State's fishing forecast lists Duck Creek for bass
Louisville site and Branched Oak on chart for fish populations
By News Channel Nebraska
NEBRASKA CITY - Nebraska Game and Parks has released its 2022 fishing forecast.
Sampling charts show Louisville locations, Duck Creek Recreation Area and Branched Oak among top 10 fishing spots for fish species.
Lousiville #2 and Duck Creek are listed in the top 10 for largemouth bass.
Daryl Bauer, outreach program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, said waters with a lot of bass do not necessarily produce big bass.
Bauer: “When looking at sampling data for the best bass waters, those with the highest number of bass may not offer opportunities to catch fish larger than 15 inches. On the other hand, lower densities of largemouth bass can offer anglers the best opportunities to catch bass larger than 15 inches.”
He does not list Louisville #2 or Duck Creek among small to medium-sized reservoirs where largemouth bass will be particularly good this year.
Electrofishing monitoring shows Duck Creek with fish primarily in the 8 to 12’” range and 12 to 15”, but none over 15 inches.
The Nemaha NRD opened the recreation area in 2018 northwest of Peru with largemouth bath called fingerlings, which were about the size of a finger. In four years, the monitoring shows that most are in the eight to 12-inch range.
NRD Manager Kyle Hauschild said he expects the size range to continue to increase at Duck Creek, where there is a catch and release rule for bass.
Hauschild: “They don’t have far to go to reach trophy size.”
Hauschild said he has heard good success for fishing this year and said panfish like blue gill and crappie are being caught.
Branched Oak is fifth in population of channel catfish.
Louisvile #3 is fourth for bluegill
Blue, channel and flathead catfish can be caught in the Missouri River of southeast Nebraska
Bauer cites Louisville SRA for sunfish, Branched Oak for big wipers, and Lousivlle No. 1 for blue gill.
Fishing forecast
http://outdoornebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022-Fishing-Forecast-for-web.pdf
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