December 30, 2013

Wildwood Lake-  I met a gentleman and his father at Wildwood for a few hours of fishing.  The father has difficulty walking, so I had him sit on the ice hut/sled and pulled him to the fishing holes.  He was easy to transport and was able to stay warm while catching fish from the hut.  I grilled brats for lunch and cleaned 17 nice bluegills. The lack of mobility somewhat slowed the fish catching but not the importance of a father and son spending some time on the lake.

December 28, 2013

Wehrspann and Czechland-  I took a father and son on a dual purpose trip for the day: they were new to ice fishing and wanted to learn the basics of the sport, and the son lives near Wehrspann and wanted some ideas on where to ice fish Wehrspann.  We started at Wehrspann with some crappies and bluegills. We went to different spots to show them how to move and locate fish.  We then went to Czechland to show them where and how to fish a lake they had never been to before.  They caught lots of fish at Czechland and with a slight location move, they were able to catch some better quality fish.   Warm weather and very good fishing.

December 27, 2013

Wildwood and Czechland-  I returned from family vacations and headed out to Wildwood and Czechland with my son to check on the ice bite.  We hit several spot at Wildwood and had good success for bluegills with most in the 8 inch range.  Czechland was excellent for numbers but all of the crappie were below the ten inch minimum.  The ice is very good.

December 17, 2013

Wehrspann Lake-  I met a family at Wehrspann for a day of fishing.  They were vacationing in Omaha and had never ice fished before.  We caught crappie and bluegill with most of the crappie around 8 inches with a few nicer ones.  We grilled  brats on the lake for lunch.  Fishing was slower than hoped for, but everyone had a an enjoyable family day on the lake.

December 16, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  The ice is very good at 6 inches thick everywhere.  The fishing has been fair.  Good numbers of small panfish along with a few nice bass and an occasional northern pike. 

December 10, 2013

Walnut Creek and Wehrspann Lakes-  The ice at Walnut Creek was 3 inches thick.  Not quite good enough to wander around much.  I fished the channel by the fishing pier at Wehrspann.  The ice was 4 inches thick and the crappie bite was good on waxies in the creek channel with good numbers of bluegills on shallower edges next to the channel.  A pressure crack was obvious in the middle of the lake, so wandering around is probably is no a good option yet.  If the forecast holds we should have good ice everywhere this weekend.

December 9, 2013

Wehrspann Lake-  I ice fished Wehrspann to the south of the boat ramp.  The ice was 5 to 6 inches thick out to the mouth of the bay but thinned to 3 inches thick toward the main lake.  The crappie and bluegill were biting on wax worms and the bass were biting on minnows.

November 20, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for a few hours of fishing.  The winds had slowed some form the day before which helped us feel the bite better but the fishing was again fairly slow.  We could get on some spots with good numbers of bluegills but again we caught just a few bass and crappie.  . 

November 19, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a couple to Wanahoo for a fall fishing trip.  The temperatures were nice for November but the winds were blowing 20 to 30 mph.  We caught bluegills, some bass, a few crappie and a small walleye.  We caught fish but the fishing had slowed from just a few days earlier. 

November 16, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  The weather was too nice for November--I had to go fishing.   Wanahoo continues to be very consistent-a good bass bite, lots of bluegill but tough to find the crappie.  I focused on bass and caught them on drop shots, wacky rigs and jigs.  The bass were from 14 to 16 inches and were fat today.  They were bunched up in different areas.  Good weather and good fishing.

November 14, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a person at Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing. We started on some open water structure with no success.  We headed to the timber and found the bass and bluegill bite to be good and the crappie tough to find.  We used soft plastics for the bass and caught them in many places.  The bass were mostly 14 to 17 inch fish.  We went with smaller plastics for the bluegill and found some spots with lots of bluegill from 5 to 8 inches.  Water temps were in the low to mid forties, air temps were in the fifties and the wind was nonexistent--making for a very good November day on the lake.

November 10, 2013

Wehrspann Lake-  I fished three hours in the morning at Wehrspann.  Good numbers of bluegill, fair numbers of crappie, a few bass and a small walleye decided to bite today.  I caught all the fish on Swedish pimples with soft plastics added to a chain hook.  Most of the crappie hammered the bait and were all right at 9 1/2 inches.  Water temps were in the mid 40's. 

November 9, 2013    

Lake Wanahoo-  I went to Wanahoo and targeted bass and bluegill.  The bluegill bite is excellent with lots of 6 and 7 inch fish with a few up to 8.  I have been using tiny plastics on small jigs or Swedish pimples with a chain hook attached.  The bass bite was slow with all the fish from 14 to 15 inches.  Most of the fish were caught on 3 inch gulp minnows.  I also picked a few crappie and a small walleye.

November 7, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I headed to Wanahoo to keep up with the bite.  Water temps were in the mid 40's.  Plenty of panfish along with enough bass biting to make fishing worthwhile.  The pattern of easy to catch panfish along with a few bass should continue until ice up.  The bite is more of a finesse bite now but every now and then a fish will thump the bait.  Nice weather and decent fishing for this time of year.

October 31, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  The weather was nice and I headed to Wanahoo to catch some fish.  I purchased some of the new Trigger X micros at Scheels and wanted to give them a try.  I thread them onto a 1/64th ounce lead head jig and found them to be very good for bluegill.  I also picked up some crappie on them with one right at 12 inches.  Most of the crappie at Wanahoo are 5 to 8 inch fish and there are a lot of them.  The bigger crappie are probably some of the original stocked fish.  I fished some for bass and the bite was good with most of the fish from 13 to 15 inches.  Always a good day in the boat catching fish, especially with nice weather this time of year.

