Barbs and Backlashes

Quick post here before the weekend.  Looks like a nice fall weekend ahead of us.  I realize there are a lot of hunting opportunities to take advantage of right now, but do not forget that fall offers some of the best open-water fishing of the year too!  Whatever you do, get outside and enjoy it! You can see where I got that photo/inspirational saying, check it out, everythingsmallmouth. GO FISH!

Several times I have blogged about the tagging of flathead catfish at Branched Oak Reservoir; Flathead Tagging, Some Field Work, 71.6 on your radio dial–All Flatheads All the Time! And this year I blogged about some of the results of that work, Branched Oak Flatheads.  That research is really cool and I am thrilled to have been able to slip out of the office once in awhile to assist.  Simply put, the work being done on Branched Oak flathead catfish is some of the most …

Our paddlefish snagging season has been underway since the beginning of October.  One never knows what water conditions are going to be like on the Missouri River nor how much water the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be releasing through Gavins Point Dam nor which gates they will be releasing water through.  All of that can have a significant impact on the success of paddlefish snaggers.  Fortunately, things have worked out this season and the reports I have been …

Got to share some photos with you today.  Fall is a a great time to both hunt and fish in Nebraska!  To prove it, my friend Steve has been telling me about the success he and his grandson have been having this fall.  First, they slipped up to the Gavins Point tailwaters to snag a paddlefish. In spite of government shut-downs and predictions of the flood gates being open and the best paddlefish snagging area being off-limits to anglers, the …

It has been over a week already; I need to tell you about the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop held in Halsey a couple of weekends ago.  If my memory is correct, this was the seventeenth year I have been an instructor at our annual BO-W workshop at Halsey.  I can remember that number because I was asked a long time ago to teach a Basic Fishing class at BO-W, and I taught one year before taking the next year off …

If you watched any football games over the weekend, and who didn’t, you probably noticed the pink highlights on various uniforms, cheerleaders, referees, coaches, spectators etc.  It may have taken you a second or two to realize what the color statement was about, but I am also betting that most of you know by now that it is breast cancer awareness month. What does that have to do with fish or fishing? Well, let me tell you. . . . …

Many of you have probably heard about Nebraska’s impending mountain lion season.  The winner of the first mountain lion permit has been drawn, and a second permit will be auctioned next week.  If you want to find more information on the Big Game Society banquet where that auction will occur, you can find it here. But that is nothing.  In addition to the mountain lion permit/hunt that will be auctioned, this is another auction item that will be offered: Nebraska …

It is October and that means it is time for our fall trout stockings.  We have already started stocking the 10-inch, catchable-size, rainbow trout in urban and parks waters across the state.  The schedule for those stockings is fluid depending on a lot of man-power and equipment logistics.  I can tell you what has already been stocked, but the schedule I am about to give for the stockings yet to occur is tentative; it is the best of our knowledge at …

This has been mentioned several places already, but just in case you have not heard about it and check it out, NEBRASKAland magazine is now available digitally. Beside spreading the word about that, I have selfish reasons to remind you to check out the digital version.  It is fall, and in the October issue of NEBRASKAland, you can find a story I wrote on fall fishing presentations.  Follow the link to  digital NEBRASKAland, check out pages 40 and 41! FISH …

Any angler will tell you that weather has a big impact on fish behavior.  In fact most anglers dread a cold front. . . Generally, I will tell you that stable weather, usually warming weather, produces the most consistent and best fishing.  Just before a storm system or a cold front blows through, a period of stable weather can culminate with an outstanding bite where every fish in the lake seems starved.  Following a cold front or storm system the …