Fishing

LINCOLN – Anglers and other visitors to Duck Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge will notice some improvements this summer. A handicap-accessible parking pad and walkway were completed earlier this year. The walkway leads to an accessible fishing dock that was put in place several years ago. The Sandhills Prairie Refuge Association, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service all contributed both time and funding to the project. “Nebraska Game and Parks and …

Just a reminder that this coming Saturday, July 16, is our “Carp-O-Rama” event at Lake Maloney south of North Platte. I have said it before, will say it again now.  We basically show up at these events and have fun.  Bring the kids and have fun with us!  If you do not have tackle, do not worry, we got that, and the Nebraska Fish & Game Association folks will have the bait.  We will offer some expertise too if you …

I have always said that one of the best places to hang out if you want a good laugh is a boat ramp on a busy summer day.  I have seen some pretty embarrassing things happen there, boats launched on the concrete instead of in the water, boats that would not come off of the trailer because the tie-downs were still attached, bad backing, water rushing in over the stern, etc., etc.  Practice makes perfect and there are a lot …

I know next to nothing about Milk Fish.  They are a marine species, live in the Pacific Ocean, tropical waters.  Apparently, they feed on very small food items, plankton, algae, larvae and eggs, maybe some bugs.  Milk Fish have had the reputation of being impossible to catch on hook & line because of their feeding habits.  Their prey is so small that it is hard to imitate.  But, then I watched this video, and it got me to thinking. . . …

Anglers, if you have not seen it already, you MUST check out the July 2016 issue of NEBRASKAland.  Of course, as always, this issue is packed with lots of great information and great photography.  But, specifically what I want to call your attention to is a story by Jeff Kurrus on pages 58-63.  On those pages Jeff chronicles, mostly using photographs, the construction of Prairie Queen Reservoir near Omaha.  Seeing the Change at Prairie Queen consists of a number of …

The “4th of July” is a huge holiday for my family.  Many of us would rate it as the best holiday of the year.  Why?  I do not know all the reasons, but most of all it is enjoying our time together.  Oh, there will be lots of good food, antics, and yes, you could say we like to blow stuff up, but really I believe it is because we do it all together! Have you ever stopped and wondered …

We are in the middle of the summer and have already had some stretches of hot weather in Nebraska.  No doubt there is more of that in the forecast.  Believe me, I am not in a hurry to get out and fish hard during the heat and humidity, especially during the middle of the day.  But, I ain’t about to quit fishing either.  So, what is an angler to do?  How can we scratch some fish even during these “dog …

I want to let you know about a little tool we just recently added to our Game & Parks webpage.  If you use the Missouri River for any kind of recreational activity, and that would be the Missouri River from one end of Nebraska to the other, you will want to spend some time exploring this: We have an interactive map displaying all of the public access to the Missouri River.  Here is the link, Missouri River Outdoor Recreation Access …

I will never tell you that fish are smart.  The biggest trophy you have ever caught in Nebraska has a brain about the size as the end of your finger.  I am afraid those of you who arrive home and announce that the fish “out-smarted” you after a catch-less day are setting the bar very low for yourself.  Yes, guys, I am talking to you. However, I will tell you that all wild critters have an incredible instinct to survive and …

LINCOLN – The Sixth Annual Nebraska State High School Fishing Tournament is scheduled for July 23 at Elwood Reservoir Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The tournament, a cooperative program between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and The Bass Federation – Student Angler Foundation, is open to two-person teams of anglers in grades 9 through 12. Each team will have a coach who provides a boat for the competition. Anglers will check in at 5:30 a.m., and a rules meeting will …