open water fishing

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraskans are becoming increasingly curious about fly-fishing. So much so, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, with the help of Cornhusker Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited, has expanded its Discover Fly-Fishing event schedule for 2021. The third year of the Discover Fly-Fishing program kicks off May 26 at Lincoln’s Holmes Lake. It’s one of five events on the schedule, three more than previous years. Discover Fly-Fishing events are free and open to anyone interested in a basic …

I have blogged a number of times about our completed Aquatic Habitat project at Conestoga Reservoir.  In at least a couple of those blogs I included videos.  Well, there are a total of six videos of the Conestoga project.  You can see the entire playlist here: Again I also realize that many of you have already seen at least some of these.  Forgive me for trying to “spread them around” even more. Better yet, if you get a chance, stop …

The past couple of weeks I have been on a soap box trumpeting the need for folks to have some fish identification skills. Might as well have some fun with it.  Watch the video, consider it to be your Friday quiz: Here is the second part: The weekend is here.  Get on the water, put your skills to work!

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the importance of having some fish identification skills, You Gotta Know!  Yes, I believe that even beginning anglers have a responsibility to know what they are catching. At that time, I mentioned that we had a fish identification aid in the works.  Now we have it! Fish Key Again, I would recommend EVERY angler spend some time looking at that publication and brushing up on their fish identification skills.  However, keep a …

I have not checked in with “KVD” in quite a while.  Then I saw this commercials the other day. . . . Does not sound like a bad idea.  If you want to check it out, Karl’s Tackle Insurance. Or maybe you will just have to face the facts: Have a great weekend, get outdoors!  Watch the snags!

Research is just one of many jobs done by the Fisheries Division of the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission.  Yes, we have a research staff that does some of that work.  But, we cannot get it done all by ourselves.  Over the years we have contracted with several universities to do some of that research.  The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has and continues to be an important partner.  We completed several years of research on our sandhill lakes in conjunction with …

Recently, it seems like it happens all the time–someone posting photos and misidentifying fish, or just plain not knowing what they have caught.  I suppose it could be the result of more new folks starting to fish with all the cornonavirus craziness.  Or, perhaps it is just more noticeable because of social media? A fish is not just a fish, you gotta have some identification skills. No, I do not expect everyone to be an ichthyologist.  However, I do expect …

Just want to blog about one news item today.  Again, just trying to spread the word.  No, this may not interest everyone, but I know it is a very popular fishing spot.  This news will be of interest to a lot of folks: Gracie Creek Pond rehabilitation project initial phase to begin LINCOLN, Neb. – Anglers will notice construction work at Gracie Creek Pond on the upstream end of Calamus Reservoir in Loup County. The work is the initial phase …

I have a couple of state record applications sitting on my desk; might as well tell you about them. . . . Both of them were caught on rod & reel, and both of them broke records that were just recently set.  One of those will be no surprise, the other, well, you never know. . . . Actually, the first one crossed my desk right after I had updated state records for 2020.  We do not have a lot …

By Daryl Bauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Catch and release is an established and important part of modern fishing. Sure, harvesting some of the fish we catch should be a part of our fishing experience. However, our fisheries are managed for recreational fishing, and if you are just fishing for a meal, well, the grocery store likely would be a cheaper way to get your fish. In some cases, catch and release is mandated by regulations; …