Tag Archives: bigmouth buffalo

The calendar has turned over, it is a new year.  It is also time to look back at last year and summarize some things.  Things, like state record fish. . . . First of all, I have one update to give.  One application for a state record fish came late in the year.  Noah Jelinek of Waverly caught that fish, a silver carp.  He caught it on November 24.  The fish was caught by rod & reel from Salt Creek …

It has been quite a while since I gave an update on Nebraska state record fish.  The main reason for that is there has not been much activity.  There has been some however, so let me tell you about it. Rod & Reel The first was caught by rod & reel back in April.  I told you it had been a while.  The fish was a shorthead redhorse, a native species of sucker.  Adam Pavelka from Verdigre caught the fish.  …

Let me blog about a native fish species today.  You likely have heard of these fish, buffalo.  Nebraska is home to three species of buffalo, bigmouth, smallmouth and black buffalo.  Some folks mistakenly call them “buffalo carp” because they do resemble carp in some ways.  However, buffalo are actually members of the sucker family while carp are members of the minnow family. Recently, you may have heard some interesting things about buffalo.  Apparently, they can live a long time: https://thefishingwire.com/112-year-old-buffalo-may-be-oldest-freshwater-fish/ …

Time again to look back and give an “annual report” on the state record fish that were registered last year: Surface Spearfishing There were two fish certified as surface spearfishing records in 2018, both of them silver carp, both taken by the same angler.  The first was a 4 pound 11 ounce fish taken in May and then the bigger fish, 6 pounds 10 ounces, was taken later in the month, both taken from the Missouri River in Sarpy County. …

Been awhile since I have given an update on the state record applications that have crossed my desk. . . . It has been the time of year when we see some activity for underwater spearfishing state records, so let me start there: The first to cross my desk was a bigmouth buffalo speared by Mike Ban from Colorado.  Mike was diving on a private sandpit in Dawson County when he speared his 30 pound 7 ounce buff. Mike’s fish …

Time for my “annual report” on state record fish in the past year.  As with most years there was some state record activity and there were some surprises! Surface Spearfishing  There were no fish entered for surface spearfishing records in 2017. Underwater Spearfishing We had four fish certified as new underwater spearfishing state records in the past year.  The smallest of those was a whopping 1 ounce alewife taken from Lake McConaughy. In September, a 10 ounce shortnose gar was …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Two state fishing records have been certified this summer by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Brent Stephens of Kearney set a rod-and-reel record April 18 when he caught a 3-pound, 4-ounce triploid crappie at Kea Lake south of Kearney. He caught the 17¼-inch fish on a jig. Eric Funk of Lincoln set a bowfishing record May 20 when he arrowed a 56-pound, 6-ounce bigmouth buffalo at Johnson Lake southwest of Lexington. His fish was 41 inches …

There has not been a lot of activity on the state record front, but I have a couple of fish and a couple of stories to share with you: Rod & Reel The first goes way back to April; the application literally came in right after I cleared the last batch of state record applications.  So, Brent Stephens of Kearney believes that we forgot all about his state record catch.  Sorry, Brent. I have told you about the “triploid” crappie …

One of my favorite things I get to do in my present position here at the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission is keep track of our state record fish.  I will periodically give updates and show a few pictures here on my blog; at this time let me summarize the state record activity for 2012. We had 14 fish certified as state records in 2012.  We recognize state record fish in four categories, hook & line (or rod & reel), …