I caught nothing.  I hooked a fish late, but then lost it. A 27-incher for Emily: A 28 for Daniel: At least they released them! …