How To

You all know that big fish turn my crank!  The biggest, baddest predator fish swimming in a body of water, “GET ON MY LINE”!  I spend A LOT of time on the water each year trying to do just that.  The thing is when pursuing those biggest, baddest, top-of-the-food-chain, apex predators, there never are a lot of them and there are a lot of hours of effort for each one hooked.  Yep, sometimes a lot of hard fishing in miserable …

Camping trips are some of the most rewarding experiences and times spent in the great outdoors with family and friends. It is hard to pin point what the best part of camping really is. Is it the roaring campfire you find yourself gathered around to toast that perfect golden marshmallow for your s’more? Maybe, it is the serenity felt beneath the starry night sky? Or, maybe, it is the accomplishments you prove to yourself as you set up a home …

Lately, I have been seeing this commercial on TV a lot. I love it! “This is my participation trophy”! It is summer, it is the weekend, you know what I am going to say, “Grab the kids and GO FISH”!  You will never regret one second of the time you spend together on the water, and you never know what you might catch, what memories you will make!

LINCOLN, Neb. – Anglers of all ages interested in learning all aspects of carp fishing are invited to attend Carp-O-Rama on June 17 at Branched Oak State Recreation Area (SRA). This free event will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lieber’s Point. Carp caught by anglers will be used in demonstrations on cleaning, preparing and cooking the fish. The cooked fish then will be served as a free lunch. Other activities include fish printing and Dutch oven cooking …

Once again I want to give you an update on the sampling activities of our Game & Parks Commission fisheries biologists and give you an idea of some of the fish they are seeing out there! You know my usual disclaimer, when fisheries biologists are sampling fish we do NOT necessarily go out and just try to collect the biggest fish.  Anglers as a group will see more big fish, and often the biggest fish because anglers target big fish. …

Maybe it’s just the kid in me, but I love to pick and eat mulberries. Growing up on the rural western edge of Gretna, NE, my buddies and I would always bug the area farmers for permission to pick and eat ripe mulberries in their woods and along their fence rows this time of year. It marked the start of summer for us. Ah, those were the days … Fast-forward to present-day. Our mulberry trees, at least in the Omaha-metro area, have just started dropping their …

The fish are biting and camping is just heating up.  There are hikes to take, birds to see and even frogs to listen for.  This time of the year is one of the best for all sorts of outdoor adventures here in Nebraska.  However, some of us are already thinking about what we need to accomplish before hunting season resumes on September 1.  We have less than 3 months to get ready – don’t ya know! Big Game Applications for …

I have been hearing some “chatter” in a variety of places about the handling of black bass, largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, especially concerning the way they are held.  I want to chime in with some comments: First of all, black bass conveniently have relatively large mouths, large enough that an angler can grip those fish by the bottom lip.  Yes, they have teeth, but those teeth are nothing more than very rough abrasive paper.  You know the grip I …

I got out of the office one day last week to assist with some fish stockings.  Here was the news release from a couple weeks ago: Hybrid bluegill to be stocked in urban lakes LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska families fishing urban ponds and lakes will have additional angling opportunities as the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is stocking hybrid bluegill in 11 bodies of water. In total, 8,500 fish – a bluegill/green sunfish cross – will be stocked in May …

This turkey season was filled with some of the most grueling hunting experiences I have yet to conquer. Although I did fill my turkey permit this season, it was not completed with my bow. However, the experiences I had this season have made me a better archer and hunter. Here are the things I will be doing differently next spring archery season. Practicing different shot placements specifically for turkeys. Prior to this turkey season, I was unsure of the best …