Fishing

Heading for another boat show this weekend, this time in Republican City: I know, I know, it is just plain time to GO FISH!  But, if you want to take a break on Saturday and just talk fishing, stop by and say “Hi”.  I will be doing a seminar on the 2016 statewide fishing outlook, and of course I will mention a few things about Harlan County Reservoir in particular.  I believe I will be speaking at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 …

LINCOLN – The trout lake at Two Rivers State Recreation Area (SRA) will open for fishing on March 12. This year, anglers will be able to fish for larger trout, as well as an additional species of trout. A total of 7,500 rainbow trout have been stocked in time for opening day, of which 500 fish are 16 inches in length and the remainder are 11½ inches. In addition, 500 12- to 13-inch tiger trout were stocked March 10. Tiger …

Living in this technology and information age, sharing your fishing waters with other anglers is a fact of life.  There are no secrets anymore.  As a matter of fact, you will be sharing all public and most private waters with lots of other anglers.  So, besides figuring out the fish you are pursuing, where they are located, and how to catch them, you better have some strategies to at least cope with if not plain out-fish every other angler.  Dealing with fishing …

LINCOLN – Persons interested in pond and lake management are invited to a series of free workshops this spring. The workshops are a joint effort of the Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The workshops are intended for landowners and others interested in learning about: — How lakes function in southeast Nebraska — Managing waters for fisheries — Lake management planning — Resolving common maintenance problems — Developing an individualized maintenance plan for …

The weather has been nice and I know folks have fishing fever.  Recently, my phone has not quit ringing about the spring trout stockings.  I have been telling folks that when we have the schedule set, we would let everyone know.  Here you go. . . . Grab a young angler or beginner, and GO FISH! Location Number Time Location Week of March 7th Gracie Creek 1,025  Calamus SRA 16-Mar Bridgeport NW 1,400 Middle Morrill 450 North Morrill 1,350 17-Mar …

LINCOLN – The fishing bridge located at the north end of Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area soon will be removed because of wind damage. In late February, extremely strong winds caused irreparable damage to the aging docks that made up the fishing bridge. Nebraska Game and Parks staff assessed the damage and determined the bridge was not safe for use. The bridge will be removed in the next few weeks. Game and Parks was already planning to replace the bridge. …

You hard-core bass anglers likely will know that the 2016 BassMaster Classic is happening in Oklahoma this weekend.  The Classic is a huge happening each year, especially for bass anglers, but in many ways for a lot of the North American freshwater fishing world.  Once again this year, Rapala has been teasing us with a promised announcement and huge “splash” for a new bait.  Regardless if you liked last year’s Shadow Rap or not, their marketing strategy worked because for at …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will stock nearly 41,000 catchable-size rainbow trout in city ponds and lakes across the state this month to enhance spring fishing opportunities. Angling for stocked rainbow trout is an excellent way to introduce young and new anglers to fishing. The stocking schedule, subject to change depending on conditions, includes date, location and quantity (times are approximate): Week of March 7 – Gracie Creek Pond, 1,025 March 16 – Bridgeport State Recreation Area …

My ice fishing season ended in literally a week this year; we were on 13+ inches of hard ice, and a week later it was not safe.  It was much too short.  My son and I were left with a feeling of unfulfillment–we needed just one more trip, just one more big fish.  I suppose you could say we have that feeling at the end of every ice season, but we felt it even more this year. I have not …

On the Nebraska fish and fishing “front”, I have several things I want folks to know about right now.  So, in no particular order. . . . Brady Interstate Lake Boat Ramp In the past year we have completed some new boat ramps and angler access improvements on several interstate lakes in the North Platte area.  One of those was the interstate lake at the Brady interchange.  There are some “finishing touches” that need to be done on that ramp …