Barbs and Backlashes

Tomorrow is a holiday for many Nebraskans–the opening of rifle deer season!  I love the variety of hunting, fishing, and trapping opportunities that Nebraska offers, including some big game hunting, but not a lot.  However, I have done enough to know why tomorrow is such a big day, and I know there will be a lot of folks who have a hard time sleeping tonight.  We have some cold weather, the rut is in full swing, there will be some …

Let me tell you about a little project I spent a few days on a couple weeks ago.  The Keith County Visitors Committee was having some filming done this fall promoting the variety of outdoor activities available in the area.  They asked me to come out and do some on-camera interviews about the fisheries, maybe catch a few fish on camera, and provide whatever assistance I could.  I always jump at any chance I have to get around our great state …

Quick post today.  I am trying to get out of the office here before the “Ice Age” hits.  I will tell you one thing, I am not sure the weather is any worse than it has ever been in Nebraska, but I am sure the hype is WAY MORE than it used to be. I digress. I am betting most of you know tomorrow is Veteran’s Day.  Yep, that means a holiday for me tomorrow.  Yesssss!  However, may I suggest …

The weather forecast for next week is cold.  Of course I will be all fired up to hit the ice as soon as it is safe, but I hate to see my fall fishing come to an end. I may never cast a spey rod on some western river trying to catch a steelhead, but there is a lot in this video that I can relate to. A lot that tells you why I hope I have a few weeks of …

I am going deep with this blog post, no pun intended.  Have to start with a story. . . . Several years back on a late October day, I spent some time fishing Elwood Reservoir with the maintenance man from our headquarters facilities (yes, even our maintenance men hunt and fish!).  We found some baitfish in deep water, in fact I will never forget watching the depth-finder, jigging a Rattle Snakie in 51 feet of water, when I hooked a really nice fish–ended up …

If you remember back in July we held our Nebraska High School Bass Fishing Championship at Merritt Reservoir, 2014 High School Bass Fishing Championship .  Twenty-four teams from across Nebraska participated at that tournament and I believe the competitors did a very good job of catching fish.  At that time I told you that our top two teams could advance to the regional finals held this year on the Red River in Louisiana.  Our Nebraska teams have done very well at …

I believe it is very important for anglers to be able to visualize that is going on below the surface of the water, Visualization. Recently, I found a video on the internet that will help you understand more about what fish are doing under there, especially how they perceive sound.  Watch this: Happy Halloween everyone, have a great weekend and GO FISH!

Over the past few years I have blogged several times about some of the research being done on Branched Oak flathead catfish; for example, Some Field Work, 71.6 On Your Radio Dial–All Flatheads All the Time!, Branched Oak Flatheads.  A large part of that research has been the tagging of flathead catfish in Branched Oak Reservoir; over 1500 flathead catfish in Branched Oak are swimming around with tags on them. About this time last year I was lamenting that even …

Here is what has been happening lately with our Youth Fishing Program. If you need to see a copy of the .pdf of that newsletter here it is, fall 2014 Newsletter . Now, I fully realize that I am recycling something that some of you may have seen already.  If you are one of our certified fishing instructors, you have already seen the newsletter.  Sorry, but one reason I like to post these newsletters in my blog is to again say “THANK …

A year or so ago there was this song/music video that enjoyed some popularity.  It was something about “What Does the Fox Say?” I guess I am getting old and apparently ain’t too hip on my pop culture, because I did not get it. I found something similar on the internet, a spoof, “What Does the Buck Say?”  I can relate to it a little more. Now, before someone complains, I am not condoning the unsafe practices that might be …