Fishing

Submitted by Commissioner Lynn Berggren – Fall fishing has started to slow this past month. Reports from area lakes indicates anglers on the southwest reservoirs seem to be a struggling. White bass on Johnson Lake are still hitting when you can find the shad on top. On Elwood the wipers have really become tight-lipped. With no incoming water this year, fishing the bubble will be out. Harlan reports last week’s activity was slow but, with persistence, walleye could be found.  …

I have had a lot of phone calls, e-mails and messages asking about our fall trout stockings, and I have been telling folks that when we knew we would let everyone else know.  Well, here it is! First a “disclaimer” or two:  The schedule for these stockings depends on a lot of man-power, fish, and equipment logistics.  There are 52 water bodies in the list that follows, 75-some thousand catchable-size rainbow trout, and personnel and equipment from at least two fish …

One thing I love about my job is I hear a lot of fishing reports and fish stories.  I never get tired of them, especially if there are some pictures to go along with them.  One hit my computer yesterday, and I have to share it with you.  In fact I will do some editing, but let you read the message that Tyler E. sent to me: Howdy Mr. Bauer, I thought you might find this interesting.. My friend Seth …

I’m hearing from a few reservoirs around the state that the fall pattern is starting to show itself. Slabs and blade baits are producing some fish once in a while, and it’ll only improve. Big Mac remains slow from what I’ve heard from numerous friends. A blade bait did produce a 63 pound flathead for my friends at Sherman Reservoir last week, though. What a blast that had to be! Elwood is still a bit behind, it seems. We looked …

A fishing buddy once told me, “I would venture that both your head and backside remain trimmed in your line of work”.  Boy, some days that is so true.  In fact it is so true that I saved the quote. Our mission here at the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission is stewardship of the state’s fish, wildlife, park, and outdoor recreation resources in the best long-term interests of the people and those resources.  Our fish, wildlife, park and outdoor recreation resources …

I hate to keep hitting the same topic over and over again.  I know I blogged about the Lake Yankton renovation a couple times in recent weeks (Lake Yankton Renovation ,  Lake Yankton Renovation, Postscript), but I want to tell you about another rotenone renovation that Nebraska fisheries biologists completed recently. Late summer and early fall is definitely “renovation season”.  Typically, water levels are lower at that time of year and less water means we need less rotenone to treat the volume …

My son caught and released a relatively big, 45-inch, Nebraska muskie over a year ago.  It was a trophy fish by anyone’s definition and Daniel wanted a mount of her.  Just recently the graphite reproduction of that fish was completed and delivered.  Here is what the fish looked like when he caught her: And here is what the mount looks like: I am pretty sure Daniel is really happy with the mount.  I know I think it looks great! Let me …

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the Lake Yankton Renovation.  That fisheries management project went off on schedule last week in spite of cool and rainy conditions.   Right now I want to show you a few pictures of dead fish because it demonstrates exactly why we do rotenone renovations, why we eliminate all fish in a body of water, and then re-stock. It is somewhat ironic that fisheries biologists would purposely, intentionally kill fish, but that is …

I know we have had a lot of rain recently.  In fact we have had so much rain in some places that our fishing waters are running a little high right now.  Anytime the water is high, fish are likely to move right up into newly flooded areas, right to the water’s edge. . . . In some cases right up into the parking lot. One of the best times of year is upon us, you can hunt or fish right …

I won’t lie; the fishing has been real hit-and-miss as of late. There are lots and lots of shad everywhere you look, which naturally makes things difficult to begin with. Add in the cool weather and several inches of rain we’ve gotten, and conditions have gotten a bit tougher. Traditional patterns like live-baiting shad and trolling crankbaits are not producing the fish we are used to this time of year, and success has been spotty. The nice thing about this …