48 NEBRASKAland • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
to slow-rolling spinnerbaits, to catch largemouth at this
southwestern lake this month. A good place to start is near
any visible structure.
Sleeper
Don't rely on Merritt alone for musky fishing. Wagon
Train, Fremont Lake No. 20 and L.E. Ray near Grand Island
are worth trying, especially when you may be the only one
muskie fishing there. Fish above 40 inches can be found in
each of these.
July
These are the dog days, when air conditioning often
sounds better than sweating on the lake all day. But
for those who don't mind the heat, there are plenty of
underwater rewards.
Calamus Reservoir
White Bass
White bass numbers are fantastic at this reservoir. Look
for gulls and surface feeding early and late in the day. Drop
into deeper water for vertical jigging, watching your depth
finder for schools of shad.
Lewis & Clark
Mixed Bag
Troll for walleye, sauger and white bass with crankbaits
close to the bottom across river channels and drop-offs.
Try lead core line to get your lures deeper. Your main focus
is covering water, so use the two lines per person you're
allowed. When you're tired of trolling, look for smallmouth
bass along the riprap dam, entrances to coves, and other
breakwaters with downsized crankbaits and spinners.
Swanson
Wipers
Go deep in open water by jigging, casting or trolling. Use
cast nets to match the size of the lake's shad, and increase
size of your lure choices through the summer as the shad
will grow as well.
The 20 sandpits at Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area provide a variety of angling opportunities, including many locations where
you can fish from your lakeside campsite.
Stockings of cutthroat trout on Open Fields and Waters
properties along the White River west of Fort Robinson State
Park have provided another unique opportunity for anglers.
PHOTO
BY
ERIC
FOWLER
PHOTO
BY
JUSTIN
HAAG
