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Bah, Humbug

I was accused of being grouchy this week.  Actually, another adjective was used, but I will not repeat it here. Is it any wonder? With some modifications, this meme pretty much nails it: Oh sure, I will transition to open-water fishing.  Gotta fish!  However, I know there is a lot of cold weather, cold water, and tough fishing to come before “spring” is really here.  Under those conditions, I can, and have, caught way more fish through a hole in …

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Annoying

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If you spend any time on the interwebs, you know there are certain questions and discussions that come up all the time.  Some mentioned so often that they become annoying: Sure, I realize folks are always looking for the hottest bite.  I also know that to experience that, you need to spend time on the water, not on the internet. By the time you hear about a hot bite. . . . You are too late. I do however spend …

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Game and Parks offers ice safety tips

A recent spurt of warm temperatures may decrease ice stability across Nebraska water bodies. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission warns anybody venturing onto the ice to be cautious and use the following safety tips: Never go out alone. Have a buddy. A minimum of 3 inches of clear, blue lake ice will support a single person. Use an ice chisel or spud bar to strike the ice and evaluate conditions as you venture out. Have a long throw rope …

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Predators on Ice

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Last Friday I blogged about it being time to walk on water.  I have been trying to practice that as much as possible.  Who knows how long our ice season is going to last? So far I have been able to practice a little heavy lifting too.  Oh sure, I have caught the customary complement of panfish, bluegills and crappies, even a redear, but have also showed a number of predator fish the top side of the ice. None of …

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Sandhill Lakes

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I hesitate to post this on my blog because I do not have any new information.  On the other hand, I continue to hear lots of questions and a lot of misinformation about our sandhill lakes. . . . Yes, the winter of 2022-2023 was a hard one and we saw widespread winterkill on sandhill lakes.  We saw winterkill on lakes that have not had an event like that in a long, long time.  So, yes, there are some lakes …

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On Ice, On Air

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Got a different blog post today.  One of the things I do in my position as Fisheries Outreach Program Manager for the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission is take care of a number of media requests concerning fish and fishing in Nebraska. With the cold weather and finally some safe ice this winter, I have had a few inquiries from TV reporters recently.  I thought this story went very well: Safety as Priority as Ice Fishing Begins There is a …

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16 Ways to Cure Cabin Fever

It’s winter. The daylight is short. The nights are long and dreary. Air temperatures outside are cold, downright frigid at times. Most likely, there’s some snow cover. We are all spending more a lot of time indoors this season, aren’t we? It is that time of year when we get that cooped-up, restless, nothing-to-do feeling that is referred to as “cabin fever.” Stuck inside, too many of us get weary and lethargic and spend long, endless hours watching TV re-runs, …

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How Do You Hang ‘Em?

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I have been ice fishing for a long time.  In fact, I have been on the ice so long that I can tell you of times when we had no battery-powered augers, no depth finders, no ice suits, no flip over shelters.  In addition, back in the day, the selection of ice tackle was very limited.  For panfish, everyone fished with a “teardrop”.  That teardrop-shaped jig was tipped with some kind of bait, usually a wax worm, but maybe a …

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Some Ice Notes

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Not a big topic to post on today, but I have had several little things come to mind. . . . Happy New Year! Yes!  Finally!  I celebrated New Years 2024 on January 11!  Yes, that means I have been on the ice!  However, the conditions were brutal, windy, cold, snowing.  I did not fish long and everything was a little more difficult when conditions were like that.  However, you bet I caught fish!  Dried off several small bass, largemouth …

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