open water fishing

I know some of you are still working on your Trout Slam, and I know this will be of interest to you: The latest batch of cutthroat trout raised in our Nebraska State Fish Hatcheries have been stocked recently.  They were all “catchable” size, 10 inches and maybe a little larger.  Here are the locations and numbers: Fall is a great time to get after some trout.  GO FISH!

It is fall and I have been touting it as a good time of year to go fishing.  Some of the best open-water fishing of the year will be happening in the next few weeks. That also means that the summer crowds are gone.  Now it is time to get caught up on some maintenance work.  I just heard about some more road work that you will want to know about if you are still fishing this fall: Expect closures …

Calendar says it is mid-September.  The past few evenings have said autumn is definitely here!  Actually, depending on the fish you pursue and the amount of time you spend on the water, the seasons started to transition from summer to fall weeks ago already. You also know that our seasons repeat themselves, year after year.  As a result, I return to the same topics in my blog every year.  So, I am going to dust off an old blog post, …

A few weeks ago I published a blog entitled Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Boat.  I wanted to point out that a person does NOT have to have a boat to catch fish, a lot of fish, big fish.  I also wanted to emphasize that good fishing waters are good whether you have a boat or not–find a way!  As an example, I mentioned that shallow water cover often holds fish, even during the summer.  Sometimes you just have to find …

I know, I know, Labor Day weekend is over.  However, some of you will be on the water fishing yet this fall and if you are you might need to know these things: Boat ramp access limited at Sherman, Calamus Seasonal irrigation drawdowns at some north central reservoirs have caused boat ramp closures at two Nebraska Game and Parks state recreation areas. At Calamus Reservoir SRA, the Valley View Flat boat ramp is closed. Boaters can still use Homestead Knolls, …

The calendar indicates that it is not fall yet. The meteorological fall has begun though. And I believe that after Labor Day, the fall season starts. What do you think? For me, unquestionably, fall in Nebraska is one of the best times of the year to spend outdoors. Truth be known, it is my favorite season! The days are definitely getting shorter, the air is getting a bit crisper, the crop harvest will soon start, and before long the leaves …

This post has nothing to do with Nebraska, or fishing in Nebraska. It does have everything to do with fishing, and is a great story.  Give it a read! https://www.thecoastlandtimes.com/2022/10/04/man-reunited-with-rod-and-reel-50-years-after-outer-banks-fishing-trip-took-a-turn-for-the-worse/ If you have fished for a while, you might have a story or two about lost fishing rods.  Off the top of my head, a couple come to mind, funny, both from ice-fishing.  One of them, Grove Lake never did return.  The other, we could see the buoyant handle of …

Have heard or seen comments from several anglers recently surprised at catching catfish, some of them big catfish, on artificial lures!  That really is not unusual.  In fact, catfish are more predators than they are scavengers! Before I go any further, let me define some terms:  Nebraska is home to three species of large catfish, channel, flathead and blue.  Two of those species, blue and flathead catfish are especially predatory.  By far the best bait for flatheads is a lively …

By Jeff Kurrus Angler Ryan Glatter coaches high school softball in Omaha. In Nebraska, softball season happens to be played during the fall, which doesn’t necessarily align with one of his favorite times of the year to fish. So, when he has a morning here, or a few afternoon hours there, he has to maximize time. The following are several ways Glatter fits in fishing during the dogs days of August afternoons to the cool mornings of late September. Rainouts …

Got a couple of access updates I want to spread around.  First, this news release was published recently: Boaters beware: Low water levels at Elwood Reservoir Water levels at Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County are dropping rapidly, affecting boating access to the water body. Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is reducing reservoir water levels so repairs can be made along the dam and pump station areas. As water levels drop, sediment at the bottom of the boat ramp …