OutdoorNebraska

34 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission • 2018 Annual Report FISHERIES ishing is a way for families to spend time together, a way to unwind, a reason to visit one of Nebraska's beautiful lakes, rivers or streams. It's also one of the most popular forms of outdoor recreation in the state. In 2018, Game and Parks sold nearly 200,000 fishing permits. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission strives to maintain good populations of a wide variety of fish for anglers, while keeping the lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams healthy and vibrant. The commission maintains and upgrades lakes and reservoirs, maintains features like fishing piers and stocks various sport fish species. In 2018, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission held a series of public meetings in which they sought input from the public on Nebraska's fishing opportunities and how they could be improved. The fisheries division will use this information, along with information from surveys, to develop a master plan in 2019. Notable projects related to fishing and fisheries management for 2018 follow: F JUSTIN POWELL OF ALLIANCE HOLDS A RAINBOW TROUT THAT HE CAUGHT IN NINE MILE CREEK NEAR MINATARE. POWELL WAS THE FIRST ANGLER TO COMPLETE NEBRASKA'S TROUT SLAM N E W N E B R A S K A T R O U T S L A M C H A L L E N G E S A N G L E R S The Nebraska Trout Slam promotion kicked off in February of 2018. Within a week an angler had completed the slam by catching all four species of Nebraska trout: brook, brown, cutthroat and rainbow. The angler caught the brook and cutthroat trout in Soldier Creek and the brown and rainbow trout in Ninemile Creek. So far, more than 80 anglers have participated in the Trout Slam challenge by entering more than 150 fish. Brook trout and cutthroat trout have been the most challenging to catch with 20 or less of each of those species entered; more than 70 rainbow trout have been entered. We have had eight anglers complete the Trout Slam, including two husbands and wives. One angler has completed the Slam twice!

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