Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Hate to say it, but if you look at the calendar, 2026 has already sped a third of the way past us. So far, there has been very little activity on the state record front. I only have one fish from back during our brief ice-fishing season:
Back on the first day of February, Brody Saathoff from Lincoln was doing some fishing on Pawnee Reservoir. He jigged up a 9 pound 12 ounce saugeye that will be our new rod & reel state record. Brody’s fish was just 26 inches long; you can see it was a fat little piggy.
The fish ate a spoon, and was observed on electronics as it took the bait! This new state record saugeye actually shattered the previous record by almost a full pound!
To be certified as a state record, all fish must be examined by a fisheries biologist. This fish was a good example of why we have that rule. Initially, seeing photos, there were at least a couple of us who suspected the fish was a walleye. However, once brought to the office, it was obvious that it was in fact a saugeye. I always post a disclaimer when identifying fish by photos and that is the reason why!
We have see some good success from saugeye stockings in a number of waters around the state. Almost all of those waters have been marginal walleye fisheries over the years. It appears the saugeyes are somewhat more successful in those less-than-ideal walleye habitats.
Of course the saugeye is a hybrid between sauger and walleye. Probably reasonable to expect that our Nebraska state records for saugeye will eventually settle somewhere lighter than the weights walleyes can attain. However, I believe we very well might see saugeye records push even larger than this fish!
Until now, no other fish have been submitted for a new record. As always, I have heard at least one story about a fish that might have been record class. Let me say this, knowing some fish identification and knowing the state record rules is important! Here is a complete list of Nebraska state record fish.
You never know what might bite on your hook!