You have probably heard it said that 10% of the water contains 90% of the fish.  I do not know about the exact percentages, but on any given day it is certainly true that there will be a whole lot of water that simply does not contain the fish you want to catch.  You cannot catch ’em where they ain’t.  Successful fishing involves the ability to eliminate unproductive water and find fish, and the best anglers do that well. How?  …

I know this on short notice and I know it is out where many may not be able to attend.  Don’t care, needs to be mentioned anyway.  If you can be there, do it! Open house for new stream section is Tuesday MITCHELL, Neb. — The Dry Spotted Tail Creek partner group is inviting the public to view the newly completed stream section at the Platte River Basin Environments property west of Mitchell. The area will be open from 5:30-7:30 …

I could do this blog post with no words, just a couple of pictures: I usually try to keep it light on Fridays, but man I get tired of all the trash that is left on our public hunting, fishing and parks areas!  In my opinion, the folks who do that, and from what I have seen, there must be a bunch of them, should forfeit ALL their opportunities to EVER enjoy any of our natural resources. It really disappoints …

I try to blog frequently about the variety of fisheries projects, angler access, aquatic habitat projects, etc. we have ongoing throughout Nebraska.  In many of those blogs I am able to provide some details about individual projects.  This blog post is not going to provide any details, I just want to give you a “50,000 feet view”.  In fact, if you ask me, I will have to do some research to find details on many of these.  I will also …

Well, I guess we have come to the official unofficial end of summer, Labor Day weekend.  I typically do not have a holiday-related blog post for Labor Day, but this might apply to your “labor”: That pie chart may be closer to the truth than many of us want to admit.  The problem is, the sliver where it says actual work–at that time I am probably on the phone or e-mail, you guessed it, talking about fishing!  Or, I am …

I have been a fisherman all my life.  Have worked as a professional fisheries biologist for 30-some years now.  I have spent a lot of time on the water, and an awful lot of time observing anglers.  I have come to a conclusion:  By far, most anglers are sheep! What do I mean by that? I mean that most anglers follow the herd. If you have launched on one of our most popular fisheries and found a pack of boats …

I have been promising that we have been raising some more cutthroat trout and will be stocking them again in Nebraska waters.  I just got word that the first of those stockings has happened!  A thousand 10-inch cutties were stocked in the White River in far northwest Nebraska today! Those of you still needing a cutthroat to complete your Nebraska Trout Slam, there are some more out there again! We have a few thousand more cutthroats at the Grove Trout …

Yep, it’s that time of year again, state fair time! Enjoy family fun with Nebraska Game and Parks at 2019 state fair LINCOLN, Neb. – With plenty of features for both kids and adults, the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Encounter exhibit provides a fun stop for the entire family at the 2019 Nebraska State Fair. Housed in the Nebraska Building, the exhibit includes an indoor archery range and air gun range for ages 6 and above, a 6,000-gallon aquarium …

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 …

I blogged about the project on Dry Spotted Tail Creek early this spring, time for a little update: New trout stream section to improve habitats near Mitchell MITCHELL, Neb. – Anglers, fish and a diverse set of wildlife will soon enjoy a new stretch of trout stream in the western Panhandle. Construction is underway to add nearly three-quarters of a mile of trout stream on Dry Spotted Tail Creek just west of Mitchell in Scotts Bluff County. The new stream …