October 20, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a group to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  The fishing at Wanahoo has been very consistent lately-easy to catch smaller crappie but the larger fish have been tougher to come by.  We were able to pick up a few crappie up to 12 inches along with some decent bass and bluegill.  Fishing is good enough to be on the water from a numbers of fish standpoint, I just need to figure out where more of the better fish are in October for consistently better quality fishing down the road.

October 18, 2013    

Lake Wanahoo-  I headed to Lake Wanahoo for a few hours to catch some fish.  I caught good numbers of crappie and bluegill with most of the fish in the 5 to 8 inch range with only a few crappie over 10 inches and a few bluegill up to 8 inches.  I found some scattered bass with most of the fish in the 14 to 16 inch range.  Water temperatures are in the mid 50's and the fish are not biting as aggressively as they were a few weeks ago but there are still decent numbers of fish biting. 

October 12, 2013

Summit Lake-  I went with a friend to Summit.  We fished mostly for panfish. We fished many different areas but found all the fish in two spots.  We kept twelve nice crappie from 10 to 12 inches.  We caught a few bluegill with some up to 10 inches.  We also caught way too many small bass.  In past years Summit has been one of the best lakes in the area for quantity and quality fish.  That has not been the case this year.  For whatever reason, the dynamics at Summit are different than in past years.  I will continue to fish Summit in the future with the belief that the quality fishing of past years will return.

October 11, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a group to Wanahoo for the day.  They wanted to learn how to more consistently catch crappies.  I went through the process I use of lures and location to find the crappie.  We caught very good numbers of crappie but I was not able to locate the large crappie that are present in Wanahoo.  Wanahoo has excellent class years of fish born in 2011 and 2012 that should provide outstanding fishing in the next few years.  We picked up decent numbers of nice bluegills along with a few nice bass.  

October 10, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a friend to Wanahoo to experiment on some of the seasonal bass movements.  We went to various areas of the lake and found the bass to be concentrated in just a few areas of the lake.  We caught bass flipping various soft plastics in the trees and around the rocks and picked a few with crankbaits around rocks.  Overall a fair bass bite. 

October 5 and 6, 2013

Glen Elder, Kansas-  My nephews wanted me to meet them at Glen Elder for the weekend.  They had been there a few times with good success in the past and wanted me to fish with them at Glen Elder.  The weather conditions were bad with a massive front bringing high winds with it.  We were limited to a small area of the lake. We mainly fished for walleyes and were able to catch some very nice eyes from 19 to 23 inches.  We also picked up a few catfish, white bass and drum.  They wanted to show me some crappie spots but the wind made it too prohibitive to try for crappie.  We stayed at a very nice place that was only $25 per person per night.  I was impressed with the fish we caught especially with the adverse weather conditions.

October 2, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I headed to Wanahoo to check on the bass bite.  I had not targeted bass for a while and wanted see where the bite was best and if the fall bite was starting.  The bass were in the trees, the bite was good and the fish were feeding as though they were fattening up for winter.  I flipped big plastics and moved them aggressively to trigger the most bites.  Wanahoo should have a few master angler bass next year and a lot of master angler bass in two years.

September 30, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for a day on the lake.  Temperatures were good with moderate winds and the fishing was a steady bite all day long.  Almost every place we stopped had fish on it but no place had a stack of fish on it.  We caught crappie, bass and bluegill of various sizes all over the lake.  We kept sixteen fish for them to eat.

September 29, 2013

Czechland Lake-  I took a group to Czechland to fish for the day.  We were out to catch fish and have fun for the day.  The bite was very good the first half of the day but slowed the second half of the day.  Overall a good day of catching fish but more importantly a great day on the lake with a group that laughed, joked and enjoyed being together on the lake for the day.

September 26, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for a day on the lake.  The weather was again warm and windy with winds in the twenty to thirty mph range today.  We were limited to the out of the wind areas of the lake.  I taught them how to use jigs in the timber to catch crappie and we caught good numbers of fish but I could not find many quality crappie today.  We picked up decent numbers of bluegills and a few bass.  The fall is a time when the fish can move a lot and it has been tricky lately trying to find the combination of size and numbers I like to put people on.

September 25, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a group to Wanahoo for the day.  The forecast was for good temperatures with windy conditions in the afternoon.  We started out fishing in open areas of the lake and picked up a few bass.  The bite was a little slow and we headed off to some of the structure areas.  We picked up some nice crappies on a couple of spots before the wind picked up.  We mainly fished the timber out of the wind and the bite was overall slower than I like with some scattered fish in different spots.  The crappie were all sizes from 4 to 13 inches.  Overall a below average day of catching fish.

September 23, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a lady to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  She wanted to learn different fishing techniques unfortunately the wind was blowing twenty to thirty mph most of the day and severely limited what we could do.  We ended up panfishing in the out of the wind timber and caught just fair numbers of crappie, bluegill and few bass.  There are crappie in many different places in Wanahoo and today was no exception, I just could not locate any spots with good numbers of crappie on them today.  We kept eight nice crappie for her to eat.

September 22, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for the day.  We started out trying to find some bass in open areas of the lake but that pattern has stopped so we headed to the timber and tried for some crappie.  We found crappie scattered out in many different areas of the lake with a couple of areas having moderate numbers of fish on them with a fair number of good sized fish.  The wind picked up in the afternoon and limited areas we could try fishing.  They only wanted to keep three crappies for a meal and release all the rest.  Overall a decent day of fishing.

September 21, 2013

Czechland Lake-  I met a father and son at Czechland lake for a day on the lake.  The weather warmed, the winds were light and the crappie were biting.  We targeted the many man made structures in the lake and caught extremely good numbers of fish on almost all of them.  We kept 15 that were over the ten inch minimum size along a catfish that we caught on a jig.  A 1/32nd ounce jig was definitely the best for the day.  I have only been to Czechland a few times this year and the result has always been the same-lots of crappie with moderate numbers over the ten inch minimum.  A great day to be on the lake with a father and son.

