How To

Have a couple of thoughts to share with you for this weekend.  First of all, look at the calendar.  Yes, I know what today is. But, did you know that Yoda was a fisherman?  Obviously he was, he lived in a swamp. Here he can be seen handling a rod! Of course he was an excellent angler.  No, it was not because of some Jedi mind trick.  He simply fished with confidence! For you Star Wars “nerds”, I hear a …

Without a doubt this has been the most asked question recently.  So, I am going to spread this around as much as possible, as soon as possible: Surveys indicate mixed bag on fish winterkill Surveys by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission show many Sandhills lakes fared better than expected after a harsh winter led to fish kills. Deep snow over thick ice this winter caused oxygen depletion in many of the region’s most shallow and vegetated lakes, causing fish …

Today is the first of May.  Let me post this as a reminder: Another season of family fun scheduled with Community Fishing Events Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for another spring and summer of fun with Community Fishing Events. Community Fishing Events provide opportunities for people of all ages who have never fished or have not fished in years to learn and enjoy the activity. Rods and reels, as well as bait and fishing instruction, will be available …

The apple blossoms have emerged. Why is that important, you say? Well, it is a reliable indicator that tells me I now will find one of my most valued vegetables in Nebraska’s rural landscape — wild asparagus. The wild asparagus harvest season almost always overlaps with the emergence of apple blossoms in my eastern Nebraska area. Apple blossoms. Photo by Greg Wagner/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Sure enough, I was right! Wild asparagus emerging in early May in eastern Nebraska. …

The story of this weekend adventure actually started a year ago.  Late spring 2022 my wife and my cousin’s wife decided that they had never been to see the prairie grouse dance.  Each spring prairie chickens and sharptail grouse have a mating display where the males “dance” to attract females.  It is a spectacle.  I had seen prairie grouse performing their spring mating rituals in many of my travels and adventures in Nebraska, but I told the girls to make …

OK, I know this news release has been out for a week now.  Sorry, I am just getting around to publicizing this.  In addition, I know this will not affect a lot of you, but again, some of you will want to know! Willow Lake B.C. WMA boat ramp closed for redevelopment project The access road and boat launch at Willow Lake B.C. Wildlife Management Area in Brown County will be closed starting April 17 until further notice because of …

I have blogged often about the need for a good net man.  Every angler should have a good net man, a good photo taker. Or do they? Believe me, the last thing you want is a hot muskie in the boat with you.  That is not safe for the anglers or the fish, can be hard on tackle too. Actually, after watching the video, it still proves that a guy needs a good net man!  Getting that fish off the …

I am assuming that most of you reading my blog are serious about your fishing.  I am.  If you are like me you devour any and all information you can find on fishing, how-to, techniques, gear, thinking, theory, biology, limnology, etc., etc.  There are a lot of things I read, watch and listen to.  Yes, I subscribe to a whole list of YouTube pages. On one of those subscriptions, I recently came across a series of videos about being a …

This news release went out a few weeks ago.  Now, however, the weather is warming and folks are starting to get out more, so I want to spread the word, again: Grove Trout Rearing Station makes changes to visitation New visitation rules will be in place this spring at Grove Trout Rearing Station in Antelope County for the safety of the trout being raised there. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is balancing its obligation to raise quality, healthy trout …

You have just read the title to this blog and you’re thinking ‘Whoa! What? Wagner is way off base with this one!’ PL-EASE … Allow me, the avid forager, to explain. Now that spring has sprung and while you wait for your morel mushrooms to emerge, some of the more prolific, more accessible wild edible foods are making their initial appearances … in your yard! No kidding! This is the time of year when when edible wild plants emerge and …