Barbs and Backlashes

‘Tis the gift-giving season.  Along with all the other Christmas customs it has become customary to blog about Christmas gifts.  In case you are still shopping, and if you are like me, you are, here are some thoughts. All of the cool “sticks” are wearing this stuff: I got a boot dryer a few years back.  My first thought was, “yeah, whatever, probably just a hookey gadget”.  It was not.  I use mine all the time! Every angler needs a …

I have been ice-fishing for a lot of years now.  I shocked someone last week when I told them I do NOT own any kind of ice-fishing shelter.  That got me thinking about the way I do things on ice; let me share that with you, tell you why I do what I do, and also tell you what some of the limitations are to my system. I do not have anything against ice-fishing shelters other than the fact that …

A few weeks ago there was a news release about a fisheries management project being conducted at Pawnee Reservoir west of Lincoln: LINCOLN – A chemical was applied at Pawnee Lake in an attempt to remove unwanted white perch and gizzard shad from the fish population, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Rotenone typically is used to eliminate all fish from a body of water; however, a lower concentration of the chemical was applied Nov. 12-13 at Pawnee …

I know I have posted this video on my blog before, probably several times.  Too bad.  For some reason this gets stuck in my head this time of year, might as well be stuck in yours too. Sorry. I doubt that I get on the ice this weekend, and I am not sure it will be safe quite yet (The Ice Man Cometh), but I believe we are very close.  I am betting I am hearing that beautiful sound of …

I love to hunt and trap in addition to fishing.  However, there is so little time and so much to do in Nebraska’s great outdoors, so it is natural that we develop our favorite activities.  If you have been reading my blog at all, you know mine is mostly fishing.  I love fish and fishing.  If I could design my fantasy calendar, it would be 3 months of spring turkey hunting, 3 months of fall fishing, and 6 months of …

I am already hearing some reports of folks venturing onto Nebraska ice to drill some holes and catch some fish.  Looking ahead at the weather forecast for the next week or so, it looks like our ice-fishing season is upon us or soon will be!  With that I want to again blog about ice safety.  I LOVE to ice-fish and will be on the ice as soon as possible and stay on the ice as late as possible in the …

Before I head out the door for the Thanksgiving holiday, let me share some thoughts with you. . . . The holiday feast we are going to celebrate this week is one that is uniquely American.  I will not bore you with all the old stories we learned in school, but it is our history, from the pilgrims to Presidents Washington, Lincoln and FDR this has been designated as a special day set aside for the celebration of harvest and …

I want to give another “shout out” to our NEBRASKAland magazine being available in a digital form, on-line, now.  Make sure to check out the December issue.  Of course you know I am going to mention the fish and fishing subjects you can find in that issue, especially Jeff Kurrus’ article on ice-fishing for crappies on pages 30 and 31. There is also a good story in there on predator calling, and I think it is a real treat to …

I know most of you will think I am crazy, but I am still on the water.  This past week has been nice and knowing this might be “the last hurrah” for my open-water fishing for the year, I have been taking advantage of every nice afternoon that I can.  Yes, I know hunting seasons are in full swing, and I will be doing that too; I also might get around to setting some steel again this fall/early winter.  But, …

By now I am guessing those of you who frequently read my blog have noticed some changes.  Our “IT” folks here at the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission are updating some things and trying to make everything more user-friendly and inviting to a wide range of folks.  Nebraska’s great outdoor resources can be enjoyed by everyone. They are still working on RSS feeds for the “new” blogs, but I believe you will be able to sign up for the RSS …