Fishing

Some of you may remember from previous years that my calendar is organized a bit differently than other’s.  New Year’s Day for me falls on whatever day I am on the ice for the first time each ice fishing season.  That first day on the ice is the beginning of my new fishing season, my new year.  With the mild fall and early winter this year, New Year’s Day fell only a couple days before I needed to hang my new In-Fisherman …

LINCOLN – Nebraska’s outdoors in the winter can be just as much fun as the other seasons. Whether it’s hunting, ice fishing, cross country skiing, sledding or snowshoeing, the state has great outdoor opportunities. Being outdoors in the winter also means being safe in the coldest of temperatures. Avoiding hypothermia is critical. Hypothermia is a low body temperature most often caused by exposure to cold weather or immersion in a cold body of water. Left untreated, hypothermia can lead to …

First blog post after getting back in the office for the new year.  I want to make quick mention of a couple of things anglers need to know about, new for 2016. . . . First of all, the annual fishing forecast is available on-line, 2016 Fishing Forecast.  Start studying it and planning your fishing trips accordingly RIGHT NOW! Secondly, a new year means a new fishing guide as well, 2016 Fishing Guide. Every angler should take at least a …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will post a notice Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. if ice conditions are deemed unsafe for an upcoming Discover Ice Fishing clinic. The clinic is scheduled for Jan. 9 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s CenturyLink Lake from 1 – 4 p.m. Six inches of ice is required to conduct this free clinic. Ice conditions will be determined Jan. 6. If necessary, a cancellation notice will be posted by 4 p.m. at …

It is the holidays and I mostly have been “out” of the office this past few days and for the next several.  Never fear, I will be in the outdoors hunting, fishing, trapping, doing something while I am gone, and you likely will read about it and see some photos here when I get back “in”.  So this is going to be a relatively short blog post. End of one year, start of a new year is a time many …

Looking for some ideas on what to do outdoors in 2016? Here are sixteen fun and interesting things I think you should consider doing in Nebraska’s outdoor scene in the New Year. Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2016! 1. Enjoy a winter activity in one of our state park lands. 2. Mentor youth in your favorite outdoor activity. 3. Visit a place you’ve never been. 4. Experience living history at a state historical park. 5. Take a back road. 6. Do something you’ve never done, learn a new outdoor skill. 7. Float …

I have not played with underwater cameras a lot, some, but not a lot.  Most Nebraska waters are productive enough that even under the best of conditions visibility is limited.  However, visibility is best during the winter, under the ice, and all ice anglers like to play around with new gear.  There is no doubt that underwater camera technology also has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, New Generation Underwater Cameras.  If water clarity allows, and on the …

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in January: Jan. 1 – First Day Hike, Ponca State Park (SP), Ash Hollow State Historical Park (SHP), Platte River SP, Chadron SP, Eugene T. Mahoney SP, and Fremont State Recreation Area Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day; Game and Parks offices closed Jan. 2 – Yule Log Quest, Platte River SP, Louisville, noon-7:30 p.m., 402-234-2217 Jan. 2 – Roger G. Sykes Outdoor …

Most years, I would have posted my obligatory reminder about ice safety by now.  With the mild weather we have had so far this late fall/early winter, I have not said anything yet, well, because we just ain’t got ice.  I will continue to drop farther into a foul mood each day I do not ice-fish at this point. Even now, I am not sure about the ice conditions throughout the state.  I have heard a few whispers of some hardcores …

I made an amazing discovery the other day.  I discovered that they actually have coloring books for adults!  I thought I had outgrown coloring books years ago, but apparently not.  Maybe the rest of you knew about adult coloring books all along, but I just found it.  My daughter again rolled her eyes at me when I marveled at this discovery.  Honestly, I did not know. Not that I am going to be coloring in a coloring book again.  No, in spite …