September 20, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a grandfather, son and grandson to Wanahoo for the day.  A cold front moved in the day before and it definitely slowed down the fishing.  We caught crappie, bass, bluegill and even two bullheads on jigs with plastics.  We targeted and caught mostly crappies.  We kept twelve fish to clean and threw the rest back.  Seven year old grandson caught good numbers of fish and did an excellent job of fishing out of the boat for the day.  Even though the weather slowed the fishing down, it was still a very enjoyable family day on the lake.

September 15, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  They were relatively new to fishing and wanted to learn some of the basics on how to catch fish.  We started by showing them how to properly use the fishing gear and trying to catch a few bass.  The bass had moved from their recent locations so we checked out the crappie bite and found some crappie biting. We worked through different areas and found a spot with a lot of crappie on it.  They said they wanted to eat some fish and we kept twenty four nice crappie for them.  A very good day on the lake.

September 13, 2013

Czechland Lake-  I took two people to Czechland for the day.  The weather was excellent and so was the fishing.  We spent the day fishing for crappie and caught lots and lots of them.  Czechland is one of three lakes in the state that has a ten inch minimum on crappie.  We were able to catch 24 crappie that were from 10 to 13 inches.  We also picked up a few bass and bluegill.  One of those great days with lots of action all day long.

September 12, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a newly married couple to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  We fished for bass, crappie and bluegill and the bite was very inconsistent.  We stopped at many spots with some having good numbers and size of fish and others having no fish.  We ended up focusing on crappie and kept 20 crappie with the majority of them 12 to 13 inch fish.  Nice weather, decent fishing and a very nice couple to be on the lake with.

September 11, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for a morning of fishing.  We focused on crappies and the bite was only fair but the overall size was excellent.  We caught crappie from 4 to 13 inches with the most in the 11 to 13 inch range.  The bite got better as the morning progressed.  We picked some nice bass up to 16 inches and bluegill up to 9 inches also.  We left the lake at noon with only a few boats on the water at the time.  Good weather and an enjoyable morning of fishing.

September 9, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for a morning of fishing.  We fished for bass and the bite was excellent to start with but slowed later in the morning.  We were using soft plastics with a few crankbaits.  Almost all of the bass were between 13 and 17 inches.  This was the first time in several  weeks the bite seemed to be changing.  The forecast is for cooler weather as the week progresses.  Hopefully this triggers the fall bite.

September 6, 2013

Private farm pond-  A friend was in from out of town and we headed out to a private farm pond for a morning of fishing.  The bite was a little slow for numbers but good for size.  We caught crappie up to 15 inches, bass up to 22 inches and fair numbers of 8 to 9 inch bluegill.  A nice, relaxing morning of fishing with a good friend of many years.

September 5, 2013

Lake Wanahoo- I took a person to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  We targeted bass for most of the day and the bite was very good.  We used plastic worms and caught bass in many places.  On some spots we caught bass for an hour and a half straight.  The bass were almost all 14 to 16 inch fish.  We switched to crappie later in the day and caught fish from 4 to 12 inches.  We were the only boat on the lake when we came off.  A very good day of fishing.

September 2, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for the day.  We started at noon.  The weather was very good and the lake was very crowded to start with.  The lake got less busy as the day went on.  We fished mostly for crappie and caught all sizes from 4 to 13 inches. The bite was a little slower than previous times but still decent.  We fished for bass for some of the day and the bass bite continues good.  We caught good numbers of bass while crappie fishing.  We caught bass from 10 to 16 inches with most from 14 to 16 inches.   A good day of fishing.

August 31, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for a day of bass fishing.  We used plastics for the entire day and the bass bite was very good.  Most of the bass were between 14 and 16 inches.  We came off the lake in the early afternoon with only two other boats on the water at the time.  The hot weather has had little impact on the bass bite but has kept boats off the water.

August 27, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I went to Wanahoo to explore some new bass spots for the pattern we have been using.  Found the bass bite to be excellent on some of the spots with one area non-stop bass for two hours.  Wanahoo has outstanding numbers of 2 to 3 pound bass.  Made a quick stop to catch five crappie for a meal.  The weather was hot but the fishing was excellent and only one other boat on the lake when I came off.

August 24, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a couple to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  The weather was warm and windy.  We anchored out of the wind to teach her how to use spinning gear and he proceeded to catch a 34 inch northern while we were in the early stages of the teaching process.  She learned fast and was soon off to the races catching fish.  We stopped on a bass spot and caught some nice bass before going after their desired fish of the day-crappie.  We caught some nice crappie, took a lunch break while I cleaned the fish and headed out to finish up for the afternoon.  We found an area out of the wind that had bass, bluegill and lots of small crappie with some nice keepers in the mix.  A very enjoyable day on the lake with a couple that likes to fish together.

August 23, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a grandfather and two grandsons to Wanahoo for a morning of catch and release fishing.  We started the day getting the grandsons used to the type of fishing we were going to do that day and proceeded to catch some nice bass.  We stopped on a crappie spot and caught a couple of nice crappie to show them what crappie look like.  We finished up catching bass and bluegill on the flats.  A great way to spend a day on the lake with a grandfather and two grandsons getting hooked on fishing.

August 22, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for a morning of fishing.  He likes to eat fish so we focused on the crappie bite.  The crappie bite was again a steady, methodical bite.  They are in the trees and there is no way to rush things, some trees have active fish and some do not.  We were able to keep his limit of 10 to 12 inch crappie along with fair numbers of smaller crappie, bass, and bluegill.  The bite was better as the day went on.

