Conservation

Game and Parks Still Working to Recover For many Nebraskans, 2019 was a tough year. Historic flooding in March sent nearly every river in the eastern half of the state out of its banks, washing out highways, bridges, dams, levees, farms and homes, and killing four people and countless livestock. Flooding along the Missouri River in southeastern Nebraska continued throughout the year. More floods hit south-central Nebraska in July and the northeast in September. It is estimated that the flooding …

A simple quarter section of land contains a legacy of family memories and conservation. Back in 1960, my grandpa bought 160 acres of farm land near Stockham – a couple miles north of the farmstead where he and my grandma were raising my dad and his two sisters. Most of the parcel was in cultivation, except for several small draws (totaling about 26 acres) where isolated patches of native prairie persisted. According to family lore, much of the land was …

OK, my blog post today is not going to directly be about fish or fishing. It IS going to be about NEBRASKA, and I am all about that. . . . See debut of ‘Exploring Nebraska’s State Parks’ March 1 on NET LINCOLN, Neb. – Some of Nebraska’s most scenic, natural and cherished destinations will be spotlighted when “Exploring Nebraska’s State Parks” premieres at 8 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 1 on NET, Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations. See why …

I am seeing lots of proclamations about our ice fishing season being over. Whatever. There are a lot of folks that bail on ice fishing because they are not committed.  They fantasize about fishing open water much too much.  On the first day with temperatures above freezing, they declare it over. You will NOT get me to make that announcement.  In fact, I will be on it as long as I can.  The longer it lasts, the better! And, I …

Another week where I may do more talking about fishing than actual fishing. First, there is this event tomorrow night: Great event for a great cause! Besides that, guarantee you can learn something from Marty Hughes.  I cannot wait to hear him! Then, later this week, it is sport show time! https://youtu.be/c1uKxsP0kjo Just might be hanging out there over the weekend. While we are on the topic of talking. . . . We still have some public meetings on the …

I am sharing some broadcast news related to Nebraska’s outdoor scene with you this week. Regarding my weekly television appearance about outdoors-related activities and destinations, that can now be seen on Omaha’s ABC news affiliate KETV NewsWatch 7 and www.KETV.com between 8 and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings with popular  TV anchor/host, John Oakey. Called the “Great Outdoors,” this segment represents a fresh, new visual approach to letting you know about various outdoor news items and features around the Omaha-metro …

I guess today is Valentine’s Day. . . . I am betting many of you have a bunch of lipless, mostly rattle, baits in your open-water tackle boxes. Big mistake if you ain’t using them through the ice too! By the way, if you couldn’t tell, when fish hit those baits under the ice. . . well, they ain’t kissing ’em! Have a great weekend everyone, hope you get to kiss a fish!

Going to blog about something today that I will bet most folks do not know about. . . . I do believe that most of you know about our popular Master Angler awards.  Master Angler awards are simply an angler recognition program we have for catching exceptional fish on hook and line.  We have had that program for so long that I have Master Angler certificates in my office for fish that my grandparents caught!  It has been a very …

It may not be Matthew McConaughey, but I kind of like this video too: The water may be different, the transportation different, the fish different. But it is still ice-fishing! To borrow a slogan from Nebraska Department of Tourism, “Ice fishing, it’s not for everyone.”

I wrote a blog a few months ago about “Sheep“. I have spent enough time on the ice to know that ice anglers often run in big herds. If you are struggling to catch fish on the ice right now.  Maybe it is because you are not doing enough of this: The fish-finding lesson of a lifetime: Be an outlier! That is all for now.  I will be way over here drilling holes. . . .