Tag Archives: Fish

Chug bug. Jitterbug. Hula popper. Creek chub knuckle-head. Zara spook. They all have very creative names and designs by the companies that manufacture them. They imitate every conceivable critter that could be on, around or just under the surface of the water in a wild environment from baitfish or bugs to mice or lizards to frogs, toads or even small flying mammals. They are the “go-to” fishing lures of late-summer. They are top water lures or surface lures, some call …

A classic case of misrepresentation keeps occurring. Folks continue to express their disbelief  to me that a crystal clear, cold, spring-fed trout fishing stream exists in northeast Nebraska. “No way,” they’ll say. “Impossible in farm country,” they’ll say. “You’re drinking, can’t be,” they’ll say.  “I’ve driven through there and never seen it,” they’ll say. These are just some of the phrases people have uttered to me about the East Branch of the Verdigre (actual name is Verdigris) Creek flowing through …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The cause of a fish die-off at Lake McConaughy, Nebraska’s largest reservoir, remains inconclusive. Fisheries biologists from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are investigating a die-off, in which approximately 1,000 dead fish were discovered on the west half of the reservoir. Adult white bass comprised 99% of those fish. Point-source pollution – any single source from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe – does not appear to be a factor, and water quality parameters …

I watched closely as the guy excitedly reeled in the fish he had hooked from a local sandpit lake in eastern Nebraska. Upon landing it, I heard him dismally say: “Oh man, it’s a damn drum, that’s a trash fish, I gotta throw this back.” At this point, I walked over to the man and casually said: “Hey, that’s a nice freshwater drum you’ve caught. Did you know those are good eating if you prepare them right?” “Are you kidding …

I continue to be called bad names for wearing them. Most recently, I was called a “super wimp” for having them on my hands. I have been labeled an “inadequate angler” since I have donned on them. I have been told that my “bravado” and “edge” have been lost when it comes to fishing because I am handling fish while wearing rubber gloves. Ah yes, THOSE GLOVES. People have also had their curiosity piqued by those of us who wear rubber …

“Dang, I thought I had a big bass! Hey, it’s a big channel cat.” The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), Nebraska’s official state fish, sometimes gets misunderstood, particularly it seems, by those who exclusively fish for bass and walleye. Catfish, especially the channel cats, have a reputation as bottom feeders that just lazily swim around sucking up stinky, dead stuff from the bottom. And that is not entirely true! I asked Chris Pokorny of Elkhorn, NE, who’s among Nebraska’s most avid …

All of us who love to fish have a story or two about the one that got away, don’t we? Invariably, the tale involves hooking the fish of a lifetime and losing it to unforeseen circumstances or mistakes. Trust me, I have made my share of mistakes when it comes to large, prized game fish. Without question, these stories, however embellished, can be devastating to those who have a passion for wetting lines. For as many wild and crazy occurrences …

There are green shoots of grass sprouting in the front yard of my Omaha lawn. The sandhill crane migration is nearing its peak in Nebraska’s central Platte River valley. Wild turkeys are entering their breeding phase on our family farm in southeast Nebraska. Oh, and what about the fish that swim where I fish? Hmmm … Spring. It may or may not be here on the calendar just yet, but the time for early spring fishing is has arrived. If …

I can hardly wait for sufficient ice for ice fishing to arrive! I sure enjoy ice fishing but admittedly I don’t do much of it. I don’t quite have all the equipment needed for it. Nevertheless, when there’s an invitation to go with seasoned veterans of the ice fishing lifestyle for a day, you can bet that I will jump at the opportunity. Such was the case in January of 2020 when Ty Stromquist of Norfolk, NE and his dad, …

If the mild weather in Nebraska has you, the avid angler, singing the ice fishing blues, then take note! There is an open-water fishing option in Nebraska during the coldest part of the year. It involves trout and would give you the chance to work on completing the Trout Slam challenge. So, grab the neoprene waders and gloves, and rig the spinning rod, it is time to go winter trout stream fishing! Schlagel Creek near Valentine, NE gives up a …