Fishing

LINCOLN, Neb. – High school anglers still have time to register for two fishing tournaments coming up in July at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area. The tournaments – the Nebraska BASS Nation High School Tournament and the TBF Student Angler Federation High School Tournament – are scheduled for July 21 and 22 respectively, making it easy for students to compete in both. Separate registration is required. Participation for each tournament is open to students in grades 9-12 who have a …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fishing activity is picking up, with some excellent results reported. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reminds anglers to heed fishing regulations whey they are out enjoying the summer. The following are a few specific reminders: Cast nets – The use of cast nets in eastern Nebraska waters is prohibited. Cast nets are allowed on some waters of the state during some months. However, in one case, an angler used a cast net to capture gizzard shad …

Happens every year about this time, I hear reports of folks catching “blue” catfish, here, there, lots of different waters.  Problem is, they really ain’t blue catfish.  They are just big ole male channel catfish getting ready to spawn.  So, if you will bear with me playing the role of pointy-headed fish biologist, again, for a bit, let me give a little lesson in fish identification. . . . We have three large catfish species in Nebraska waters, channel, blue …

I want to call attention to some news from the past week.  Let me repeat the news release here: Low water levels at Ice House Pond on Fort Robinson State Park CRAWFORD, Neb. – A broken dam board in the outlet structure at the lower Ice House Pond on Fort Robinson State Park caused the water level to drop about 10 feet during the weekend. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been in the process of designing aquatic habitat …

Heading north again to meet with my friends in the Siouxland Fly Fishing Club.  They meet every month at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center on the edge of Sioux City.  If I remember right, they get together to do a little fly-tying at 9:00 a.m., meeting starts at 10:00, and I will start rambling some time shortly after that.  This time I have a program on the role of fish stocking in fisheries management to share with them. Once again …

CRAWFORD, Neb. – A broken dam board in the outlet structure at the lower Ice House Pond on Fort Robinson State Park caused the water level to drop about 10 feet during the weekend. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been in the process of designing aquatic habitat and angler access improvements for all fishing areas on Fort Robinson State Park and the aging outlet structure on the lower Ice House Pond was identified as needing repairs or replacement. …

I do not think I am that old, but I suppose I am old enough that this old dog has new tricks, new technology, to learn about.  I was forced to upgrade to a “smart” phone a few weeks ago, still learning how to use that.  Thank goodness I have kids that can teach me! Gonna branch out and try something else new tomorrow.  I am going live on FaceBook! Yep, tomorrow, June 22, 12:00 noon, central time, FaceBook Live …

Why do some people get perplexed when they see someone release a massive, master angler-sized catfish? After all, catfish, even the larger ones, sure taste good, don’t they? So why is it every time we see an angler report or a social media post mention or show a picture of a large catfish they have put back in the water, a spirited discussion most likely ensues over what should or should have not been done with that whopper? So how …

I always say that every body of water in Nebraska is a vital resource and is important to Nebraska anglers.  Most of our rivers and streams are warm-water, prairie rivers and streams; they may not have trout and salmon swimming up and down them, but they do have a variety of fish species and are important resources.  Surprisingly, fish in some of those warm-water rivers and streams have some of the same challenges that folks are more commonly aware of …

A few weeks ago I stumbled across this headline:  “Sociable crayfish get drunk more easily than loners”.  OK. . . . WAIT, WHOA, Say what????? Drunk crayfish? No, seriously, you can read all about it HERE. Apparently, some very pointy-headed scientists have been studying the nervous systems of crayfish and how they react to various stimuli.  Some of those reactions vary depending on the social status of the crayfish, friendly or curmudgeon.  You can read the article if you really …