This is the final installment in a four-part series of articles on ice-fishing for beginners. By Daryl Bauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Venture to a tackle shop where ice-fishing gear is on display and you will see aisles filled with ice-fishing rods and reels. The first thing you will notice about that equipment is the length. The rods are short. They are short to allow anglers to fish closer to their hole. However, if you are …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Spring turkey hunting permits for 2021 will be available from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission beginning Jan. 11. Nebraska offers the best turkey hunting opportunities in the nation. Nebraska offers birds in every county of the state. The state also offers plentiful and affordable permits, long seasons, great public access and $8 permits for youth. Wild turkey hunters in Nebraska enjoy high success rates. In the spring, hunters can purchase as many as three permits, with …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider wildlife regulation changes that include a proposal to enact a Special Landowner Deer Season and allow the purchase of a bonus or a preference point with regard to big game hunting when it meets Jan. 13 in Lincoln. The meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. at Commission headquarters, 2200 N. 33rd St. The Special Landowner Deer Season and purchase of a bonus or a preference point were created by …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Educators can explore handpicked activities to engage early learners in the changing seasons with virtual workshops Feb. 2 and Feb. 9. Educators, after-school program leaders and in-home daycare providers who work with children ages 3 through 7 are invited to this free workshop. It focuses on the high-quality, easy-to-use Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children guide. Participants will receive the Growing Up WILD educational activity guide containing 21 lesson plans that build on children’s sense …

This is the third installment in a four-part series of articles on ice-fishing for beginners. Next week: Rods and reels. By Daryl Bauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – To be incredibly obvious, one of the unique things about ice-fishing is, well, the ice. An angler stands on the ice, and the fish are literally below your feet. To get to those fish, you have to have some specialized gear to make a hole. I once watched three …

This is the second installment in a four-part series of articles on ice-fishing for beginners. Next week: Making holes. By Jerry Kane Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. — Staying warm and comfortable while on the ice will go a long way toward ensuring you have a fun outing ice-fishing. The conditions will determine exactly how you will want to dress, but, regardless, you should dress in layers. The reason? You’ll want to stay warm, and you’ll need to …

This is the first installment in a four-part series of articles on ice-fishing for beginners. Next week: Clothing. By Jerry Kane Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. — Catching fish through the ice can be a fun way to spend a winter day. Winter days are shorter, so any time spent outdoors is a bonus. But with ice-fishing, safety always should come first. It always starts with ice thickness. When is the ice thick enough to go out for …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Anglers must be aware of fishing regulation changes that take effect Jan. 1, 2021, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The changes are: Smallmouth Bass – Big Elk Lake (WP 7) and Portal Lake (WP 6), Sarpy County reservoirs under construction in 2020, each will have a smallmouth bass daily bag limit of two fish and 12-inch maximum length limit to protect larger smallmouths and allow harvest of smaller ones. Yellow Perch – Big Elk …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Applications for multispecies Super Tag and Combo lottery permits will be accepted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission beginning Jan. 2, 2021. The Super Tag lottery permit will be valid for one elk of either sex, one antelope of either sex, one deer of either sex and two turkeys (only toms and bearded hens may be taken in the spring). One permit will be authorized for residents only, and one permit will be authorized for residents/nonresidents. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – In a year of above-average angling pressure, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission recently certified three state fishing records. Six records had been certified earlier in the year. The latest records are: • Matthew Wiederholt of Phillips set a surface spearing record when he took a 10-pound, 7-ounce silver carp – beating the old record by almost 4 pounds – on the Platte River in Hamilton County on Aug. 29. The fish was 31¼ inches long. • Tanner …