We are a couple, three years into our “Take ‘Em” hunting and fishing promotions.  By now you should know the deal–you take someone new hunting or fishing, take a picture of them, enter it on-line for a chance to win prizes.  It could be someone who has never hunted or fished, could be a kid, but also could be someone new, someone who has not been on the water or in the field for a while. The whole idea is …

From time to time someone asks, “If you could only have one lure/bait, what would it be?”  My answer to that question has always been the same, a jig!  However, you know as soon as I say that I have to post disclaimers and explanations. . . . “A jig” is really not a fair answer.  Jigs come in an infinite variety of sizes, styles, colors, actions, and bodies.  Of the 500 pounds of tackle in my tackle box, probably …

I have blogged a number of times about our completed Aquatic Habitat project at Conestoga Reservoir.  In at least a couple of those blogs I included videos.  Well, there are a total of six videos of the Conestoga project.  You can see the entire playlist here: Again I also realize that many of you have already seen at least some of these.  Forgive me for trying to “spread them around” even more. Better yet, if you get a chance, stop …

The past couple of weeks I have been on a soap box trumpeting the need for folks to have some fish identification skills. Might as well have some fun with it.  Watch the video, consider it to be your Friday quiz: Here is the second part: The weekend is here.  Get on the water, put your skills to work!

It is still spring and the turkeys are still gobbling.  Yes, I will get back on the water, soon, but please indulge me while I blog about spring turkey hunting again. . . . After writing my blog last week about The Casual Turkey Hunter, I got to thinking.  I have seen a number of mature toms killed in the spring.  Several of those I have pulled the trigger on myself, and a bunch more I have gotten an “assist”.  …

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the importance of having some fish identification skills, You Gotta Know!  Yes, I believe that even beginning anglers have a responsibility to know what they are catching. At that time, I mentioned that we had a fish identification aid in the works.  Now we have it! Fish Key Again, I would recommend EVERY angler spend some time looking at that publication and brushing up on their fish identification skills.  However, keep a …

I have not checked in with “KVD” in quite a while.  Then I saw this commercials the other day. . . . Does not sound like a bad idea.  If you want to check it out, Karl’s Tackle Insurance. Or maybe you will just have to face the facts: Have a great weekend, get outdoors!  Watch the snags!

I hesitate to post this blog.  It may get me drummed out of the spring turkey hunting corps. You see, I seldom rise before dawn to hunt spring gobblers anymore.  Over the years, I have gotten up early less and less.  Sitting in the “woods” at dawn listening to a turkey gobble from his roost is the quintessential turkey hunt. It also results in sleep deprivation. This bad habit really got started while hunting with my daughter.  When she has …

Research is just one of many jobs done by the Fisheries Division of the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission.  Yes, we have a research staff that does some of that work.  But, we cannot get it done all by ourselves.  Over the years we have contracted with several universities to do some of that research.  The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has and continues to be an important partner.  We completed several years of research on our sandhill lakes in conjunction with …

Recently, it seems like it happens all the time–someone posting photos and misidentifying fish, or just plain not knowing what they have caught.  I suppose it could be the result of more new folks starting to fish with all the cornonavirus craziness.  Or, perhaps it is just more noticeable because of social media? A fish is not just a fish, you gotta have some identification skills. No, I do not expect everyone to be an ichthyologist.  However, I do expect …