How To

Judging from the messages, e-mails, phone calls, and just general “chatter” I have heard this morning, I can tell you the channel cats are getting close to spawning.  Why do I say that?  Because every year about this time there are a bunch of mistaken identifications of “funny-looking” catfish.  Simply put, male channel cats get fat heads and darker colors during the spawn, and some folks not used to seeing that mistakenly believe those fish are “blue cats”.  So, if …

Just over a decade ago, I purchased a kayak from an outfitter in Texas — the nearest place I could find what I wanted. For quite a while after that, it seemed I was the only one on the water up this way using this type of vessel for fishing. That’s changed. It has been fun watching the popularity of these boats grow. While I certainly have enjoyed my big green hunk of plastic for its convenience, functionality and price, …

I have not made a Friday post on KVD lately, well, he’s up to something again. . . . Seriously, I am not sponsored by anyone, I am not endorsing or “pushing product”, I just think the videos are hilarious.  If you want, check it out, Mystery Tacklebox. It’s the weekend, remember it is supposed to be fun, and GO FISH!

The internet is a funny place, but you know you can believe everything you see and hear there. . . . Recently, I was admiring some photos and the stories that went along with them about some really nice muskies that had been caught and released.  Yes, I was jealous especially knowing they had been caught from a Nebraska waterbody.  Somewhere in the discussion that followed someone asked, “Which state?”, as in “surely those had to be caught from someplace …

It has been awhile since I have teased you with photos of some of the big fish that our field biologists have had their hands on.  Time to change that. . . . We do a lot of our fish population sampling in the fall, but there is also some that is done in the spring and summer.  Again let me say that when pointy-headed fisheries biologists are sampling fish they are NOT just trying to catch the biggest ones, …

I gotta admit I am not a big fan of late night talk shows anymore.  I don’t know, maybe it is just because I am getting old, but they just don’t seem as funny, as entertaining anymore.  I long for the days of “monkey-cam” and velcro suits brought to you from the home office in Wahoo, Nebraska! However, fishing did make it on one of the late night shows this week.  Here is what it looked like: https://youtu.be/cV5JWW1jVZM I don’t …

Wow, it is June already!  I have been sitting on a few state record applications, time to tell you about them!  I will start with the first to cross my desk this year. . . . Tiger Trout If you have followed Nebraska’s record fish you know that we have had quite a bit of activity for tiger trout in recent years.  Realizing that there may be someone new reading this, let me bore the rest of you with some …

Photos and story by Chris Helzer Have you ever wanted to take better photos of insects? Of course you have; insect photography tops every self-respecting outdoor enthusiast’s list of aspirations. It’s hard to hold your head high among your peers when they’re showing off spectacular photos of leafhoppers and damselflies and all you have is a blurry shot of something that might have been a bee. Worry no more, my friend. Here are 10 tips that will make you a better …

Some tricks to know if your tent zipper fails. Tent zippers are key components to tents. They keep wind, rain and bugs out, but when they fail, be prepared with some knowledge and tools to do on-site repairs to your tent. Zippers consist of nylon, plastic or metal teeth or coils and a slider or grab tab pull that brings the teeth or coil tracks together. Many tents come with closed-end zippers, which means the zipper is stitched together at …

There is no question the most common phone call/e-mail/FaceBook message I have received in the past few weeks has been about some dead fish in this or that location across Nebraska.  This has been widespread enough that we put out a news release last week: Spring fish die-offs not unusual in Nebraska LINCOLN, Neb. – Spring fish die-offs in Nebraska are not unusual. Reports of these fish kills – which have been due to natural causes – have come from …