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Carp Week

I know a couple of things in the “Carp World” this week that I want to mention.  First of course is our annual “Carp-O-Rama” event at Branched Oak Reservoir this coming Saturday.  As a fisheries biologist I will tell you that invasive Carp species, including the Common Carp that have been here for over a hundred years, are a scourge and if I could snap my fingers and make ’em all go away, I would.  Fisheries biologists will forever be managing Common Carp populations throughout Nebraska and in some cases “management” will mean annihilation.

However, at the same time, I will tell you that we ain’t ever going to be rid of them, and they can actually be a lot of fun and challenging to catch.  So, in some cases, “if you can’t beat ’em”, catch ’em!  To encourage folks to do that, and learn some things about catching, preparing, and cooking Common Carp, we have hosted Carp-O-Rama events for the past several years.  Basically, they are a Carp Carnival, we sometimes even have clowns!  We pre-bait areas to attract some Carp, and then we will supply gear and instruction for folks to come out and catch ’em.  The Nebraska Fish & Game Association will be there with a variety of tasty Carp baits.  We will have experts there to help with rigging and fishing tips, fish-cleaning and preparation, and then we will be cooking Carp for folks to eat!  You can even make a Gyotaku while you are there!

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We will start at 8:00 a.m. out on Lieber’s Point at Branched Oak Reservoir north of Malcolm, Nebraska.  That is north and west of Lincoln, to find Lieber’s Point go around the west side of the reservoir and then turn on Branched Oak Road headed back towards the reservoir.  Drive straight until you cannot drive no more; you will not be able to miss us.  If you need a map, Family Fishing Sites.

Do your homework before you come!

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For Those of You Who Want to Take It To a Whole ‘Nother Level. . . .

How about Carp on the fly?  Even Grass Carp on the fly?  Yep, it can be done, is one heck of a sport and can actually be very effective too.  One of the best I know at it is Nebraska’s own Larry Dostal.

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Larry will be at the Cornhusker Fly Fishers meeting this Wednesday night.  That meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and is held at our Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium.  I believe Larry is scheduled to start speaking at 7:00, but come early to meet some folks.  Even if you do not have the urge to start fly-fishing for Carp, come listen to Larry.  He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about fishing, and if nothing else he will get you pumped up!

GO CARP!

About daryl bauer

Daryl is a lifelong resident of Nebraska (except for a couple of years spent going to graduate school in South Dakota). He has been employed as a fisheries biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for 25 years, and his current tour of duty is as the fisheries outreach program manager. Daryl loves to share his educational knowledge and is an avid multi-species angler. He holds more than 120 Nebraska Master Angler Awards for 14 different species and holds more than 30 In-Fisherman Master Angler Awards for eight different species. He loves to talk fishing and answer questions about fishing in Nebraska, be sure to check out his blog at outdoornebraska.org.

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