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Extraordinary McCook guide finds – and catches – Nebraska’s biggest fish
by Gene O. Morris

Steve Lytle's work day starts before sunup and lasts past sundown. And, during spring and summer months, he's often on the job seven days a week. It's intense work and it can be exhausting, but Lytle isn't complaining because he doing precisely what he loves to do: helping clients land trophy fish.

Now, Nebraska may not be the first state to pop into one’s mind when trophy fishing is mentioned, but working exclusively in the lakes of southwest Nebraska, fishing guide Steve and his clients have earned more than 5,000 Master Angler awards since 1996.

Any way you look at it, that's a lot of awards, but it is especially impressive since Master Angler standards in Nebraska are difficult to achieve. To qualify, fishermen must catch fish which are well above average size, including walleye which are at least two feet, four inches long, and northern pike which exceed three feet in length.

The Master Angler success of Steve and his clients spans many species, including white bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish, northern pike and walleye, but the most noted catches have been in the hybrid wiper category.

Through the years, Steve and his clients have set seven Nebraska state records for the hybrid wiper, which is a combination of white bass and striper qualities. The series of state records includes the current state wiper mark of 20 pounds, 1 ounce, which Steve set with a catch at Red Willow Reservoir, located 11 miles north of McCook.

Learning since age 3

"Steve knows this lake like the back of his hand," said Monte Madsen, a long-time fisheries biologist who is now retired. "He knows every underwater hump and the ebb and flow of the surface."

That knowledge — combined with hard work and love of fishing — is the reason Steve is heralded as "Nebraska's premier trophy fishing guide."

A fisherman since the age of three, Steve began taking the sport seriously after graduating from high school. Inspired by victories in North Platte bass events in the early 1980s, Steve turned pro, taking part in bass tournaments throughout the United States. He covered the nation, competing in events all the way from the Grand Canyon lakes of Arizona to the St. Lawrence River in New York near the Canadian border.

The professional experience proved valuable for Steve, who began full-time guide work at Red Willow — officially known as Hugh Butler Lake — in 1993. He also guides clients at the other lakes of southwest Nebraska, including Swanson Lake between Trenton and Stratton, Enders Reservoir south of Imperial and Medicine Creek (Harry Strunk Lake) northeast of Cambridge.

The word is spreading

"This area has been one of America's best kept fishing secrets," Steve said. However — because of Lytle's rapidly spreading reputation — that's beginning to change. Television and magazine stories about Steve's fishing knowledge and guide skills have spread the word to fisherman throughout the nation and around the world. "People from Japan, Canada and Mexico have come to southwest Nebraska to fish with me at the area lakes," Steve says.

What attracts fishermen to Lytle — and why they keep coming back — is his total devotion to finding and catching fish. He uses a depth finder and he knows, and follows, the movement of Gizzard Shad, Red Willow's primary bait fish.

He has other fish-catching secrets. One of them is "Lytle's Secret Tail Spinner," a lure he developed with his brother, Rod. The lure, which comes in many sizes and colors, is now manufactured and distributed nationwide by ReelBait of Seward, Nebraska.

A hard day's work

"Guiding is a good life but it's a lot harder work than people realize," Lytle says. "Days start before sunrise and last until after sunset. After the day's fishing is done, there's still boat cleanup as well as organizing lures and stocking live bait for the next day. "From May to September, I'm available to guide seven days a week from sunup to sundown." And, in other months, he offers special bookings.

The word about Steve's fish guiding service is spread through word of mouth and his web site, www.stevelytle.com. He also does shows in Omaha and Kearney, and has been featured on national television shows and leading fishing magazines.

Looking for a trophy?

If catching big fish is what gets your blood pumping, you might consider scheduling a tip with Steve. Lytle is one of a select few fishing guides in Nebraska. "There are a couple at Lake McConaughy, one at Merritt Reservoir up by Valentine and some on the Missouri River," he said.

To book a trip with Steve, the prime season rate is $300 a day for one or two people. Lytle can handle up to four fisherman at a time, with an additional fee of $75 each if more than two are on board. To schedule fishing times with Steve, you can go to his website, www.stevelytle.com and click on "Book a Trip."

The experience could be among the most memorable of your fishing career. Steve Lytle knows where the fish are, and he can show you the best way to catch them. A series of state record wiper catches and 5,000 Master Angler awards provide ample proof. "Steve's been a great help to fishing in Southwest Nebraska," says Madsen, the retired fisheries biologist who comes to Red Willow to fish with Steve every year. "We're lucky to have him."

A former publisher of the McCook Gazette, Gene O. Morris is now a freelance writer based in McCook, Neb. He may be reached by phone at 308-340-5972 and by e-mail at geneomorris@yahoo.com.

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