Conservation

There has not been a lot of activity on the state record fish front.  However, I do have a couple of new state records to tell you about. . . . Rod & Reel Chronologically, the first to mention would be a silver carp caught on June 17.  Keith Bader from Bellevue caught this 37 pound 6 ounce silver carp from a private sandpit in Cass county.  The fish was about 41 inches long and was caught on a spinner. …

Just got word about current access to a couple of waterbodies.  I know it is fall and many of you will not care, but again, if you are still fishing these waters, you will want to know: Cottonwood-Steverson WMA boat ramp to close for repairs The boat ramp at Cottonwood-Steverson Wildlife Management Area, located north of Hyannis in Cherry County, will close temporarily starting Oct. 2 so repairs to the boat ramp may begin. There has been significant undermining, settlement, …

My wife and I spent some time hanging out at a busy boat ramp on a recent weekend.  I have always said you can see a lot of funny things at a busy boat ramp: No, we did not see any one quite that proficient.  We did see a few folks that really knew what they were doing. Also saw a few that did not have a clue. By the way, the more sparkly the boat and the nicer the …

You may recall a couple of my previous blog posts about hybrid fish, Hybrids, Hybrids, More Sunfish.  My intent with those posts was to call attention to some of the interesting fish you likely will encounter in Nebraska waters.  In addition I hoped to point out some tips on fish identification. You may have noticed the “theme” in those previous blog posts being hybrids of the sunfish family, Centrarchidae.  More specifically I blogged about hybrids within the genus Lepomis which …

Saw a note from the Lower Loup Natural Resource District this past summer about road work planned at Davis Creek Reservoir.  I wanted to wait until later to post a reminder, and then I almost forgot about it! Anywho, here is what it said: Road Closure Scheduled for Davis Creek Recreation Area To better serve visitors, the access road through Davis Creek Recreation Area will close beginning Oct. 1, 2023, for a paving project. The area is south of the …

Fall is the perfect time in Nebraska to combo-up some hunting and fishing. And now it is official! Governor proclaims Sept. 23 as National Hunting and Fishing Day in Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday proclaimed Saturday, Sept. 23, as National Hunting and Fishing Day in Nebraska. “Hunting and fishing continue to be an integral part of the good life outdoors in Nebraska,” Pillen said. “Over recent years, hunting and fishing have offered a growing number of participants a chance …

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!

National Hunting and Fishing Day is this Saturday, Sept. 23. This is a significant day. No, this is not just another one of those celebratory days, not by a long shot. I grew up hunting and fishing in rural Nebraska. My hunting heritage began 54 years ago this fall as a “quail dog” for my dad and his friend, Jim on our family farm in southeast Nebraska. I am eternally grateful to my dad for taking me hunting! Below a …

A few weeks ago I admitted my love for all things Looney Tunes (Cultured Like Cheese).  Is there anything funnier than watching Daffy Duck get his bill shot off? In honor of hunting seasons that have recently opened, a sure sign that it is fall: I am in full fishing mode once fall arrives.  Eventually, I will get to some hunting.  My son-in-law and daughter have been after some daffy ducks already! Hope you get in the field and on …

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, …