Barbs and Backlashes

I started getting notifications about a big fish caught over the weekend, a really big fish.  So, I realize this has been all over the internet already and has hit at least one newspaper; you may have already heard about it, but even if you have, I know folks love hearing about and seeing big fish! It appears our rod & reel state record for paddlefish has been broken!  Tom Keller from Malcolm was enjoying our paddlefish snagging season in …

Pretty much says it all. . . . They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that’s not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they’re just not such a big deal anymore.  Author John Gierach Have a great weekend everyone.  This is a great time of year to be outdoors; while you are at it, do not forget to GO FISH!

There is no question that the question of the day recently has been “When are the trout going to be stocked?”  I always tell folks that we have to wait until the water cools to stock those catchable-size rainbow trout, a cold-water fish, in parks and urban waters around the state.  That happens every fall in October, pretty much the same time from year to year. We cannot tell people when and where until we know.  These fish come from …

Here is the fall edition of our youth fishing instructor newsletter: If you want to see a little “cleaner” copy, and follow the links, Fish Tales, Fall 2015. Again, I know that many have already seen this newsletter, especially those who are already certified Nebraska youth fishing instructors.  I always try to post the newsletters here to my blog hoping that it might prompt more of you to get involved.  Here is your chance! Become a Certified Youth Fishing Instructor Oct. …

By the time you are reading this, I will be somewhere in the Bessey National Forest helping with this year’s main Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BO-W) workshop.  By my count, this will be the nineteenth year I have helped with that program.  This video will give you an idea of what happens over the weekend.  We have a lot of fun and learn a thing or three in the process! If you are a lady and you are reading this, sorry, …

Get a bunch of hard-core anglers together and pretty soon there will be a discussion on the best times to fish.  I will always tell you the best time to go fishing is whenever you have time, but you will find a diversity of opinions on the subject.  It is an important question because fish spend much of their time inactive, conserving energy.  In some cases they may be actively feeding for only a small percentage of time each day or …

A couple of weeks ago I shared a story with you about a largemouth bass caught recently by the son of one of my co-workers, It Is a Fish Eat Rat World.  That fish had consumed a kangaroo rat not long before being caught.  Recently, there has been another picture making the rounds on the internet, I was pointed to it on the Ice Team FaceBook page. This time the fish was another top-of-the-food-chain, apex predator, and one of my favorite fish, …

You probably are not going to see or hear anything about this, probably not going to be parades and news conferences like there should be, but tomorrow, September 26, 2015 is National Hunting and Fishing Day!  Governor Ricketts signed the proclamation! So. . . what does that mean?  This will give you a little bit of an idea. . . . Here is why it is worth a proclamation! You have probably heard me say that hunters, anglers and trappers …

In recent months I have highlighted at least a couple of national publications or organizations that have mentioned some of the excellent fishing opportunities we have in Nebraska (e.g. McConaughy Makes Top 10!, Nebraska Waters Make Top 100!).  I was surfing the web recently and found another one! 10 Top Trophy Bluegill Destinations That title caught my eye, and I had to read the entire article.  If you are talking trophy bluegills, fish that honest-to-goodness weigh in excess of 1 …

My blog is all about the fish most of the time.  As such you can count on my calling attention to the current issue of NEBRASKAland magazine and the picture of a cutthroat trout on the front! The cover refers to an excellent story on the inside–Justin Haag’s Pine Ridge Streaming.  Be sure to check it out on pages 52-57!  Justin’s story highlights some of the trout fishing opportunities that can be found in Nebraska’s great Pine Ridge region.  In addition …