August 18, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met my nephews at Wanahoo for some time on the water.  We started the day fishing for crappies.  The crappie were biting but the size was smaller than normal for Wanahoo.  We switched to bass fishing and the bite was very good with many fish in the 14 to 17 inch range.  We jumped back and forth between bass and crappie for awhile.  About noon the bigger crappie started to bite.  The crappie were in the trees and the bite was a steady and methodical. We fished until 2:30 with good numbers of bass and some nice crappie in the mix.  We cleaned about 20 crappie from 11 to 14 inches.  Good weather and good fishing.

August 16, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a father and son to Wanahoo to fish for the day.  The weather improved considerably from the day before and so did the fishing.  We spent the morning fishing for bass and the bite was excellent.  We caught lots of bass between 14 and 17 inches in easy to fish places on jigs and soft plastics.  They were willing to experiment on some new places of which some were great and some were not.  We focused on crappie in the afternoon and the bite was average with some decent sized fish.  They wanted to keep a few for meal and we were able to keep all 12+ inch fish.  A great father and son day on the lake.

August 15, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a husband and wife to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  They are newly retired and the focus was teaching them how to catch crappie in a heavily timbered lake like Wanahoo.  The weather was much cooler and so was the fishing.  They learned how to catch crappie and caught decent numbers of crappie but the size was much smaller than a normal day on Wanahoo.  They were a great couple to be on the lake with, I just wish the fish were cooperating better.

August 14, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a person at Wanahoo for the day.  The focus was on bass in the morning and the bite was excellent.  The bass were stacked up in places where they easy to catch and were biting plastics of all sorts.  We shifted the focus to crappies in the afternoon and the bite was good with excellent size.  We were able to keep the ten he wanted for a meal and we threw the rest back.  All sizes with many in the 11 to 13 inch range.  Excellent weather and very good fishing.

August 12, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I had a late cancellation and decided to head to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  I focused on bass for the day and the bite was tremendous.  I looked for spots on spots and found a couple of good ones with more than twenty bass on each.  All of the bass were caught on plastics and were between 14 and 18 inches. 

August 11, 2013

Wehrspann Lake-  I went to  Wehrspann and waded in from shore for some relaxing fishing.  The bluegill and crappie were biting good along with some catfish and bass.  Even though the fish were overall small, the weather was nice and there was plenty of action for an enjoyable few hours of fishing. 

August 9, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a grandfather and grandson to Wanahoo for the day.  We started by teaching the grandson how to properly use spinning reels and how to feel the fish bite.  He was a fast learner and soon was catching many fish.  We focused on crappie for the morning and the bite was excellent with most of the crappie from 10 to 13 inches.  They kept ten for a family meal and threw the rest back.  We ate lunch and fished some different spots in the afternoon.  They caught bass, bluegill, crappie and the grandson caught a northern pike.  Grandfather and grandson were able to spend a great day on the lake with fabulous weather and fishing.

August 8, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  My son and I headed to Wanahoo for the afternoon.  We tried new places or lures for the afternoon.  The bite was outstanding whether it be bass, crappie or bluegill.  We kept ten crappie for a family meal and threw the rest back.  Many of the crappie were in the 12 to 13 inch range.  The weather and the fishing has been fantastic lately.

August 5, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  My son had the afternoon off and we headed to Wanahoo to try some new spots and experiment with some different presentations.  We fished for bass and crappie and the bite was very good for both.  We caught the fish on a variety of lures in a variety of places with most of the bass from 14 to 16 inches and the crappie from 8 to 13 inches.  We picked up one nice 32 inch  northern.  We released all the fish today.  Good weather and good fishing.

August 4, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a grandfather, son and grandson to Wanahoo to fish for the day.  We spent most of the day fishing for crappie and they caught lots of crappie with good numbers of crappie in the 12 to 13 inch range.  They also caught some bass, bluegill and a couple of northern pike.  We targeted a couple of spots where all three could fish with relative ease.  With the exception of only a couple of slower days this summer, Wanahoo continues to be an excellent lake for numbers of fish and quality fish. Today was another excellent family day on the lake.

August 3, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a father and his 20 year old son to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  We targeted crappie and the crappie were cooperating.  We went to many different spots and caught very good numbers of good sized crappies.  We cleaned their limit of crappie with the majority of them from 11 to 13 inches.  As with most of my trips for crappie, I used jigs with plastic bodies.  Color and size made no difference - just drop down where there were crappie and you were going to catch them.  Excellent weather and excellent fishing.

August 1, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a father and son to Wanahoo for a day on the lake.  We were targeting panfish to have lots of action and the fish were cooperating.  We started catching bluegills in good numbers with the larger ones in the 8 to 9 inch range.  We then switched to crappie fishing and the crappie bite was excellent with many above 10 inches and the largest at 13 inches.  We took a break midway during the day and I cleaned a mess of fish for them.  We went back out and multispecies fished with the best bite being the crappie bite.  The crappie were biting everywhere we stopped.  Excellent fishing, excellent weather and an excellent father and son day on the lake.

July 31, 2013

Summit Lake-  My son and I went to Summit for a few hours.  The weather has caused a moderate fish kill at Summit.  Fish kills occur during the summer typically when you have thick clouds and calm water and lose oxygen in the lake.  Fishing can be slow during these times and the bite was slow for us.  The bass bite was fair with a few up to 15 inches.  We caught a few crappie and bluegill but nothing of significant size.

July 29, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for the day.  The weather was cool and wet for July and the fishing was much slower than previous trips.  I showed them how to flip for bass with plastics and they caught fair numbers of 14 to 17 inch bass but when we switched to panfish the crappie and bluegill were not of the usual quality and the bite was slower than recent trips to Wanahoo.  I have high expectations for a fishing trip and I always feel bad for the people I take out when things are slower than those expectations.

July 28, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a family at Wanahoo for some fishing.  The weather was again fabulous to be outdoors and the fish were biting.  We were panfishing and caught excellent numbers of crappie and bluegill along with some bass of various sizes.  I cleaned a good mess of crappie up to 13 inches and bluegills up to 10 inches.  An excellent day of action and quality to keep a family busy all day long in the boat.

