32 NEBRASKAland • DECEMBER 2018
lakes on the Refuge to remove and
keep common carp from these prolific
waters.
Native to Europe, carp cloud the
water with their bottom-feeding
activities, hindering the growth of
aquatic vegetation that is the base
of the food chain and limiting the
productivity of sight-feeding fish such
as bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth
bass and northern pike.
Watts Lake was the test subject when
its renovation began in 2014, and by
the 2018 season, keeper-sized fish were
Above: Don witnessed the ice-fishing explosion firsthand, when popularity increased
in the 2000s and manufacturers like Clam and Vexilar took over the ice-fishing world.
Below: A slab crappie is caught and released on a private Sandhills lake.