Fishing

I will always tell you that May and June are two of the best months to fish open water in Nebraska.  It does not make any difference what species of fish you want to catch, what waterbodies you want to fish, during May and June, “do not pass “GO”, do not collect $200″ just GO FISH! If you look at your calendar right now, you will note that we have entered the last half of June, 2019.  As we progress …

Just found this video from Simms.  LOVE IT! https://youtu.be/Ou_jwttk3vk We have discussions around the office here all the time about how we can get more people “hooked on fishing”.  If people lived their lives well, fished it well, we would not have those discussions. Entirely appropriate for this Father’s Day weekend.  Hope you and your dad, you and your kids, have fished it well!

Growing up in North Platte I discovered that the borrow pits along Interstate 80 running through Nebraska provide some really good fishing.  Between my career as an angler and my “real” job as a pointy-headed fisheries biologist, I have worked on or fished pretty much every one of the interstate lakes, from Grand Island west to Sutherland.  Most of those lakes offer excellent fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill and some channel catfish, and, depending on the pit, a variety of …

Nebraska’s Aquatic Habitat Program has been in existence for over twenty years now.  That program with funding dedicated solely to the enhancement of water quality and aquatic habitat was the first of its kind anywhere in the United States, and it has and continues to accomplish a variety of projects on waterbodies from one corner of Nebraska to the other.  Nebraska fishing is better today because of the Aquatic Habitat Program!  Up until now, much of that work has focused …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Big fish in small waters. That’s what anglers can catch this month in urban ponds and lakes across the state. Greg Wagner, public information officer with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, says smaller fisheries often are overlooked, especially around Omaha. “Don’t forget that big fish do live in small waters,” he said. “Metro area anglers shouldn’t overlook what’s in their own backyard. Some of these fisheries are underutilized.” June is a month when the water warms, …

Last weekend I watched a guy pull over so he could rescue a turtle that was in the middle of the road.  Once he had the turtle in hand, he walked to the side of the road where the ditch was full of water and dropped the turtle, a painted turtle, splash, back in the water. What if the turtle did not want to be in the water? What?  Has my pointy-head finally gone crazy?  Everyone knows that turtles live …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Ten anglers took home outdoor prizes in the first round of prize drawings for the Take ’em Fishing challenge, sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and partners who have donated prizes. Anglers answered the challenge to take a new or lapsed angler fishing with them, for the chance at a range of prizes. To date, more than 700 photos of fishing trips have been submitted for contest entries. The winners are: Russell Banzhaf, Lincoln – …

Most of you know that I am all fishing, all the time, but I love to hunt and trap too.  I seldom go more than a few days without drying off a fish or two, but in the spring when the turkeys are gobbling, I get distracted.  This spring has been no exception.  I spent as much time as possible listening to my favorite birds gobble from ridge tops, fields, and canyon bottoms.  When the time is right, often in …

Do you want to keep that big fish on the line? These three knots will help. Practice before you go so you are familiar with them. By Larry Pape, Fisheries Education Specialist The Improved Cinch Knot This is the most commonly taught fishing knot and can be used on monofilament line to attach a hook, lure, or swivel. The knot is simple to remember and the line retains nearly all of its strength. 1. Thread the loose end of the …

We have five state fish hatcheries in Nebraska.  In any given year those hatcheries will produce over 30 million fish, around 30 different species, and those fish will be stocked literally from one corner of the state to the other.  More than 250 public waterbodies will be stocked each year.  If you are interested in what is stocked where, when and how many, you can see all of our fish stocking database.  By the way, that database includes fish stockings …