Last weekend I warned you about the “leech-nado“.  Got another public service announcement this weekend:  Beware the Carp-nado! Carp-O-Rama at Branched Oak Reservoir is tomorrow!  If everything goes well, this is what it will look like when we get done pre-baiting or “chumming” the area! OK, seriously, I would not like to fall into the water there.  I suspect a death by carp-sucking would not be a pleasant way to go, well, it would be embarrassing at the least. Obviously, …

A week ago I blogged about some fish handling issues that needed to be addressed according to recent reports from the water.  Actually, I do not know that folks really need another lesson on proper handling of fish that by law must be released, as much as they need an attitude adjustment.  I never know who reads my “stuff”, hopefully it made someone stop and think. This week I want to return to the same topic, but I want to take …

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 …

We were sitting around the break table the other day having a deep discussion.  Why do folks like scary movies?  “Haunted houses” at Halloween?  Why do they like to be terrified?  I believe it is the adrenaline rush you get from a good scaring.  And, when sitting around watching a scary movie, besides being frightened, what other emotions do you express?  I know in my family we laugh, maybe a nervous laughter, maybe laugh at each other being scared, but …

I was going to blog about something different today, but I just heard some talk about hot Walleye bites on Nebraska reservoirs and folks having problems releasing fish that they by regulation have to release.  I do not know why this is any kind of a problem any more–we have had a variety of length limit regulations for a variety of species for a lot of years now and catch and release is a routine part of fishing!  Either by regulation …

We are past the Memorial Day weekend and officially into “summer” now.  Often, by this time, I have posted a reminder about boating safety and especially wearing your life jackets.  I may be a little late with that reminder this year, but we certainly are in the middle of fishing and boating season now–still a good time to do it. I am betting most of you have life jackets in your boat like you are legally required.  But, I am …

My buddies here at the Game & Parks Commission, Jeff Rawlinson and Aaron Hershberger have been taping some “how to” videos or “V blogs” or whatever you want to call them.  You can find them on YouTube under the title of “Nebraska Outdoors“. Aaron invited me over last week to talk fishing and they just got that video posted up today.  Might as well share it here on my blog too! Have a great weekend everyone.  Fish are biting, get …

I am all fishing, all the time, except when the turkeys are gobbling in the spring.  I just cannot get enough of hunting those big, beautiful Toms.  So, the past few weeks I have to admit to you that I have been fishing very little.  But, Nebraska’s spring turkey season 2016 is now in the rear-view mirror, and it is time to get back on the water!  This past weekend, a holiday weekend, was a great one to do that, …

I taught a “basic fishing” class last Thursday evening.  That class was planned to be in a classroom and I am afraid the participants had to listen to me ramble about fishing for a couple of hours.  I hope I did not bore them to tears.  One thing I mentioned to them that I want to “hit” again today is our Family Fishing events.  Yes, some of these events have already been held this late spring/early summer, but there is …

There are a couple, three, water-related, fishing, boating news items I want to mention, spread the word about, before this holiday weekend. Goose Lake WMA Open in Time for Memorial Day Weekend LINCOLN – Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA), located southeast of Chambers in Holt County, will reopen to public access beginning May 28. The area had been closed earlier this spring while the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission treated the lake to suppress the growth and spread of …