July 27, 2013

Czechland Lake-  I took a group to Czechland for the day.  This was my first trip to Czechland for the year.  The weather was fabulous to be outdoors--highs in the 70's, light winds and sunny--much different than last year.  The fish were in different places than last year also.  We tried a couple of areas with limited success, then found an area with very good numbers of crappie.  We focused on that area the rest of the day and had a consistent bite with many crappie along with some bluegill, bass and catfish.  Most of the crappie were under the ten inch minimum but we were able to get enough keepers for a good fish fry.  Sixteenth ounce jigs with three inch plastic bodies were working best.

July 25, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  My son and I went to Wanahoo to experiment on some different tactics and places.  We found some new places that had some fish and some that did not.  Overall the bite was slower than two days earlier.  We kept ten nice crappies for a family meal.

July 23, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  My son and I went to Wanahoo to check on the fishing.  The bite was very good for bass, crappie and bluegill.  We caught bass on various soft plastics both in the timber and on the flats.  We caught most of the crappie around the timber on jigs with many in the 10 to 12 inch range.  The bluegill were biting in many areas with excellent numbers of 8 to 10 inch fish.  We also caught two northern pike and an 18 inch walleye.  Good weather and good fishing.

July 12 to July 21, 2013

Minnesota-  I went on a family vacation to the Park Rapids area of Minnesota. We stay at a resort on a smaller lake of 400 acres called Boulder Lake.  The resort is very nice and the fishing is very good.  We catch lots of crappies, very good numbers of large and smallmouth bass along with decent numbers of walleyes and northern pike.  Minnesota has many lakes with high quality water and excellent fishing--great places for family vacations.

July 10, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a couple to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  Today was one of those days you wish could happen every day:  great weather, great fishing and a couple that greatly enjoyed being together in the boat.  They caught lots of bluegill, lots of crappie and good numbers of bass.  We took a lunch break and I cleaned a good mess of fish with the crappie from 10 to 13 inches.  We then went back out and they continued to catch good numbers of fish.  Excellent day on the lake.

July 8, 2013

Wehrspann-  I met a grandmother, grandfather and two grandsons at Wehrspann for the morning.  The grandsons were inexperienced and had never fished from a boat.  I taught them how to use spinning gear and rigged the entire group with 2 1/2 inch gulp minnows on 1/32nd ounce lead head jigs.  The fishing was very good with many smaller crappie and bluegill, some catfish and bass, and the boys were each able to catch a walleye.  Everybody in the group learned how effective it can be to fish a simple method.  A great family day on the lake.

July 7, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a person at Wanahoo for a morning of fishing.  We fished for bass, crappie and bluegill.  The bass bite was fair with all the bass from 14 to 17 inches.  We caught most of them on Texas rigged worms in the thick timber.  The crappie bite was slow with the larger ones around ten inches.  We caught them on jigs.  The bluegill bite was very good with most of them from 7 to 8 inches. We used 2 1/2 inch gulp minnows.  We also picked up a couple of northern pike.

July 5, 2013

Wehrspann-  I met two people at Wehrspann for a morning of fishing.  Wehrspann has been very consistent so far this year--good numbers of small crappie and bluegill with varying amounts of bass, catfish and a few walleyes.  Today was the same.  The walleye count today was 3 with the largest just under 22 inches. 

July 4, 2013

Private Farm Pond-  My son talks me into going fishing at a farm pond whenever we can make it work and for good reason-big bass.  The bite was slower than last trip but the size was still excellent.  We caught good numbers of 3+ pound bass including one monster.  I had a teenage boy ask me on a recent trip what a fishing guide would do for fun when they retire.  I told him I fish on my days off.  I like to fish and I have very much been enjoying taking others out and teaching them how to catch fish.

July 3, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a father and son at Wanahoo for a day of fun on the lake.  They were in from out of town to move the son is to a local college he is going to attend.  They are avid outdoorsman and wanted to check out the local fishing.  I started out teaching them how to flip for bass in the timber.  They caught some nice bass but the bite was slower than past trips.  We then went to some of the flats and rocks and caught good numbers of crappies, bass and sunfish.  The son brought a float tube with him to college and is going to have a great time using it at Wanahoo in his spare time.  Always a great day with a father and son catching fish on the lake.

July 2, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for a day of bass fishing.  He had recently retired and wanted to learn more about catching fish.  I taught him how to flip for bass in the heavy timber and he had a hoot with that style of fishing.  The bite was very good to start, slowed a bit and then became steady until the end of the day.  Slower than past trips but still a good bite.

June 30, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for the day.  We started out fishing for crappies.  We caught decent numbers of crappies but the size was overall small.  We caught enough for a meal but it was a struggle.  I have not done much crappie fishing lately and the better crappie have moved to new areas.  The process of finding the crappie in Wanahoo is slow and methodical in the thick timber.  We switched to bass fishing and the bass bite continues to be very good.  We used Texas rigged worms and wacky rigs with wacky rigs working best. 

June 29, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a father and his two sons to Wanahoo.  They said they love to fish but never catch anything. I got out the bass rods and taught them how to flip for bass in timber.  They learned the process of where to flip, how to feel the fish, how to set the hook and how to power the fish out of the timber and into the boat.  As the day went on they caught more and more bass.  Most of the bass they caught were 14 to 16 inch fish and they added some nice bass up to 18 inches.  The wind was too strong to try for panfish which was just fine because the bass bite was good.  Teaching a father and sons how to catch fish is always a great day on the lake.

