Nebraska Free Fishing & Park Entry Day - May 16, 2009

If you are looking for an opportunity to go fishing but you haven’t purchased your license yet, or don’t want to because you don’t go enough, or have a friend you want to take fishing, but he/she just won’t buy a license . . .then consider taking advantage of Nebraska’s Free Fishing and Park Entry Day. Here is the information from the 2009 NE fishing guide (p. 25).

FREE FISHING DAY - MAY 16

Free Fishing and Park Entry Day is intended to attract those who no longer fish or who have never fished with an opportunity to do so without purchasing a permit. It is held on the Saturday prior to Memorial Day weekend. Anglers, both resident and nonresident, can take advantage of that day by taking a nonangling friend to any public body of water in the state and showing them how much fun fishing can be.

Nebraska sets aside one day each May to help promote fishing and outdoor recreation at its state parks. In doing so, all regular fees are waived (though all other regulations still apply).

Note that it applies to residents and nonresidents. This is a great day to take your kids, grandkids, or a friend fishing.

Jason

Heartland Fishing

Nebraska Lake Maps

Ever wonder what the bottom of your favorite lake looks like? What are the contours? Where are the steep drop offs? Where are the flat bottom areas? Are there unique underwater points or holes that might hold fish?

Nebraska has a decent lake mapping program. Obviously not every lake in the state is mapped, but many of the more popular ones are. I know several of my favorites are!

Check out the available maps at the following link: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/programs/lakemapping/lakemapping.asp

All maps are in PDF format for download or printing. I personally add them to my mobile device so I can take them with me whenever I fish.

Jason

Heartland Fishing

April Crappie in the Omaha metro...

NOTE TO ALL CRAPPIE FISHERMAN:

Sick of catching crappie that are just shy of the 10 inch minimum on many of Nebraska’s lakes? Crappie are great to eat, but often I find myself catching a bunch in the 9 inch range and can’t catch enough keepers to feed my family even one meal.

In April there are a couple lakes that have the length requirement removed (Zorinsky and to Wehrspann). Bag limits still apply, and length limits are in effect the other 11 months of the year, but April is special.

Here is the wording from the 2009 NE fishing guide (p. 10):

Crappie

10-inch minimum: Branched Oak Reservoir (Lancaster Co.), Czechland Lake (Saunders Co.), Sherman Reservoir (Sherman Co.), Walnut Creek Recreation Area (Sarpy Co.), Wehrspann Lake* (Sarpy Co.), and Zorinsky Lake* (Douglas Co.).

*Note: The length limit is not in effect during April on Wehrspann and Zorinsky lakes.

So get out with slip bobbers and minnows, or jigs around trees and other structure and bring home some crappie to feed the family!

Jason

Heartland Fishing

Trout Stocking in 2009

I heard reports that NGPC would be stocking some lakes with trout in the Omaha area sometime near the end of March, 2009. Specifically I heard Halleck Park lake in Papillion. There were other lakes mentioned as well. (see the fishing guide for a complete list)

I searched for information on the NGPC website, but could only find information about stocking that had already happened, nothing about what was planned. You can search for lakes near you at the following address.

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/guides/fishguide/FGstocking.asp

These trout stocked lakes would be great for getting your kids to as these fish are usually pretty quick to bite.

Be sure to get your license and check regulations regarding these trout stocked lakes as they differ from waters that support natural trout populations. Download the 2009 Nebraska Fishing Guide (http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/guides/fishguide/FishGuide.pdf) or pick one up at a locale sporting goods retailer. Page 4 (as well as 11, 17-18) has some information on bag limits and which lakes are stocked but don’t support natural populations year round (so called “put and take” lakes).

Remember, you are responsible to understand and follow all fishing regulations!

If you have feedback, leave a comment below.

Jason

Heartland Fishing

2009 Nebraska Fishing Forecast

At the Omaha Boat Sport and Travel show I ran across the official Nebraska Game and Park’s official fishing forecast for 2009 based on 2008 fish sampling at Nebraska lakes. Here is a link to download the PDF version.

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/pdfs/FishForecast.pdf

NOTE: Check out the Walleye column. Merritt Reservoir (near Valentine, NE) far surpassed all other lakes in both quantity and size of fish (with the exception of McConaughy that had more of the largest walleye but with less than half the total fish counted). Look for a good Walleye season on Merritt roughly May – June of this year.

The picture at the right shows just the top 6 lakes in terms of walleye sampling. (taken from the 2009 fishing forecast)

Jason

Heartland Fishing

Northern techniques for Valentine NWR

So, how do you catch those Northern at the Valentine NWR?

Let me say to start out with that I have been going there at the same time each year for 3 years now (early to middle May). The first year was good, the second great, the third below average.

The first year I went (2006) we spent a day and a half on the lakes fishing, mostly on Dewey. There were three of us in kayaks and one-person pontoons. The bite was slow at first. The Pike were not in the reeds like they had been the previous year (according to my friend), so we moved to deeper water. Not that it gets much deeper than 6-8 feet in those lakes.

We fished mostly medium/small spoons. When we moved to the deeper water, we slowed down our retrieves and that is when we started catching the Pike. We didn’t catch a lot. I brought in 6 or 7 in a day and a half of fishing, but the biggest was about 28 inches long. I foul-hooked him near the reeds and my boat-mate very carefully tried to keep the kayak out of the reeds while I reeled him in. That one fish made the 6 hour trip worth it.

Have you had success at the Valentine refuge lakes? We would love to hear about it. Please comment below or email heartlandfishing@gmail.com. If you have good tips, we will post it.

Jason

Heartland Fishing

Northern Fishing at Valentine NWR

Over the last several years, I have found myself traveling to Valentine, NE in early/middle may to take in the excellent Northern fishing at the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge lakes. These pictures are samples of a particularly good year.

This all started when a friend of mine took a trip up there with his kayak and fishing gear and fished these shallow, sandy bottom lakes one May. He fished mostly the shallow, reed filled end of one of the lakes and hooked several large northern in this fairly clear, shallow water. You can imagine how fun and challenging it is to battle a 30” northern from a one-man kayak in about 3-4 feet of water near the reeds.

The next year he invited me along, and I have returned every year since.

Let us know if you have fished these same lakes for Northern and the results you experienced… Please comment below or email us at heartlandfishing@gmail.com.

Jason

Heartland Fishing