28 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
Trout stocked in small ponds can be caught
on a variety of baits and lures, depending on
their mood for the day. I've caught stocked
trout on jigs, spinners, worms, plastic bait and
marshmallows, and they are usually easy to
catch.
The best way to catch white bass is to use jigs
and spoons. Use a feather marabou jig or a plain
jig with a worm or plastic grub. White bass tend
to travel in schools at different depths, depending
on the time of year. To fish from the shore in
the spring and summer, look for surface activity
as white bass roam the open water to chase and
feed on baitfish. Find the school, and you may
reel in fish after every cast.
To fish for catfish, use a sliding sinker rig (see
sidebar) to bottom fish. Bait the circle hook with
a nightcrawler or cut bait. Using the same sliding
sinker rig, you can also use dip bait lures that are
designed to hold stink bait.
Setting the Drag
After you've rigged up your fishing rod,
you will need to set the drag. The drag is a
mechanism on your fishing reel that determines
how much resistance the fish will feel when it
pulls on the line. The proper drag setting will
be tight enough to tire the fish when it fights,
but not so tight that the line breaks. While drag
locations differ from reel to reel, in general
Sliding Sinker Rig
T
he sliding sinker rig can be used to bottom fish for
catfish and a variety of other fish. It allows fish to tug
onto bait without being spooked from the resistance of
your line. To set up a sliding sinker rig, cut a 12- to 18-inch
piece of line off your main line to use as a leader. Slip a
sliding sinker (weight) on to the main line and tie a swivel
to the end. If you think your swivel can get lodged into the
sinker eye (which can cause more resistance and spook
fish), thread a bead between the sinker and swivel. Next,
tie your leader to the other end of the swivel and then tie
the hook to the leader. Bait the hook, cast and allow bait to
sink near the bottom.
Kelly Corman of Bassett teaches his wife Jen how to fish at Keller State Recreation Area by Ainsworth.
ILLU
LLU LLU
LUSTRA
STRATION
T
BY
Y Y Y
TIM TIM TIM T
REIG REIG REIG REIG REIGER
ERT
RT
bait
hook
barrel
swivel
sliding
sinker
main
line
12-
to
18-inch
leader
