1. NEBRASKA: Three places in Nebraska have hit 118 degrees Fahrenheit — Geneva, Hartington, and Minden. Geneva was sweltering on July 15, 1934, but Hartington and Minden were hit during the same week in July 1936.
2. The CITY OF MINDEN is currently accepting applications for various seasonal positions in the cemetery, parks and pool departments. The positions will remain open until filled. Applications can be found online here or are available in the City Office Read on.
3. Thanks special creditSong: Hook Up SongMusic Composer: Vishal and ShekharSingers: Neha Kakkar & Shekhar RavjianiLyrics: KumaarMusic Produced by Abhijit Nala.
4. Campgrounds in Minden Nebraska: Campendium has reviews of Minden RV parks, state parks and national parks making it your best Minden RV camping resource.

Camping & Lodging

Things to Do in Nebraska, United States: See Tripadvisor's 246,998 traveler reviews and photos of Nebraska tourist attractions. Find what to do today or anytime in February. We have reviews of the best places to see in Nebraska. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.

To create a safer, family-friendly environment, possession and consumption of alcohol is prohibited at Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala State Recreation Areas. Check other KNOW BEFORE YOU GO information from Nebraska Game and Parks here. And see health and safety information here.

If you’d like to stay in a hotel or lodge and play at the lake during the day, click here for a list of the Ogallala area hotels and here for the lake area lodges. Click here for a list of privately owned campgrounds.

Download your printable Lake McConaughy map here:
Complete Park Map With All Facilities

***CAMPGROUNDS within the Lake McConaughy SRA***
Martin Bay Campground: Located near the Martin Bay Entrance off Highway 61, this area features grass sites and most have a table and grill. 93 Basic sites with water available at two locations within the campground. A shower facility is located nearby at the Martin Bay day-use area. Camping in these basic sites is first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Martin Bay Campground map here.
Little Thunder Campground: Located between the Martin Bay and Arthur Bay Entrances on Shoreline Road, this area features hard surfaced roads and pads with 8 Full Service sites and 34 Electric Plus sites, water available throughout the area and a restroom and shower facility. Half of the sites may be reserved at outdoornebraska.gov; the other half are first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Little Thunder campsite map here.
Lone Eagle Campground: Located between the Arthur Bay and Sandy Beach Entrances on Shoreline Road, this area features hard surfaced roads and 84 Full Service sites with water and sewer available at each site. A restroom and shower facility is also located in the area. Half of the sites may be reserved at outdoornebraska.gov; the other half are first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Lone Eagle campsite map here.
Sandy Beach Campground: Located near the Sandy Beach Entrance off Highway 92, this area features grass sites and most have a table and grill. 28 Basic sites with water available near the parking area. A shower facility is located nearby at the Lone Eagle Campground.
Camping in these basic sites is first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Sandy Beach Campground map here.
Cedar View Campground: Located at the west end of Lake McConaughy off Highway 92, this area features hard surfaced roads and 85 Electric Plus sites and 17 Basic sites. Water is available at nearly every camp site throughout the area and a shower and restroom facility is located in the center of the campground.
Half of the sites may be reserved at outdoornebraska.gov; the other half are first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Cedar View campsite map here.
Lake Ogallala East Campground: Located at the East Entrance of Lake Ogallala off the Keystone Lake Road, this area features hard surfaced roads and pads with 82 Electric Plus sites, water available throughout the area and a restroom and shower facility. Half of the sites may be reserved at outdoornebraska.gov; the other half are first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Lake Ogallala East campsite map here.
Lake Ogallala West Campground: Located at the West Entrance of Lake Ogallala off the Keystone Lake Road, this Campground is spread across multiple locations on the west side of Lake Ogallala and includes many lake front sites. All sites are grass and most have a table and grill. 203 Basic sites with water available at the fish cleaning station, playground and south boat ramp.
Camping in these basic sites is first-come, first-served.
DOWNLOAD the Lake Ogallala West campsite maps here:

***CAMPING AREAS***
Camping in these areas is first-come, first-served.
Shoreline Road: With entrances at Martin Bay, Arthur Bay and Sandy Beach, Shoreline Road has 18 designated Camping Areas on the beach and shoreline.
DOWNLOAD the Shoreline Road area map here.
Lemoyne Bay Camping Area: Camping Areas are designated near Lemoyne Bay off Highway 92 including beach areas. A vault latrine is located on site with no water availability.
Spring Park Camping Area: A Camping Area is designated near the Spring Park Entrance off Highway 92. A vault latrine is located on site with no water availability.
Otter Creek Camping Area: Camping Areas are designated near the Otter Creek Entrance off Highway 92. Portable restrooms are available with water available at the fish cleaning station.
Cedar View Camping Area: Camping Areas are designated on the beaches at Cedar View in multiple locations. Portable restrooms are located nearby and water is available at the RV dump station and fish cleaning station.
Omaha Beach Camping Area: A Camping Area is designated near the Omaha Beach Entrance off Highway 92. Portable restrooms are available with no water availability.
Eagle Canyon Camping Area: Camping Areas are designated near Eagle Canyon off Highway 26 including beach areas. Portable restrooms are available with no water availability.
Lakeview Camping Area: Camping Areas are designated near Lakeview off Highway 26 including beach areas. Portable restrooms are available with no water availability.
Ogallala Beach Camping Area: A Camping Area is designated near Ogallala Beach Road off Highway 26. A vault latrine is located on site with no water availability.
High Water Camping Areas: There are Camping Areas designated near Beach Areas 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 along with some parking lots designated as Camping Areas along Shoreline Road during High Water years.

Where Are The Swimming & Day Use Areas?

Lake McConaughy’s white sand beaches make it a popular destination for swimmers and those who want to hang out on the shore and soak up the sun. Swimming is allowed at beach areas unless otherwise posted. Lifeguards are not on duty.
Large designated walk-in, beach day use areas are located near Martin Bay, Arthur Bay, and Cedar View Entrances and small walk-in day use areas are located at each Campground at Lake McConaughy. These areas are perfect for those visitors looking for open beaches and water to play for the day. Vehicles and overnight camping are prohibited in these areas.
Other designated walk-in, day use areas are located around the lake for hiking, bird watching, hunting and fishing access. Vehicles and overnight camping is prohibited in these areas.

What Permits Do I Need?

All vehicles inside the State Recreation Area must display a valid Nebraska Park Entry Permit. Park entry permits are available online, at the Lake McConaughy Visitors Center, and at many area businesses. All overnight camping requires a fee. See outdoornebraska.gov/parkpricing for current permit and fee information.

Is Alcohol Allowed?

Possession and consumption of alcohol are banned within both the Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala state recreation areas.

Find more information about the Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala State Recreation Areas at
outdoornebraska.gov/lakemcconaughy and outdoornebraska.gov/lakeogallala.

Sharing The Shoreline
Remember to share the shoreline with the many bird species that make their home at Lake McConaughy, especially the endangered least tern and threatened piping plover. Visitors are asked to avoid marked or fenced off nesting areas of beach, obey all signs, and keep all pets on leashes. For more information, see the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District website.

When it comes to surf fishing, your productivity and success depend on many factors and variables : the weather, the current, the tide, the length of the rod, the bait, the size of the reel, etc.

Some of these factors are unpredictable, some are uncontrollable, some are expensive and difficult to manage, but there is one factor that you can easily and cost-effectively change while providing a lot of leverage and impact.

This factor is called the fishing rig.

With small changes in the configuration of your line, and without changing anything else in your equipment, you can experience a huge impact on your productivity and bites count.

When fishing the surf, the main goal is to cast the line where the fish hold and present the bait in a natural and appetizing way, so that the fish can not distinguish between natural food/prey and your bait.

That’s why your fishing rig and the way you set up your line are so important.

So what is the best rig setup for surf fishing ?

The best and most recommended surf fishing setup is the fish finder rig. This is a popular line setup known for two things : its simplicity and its ability to present the bait in the most attractive way, making it very effective at catching fish from shore.

How to tie the fish finder rig for surf fishing ?

