Fishing

Got a couple of access updates I want to spread around.  First, this news release was published recently: Boaters beware: Low water levels at Elwood Reservoir Water levels at Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County are dropping rapidly, affecting boating access to the water body. Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is reducing reservoir water levels so repairs can be made along the dam and pump station areas. As water levels drop, sediment at the bottom of the boat ramp …

I hear the questions and comments all the time:  “Where is a good place to fish from shore?”  “Where can I catch __________ (fill in blank with favorite fish), without a boat?” I realize that in some cases those asking the question are looking for ease of access, perhaps someplace to take the kids and grandparents fishing.  However, my usual response, at least to myself, is don’t make no difference if you have a boat or not.  A good place …

It is a season that is open here in eastern Nebraska. It is an unusual season, but one that just flat out reeks of adventure, challenge and tremendous entertainment value. It is a season tailor-made for kids. And, trust me, this is the season that will create memories and stories like no other! No, it is not a hunting season. “It” is Nebraska’s bullfrog season. “Bullfrog season,” you say, “really?” Yep. Look at the size of this adult North American …

This booklet is not new, it has been out for a while.  However, in the process we had a web page upgrade and links were updated.  So, I am going to mention this now, it is not new, but you might not have seen it yet. . . . We updated our I-80 lakes booklet.  This booklet includes the interstate lakes of course, and also a few other waters close to the I-80 corridor.  The idea is this is your …

A few weeks ago I blogged about hybrid fish, Hybrids.  Fish identification can be a challenge and hybridization makes it even more difficult.  In that blog post I noted that if you can handle and look at the parent species and hybrids together, identification becomes easier.  Unfortunately, seldom do we catch those different species and hybrids at the same time.  So, I tried my best to show some photos comparing the parent species and their hybrid. At the time, I …

No need to say anything to introduce this.  Watch the video! Wetlands are crucial to water quality and our fisheries! Learn more here, Nebraskawetlands.com.

A classic case of misrepresentation keeps occurring. Folks, especially those new to the Cornhusker State, continue to express their disbelief to me that a crystal clear, cold, spring-fed trout fishing stream exists in northeast Nebraska. “No way,” they’ll say. “Impossible in farm country,” they’ll say. “You’re drinking, can’t be,” they’ll say.  “I’ve driven through there and never seen it,” they’ll say. These are just some of the phrases people have uttered to me about the East Branch of the Verdigre …

Fished a couple of different Nebraska reservoirs in recent weeks.  It is officially the middle of summer and the bite typically slows.  On the other hand, if you are on one of our large reservoirs with some white bass and/or wipers this is prime time for feeding frenzies. Typically, the game is played by watching for the gulls and then hurrying to the spot before the frenzy is over and the school moves on.  When you get there, the fishing …

I have blogged about fishing topwater baits several times (e.g. Top Edge , Topwater Bait Selection).  Safe to say that catching fish on topwater baits is one of everyone’s favorite ways to catch fish.  Also safe to say that right now, summer, is peak time for using topwaters. However, if you have spent any time on the water, you know you better have a plan B, plan C, and a whole lot of other plans.  Some days the fish, for …

Work Improves a Unique Fishery in the Sandhills Story and photos by Eric Fowler Joel Klammer repeatedly casts a woolly bugger fly toward rock structures in Long Pine Creek and lets it drift through the deep holes below them. He thinks he sees a fish attempting to bite on one drift, but after 20 minutes, he decides his first choice of flies wasn’t going to cut it on this section of the creek on Pine Glen Wildlife Management Area. So, …