Barbs and Backlashes

The equipment advances on the ice-fishing front in the past decade or two have literally been mind-boggling.  There is so much modern ice-fishing equipment available now that makes it a lot easier to ice-fish and makes us a lot more effective catching fish through the ice.  It all works, they are all different tools for different jobs, the key is using the right tools. A variety of small jigs have been the standard for catching panfish through the ice for …

Now here’s my idea of a New Year’s Eve party! Happy New Year everyone!  I will be taking some time off, never fear, will be on the ice in Nebraska somewhere, looking for a walleye (and others).  I promise not to drop them!

Back in November I gave what I believed was my final “State Record Update” for 2016.  Nope.  Wouldn’t you know it, no sooner had I got that done and another state record application showed up on my desk.  This one was another fish taken by rod & reel, but it was a bit of an unusual catch–a grass pickerel! On October 17 this fall, Christopher Butts of O’Neill captured his state record pickerel from a highway borrow pit in Holt …

Going to be in and out of the office the next few days, mostly out, mostly on the ice! Wanna leave you with a Christmas scene and best wishes for the holiday season. There is a spectacular light display in our neighborhood.  Honestly, I have never met the folks, never talked to them, do not know who they are, but the back corner of their display had an underwater scene a year ago.  If I did not know better, I …

I had a blog ready for today, but it can wait, because I know a whole bunch of Nebraska anglers will be waiting for this, hot off the press! 2017 Fishing Forecast Click the link, or click the cover, it will take you to the 2017 Fishing Forecast!  The “hard copies” will not be ready until around the first of the year, they are at the printer right now, but you can look on-line all you want! Let me add …

There is a very interesting story in this month’s issue of NEBRASKAland.  It is a story that Jeff Kurrus wrote.  Let me tell you a little bit about Jeff. . . . Jeff is a Tennessee boy, hard-core fisherman, but he had a whole new world to experience once he moved to Nebraska.  I had done some “stuff” over the phone with Jeff before he moved here and started working for NEBRASKAland.  Naturally, as soon as he got here, he …

If you are like me, your calendar is full of “stuff” to do this time of year.  I am trying get stuff finished up here at the office so I can get outta here so I can get other “stuff” done at home.  Ah, the holidays, don’t ya love ’em? Our family has been a little later with the holiday illumination this year; we have been waiting for my daughter to get home from college.  She’s home now, think I …

As I sit here “blogging”, I am pretty sure my open-water fishing for this season is done.  Sure you could still find a few areas of open-water and dry off some fish, you can all winter long if you wish, but most Nebraska anglers are going to be hitting the ice soon, very soon. So, that means it is time for me to give a report on my and my son’s fall fishing.  In recent weeks I have showed you …

Last winter I blogged about the world ice-fishing championship held in Europe, USA! USA! .  I am not going to tell you that I am completely familiar with international fishing competitions, but I know that at least some of them are quite different from what we have here in the United States. Some international fishing competitions, like the ice-fishing championship held last winter, are match-fishing competitions where teams compete, and anglers fish as teams.  In a match fishing format, anglers may …

Friday, a couple of weeks before Christmas, lots of things bouncing around in my head.  First, most importantly. . . . We Have Ice! By the time you are reading this there will have been fish pulled through the ice on Nebraska waters!  YESSSSS!!!!!!  This weekend most of that ice-fishing is going to occur in northern and western parts of Nebraska, maybe on some small waters in other parts of the state.  First ice is some of the best fishing …