open water fishing

By Daryl Bauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Catch and release is an established and important part of modern fishing. Sure, harvesting some of the fish we catch should be a part of our fishing experience. However, our fisheries are managed for recreational fishing, and if you are just fishing for a meal, well, the grocery store likely would be a cheaper way to get your fish. In some cases, catch and release is mandated by regulations; …

I heard another report from the weekend that brings to light another topic I have blogged about before, going to again. . . . Some of you may know what I am talking about; apparently, a couple of kayak anglers were able to aid another kayaker who had capsized.  First of all, THANK YOU GUYS!  Thanks for being aware, thanks for being prepared, thanks for helping!  WELL DONE! Now, I know everyone wants to be on the water this time …

By Jerry Kane Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – Consider this scenario: You are an angler new to the sport and go out fishing on your own. You have a license, rod-and-reel combo and some tackle. What else do you need? Depending on the regulations of the lake, an angler has two choices to consider when fishing: to keep some fish, or to release fish. To harvest, or to catch and release are decisions that play a role …

I am happy to report that I recently ended a slump.  It had been a long, LONG time since I dried off a muskellunge. Sure, you can comment about my lack of skills as an angler.  Not going to argue with that.  I suspect there also will be some miserable souls offer commentary about the poor fishing we have in Nebraska.  Whatever. Those of you who have spent any time seriously, intentionally, targeting muskies know that under the best of …

By Larry Pape Nebraska Game and Parks Commission LINCOLN, Neb. – As anglers, we mean to be good stewards of our environment. Sometimes, though, we leave something behind. It could be a bait container lid that blew off or a small wad of fishing line in a snag. It all adds up, is a direct reflection on anglers, and is an environmental hazard. The problem with shoreline litter is twofold. Litter is just plain ugly and embarrassing. The view of …

Heard about some boat ramp problems they had over on the Suez Canal this week.  Sounds like they finally got that taken care of. I guess it is getting to be boat ramp season!  Supposed to be a nice weekend this weekend, never know what you might see: I have discovered that there are whole channels on YouTube with boat ramp comedy!  The one above was in Miami, so no, probably no one you know on there.  The funniest part …

One theme I return to over and over again is the diversity of fishing opportunities we have in Nebraska.  I have often said that we may not have as much water as some of our neighboring states, but we offer variety! I have suggested that one fun and worthy challenge is to see how many of species of fish you can catch from Nebraska waters.  In recent years, with the micro-fishing thing gaining interest, there have been some anglers who …

In 2020, Norfolk resident Scott Buss put a long thought-out plan into action. He would travel the state and see how many species of fish he could catch — fishing public waters as much as possible. Like many anglers, Scott Buss of Norfolk began planning his 2020 fishing trips way before the year started. From researching stocking reports and fishing forecasts to talking to various anglers throughout the state, he began writing a list of where he wanted to fish. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – There is good news for south-central Nebraska trout anglers. Elm Creek in Webster County will be stocked with 1,000 rainbow trout March 31. The Calamus Fish Hatchery will stock the trout to enhance spring fishing opportunities. Fisheries biologists with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission evaluated the stream on Elm Creek Wildlife Management Area on March 29 and determined the flows were fairly high and the water clear. Several holes were found in the stream that will …

Our guys produced a short video I want to share with you.  Some recent wiper stocking: Great video!  Let me add just a couple of comments: You might notice the size of the fish was relatively large.  Yes, those wipers were approximately six inches long.  That is much larger than most wiper stockings we do.  In fact, those fish were raised in hatchery ponds.  They were raised over winter last winter to be stocked this spring. There are trade-offs with …