Tag Archives: Fishing

A Toothy, Primeval Fighter For anglers who love a good fight, the northern pike, a needle-toothed, aggressive — almost primeval — fish, is highly sought after. According to the 2021 Nebraska Fishing Forecast, Hackberry and Dewey lakes on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Box Butte Reservoir and Lake Wanahoo are this year’s top picks. Other reservoirs like Elwood, Enders, McConaughy, Merritt and Red Willow hold a few big pike. Several other lakes around the state have been stocked with pike …

“Dang, I thought I had a big bass! Hey, it’s a big channel cat.” The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), Nebraska’s official state fish, sometimes gets misunderstood, particularly it seems, by those who exclusively fish for bass and walleye. Catfish, especially the channel cats, have a reputation as bottom feeders that just lazily swim around sucking up stinky, dead stuff from the bottom. And that is not entirely true! I asked Chris Pokorny of Elkhorn, NE, who’s among Nebraska’s most avid …

LINCOLN, Neb. — A new online guide will help Nebraska anglers correctly identify the fish on the other end of their line. Fish Key: A Guide to the Most Commonly Caught Fish in Nebraska is available at OutdoorNebraska.org/fishidentification. It’s viewable on mobile devices or can be downloaded and printed to carry along. The guide is an important tool in ensuring anglers know what they’ve caught; it is intended to be used in tandem with the Fishing Guide, which lists regulations, such …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Anglers will notice construction work at Gracie Creek Pond on the upstream end of Calamus Reservoir in Loup County. The work is the initial phase of the pond’s rehabilitation project. Nebraska Department of Transportation crews will remove nearly 20,000 cubic yards of soil from the north and west side of the parking lot. The soil will be removed to make way for sediment to be excavated during the pond’s rehabilitation, which should begin late this summer or …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is looking to provide additional hunting and fishing opportunities on private lands through its Open Fields and Waters Program. Landowners willing to allow public, walk-in access for hunting or fishing can receive annual, per-acre payments through the program. Participating landowners are afforded liability protection through the Nebraska Recreational Liability Act. Additional financial incentives often are available for habitat improvements, such as Conservation Reserve Program enrollment or management upgrades. Game and Parks …

By Daryl Bauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Catch and release is an established and important part of modern fishing. Sure, harvesting some of the fish we catch should be a part of our fishing experience. However, our fisheries are managed for recreational fishing, and if you are just fishing for a meal, well, the grocery store likely would be a cheaper way to get your fish. In some cases, catch and release is mandated by regulations; …

By Jerry Kane Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Consider this scenario: You are an angler new to the sport and go out fishing on your own. You have a license, rod-and-reel combo and some tackle. What else do you need? Depending on the regulations of the lake, an angler has two choices to consider when fishing: to keep some fish, or to release fish. To harvest, or to catch and release are decisions that play a role …

LINCOLN, Neb. – There is good news for south-central Nebraska trout anglers. Elm Creek in Webster County will be stocked with 1,000 rainbow trout March 31. The Calamus Fish Hatchery will stock the trout to enhance spring fishing opportunities. Fisheries biologists with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission evaluated the stream on Elm Creek Wildlife Management Area on March 29 and determined the flows were fairly high and the water clear. Several holes were found in the stream that will …

By Daryl Bauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Do you know what it means when the calendar approaches April Fool’s Day? No, it is not time to prank your fishing buddy. It is time for the walleyes to spawn. Many things can cue spawning in freshwater fish: weather, water temperature, moon phase, etc. One of the most important cues is the amount of daylight. For that reason, spawning tends to occur about the same time every year. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Rainbow trout are being stocked in city ponds and lakes across the state in March to enhance fishing opportunities this spring, especially in urban areas. Trout fishing is a great way to introduce children to fishing because simple and inexpensive equipment may be used. “Rainbow trout are especially good for beginners because they will bite readily on anything, including corn, wadded up pieces of bread or worms, and are easy and safe to handle,” said Larry Pape, …