Fishing

I hung out around the high school bass championships at Merritt Reservoir this past weekend.  Let me give you a few details: Once again this year, the two bass organizations in Nebraska teamed up to hold their high school championship on the same waterbody, two days in a row.  This year the TBF Nebraska Student Angler Federation anglers fished first, on Friday, while the Nebraska B.A.S.S. Federation fished on Saturday.  Many of the anglers fish both days, both organizations, so …

A nice package of benefits. A plan for pay advancement. Flexibility with your work schedule. Working outdoors, especially with fish, wildlife, parks and water sports. Sound good? These are all positive facets of being a Nebraska conservation officer or what some still refer to as a “game warden.” And, guess what? Game and Parks is looking to fill up to six conservation officer positions around the state. Interested? You will have until Aug. 26, 2019 to apply. Truly, there are …

Our great state has experienced some more flooding this past week.  It is a cliche, but again we have seen flooding like we have never seen before.  Most of you are probably aware that parts of central Nebraska had up to 10 inches of rain in one night last week, and well, when there is that much rain, that fast, there is going to be flooding in places where we have never seen it before. No doubt, flooding impacts fisheries; …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Jaron Cooper and Keegan Oettinger of the Platte Valley Bassmasters team caught a five-fish limit weighing 15.88 pounds to capture the The Bass Federation – Nebraska High School Fishing Championship on July 12 at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area. Cooper caught the tournament’s biggest fish at 4.55 pounds. Hunter Cooper and Kaden Oettinger of Platte Valley Bassmasters, a team comprised of students from Sutherland and Hershey, took second place with three fish weighing 6.31 pounds. They are …

We live in a world that is way too uptight.  How uptight?  So uptight that even our crayfish are anxious.  Don’t believe me?  Well, there are some pointy-headed crayfish biologists that say otherwise:  Anxious Crayfish. Actually, if you read the article, it does make some sense, at least it does to a pointy-headed biologist.  Molting, or more correctly ecdysis, is a stressful time for crayfish and for good reason. . . . Ecdysial crayfish have “soft shells”, and it takes …

I have often said that one of the things I like most about trout fishing is the beauty of the fish.  Even a 6-inch brook trout can be a prized catch because they are such pretty fish.  I am convinced that is part of the glamour of trout fishing, that and fly-rods, and the fact that cold-water habitats where trout reside typically are also really purdy places. Likewise, I am awed by the diversity and beauty of fish on a …

You and your family are invited to come join us at a special Game and Parks Community Fishing Night at Lake Halleck in Papillion, NE this Tuesday night, July 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. Come, get some fresh air, sample some Dutch oven cooking and find out how easy and fun fishing is! Hungry sunfish await you! We at Game and Parks will be hosting the event. We will be furnishing loaner fishing tackle and bait as well as …

I know the big Independence Day holiday is now past us and I know that there have been news releases on these items already.  I am not trying to “break” the news here so much as just trying to spread it: Goose Lake Of course high water and flooding have made access to Goose Lake in Holt County nearly impossible this year.  That has improved and the road is open again now; the boat dock is in place.  Now all …

Like many of you, I am finishing up a few things and heading out of the office for a long Independence Day weekend!  The “4th of July” has always been one of my family’s favorite holidays, and this year will be no exception.  Yes, we LOVE setting off fireworks, but there will also be parades, feasting, maybe some time in the water cooling off, and in between all the family activities we usually put in a little time on the …

I usually post a water/boat safety reminder in the early spring when the water is cold.  I did not this spring, but with the heat of summer and peak activity on the water, this is a good time to mention it again.  Unfortunately, it seems like there has been a story about some tragedy on the water someplace in Nebraska nearly every weekend this summer. My buddy Greg blogged last week about The Worst Excuses for Not Wearing a Life …