Barbs and Backlashes

Another angler access/aquatic habitat project to tell you about in this blog post: Pine Glen WMA project will improve Long Pine Creek for fish, anglers LINCOLN, Neb. – A project scheduled to start in June on Pine Glen Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Brown County will improve stream habitat on Long Pine Creek for fish and anglers alike. As a continuation of the cool-water stream program, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will build several in-stream habitat features that create …

OK, so last Sunday was “earth day”. Whatever. Forgive my cynical attitude, but I weary of special days for this and special days for that when what we need is people to do simple little things every day. . . . Like, pick up your trash.  Like PICK UP YOUR FISHING LINE! I was inspecting some new boat ramp work at a Nebraska reservoir last fall and with the water down also noticed old cedar trees that had been sunk …

As I have said several times already this spring, it is a busy time for Nebraska fisheries workers.  From the time the ice is gone, field work is in full swing.  Once again this year that included our efforts to collect pallid sturgeon brood fish from the Missouri River.  Here is the annual newsletter on those efforts. . . . Once again, if you want to see a “cleaner” version of that report, here is the .pdf, 2018 Broodstock Newsletter_draft4 . You …

I have warned you that this time of year there is pretty much only one thing on my mind.  Through the magic of technology I can prove that to you. . . . I had a dream last night, here is what happens EVERY TIME I yelp on a turkey call. . . . https://www.facebook.com/203398586930712/videos/203749893562248/ Maybe I just need to learn to whistle? Obviously, I found that video on the interwebs.  What is going on there, I have no idea, …

If you are a Nebraska outdoors-person you know that weather trumps everything and this spring has been nothing but a hand of wild cards.  I always say one of the best fishing options for early spring when the water is still cold is to pursue cold-water species like trout.  However, the weather is even having an impact on the trout fishing at the Two Rivers Trout Lake; only thing is it is not the impact you might expect: Trout anglers …

Many of you in southeast Nebraska have been looking forward to the opening of a new reservoir, Duck Creek, located near Peru.  Specifically the reservoir was labeled as Duck Creek #12, but it looks like the Nemaha Natural Resource District is going to call it Duck Creek Recreation Area. Now a formal “grand opening” is planned for June 2, but a person might just want to take a drive by and see if the gates are open (wink, wink): Duck …

Been a busy week, one in which I was out of the office most of the time!  I helped with our walleye egg collections, worked late nights most of the week catching the female walleyes from which eggs were collected.  We handled hundreds of fish, mostly walleyes, but during the week I handled a few muskies too. There is just something about big predator fish, something awesome about them.  Every time I see one, every time I get my hands …

You can start some good arguments/discussions in a group of anglers by bringing up the subject of color.  Everyone has an opinion on the importance of color in catching fish, and some guys have several opinions.  What I will tell you is that we know that fish can see colors, that is a scientific fact.  It ain’t rocket science, but it is fisheries science.  We even know that different species of fish have different sensitivities to different colors. When doing …

I have been doing a poor job of giving updates on aquatic habitat and angler access improvement projects.  There are a bunch of them to tell you about, let me try to get ’em all into this one blog post: South Boat Ramp Replacement at Pawnee Reservoir Rock Creek Boat Ramp NORTH PLATTE, Neb. –  A new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) approved boat ramp, parking area and vault restroom is soon to be constructed at Rock Creek Lake State …

Snowing again this morning; looks like another crummy “spring” weekend.  Folks are getting grumpy and that is proof that they do not fish enough. Saw this making the rounds on the inter-webs, so you may have seen it already.  If you have not, maybe it will brighten your day just a little bit! https://www.facebook.com/uniladmag/videos/4699145376775151/ Man, I gotta have one of those hanging on my office wall!  The only thing is the voice ain’t “Billy Bass”.  Have to call her “Barbara …