June 27, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a grandfather and two grandsons to Wanahoo for the day.  We had light winds and thick clouds with some scattered thunderstorms that made us come off the water a couple of times.  Excellent conditions for fishing.  The boys are fairly experienced fishermen and wanted to learn some more advanced techniques.  I took them to the heavy timber and taught them how to flip plastics for bass.  They caught on quickly and the bass bite was extremely good.  They caught very good numbers of bass with most of the fish again in the 14 to 16 inch range with some bigger and a few smaller fish.  We took a break from bass fishing and caught good numbers of crappies for a meal before finishing with a flurry on bass.  Excellent fishing today.

June 25, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a father and son to Wanahoo for the day.  We started out fishing for crappies and found good numbers in some spots, none in other spots and scattered crappie in many spots.  I then taught them how to Texas rig plastic worms for bass.  The bite was somewhat similar to the crappie bite with scattered bass in many spots, a couple of spots with no bass and some spots with up to 20 bass on them.  Most of the bass were in the 14 to 16 inch range.  The weather was mostly cloudy and the winds were manageable which helped make for a very good day of fishing.

June 23, 2013

Private Farm Pond-  My son wanted to fish a private pond for some big bass.  Some days the fish cooperate better than others.  We caught many bass with most of them between 16 and 21 inches.  We fished some for panfish but the bite was a little slow.  One of the better big bass days we have ever had.

June 22, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a grandmother, son-in-law and grandson at Wanahoo for a day on the lake.  We focused on catching numbers of fish and occasionally trying to catch some better fish. They caught lots of bluegill between 5 an 7 inches with some larger ones.  They caught some crappie with the larger ones up to 12 inches.  The bass bite was decent with most of the fish between 14 and 16 inches.  A good day on the lake to get a child hooked on fishing.

June 21, 2013

Wehrspann Lake-  I met a person at Wehrspann for a morning of fishing.  He enjoys just being on the lake catching fish with the hope of catching a few walleyes.  Wehrspann is a good lake for that type of fishing.  We caught crappie, bluegill, bass, catfish and four walleye.  Three of the walleye were between 15 and 20 inches, which he took home for a meal. 

June 17, 2013

Summit Lake-  I met a family at Summit to spend some time on the lake.  The sky was clear, there was no wind, the bass were biting, the panfish were not.  The weeds at Summit are out to eleven feet of water over the entire lake.  They were able to catch decent numbers of bass and one keeper walleye.  I was hoping to find some of the big bluegills in Summit, but was unable to do so.  Summit is an excellent panfish lake, as the weather warms the weeds will die off and open up areas to get at the panfish. 

June 15, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a father and his sons at Wanahoo for some bass fishing.  The boys were in visiting for father's day and wanted to target some bass.  We found out early that the bass bite was good on Texas rigged worms flipped into the heavy timber.  We continually moved around the timber and  found good numbers of bass in some spots and none in others.  They learned quickly which spots to flip the worms.  The bass were good quality with all the fish between 14 and 18 inches.  We made a quick stop to show them how to catch crappie and they caught and released quite a few crappie from 6 to 12 inches in short order.  A great way to spend some time on a father's day weekend.

June 14, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a person and his father at Wanahoo for a morning of fishing.  They wanted to target crappie and some nice crappie cooperated.  We did not catch the numbers of crappie of the past few trips but the quality was very good with crappie up to 13 inches.  We picked up a few nice bass and some bluegills too.  A very rewarding day on the lake with a father and son.

June 13, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a dad and his nine year old son to Wanahoo for a half day of fishing.  They are in town for a youth baseball tourney and to watch some CWS games.  We started out catching some bluegills to get them used to spinning reels.  We went to some spots where we had caught some big bluegills earlier in the week only to find most of the bigger fish absent from the area.  We headed to the timber to try and locate crappie.  Fishing the timber to locate the crappie is a slow, methodical process. Some of the spots were good and some were busts.  We ended on a spot with good numbers of crappies but most of the fish were 6 to 7 inches.  We were able to catch a dozen 10 to 12 inch crappies, just had to be patient for the better ones to bite.  Overall great weather and a great father and son trip, we just struggled to catch the numbers of quality fish we had hoped for.

June 11, 2013

Wehrspann-  I took a person to Wehrspann for a half day of targeting walleyes.  We were able to land 5 walleyes from 13 to 22 inches and lost two others.  Five walleyes is a good day of walleye fishing in this part of Nebraska.  I typically do not target walleyes because 5 is a good day.  We also picked up some bass with the six largest measuring from 15 to 18 inches.  We caught a few crappie, catfish and bluegill.  All of the walleye and bass were caught on 1/8 ounce jigs with 4 inch gulp minnows. 

June 10, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a group to Wanahoo for a day of fishing.  We targeted bluegill, and crappie and fished a little for bass.  The bass bite was fair.  We caught some nice crappie but they are a tough bite in the thick timber.  The bluegill bite was excellent with lots of fish and fair numbers of fish over 8 inches.  We used 3 inch bodies on 1/16 ounce lead heads for the crappies.  For the bluegill  we switched to 1/32 ounce jigs with Gulp plastics.  Gulp makes a big difference with the bluegill.  Overall a very good day on the lake with lots of action all day long.

June 8, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for some bass fishing.  We could only fish for a few hours in between thunderstorms.  The bass bite was decent with overall good size.  Most of the fish were between 15 and 18 inches.  We tried multiple lures with the best bait being a Texas rigged Yum Dinger fished in the timber next to the creek channel.  The bass were mostly post spawn females and were bunched up in several areas.

June 7, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a person at Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing.  I will give a mixed review to the fishing for the day, good bass fishing with some decent sized fish, lots and lots of crappie and bluegill but we were unable to find good numbers of the larger panfish that inhabit Wanahoo.  On some of the spots we were able to catch 100 crappies in an hour, unfortunately only one or two of them would be over ten inches and the rest of them were 4 to 7 inches.  Most of the crappie were in the timber or by weed edges.  The bluegill were very aggressive but we were again unable to find the numbers of big bluegills that Wanahoo has available.  Looking at the weather forecast, the best bluegill bite of the year should start next week.  We were able to catch enough bigger panfish for his limit but it was a struggle to do so.  Wanahoo has had some large class years of fish the last few years.  As good as Wanahoo is now,  the lake should get better in the future.

