Fishing

Got a good Orvis video to share with you.  It is appropriate for Father’s Day: If at all possible, take your dad fishing this weekend! You will never regret it. Let me dust off an old photo, one of a fishing trip long ago.  A trip to Lake McConaughy with both my Granddads and my Dad (the rest of the family too, but this is Father’s Day).  Wish we could do that again!

This time of year is great for exploring and discovering nature’s wonders that can go unnoticed when we don’t take time to slow down. On a recent afternoon walk around a pond, I noticed a huge school of baby bass swimming along the shoreline, hiding in the aquatic vegetation and, off in deeper water was a large, adult male bass working hard to ward off possible predators of this swarm of babies. After watching for several minutes, I had to …

I posted a week ago that recently I had been out-fished by both my kids, Outfished. Here, I want to note that if you keep casting long enough, eventually things turn your way. My daughter was not with me on this trip, but my son was.  In a couple of evenings, we did not catch a lot of fish, but some really nice walleyes.  I caught all of them. But he took some really good pictures! Thanks, Daniel! The fish …

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: • ½ to 1 pound of boneless, skinless walleye fillets • 1 pound of live mussels • Half a medium onion • 1 small fennel bulb, with decent fronds (leaves) intact • 1 shallot • 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus extra • 4 cloves of garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste • ½ cup of Chardonnay white wine • Dash of red pepper flakes • 16 …

Got into the office this morning and found documentation for another state record fish.  This was another notable catch, a big fish, a big popular sport fish! For years I have been saying that if our rod & reel record for hybrid striped bass, wiper, was ever going to fall, it was going to come from Lake McConaughy. It did! Tou Kong Yang from Colorado caught this beauty yesterday! That fish weighed in at 21 pounds 9 ounces, beating the …

One of the biggest tricks to being successful on the water or in the field is figuring out how to be in the right place at the right time.  I know a good stick who once said he would rather spend a couple hours on a good spot at the right time than all day at the wrong time. So what is the right time? Well, I know waiting to hear it in an “outdoor report” is the surest way …

I am always thrilled to see folks introducing their kids to fishing at a young age, some of them at a very young age.  There is only one thing I warn them about:  Some day they will grow up and out-fish you! Recently, both of my kids caught their biggest walleyes, same day, same evening.  I caught nothing.  I hooked a fish late, but then lost it. A 27-incher for Emily: A 28 for Daniel: At least they released them! …

I am not going to say a lot about this because I am going to wait for the paperwork and official details.  But, it has been mentioned on social media already. . . . My phone lit up yesterday afternoon.  That is unusual for a Sunday.  So, what was up?  Well, reports were a potential rod & reel state record flathead catfish had been caught. Now, understand I have been responsible for our Nebraska fish state records for several years.  …

Like many, I have been working from home for the past several years.  Weeks, it seems like years. If I can connect to the interwebs, I can do pretty much everything I need to do.  Yes, I can work from about anywhere–needs to me more of that from some beautiful fishing spot somewhere in Nebraska!  Until then, I am getting by, but the workspace gets a little crowded at times: Just like being in the office, I have some visitors …

A week or two ago, I referred to my son’s adventures this spring being more notable than mine.  I have shared some of them with you.  With all the coronavirus “stuff” we have stayed close to home for weeks, months, but finally ventured out to celebrate my son’s birthday.  As I always tell you, we spend lots of time with family, and while doing that work in some time on the water and in the field.  This trip we did …