By Nick Simonson The lesser-known opener in Minnesota, which now parallels the traditional start to walleye and pike season in early May involves the catch-and-release seasons dedicated to two of my favorite fish – largemouth and smallmouth bass.  And along the sleepy shorelines of clear spring waters, I patrolled two of my preferred lakes for…

By Brad Durick Catfishing on the Red River is hot and heavy and in full stride already. With rains from last week bringing water levels up a couple feet the fish have really kicked into high gear.  Water temperatures are in the high 50s right now which is perfect for early May. They are still…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota’s 2025 deer season is set, with 42,300 licenses available to hunters, down 7,800 from last year. In addition, muzzleloader licenses decreased by 150 and restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses remained the same. Casey Anderson, North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, said population, harvest and survey data…

By Nick Simonson With the lack of a spring flood, warmer than average temperatures, and stable weather along the Red River valley this spring, angling for the flow’s catfish is already in mid-season form.  While those factors have aligned to kick things off almost a month ahead of schedule, anglers are more likely to be…

By Mike Peluso It is hard to believe how fast this spring is going.  It feels like just yesterday I walking down to the river in front of my house to look at the ice chunks floating and the shorelines still white.  The Big Muddy walleye tournament is always the pinnacle of the spring walleye…

By Nick Simonson “What are you catching them on,” the mother across the pond hollered to me as my youngest boy Jackson landed a feisty stocked rainbow for my older son AJ. With a wave that I was on my way, and a scamper up the embankment of the small community water with my tacklebox…

By Nick Simonson As spring conditions warm and boaters take to the water with more regularity, the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) reminds all watercraft users to clean, drain and dry their boats and jetskis as they depart their favorite lakes as part of the agency’s annual Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Awareness Week,…

By Doug Leier I’ve long appreciated the fact that in North Dakota we can talk about deer and deer hunting any time of year. While fall discussions typically revolve around the deer numbers and the coming hunt, this time of year there’s plenty to discuss about the state’s deer lottery. Of note, there’s no real…

By Brad Durick Spring is here and we are about two weeks early for catfishing from a normal year. With little to no winter, the water levels on the Red River in and around the Grand Forks area are low and water temperatures are already at 53 degrees. Stable conditions already have the catfish going…

By Nick Simonson With a  temperate spring and generally favorable conditions, turkey hunters in North Dakota have been able to take advantage of the comparatively long hunting season in hopes of tagging a tom.  What’s more, increased tags in 2025 compared to the previous spring have allowed more sportspeople to get out in the field…

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s 2024 pheasant and sharp-tailed grouse harvests were up, while gray partridge was similar to 2023, according to the state Game and Fish Department. Upland game biologist RJ Gross said the overall harvest was likely a result of more hunters, more trips and more birds in the population. “The winter of 2023-24…

By Mike Peluso What a week of walleye fishing we’ve had out here on the Missouri River near Bismarck!  I had guide and tournament partner Jason Feldner with me this past week and between guiding and pre-fishing for the AIM Pro Walleye Tour tournament, we logged a lot of hours on the water.  Jason and…

By Nick Simonson I’m a numbers guy.  I’d rather be catching tons of fish than hunting down that one large one that’s going to test my drag and my mettle. I’ll take action over size any day on the water.  At this point in my fishing career, I’ve chalked it up to a combination of…

By Doug Leier  For many, the other side of the window in May is a path to the first tulips and annual flowers emerging, spotting the first baby goose or even swatting a mosquito. Gardens are planned and planted, golf clubs, baseballs and softballs are as common as minnows, jigs and spinners. We look forward…

By Nick Simonson Once in a while on a couple small lakes and ponds I frequent with the fly rod where the panfish are huge and the pressure is light, particularly before the calendar flips over to May, there’s a midge hatch of epic proportions, and the bugs themselves are disproportionately large as well.  Normally,…

By Nick Simonson The angling on Devils Lake will likely provide anglers with consistent action this spring as the ice recedes and the first runs of pike and walleyes make their way up into the shallows of the massive water.  Throughout the season anglers can expect to find increased numbers of eater-sized walleyes, along with…

By Mike Peluso Lots of changes are happening out here with the walleyes on the Missouri River near Bismarck. The biggest of those has been water temperatures due to the changes in weather. In the early part of last week things were good with slowly climbing water temperatures. In fact, I kept hearing of a…

By Nick Simonson Spring is a time of growth, not only in the natural world as tightly wrapped buds unfurl and create the green canopy and carpet around us, expanding their branches and their bound but also in the opportunities provided to expand our reach to others in the outdoors.  With the warming days, generally…

By Nick Simonson From all indications, the Missouri River is set for an epic spring of angling with relatively steady weather conditions and limited fluctuation in water levels allowing anglers to get out and experience great fishing for the water’s walleyes.  According to fishing guide Mike Peluso, the fish and the flow are in good…

By Doug Leier  In a perfect world everyone would get a buck tag and a stringer full of walleyes. But as much as we nod and smile we acknowledge not everyone wants a buck tag and there are some anglers who would take a few nice crappie, perch or (gasp) pike.  There is no one…

By Nick Simonson Water temperature is the driving force for many fish species in spring.  Not only as an impetus for  their annual spawning efforts but also impacting their activity levels being cold blooded creatures, as waters warm in the spring, fish become more active.  Considering water temperatures and the factors that influence their increase…

By Mike Peluso It’s crazy to see this many fish in the river already at this time of year.  Somehow, they decided to show up early and in really good numbers!  Now catching those walleyes – especially during the busy times – can cause a little frustration.  These fish are slowly getting conditioned to motor…

By Nick Simonson In my early days of fishing, when I had started to make the jump from hook and bobber to other techniques, such as jigs and plastics for walleyes, tubes for bass, and even venturing into using the fly rod for panfish and trout, it was the latter species that seemed so mysterious…

By Nick Simonson Many walleye rigs add the complexity of a snell knot to the mix when hooks, line, beads and blades are all assembled.  While that rolling of fishing line over the hook shank can become second nature with enough spinners and crawler harnesses assembled, there is one hot option that requires far less…

NDG&F Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2024 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a minimum of 350 bighorn sheep in the grasslands of western North Dakota, down 4% from 2023 and 6% above the five-year average. Despite a slight decrease from the record count in 2023, the 2024…

By Nick Simonson A strong forage base is the foundation of a great fishery. Having a dynamic food web ensures little fish become big fish, and there’s one protein-packed element in many midwestern lakes and rivers that powers everything from perch to bass to walleyes and that is the scud.  Better known as freshwater shrimp,…

NDG&F Release A total of 42,416 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 23,300 deer during the 2024 deer gun hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the state Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish made available 50,100 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 55%, with each hunter spending an…

By Doug Leier  If you haven’t purchased your new fishing license, it was due April 1. I’d encourage you to give it a try on the Game and Fish app. Last year I did it for the first time exclusively on the app. I did the same this year and it was even quicker than…

By Nick Simonson After a mild winter with little concern for winterkill due to good ice conditions and limited snow cover, lakes in the southeastern portion of North Dakota are set for a solid spring and summer of openwater fishing.  Those four major waters in the region – Lake Ashtabula, Jamestown Reservoir, Pipestem Reservoir and…

By Mike Peluso So normally this time of year my reports on walleye fishing activity on the Missouri River in and around Bismark consists of water clarity, ice conditions, boat ramps and so on, but not this spring! Things are in full swing already on the Missouri River, and I couldn’t be happier.  There are…