How To

Gonna be ice-fishing for awhile yet, but to return to my “theme” from earlier this week. . . . It is certainly time to begin thinking of the open-water season ahead of us, time to start dreaming and planning.  Sounds like more winter weather this weekend, but if you want to spend some time dreaming, I know exactly where you should be: Check out all the attractions, Omaha International Boat, Sports and Travel Show.  Watch the video! Somewhere in the …

Personally, I am loving the ice we have right now.  You better believe I am spending as much time as possible on the ice, and am looking forward to some of the best fishing of the season coming as late ice approaches.  However, I realize that the thoughts of many folks are turning towards warmer days and liquid water.  This is the season that everyone wants to talk about fishing.  So, if you want to talk about it, there is …

Friday, going to keep it light for the weekend.  I have mentioned Engbretson Underwater Photography before and especially the underwater videos they post on their YouTube page.  I have said it before, will again, fish fascinate me.  I am not a diver, never plan to be, so any underwater observations or video that anyone shares with me is captivating.  Likewise, I could watch fish in an aquarium, the bigger the better, the fish and the aquarium, for hours.  The “Sixty …

I have blogged about the Aquatic Habitat Project coming to completion at Conestoga Reservoir.  If you can take a drive by there to see it, you really need to.  However, I want to blog about it again. . . . First of all, because we have some more drone footage from The Flatwater Group who were contracted as engineers on the project: Another thing I want to mention is that the Conestoga rehabilitation project has been the largest Aquatic Habitat …

Many of us have said for years that fishing is good for you, good for mental health, and yes, even good for physical health. We ain’t making this stuff up! In recent years there have been several studies that have found that time spent outdoors provides many health benefits.  Recently, Fox News ran a story, Fishing trips are great for your mental health, new study says. Let me post a few quotes from that story: Moreover, a study from the University …

Always a good idea to take a partner fishing with you.  Sometimes you have to get creative. . . . I have never spent a second fishing for steelhead or salmon on the west coast and do not know that I ever will.  I have not spent a second fishing with a chicken or any other fowl; however, I can recall a couple of trips when I caught trout within view of turkeys.  I do appreciate good sticks who do …

Calendar says it is early February.  Most winters we would be about half-way through our ice-fishing season.  This winter has not been “most winters”. . . . Ice Conditions The best way to describe our ice conditions this winter has been highly variable!  That is especially true when you consider that Nebraska is a big state.  At one point or another this winter we have had good ice in some areas while others were unsafe, and then the situation has …

This news release went out a couple of weeks ago, but I have not had a chance to say anything about it yet: Fishing ponds being drained at Fort Robinson State Park CRAWFORD, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has begun draining Grabel Ponds and Cherry Creek Pond at Fort Robinson State Park. The draining is making way for the first phase of an Aquatic Habitat Program project to improve conditions for fish and anglers at the two …

I was not going to blog about this today, was going to keep it light for the weekend, but I heard another report this morning and I have to pass this along. . . . ICE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE STATE ARE HIGHLY VARIABLE, BE CAREFUL!!!!!!! The uninitiated will not believe me because after all, we experienced the “Armageddon” of cold snaps this week (like we have never had cold weather before).  Surely, we have 4 feet of ice right now?! …

Several years ago I posted a blog about what I consider to be the basic “kid’s fishing system”.  Unfortunately, I cannot link back to that old blog post, going to have to dust it off and just plain run it again some time.  Anywho, it was simple, rods, reels, small floats, small jig-heads, waxworms (yes, waxworms are great bait year around, not just on ice).  It is a system that almost never fails for catching some panfish, sunfish, bluegills in …