Stocked

Her coat was pink and her skin had been seasoned by time.  She sat underneath an old oak tree with gear that was made to last.  I parked my truck, unloaded my fishing equipment, and headed towards the lake.  “Having in luck?” I inquired.

A smile was the only response I would receive as she casually lifted a stringer full of trout.

“Nice!”  I replied.  “Got any hot tips?”

“Get here early” was the only words she would speak to me.

I set up down shore a ways.  Five minutes later the next truck pulled in.  Then the next.  Then the next.  Eventually the shore was lined with kids, parents, and dogs.  All throwing spinners, tossing bobbers, and trying to catch the recently stocked trout.  In the confusion, the old lady snuck away with her catch.  I stayed until dark landing only one fish.  Reflecting on the evening I couldn’t get the old lady’s words out of my mind “get here early.”

The Nebraska Game and Parks stock rainbow trout in lakes and city ponds across Nebraska during the spring and fall.  These aggressive fish are a great way to introduce new anglers to the sport or for experienced anglers to catch a fresh meal locally.  In most parts of the state you are encouraged to keep and eat these fish because they have difficulty surviving the hot summers in the shallow lakes.

Rain and other obligations kept me from returning for a few days.  On Sunday, I woke up at 6 am and drove to the old oak tree where I saw the lady in the pink coat.  I casted my line and BAM!  Fish on.  I casted back out and BAM!  Fish on. It took less than 30 minutes to catch my limit.  As I was reeling my last fish another angler showed up.  “Having any luck?” he questioned.

“Just caught my limit” was my response.

“That’s cool. Do you have any advice?”

I stoically replied, “Get here early.”

How to Catch Stocked Trout in Nebraska

Check the Regulations – Visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Website to buy your license, review regulations, and see the stocking schedule.

Rod and Reel – Any light action rod with a spinning or closed face reel will work.  Lighter test line seems to work the best.  I used 4 lbs. test monofilament line.

Setups

Bobber and Hook – Tie a small hook to your line (I used #8 Eagle Claw).  Attach a bobber three feet up and put a split shot between.  The strategy is to suspend the bait a couple of feet below the surface.  The bobber will serve as an indicator when the fish strikes.

Hook and Split Shot - Using the same setup as above, remove the bobber and fish with only the hook and split shot (add more split shots if necessary).  The goal is to keep your bait on the bottom of the lake.  Prop your pole up using a Y shaped stick to make eat easier to tell when a fish is hooked.  Make sure to keep your line tight and be patient…often they will hook themselves.

Lure – Small spinners can be effective.  Panther Martins are the go to for me.  A simple hook and split shot usually work the best, but this is a good way to break up slow times when the fish aren’t biting.

Baits - Corn, night crawlers, and Trout PowerBait are all good options.  I have the best luck with the Natural Trout PowerBait.

Keeping Your Fish

A stringer, bucket of water, or cooler of ice are all good places to keep your catches while you fish.  I prefer the cooler method.  It gives me something to sit on while I wait.

Cleaning the fish

Stocked trout tend to be pretty small. I recommend gutting and removing the gills, so you can cook them whole with the skin still on.  Here is a YouTube video that will walk you through this.

Cooking

Eating you fresh catch is the best part of fishing.  Here is my go to method:

1.      Cover the outside and inside of the fish with olive oil.  Then salt and pepper

2.      Add a couple of slices of lemon and fresh basil to the inside of the fish.

3.      Smoke on pellet grill at lowest heat setting for 30 minutes (Mine is 165 degrees).  This step can be skipped.

4.      Remove from grill and wrap in tin foil, heat grill to 400 degrees.

5.      Once grill is preheated, return to grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes

6.      Remove from grill and enjoy.  The skin should pull off easy and you can pick the meat off fish.

How Does This Apply to Business

The lady in the pink coat had it right “You Better Get Here Early.”  A few days later I received a message from my friend Jake H. saying “Put in more work before 90% of the population thinks about getting up.”  The message is clear.  Get out of bed and get shit done.  Waking up early and completing important tasks will give you an advantage in life.  The silence of early morning provides a calming effect and allows one to concentrate before we are repeatedly interrupted throughout the day.

If you feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day, wake up 15 minutes earlier.  Use that time to read, write, exercise, or do activities you are passionate about.  After a month wake up 15 minutes earlier.  Now you have added 30 minutes to your day.  This adds 7.6 days of being awake each year.

Until next time remember, You’re Going to Have to Earn It.