The fish finder rig is made up of a hook tied to a leader, and a sliding pyramid sinker tied to the main line (or shock leader). The sinker must be tied before the barrel swivel that links the main line to the leader.

What makes this rig the best configuration for surf fishing is its ability to allow the bait to move freely and naturally with the current, making it look like a natural food for most predators.

Moreover, the pyramid sinker will drag your line to the bottom and force the leader and the bait to bounce up and down with the current, which mimics the natural movement of an injured or wounded baitfish.

Another reason why this is the best surf fishing rig is the plastic sleeve that allows the sinker to slide on the main line. This prevents fish from feeling the weight when they strike your bait, and as a result, they won’t figure out the danger until they are already hooked.

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In the next paragraphs, we will discuss in more detail how to set up the fish finder rig, and how to make the most of this powerful surf fishing setup.

The hook

The size of the hook depends on the bait you want to use, as well as the size of the fish you want to catch.

Generally speaking, 3/0 – 5/0 circular hooks will work well in most situations, but if you are targeting very large trophies (over 40 inches), then you should probably consider 8/0 – 10/0 hooks.

Hook Up Beach In Minden Nebraska Obituaries

The Sinker

The role of the sinker is to keep your bait in the bottom where fish are most likely to bite, and also to prevent the current from dragging your bait away.

Most anglers use pyramid-shaped sinkers with the fish finder rig because it resists well to the current and keeps your bait where you cast the line in the first place. However, you can use an egg sinker if the current is not too strong.

The optimal weight depends on the surf conditions. It should be heavy enough to stay at the bottom and not go in the direction of the current.

In general, a 3-4 oz sinker is enough, but you can go up to 6-8 oz if the current is too strong.

Read this article for more information on the best casting weight for shore fishing.

Whichever sinker you pick, make sure it is able to slide on your main line. Egg sinkers can slide directly on the line, but pyramid sinkers require the use of a plastic sleeve with a snap swivel in order to slide.

Here* is a pack of 50 good and durable sinker sliders, ready to use for the fish finder rig.

Sinker sliders for surf fishing

These sinker sliders will make the bait presentation less spooky to fish. In other words, they allow your line and bait to move freely and independently from the sinker, until certain fish takes the bait. Very useful for the fish finder rig

Hook Up Beach In Minden Nebraska 10 Day

Brand : JSHANMEI

One last thing about the sinker is that it can damage the knot that connects your main line to the leader. This is why you should use a 6-8 mm plastic bead between the sinker and the swivel in order to protect the knot.

The leader

Mono and fluoro leaders work well for the fish finder rig. Compared to braid, they are better abrasion resistants and are less visible in the water.

The leader should not be too long. The longer the leader, the more air friction it receives when you cast the rod, the less distance you will be able to reach.

That said, the leader should not be too short either. It should be long enough to protect your line from tail kicks. If you are targeting fish that are 2 ft long, then make sure to use a leader of more than 2 ft.

My leaders are usually 12 to 18 inches, but if you want to use a longer leader, make sure it’s not longer than 3 feet.

Read this article where we discussed the factors that dictate the leader length.

The bait

Both natural baits and artificial lures work well for the fish finder rig, but I would always choose natural baits.

First, natural baits add more appeal to your offering. Second, they can be presented in large pieces.

You can use up to 3 inches chunks of natural bait in a fish finder rig and still catch fish. Why ? Because this rig set up offers you the possibility to give the fish a certain amount of slack line after you detect a bite, allowing it to eat the bait completely and get well hooked.

If you use large artificial lures, fish won’t take too much time to figure out they are eating a piece of plastic or metal.

Read more advantages of using natural baits for beach fishing.

Summary

The fishing rig is a crucial factor when fishing from shore. The way you present your bait dictates whether the fish will hit it or not, and also whether it will be hooked after the bite or it will just steal the food and run away.

This is why the fish finder rig is the best rig setup for surf fishing.

It’s easy to make, it does not require a lot of tools and equipment, but most importantly, it offers the best and most attractive presentation of bait, which increases the bites and catches counts.

Note (*) : If you make a purchase through links from this website, we may get a small share of the sale from Amazon or other similar affiliate programs.