Tag Archives: catch and release

NOTE:  THIS IS MY BLOG AND I OFTEN POST WHERE I HAVE BEEN, WHAT I HAVE DONE AND WHAT I HAVE CAUGHT.  AT TIMES SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE OF A PERSONAL NATURE.  THIS PARTICULAR POST WILL NOT BE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FISHING IN NEBRASKA.  I WAS OUTTA STATE.  SO, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ IT, DON’T.  HOWEVER, IT WILL INCLUDE FISH AND FISHING AND I WILL MAKE SOME COMMENTS RELATING TO NEBRASKA NEAR THE END. My family and …

Have not blogged about this for a while.  I usually “stir” a few folks when I do.  I grin maniacally when that happens; it means some have had to stop and think for a minute. It is mid-summer, it is hot, time to do it again. . . blog about catch & release and proper fish handling. Now, understand where I come from on this subject.  I AM ALWAYS GOING TO COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE FISH, THE …

I posted a week ago that recently I had been out-fished by both my kids, Outfished. Here, I want to note that if you keep casting long enough, eventually things turn your way. My daughter was not with me on this trip, but my son was.  In a couple of evenings, we did not catch a lot of fish, but some really nice walleyes.  I caught all of them. But he took some really good pictures! Thanks, Daniel! The fish …

I am always thrilled to see folks introducing their kids to fishing at a young age, some of them at a very young age.  There is only one thing I warn them about:  Some day they will grow up and out-fish you! Recently, both of my kids caught their biggest walleyes, same day, same evening.  I caught nothing.  I hooked a fish late, but then lost it. A 27-incher for Emily: A 28 for Daniel: At least they released them! …

I am seeing lots of proclamations about our ice fishing season being over. Whatever. There are a lot of folks that bail on ice fishing because they are not committed.  They fantasize about fishing open water much too much.  On the first day with temperatures above freezing, they declare it over. You will NOT get me to make that announcement.  In fact, I will be on it as long as I can.  The longer it lasts, the better! And, I …

Gotta be honest with you.   I am still “out of the office”, but still have not been on the ice.  It embarrasses and pains me to say that!  Actually, I have been on it a couple, three times, but have not found any safe enough to fish.  Now, I am fully aware that ice fishing is occurring in parts of our great state.  Just is, I have not been there, yet.  Oh, over the holidays I thought I would make …

There is one thing about the culture of fishing, even the way society thinks about fishing, that I wish I could change. . . . The question about whether a fish is “big enough to keep?” is wrong, completely wrong, 180 degrees wrong. What?  You think my pointy-head has finally gone completely crazy? No, not at all.  Let me explain. . . . Catch and release is a part of modern sportfishing.  It is guaranteed that anglers will be releasing …

Most of you know that I am all fishing, all the time, but I love to hunt and trap too.  I seldom go more than a few days without drying off a fish or two, but in the spring when the turkeys are gobbling, I get distracted.  This spring has been no exception.  I spent as much time as possible listening to my favorite birds gobble from ridge tops, fields, and canyon bottoms.  When the time is right, often in …

When spring time rolls around, pointy-headed fish biologists get really busy.  I even get out of the office to help with all the field work that needs to be done this time of year. Most of you know that northern pike spawn right around the time ice goes out.  They will even spawn under the ice if we have a late ice-out, but if you are looking to collect a bunch of northern pike, that is a great time to …

When doing seminars and workshops about Nebraska fishing I often note that we have no closed season for fishing in the state, and that I will spend at least some time fishing every month of the year.  An ideal autumn is one where I go from late fall, open-water fishing to first ice, ice-fishing in just a couple of weeks.  Likewise, I ride late ice as long as I can, as long as it is safe, and ideally transition to …