Jerry Kane
Public Information Officer | jerry.kane@nebraska.gov | 402.471.5008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Discover Ice Fishing clinics scheduled in January

LINCOLN – Learn the basics of ice fishing or pick up a few new tips at three free Discover Ice Fishing clinics in January.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host a clinic Jan. 14 at Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area (west boat ramp) from 1 – 4 p.m. On Jan. 21, the Nebraska Fish and Game Association will host a classroom clinic at Yanney Heritage Park’s Environmental Resource Center in Kearney from 8 a.m. – noon. This clinic will feature presentations by some of Nebraska’s top ice fishermen. An on-ice clinic will follow from 1 – 4 p.m. at Yanney Lake.

Registration is requested for the classroom clinic. Email Harold Fankhauser at harold@nefga.org to sign up. Registration is not required for the other clinics. Those who register for the classroom clinic by 5 p.m. on Jan. 20 will be entered in a drawing for a new ice auger.

Equipment and bait will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Families and ice anglers of all skill levels can receive guidance on techniques, equipment, bait and safety. Participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment. Hot cocoa will be served.

A park entry permit is required at Lake Wanahoo, which is located north of Wahoo. All fishing regulations apply.

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Game and Parks offers boat decontamination training

LINCOLN – Operators of boat repair shops and marinas can play a vital role in the fight against aquatic invasive species (AIS). The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is interested in providing these operators free training in watercraft decontamination procedures.

With increasing concern about the spread of AIS such as quagga and zebra mussels via watercraft, Game and Parks is looking to partner with those operators as a preventative measure. 

Over the years, several boats that had live zebra mussels attached have been brought to Nebraska boat repair shops for winterization. Those shop operators have notified Game and Parks after discovering the zebra mussels, and Game and Parks helped those operators eliminate them.

In Nebraska, zebra mussels are present in the Offutt Air Force Base Lake, Lewis and Clark Lake and the Missouri River.

Any operator of a boat repair shop or marina interested in receiving this training should contact Game and Parks’ Dave Tunink at dave.tunink@nebraska.gov or 402-471-5553. They should provide name, phone number, location, and the days they would be available for training. This training likely would take place in February or March. These operators could become certified to provide decontamination services to watercraft owners when needed.

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Gizzard shad targeted for removal from Wehrspann Lake

LINCOLN – The chemical rotenone has been applied at Omaha’s Wehrspann Lake in order to remove gizzard shad.

Gizzard shad are susceptible to a low dose of rotenone while fish such as largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish and crappie are less affected. Low dosages of rotenone are done at low water temperatures to increase its effectiveness on shad and lower impacts on nontarget species.

“Gizzard shad are targeted for removal because they are a detrimental species in small reservoirs such as Wehrspann,” said Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “With their high reproductive capability, gizzard shad compete for the same food used by young sport fish such as bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass. The presence of gizzard shad in a small reservoir often results in reduced natural recruitment, growth and body conditions of sport fish.”

Rotenone, derived from the roots of plants that grow in South America, inhibits the uptake of oxygen at the cellular level. It only affects gill-breathing organisms.

Next spring, additional 4-inch largemouth bass will be stocked in Wehrspann.

“Those small bass should have good survival once the gizzard shad have been removed, and they will provide extra predation on any remaining shad,” Bauer said. “Anglers can expect to have good fishing at Wehrspann next spring and an overall improved fishery in the future.”

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