70 Nebraskaland • April 2026
MIXED BAG
Scrolling through the Nebraskaland Digital
A rc h ive a t A rc h ive s.O u td o o r Ne b r a s k a .g ov,
I paused on the May 1960 cover image and its
teaser "Best Bait Going." I was beyond excited.
What was the new-fangled answer to every
angler's problem 65 years ago? What might I
discover that today's anglers had long since
forgotten about?
I quickly turned to page 12, engrossed with
the possibilities.
"THERE ISN'T an angler who doesn't sport a
surplus of artificials in his tackle box," the text
read. "And chances are he'll also cache some
worms. But for real insurance, he'll include a can
of minnows. Along with garden hackle, these
lively come-ons are the most popular bait going.
"The bluegill is about the only fish that shuns
minnows. Trout, walleye, sauger, northerns, bass,
perch, crappie, and channel catfish all find the
minnow tempting fare … .
"The effectiveness of the bait depends
much on the abundance or scarc ity of
minnows in the water. Before the spawn
in the spring, minnows prove a rare treat.
Later, when the water warms and teems
with fry, they aren't as desirable. During
the colder months, fish are more inactive,
and often only minnows will lure them
into action."
We l l , s o m e t i m e s y o u c o m e a c r o s s
something that surprises you. Other times,
like in this instance, you just nod your
head, say "Obviously," and press on. It just
goes to show that fishing hasn't changed
that much.
However, some of the other tips in the
1960 article continue to apply today.
• Do not subject minnows to rapid water temperature change.
• When purchasing, look for "clean, strong minnows,"
without missing scales.
• Always aerate a minnow bucket. As the water temperature
warms, these fish use more oxygen. A crowded minnow
bucket does the same.
• Hook the minnow through the lower lip, back or tail. Avoid
the brain and backbone to keep it alive longer on the hook.
• Keep leftover minnows alive until the
next trip by feeding them goldfish food,
b u t n o t s o m u c h t h a t l e f tove r fo o d
accumulates in the carrier.
"When all else has failed," continued
the 1960 article, "the minnow moves in
to transform the hook into an irresistible
come-on. The smart fisherman who knows
how and when to use this lively runt parleys it into a catch
at least 20 times its size. Is it any wonder that it's about the
'best' bait going?"
The best? I don't know about that. Still, it's one to remember
when fish are hard to catch.
NEBRASKA'S BEST BAIT
Celebrating 100 Years of
Nebraskaland Magazine
By Jeff Kurrus
