How To

Heard about some boat ramp problems they had over on the Suez Canal this week.  Sounds like they finally got that taken care of. I guess it is getting to be boat ramp season!  Supposed to be a nice weekend this weekend, never know what you might see: I have discovered that there are whole channels on YouTube with boat ramp comedy!  The one above was in Miami, so no, probably no one you know on there.  The funniest part …

One theme I return to over and over again is the diversity of fishing opportunities we have in Nebraska.  I have often said that we may not have as much water as some of our neighboring states, but we offer variety! I have suggested that one fun and worthy challenge is to see how many of species of fish you can catch from Nebraska waters.  In recent years, with the micro-fishing thing gaining interest, there have been some anglers who …

One of the most enjoyable parts of the camping experience is preparing food around a campfire and learning how to create any number of simple, tasty dishes with ingredients already found around the house. Food always tastes a little better outside, and dinner prepared while camping is no exception — especially when the recipes are this easy. Breakfast: Corned Beef and Potato Hash By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans of sliced/diced new potatoes, drained • 3 …

Our guys produced a short video I want to share with you.  Some recent wiper stocking: Great video!  Let me add just a couple of comments: You might notice the size of the fish was relatively large.  Yes, those wipers were approximately six inches long.  That is much larger than most wiper stockings we do.  In fact, those fish were raised in hatchery ponds.  They were raised over winter last winter to be stocked this spring. There are trade-offs with …

It is springtime in Nebraska.  If you are serious about fishing, you are going to be on the water during some abhorrent weather conditions.  Otherwise, well, otherwise you ain’t fishing enough: Of course, if you are on the water like you should be, then folks think you are crazy: I had a day like that already this spring: The best part about it?  No one else fishing! However, this gentleman came swimming by, literally right by my feet: He thought …

It is early spring and our waters are cold.  Without a doubt I hear anglers ask more about water temperatures at this time of year than any other.  There may be some reasoning behind that, but water temperature may not be as important as some think it is. Don’t get me wrong.  I have carried a thermometer of some kind with me on every fishing trip since I was a kid.  I have logged water temperatures from thousands of fishing …

We have been sharing this video with folks who attended our virtual public meetings a couple of weeks ago.  It is a good video with excellent information; I want to share it with as many anglers as possible. Fisheries management in Nebraska, most of the country for that matter, is pretty much accomplished on a “user pays” basis.  You fund Nebraska fishing opportunities through the purchase of fishing permits and through excise taxes collected on the sales of fishing and …

I have spent my entire week answering the phone.  Almost every one of those calls was inquiring whether the spring, put & take trout had been stocked in one favorite waterbody or another.  I guess I understand, we have not published the exact dates of those stockings.  In the crazy coronavirus world we continue to live in, we do not want crowds gathering around stocking trucks.  So, the stocking schedule only says “The week of _______”. I swear, if we …

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year, early spring.  On one hand, who is not happy to see spring roll around?  On the other hand, I hate to quit ice-fishing. We get a few days of nice weather this time of year and everyone thinks they are a fisherperson.  On the other hand, in my opinion, early spring is some of the toughest open-water fishing of the year.  The water is still cold, the fish are not …

By now you are probably familiar with the invasive nuisance species silver carp.  You know, the “flying fish” that jump out of the water like crazy.  You have probably seen news reports or YouTube videos of them. I found another video this week that might be the biggest silver carp I have ever seen. If you watch the slo-mo replay, notice that fish tail slaps both rods in the rod holders.  If I did not know better, that looked maliciously …