Fishing

You know I love predator/prey dynamics and believe an understanding of them is a major key to finding and catching fish of all kinds.  For my latest “installment” on this theme, let me share a picture with you. I have a nephew that is a trout bum (when I call him a “trout bum”,  it as a term of respect, I say it with pride and a little bit of jealousy).  This summer he has been guiding fly anglers on …

Summer is winding down, I know most kids are back in school already, but Labor Day weekend lies ahead of us and there is still plenty of time to take the kids fishing! Take the kids bullhead fishing before summer is over It is not too late to take the kids bullhead fishing this summer.  Many anglers started their fishing careers at a young age catching fish like “sunnies” and bullheads, and now another generation of Nebraska anglers will have …

The Nebraska Fish & Game Association has installed bins for recycling fishing line all around the state, NEFGA Line Bins Map.  I am a huge fan of the program not only because it gets discarded fishing line off the shores of our waters, but because I love it when anglers take ownership in the care and condition of THEIR resources!  If you are interested in contributing to, or participating in that program, make sure to check it out, NEFGA Line …

Fish have been displayed at the Nebraska State Fair almost every year since 1885.  There was a year, 1898, when there was no funding for displaying fish at the state fair, and in 1976 no fish were displayed because a new aquarium complex was under construction.  That complex housed fish every year at the state fair in Lincoln until the fair moved to Grand Island.  We have not had fish at the state fair since it moved to Grand Island …

I will not pretend to know a thing about sports psychology.  What I do know is that at the highest levels of competition, whatever the sport, competitors look for any advantage they can gain.  To calm nerves and focus on execution of every sport, one technique athletes employ is to picture, visualize, themselves hitting the baseball, sinking their free-throws, catching that touchdown pass. Fishing is a sport for everyone.  It can be enjoyed on a variety of levels in a variety …

A few weeks ago I told you about the 2014 High School Bass Fishing Championship held at Merritt Reservoir.  I want to return to that event in this blog post because there was something else about that day that I think was really special. When the state high school bass championship was held at Merritt this year, there was also a Nebraska Walleye Association tournament at the same time.  As a matter of fact the NWA folks were kind enough …

Every year I hear and read accounts of anglers who think that August is a slow time for fishing. It’s hot, the dog days of summer are upon us, and in most cases, there are more than enough groceries for fish to help themselves too. Fish can be lethargic, seem to disappear, and not be interested in being caught at all. While part of that is true, not all of it is. It’s true, in lots of cases this year, that …

I think this is an appropriate way to end “Carp Week”. If fish could smoke cigarettes, common carp would. However, come to think of it, I have seen stocked rainbow trout eat cigarette butts. For some reason I cannot get this song out of my head today:

I have had very few experiences eating carp, twice to be exact. The first time, I prepared it myself. The second time, I went to a place call Wild Bill’s Bar and Grill in Rulo. The first experience didn’t impress while the second was delicious. I thought it tasted just as good if not better than any fried fish I have ever had. I have yet to master cooking carp, but here a few things I learned from my first …

“Anything you can see underwater you can expect a carp to see too – and more besides.” – Marc Coulson, The Complete Guide to Carp Fishing. Have you ever noticed the relatively large eyes of a carp you caught while fishing? Did you know that the big eyes of the carp have a highly developed sense of color vision and an incredibly wide field of view? They sure do. Interesting, huh? Think about it. Carp generally live in a turbid, …