How To

If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I get side-tracked from fishing every year when the turkeys are gobbling.  Spring is a great time in Nebraska’s outdoors except for one thing:  There is so much to do and so little time!  Once I finally satisfy my spring turkey addiction for a while, I wander around picking mushrooms: I did not have a good mushroom year.  I think it has been too dry. Then, as I …

Got a couple of news items which I want to spread: Summit Lake SRA event celebrates improvements Celebrate the completion of recent improvement projects at Summit Lake State Recreation Area near Tekamah on June 10. A ribbon cutting for a new playground will take place at 11 a.m. Enjoy archery, fishing and kayaking for free from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with provided equipment. A fish fry is scheduled at noon; meals are $12 for adults, $8 for age 12 …

Maybe it’s just the kid in me, but I love to pick and eat mulberries! Your blogger enjoys eating ripe mulberries right off of the tree! Photo by Katie Stacey/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Growing up on the rural western edge of Gretna, NE, my buddies and I would always bug the area neighbors and farmers for permission to pick and eat ripe mulberries along their woodland edges and fencelines this time of year. It marked the start of summer …

Painting baits is rewarding, economical and fun. Story and photos by Justin Haag Many a fly angler knows the satisfaction of catching fish on a hand-tied masterpiece. For those more inclined to cast and retrieve for pike, bass and walleye, here is a way to emulate that remarkable experience: painting crankbaits. Quality crankbaits are some of the most expensive products to tie to the end of a line. At $5-20 each, losing one to a deep snag can put a …

In the past few weeks I have been so bold as to proclaim the fish are biting, everywhere.  I have heard tons of good reports and seen so many photos from so many waters, so many species.  Do not ask if the fish are biting just GO FISH!  Have also said that May and June are consistently the best months for open-water fishing every year.  We are right in the middle of that now. However, one of the things I …

By Renae Blum Wish your kids spent more time outdoors and less time in front of a screen? It’s a common concern. Rather than cutting out electronics completely, a phone can be a great tool in helping spark a child’s curiosity and interest in the outdoors. Give the three apps below a try. All are free, available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store — and can enrich your family’s experience of the outdoors. Merlin Bird ID Kids …

I have not given a state record update since last year’s summary.  Right now I do not have a lot to update, but I never know when applications will come in.  If I wait for more, it could be months before I do an update.  So, might as well tell you about what I have. . . . Back in April, Chuck Hensel from Valentine was fishing Merritt Reservoir.  He caught a common carp that beat the old state record …

Eager to get on the water? Yeah, me, too. Summer (Post-Memorial Day) is a perfect time to float Nebraska’s many miles of water trails. There are many reasons to take a float trip on continuously flowing water. You can do it for the openness and space that it offers and the adventure of going somewhere you have never been. You can do it to make connections and memories with people and nature, re-trace history, experience wetlands, see a variety of …

Here we are!  I know many folks eagerly wait for this weekend every year.  It is the beginning of summer!  Many will be heading for our waters around the state this weekend to enjoy the water, enjoy the outdoors, do some fishing, spend time with family and friends.  I hope you get out to enjoy it all and dry some off while you are at it! Right now is some of the best fishing of the year for a variety …

The May issue of Nebraskaland magazine has a short article on bluegill growth rates.  You will want to check it out. Right now you can see the full issue HERE. Or, here are the two pages: Over-harvest of panfish, bluegills and crappies, is a real problem on a lot of waters.  No, those populations are not harvested to the point where there are not enough fish to reproduce and maintain the population.  They are over-harvested to the point where they …