June 6, 2013

Youngman Lake-  Youngman is a smaller lake near 192nd and Dodge.  I live near Youngman and have fished it occasionally through the years.  I have found the fish to be plentiful but small in size through the years.  Nothing has changed.  Lots of small bass, bluegill and some small crappies.  If someone wants to go to a lake in the area for the fun of catching fish, Youngman will work well, just expect smaller fish.

June 4, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I went to Wanahoo to check where we are on the seasonal bite.  Lots of male bluegill either spawning or prespawn.  The crappie have mostly moved into the trees, making them a slower more methodical bite.  The bass were biting extremely well with all the fish looking like they have spawned out.  Most of the bass were 13 to 16 inches with a few bigger and smaller.  They were biting many different lures.

May 25-31, 2013

Lac Seul, Ontario, Canada-   We took a trip to Lac Seul for a week of fishing.  Lac Seul is a premier walleye and northern pike lake.  We stayed at the Black Bay outpost of Lac Seul Lodge.  This was our first trip to Lac Seul in the spring and our first time at the outpost, which is 30 miles from the lodge.  The weather was perfect the first five days with highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's and the fishing was fabulous.   Our group of five caught hundreds of fish each day and had only one day of fishing with other boats in sight.  Early in the trip we found 1/16th ounce jigs working best.  As the week progressed the fish became more aggressive and we switched to 1/4 ounce jigs.  We used various sizes of Gulp baits to catch most of the fish.  The weather turned to rain and high winds the last two days and while the fish were still biting, we spent some quality time playing cards in the cabin.  Our largest walleyes for the week were 28 inches and our largest northern was 41 inches.  If you like to fish, trips do not get much better than this. 

May 22, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a friend to Wanahoo to enjoy an afternoon of fishing.  The bass and bluegill was excellent.  The bluegill have moved onto the flats for the pre-spawn.  The bluegill pre-spawn and spawn bites last for many weeks.  Wanahoo has many 8 to 9 inch bluegill with a few over 10, well worth fishing for.  I find the 3 inch gulp fry to be an excellent bait to target big bluegill.  The crappie bite was winding down as their spawn is winding down in all but the deeper areas of the lake.

May 21, 2013

Wehrspann Lake-  I met a person at Wehrspann for a morning of fishing.  He likes to catch fish of any size and keep a few to eat.  The crappie and bluegill bite was good but the size was small.  We were able to pick up three walleyes to make a meal. 

May 19, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I met a group at Wanahoo Sunday.  Just like most people they like to catch lots of fish and quality fish if available.  Wanahoo did not disappoint again.  Loads of crappie, lots of bass and the bluegill bite is really starting to turn on.  We continue to easily catch limits of big crappies for people to take home.  We are just starting to move away from the jig and bobber bite to more of a straight jig and swim bite.  Another outstanding day of fishing.

May 18, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a group to Wanahoo for the day.  Wanahoo continues to be outstanding with lots of crappie, bass, bluegills and the occasional northern pike.  They kept a limit of nice big Wanahoo crappies and released numerous others.  The windy weather was only a minor impairment.  The fish are just plain and simple on the bite.  We continue to catch virtually all the fish on jigs and soft plastics.  A great day on the lake.

May 15, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took two people to Wanahoo for the day.  The fishing was spectacular.  They caught a limit of big Wanahoo crappie early, I cleaned them, put them on ice and went back out on the lake to catch more fish.  They proceeded to catch probably 100 plus crappie over 11 inches.  Wanahoo is one of the best lakes in the midwest for numbers of quality crappie right now. 

May 14, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  My son returned home from college and had to get his fishing fix.  We caught loads of crappie and bass.  We went to different spots on the lake to see what the water temperature was and try to find some new areas for this time of year.  The crappie are spawning.  The fishing is fabulous on all lakes when the water hits this temperature this time of year.

May 13, 2013

Walnut Creek-  A person I met at the Boat Show who lives by Walnut Creek wanted to learn how catch fish especially from spots that were accessible from shore.  We took the boat to an area by shore that is typically very good this time of year.  He caught a bass on the first cast and continued to pull several bass by shore in the area.  We then took the boat to an area the crappie typically hang out this time of year and proceeded to catch numerous crappie with some 10 inch fish in the mix.  The bass were also biting very good along with plenty of bluegill.  This was my first trip to Walnut Creek this year and it was a lot of fun to show somebody how simple it is to catch fish in the same spots year in and year out.  Fish have some very predictable seasonal migrations.  Understanding these migrations is the key to consistently catching fish from one year to the next.

May 12, 2013

Lake Cunningham and Lake Wanahoo-  I had a person who wanted know some walleye spots at Cunningham.  We went to some spots in the morning and were only able to catch a couple of fish and they were not walleye.  Walleye fishing is not something I specifically guide for too often in this area.  We are not in a major walleye area but we can occasionally bump into decent numbers of them.  We then headed to Wanahoo for a more predictable bite for this area.  The crappie bite was fabulous.  We kept a limit of 12 to 13 inch crappies and threw back numerous others.  We also caught many bass and bluegill.  The fishing is and will be outstanding for awhile now.

May 8, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I took a person to Wanahoo for an afternoon of fishing.  As the water warms this time of year the fishing gets better and better.   We were panfishing and the bite was excellent. The fish had moved into a bay and were biting almost every cast for two hours.  Most of the fish were crappie and bluegill along with some bass and northern pike.  Lots and lots of fish. 

