The best places to catch fish in the Lincoln area in 2024
Walleye
White bass
Wiper
Bluegill
Crappie
Largemouth bass
Channel catfish
Blue catfish
Flathead catfish
Saugeye
Northern pike
Rainbow trout
Now is the time to get ready for some early spring fishing.
If there ever was a time to plan to get outside and do some recreational fishing, it is upon us or nearly so.
Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, offers these tips to assist with early spring fishing.
Fish for trout: Whether it is a trout stream or a stocked pond or lake, these fish are hungry and usually easy to fool. Fishing for stocked trout is a great way to introduce kids to fishing because simple and inexpensive equipment can be used. A basic light- or medium-action spinning or spin-cast rod and reel combo with a No. 6 or 8 hook baited with a couple of brightly colored nibbles of Berkley’s Trout Powerbait or Gulp Bait will work well.
Some are spawning: Bauer says northern pike, yellow perch, sauger and walleye spawn soon after the ice is gone. “If you target those species now, look for them to be on or near their spawning habitat: shallows with flooded or aquatic vegetation for pike and perch, turbid rivers or canals with gravel/cobble substrates and moderate flow for sauger, and rocky dam faces, points and depressions near dams for walleye on most Nebraska reservoirs.â€
Target channel catfish: Nebraska has some surprisingly good fishing for channel catfish right after ice-out. Gizzard shad and bluegill may have perished under the ice during the winter. Once open water is prevalent, those dead prey fish are pushed by winds toward shorelines and readily available for channel catfish to consume. Look for your channel cats feeding on the dead baitfish along those wind-blown shorelines.
Catch carp: Common carp go to warmer water during the early part of the spring. Unlike other species, carp constantly are cruising around. They swim through the shallows looking to eat small aquatic creatures such as immature insects, worms and other invertebrates. Bauer says the marshy habitat of a water body is a good place to fish for carp using a worm rig.
Think “warm†water: For all the other species, look to warmer water. “Any area where the water can warm a few degrees can be a key spot,†Bauer said. Seek sheltered bays and coves with darker bottoms and pay attention to south-facing shorelines and corners where the afternoon sun can warm the water. Do not overlook the sunny sides of docks or boat storage sheds. Fish the afternoons on nice days, when the water has had a chance to warm for a few hours.
Fish slowly: “Generally, you want to fish slowly or drift-fish with your presentation because the water is relatively cold and the fish are not active yet,†Bauer said.
Keep moving: In the first half of spring, game fish can be at different places on different days even along the same shoreline. Bauer says a good tactic to use is to keep moving. An assertive, always-on-the-move approach helps professional tournament bass fishermen be successful and helps those of us who enjoy sport fishing to catch fish.
Shifts in weather: Plan fishing trips around warming trends and stable weather patterns for better success. Bauer says fish tend to move toward warmer water when the weather is nice but drop back into deeper water when the weather turns cold and the north wind howls.