The I-80 "West" Experience

Bass fishing sand pits along the highway in Nebraska

Interstate 80 stretches 2,901 miles from coast to coast. It also passes through Nebraska which is about half way from each end of this widely traveled highway. If one looks real close there are numerous ponds or “sand pits” along the Nebraska section of I-80. These pits were a result of the builders who built this road from digging out sand and gravel for fill material. The pits then filled up with crystal clear groundwater over time. They are known as the “I-80 lakes” and have lots of opportunities for anglers to catch several species of fish including bass.

The Sticks-Nebraska Kayak Anglers held their second roadrunner event on the western portion of these ponds which included 17 locations that stretched from just east of Lexington to Hershey and spanned about 90 or so miles. Anglers could choose any lake along this pathway and even pack up and move to another during the eight hour derby.

Maps compliments of the Nebraska Game and Parks.

On Wednesday evening I set up camp near Lexington and set out to discover where there were places to catch the bigger bass. Everyone knows that Darr holds some giants but I left it alone knowing that it might get hit pretty hard the next couple of days. I found a couple places and one really stood out. It had the only stained water I found during practice. The next day I traveled further west and checked out a few more areas. All I found were smaller bass but there were a bunch of them! It was easy to catch fish with the Neko Rig and Mini Max Chatterbait.

The ZMan Fishing Products Mini-Max Chatterbait played a huge role in searching for bass along the laydowns on the interstate lakes.

The Neko Rig was a very successful presentation on the interstate lakes. A ZMan Fishing Products Big TRD in green pumpkin with KJ’s 1/16th ounce button head weight, a Trokar TK 150 hook, and the new “Snyder” sleeve to keep the bait on the hook.

Although there was a lot of traffic on the interstate the noise would disappear as you focused on catching fish. We had wind, more wind, and even powerful 50+ mph winds the day before the derby which put a damper on kayaking these clear water ponds. I stayed at a friend's place on the river and had the opportunity to fish a couple of private ponds there as well catching some giant crappie, a couple of smallies, and lots of largemouth. One of the neighbors invited me over for some tasty walleye and it was delicious! One of the coolest things I saw in practice was a bass that chased a bluegill clear up to the shoreline with the bluegill almost getting beached.

There were a few chunks that could be caught on the interstate lakes.

On game day I headed to the stained pond and soon after I arrived two more anglers pulled up. This 25+ acre pond wasn’t considered one of the better ponds from the data provided by the NE Game and Parks. The other two anglers and I thought differently after practicing there. We all thought there wouldn’t be anyone else there due to the reports and the stained water. We knew there were some bigger fish in this lake though from practice time spent there. Sure enough, after racing to a really good area on the lake we found them. I landed a 16+ inch bass right away and a few minutes later a 17” bass. There was another angler in the same cove. Anglers have long said, “Don’t leave fish to find fish!” Well, that’s what I did. I went back out to the main lake and fished the laydowns catching another 15” bass. Then three more anglers showed up and it got a little crowded. I found a few more fish on the west end and then left again. What was I thinking! As two of these anglers ended up in the top four of the standings. They both fished very well in this area. I packed up and went to another nearby pond where I knew there were some bigger bass. When I arrived there was only one other angler there. The water was clear here and I fished with a Neko rig and livescope to catch a nice 16.75” largie. That would be the last upgrade for me for the day. After the competition we all met up at Select Sail and Sport in Kearney where we were treated with sandwiches, snacks and drinks by Brady Storrs and his Mom (Bobbi). The awards were also distributed as well.

If you are looking for some adventure and want to catch a lot of bass give these sand pits a try! They are a lot of fun and easy to launch from the shorelines. There is even some free camping at a few of them too!

Video Recap:

Full results: The Sticks-Nebraska Kayak Anglers I-80 Roadrunner Results