May 6 and 7, 2013

Lake Wanahoo- I took a group to Wanahoo on Monday and Tuesday.  The bass bite was good on Monday with most of the fish from 14 to 17 inches, but the rest of the fish had not turned on yet.  The light switch turned on Tuesday and all the fish were on the bite.  We caught many bass, some bluegills, a good mess of crappies, and the northern pike went on a binge for about two hours.   Along with all the other fish they landed, they were able to land some nice pike with the three largest boated measuring from 33 to 35 inches, probably 10 to 13 pound fish.  Two very fun days on the water.

May 5, 2013

Sherman Reservoir-  My nephew wanted me to fish with him in a walleye tournament at Sherman.  The walleye limit on Sherman 2 fish per person between 15 and 20 inches and 1 over 28. In a walleye tournament you are not allowed to upgrade fish, so you have to make a choice as to which fish to keep.  We boated a limit of 15 to 20 inch fish but threw fish back in hopes of catching bigger fish to do better in the tournament.  Even though ended up with only three fish at the scale, I was impressed with Sherman as a walleye lake.  Sherman is about 3 hour drive from Omaha and worth the trip for those that want to catch walleye in Nebraska.

April 30 and May 1, 2013

Lake Wanahoo- I returned from a fishing trip in Northern Kentucky and went fishing from shore at Wanahoo for two hours each morning.  April 30 was 70 degrees and windy at seven a.m. and the fishing was fabulous for crappie and bass. The front hit overnight and the temperature was 39 degrees and the wind was blowing 30 mile per hour on May 1st,  but the fish were still biting like crazy.  All of the crappie were within a half inch of twelve inches and only one was a male.  They have not spawned yet.  All of the bass were within an inch of 15 inches and were super fat.  The weather is supposed be consistently warmer starting next week.  The fish will be biting on all the lakes in the area.

April 21, 2013

Wehrspann Lake- I fished from shore at Wehrspann for a few hours and was surprised to find many crappie, bluegill, and bass in the shallows.  The length of day must be moving the fish in shallow.  When the warm weather hits as forecast later this week, the bite will turn on.  If you have been waiting for the fish to bite now is the time get going.  Once the water warms the fish start biting with relative consistency.  As late in the year as it is, the bite should be good to excellent for quite some time.

March 29, April 6, April 8, 2013

Lake Wanahoo-  I have been and will continue to fish Wanahoo for two simple reasons: I need to learn the seasonal movements at the lake and I believe it will be the best overall lake in the area for the next several years.  Because of the low water levels, I have been taking my small boat north of the walkway.  As of April 5th very few fish had moved in shallow.  On April 8th the crappie and bass had moved in and become active.  All of the fish caught on the 8th were reachable from shore.  This is common early in the year after a few days of warmer weather.  Cold weather will turn the bite off again.  Fishing is not consistent yet and based on the weather forecast will not be consistent until sometime in May this year.

April 4, 2013

Mozingo Lake, Missouri- I had a friend invite me to go with him to Mozingo for a day on the lake.  I had never been to Mozingo before and was very with impressed with the lake.  The surface temp was 46 degrees.  We fished some of the many brush piles that Mozingo has to offer and caught good numbers of all sizes of crappies along with some bass and moderate numbers of bluegill.  We kept 30 crappies from 10 to 13 inches and probably threw back 50 others.  A very good day on the lake.

March 31, 2013

Wehrspann Lake- I fished from shore for a couple hours in the morning.  Wehrspann has some seasonal movements that are easy to take advantage of from shore.  I caught a few bluegills in the 7 inch range and some crappie from 9 to 11 inches.  I caught all the fish on a size 6 hook with a 2 1/2 gulp minnow.  I did not use any weight.  Anything I tried to move faster did not produce a fish. 

February 21 to 24, 2013- Omaha Boat Sports and Travel Show

I will have a booth at the show.  Stop by and talk about fishing your favorite lake in the area or just stop by to talk fishing, always a good conversation starter.  I am offering the following boat show special:  book a full day trip and I will add an ice fishing trip. We have good ice this year.  If you would like to take advantage of the ice fishing trip now and book the full day trip for later this year, I can make that work.  Hope to see you at the boat show.

The ice at Wanahoo is developing weak spots and open water by some shorelines.  I do not plan on ice fishing Wanahoo any more this ice season.

February 3, 2013

Lake Wanahoo- I took three people to Wanahoo on their first ice fishing trip.  Fishing was identical to the day before.  Lots of fish with the bulk of the fish being bluegill up to 9 inches, crappie up to 12 inches and bass up to 16 inches.  The weather was fabulous again.  The fish were biting fast enough to keep everybody's mind off the super bowl.  My best lures for ice fishing have Hali Sukkula jigs and Swedish Pimples.  I take the treble hooks off the Swedish Pimples and replace them with a chain hook.  We then tip the hook with a wax worm.  A great day to be on the lake.

February 2, 2013

Lake Wanahoo- I took a father and son to Wanahoo for an ice fishing trip.  The weather was great and lots of fish were biting.  Most of the fish were bluegills up to 9 inches along with some very nice crappie up to 12 inches and bass up to 17 inches.  As a new lake Wanahoo will continue to be a learning process as to were the best spots for size and numbers will be at the different of year. A great day of fish catching although the overall size was smaller than in past times out.

December 28 to January 8, 2013

As of January 8th the ice is 10 to 12 inches thick on lakes in the area.  There are some weak spots you can fall through where the current flows.  Always be aware of the lake and its makeup when ice fishing, be smart and ice fishing is extremely safe. Some lakes have been outstanding all day while other lakes have been a tough day bite but follow with a good night bite.  Hali Sukkula jigs tipped with a wax worm has been my best all around lure for crappie, bluegill and some nice bass.  The ice should be good for a while.