By Nick Simonson The cold weather season presents an opportunity to put together new color combinations and tried-and-true favorites for fish of all stripes, including today’s subjects – pike and muskies.  Learning to tie a simple dressed-treble bucktail spinner serves as the base for all forms of toothy-critter creations in the future – flashabou in-lines,…

ON THE UPSWING (For Now). Temperatures moderate for the weekend, but we dip again for the New Year’s holiday as sportsmen set out on the ice once again during ND’s free fishing weekend, and those upland hunters look to close out their season on the penultimate weekend (go deeeeeep!).  We cover those topics and more…

By Nick Simonson   With the turn of the calendar, many look to take on new pursuits, including those in the outdoors.  Among the many options to explore is fly fishing, a pastime which melds art, physics and biology into a passion on the water. When most people think of fly fishing, they think of…

THINK SPRING!  If you’ve just completed your shoveling projects, we’ve got some ideas for warm-weather plans you can kick back with as we work our way out from under the blanket of white.  We talk about how to improve habitat and considerations for wildlife planting in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo:  We thought you…

By Nick Simonson It’s played out in a similar fashion over the past several hunts, an early-flushing rooster pheasant rises unexpectedly at the start of a walk, cackling into the air with wings whirring, shocking me into shooting mode.  In the slightly warmer days that have passed into the recent history of this year’s hunting…

EXTENDED HOLIDAY!  Don’t turn off that Christmas Vacation marathon just yet!  Today’s snow will have many locked inside or struggling to get home from work this evening, but this will give you a chance to get settled in with all those new outdoors gadgets and gifts and pack up those from the past season. We’ve…

MERRY CHRISTMAS! From all of us at Dakota Edge Outdoors, have a peaceful and and joyous Christmas!  The timing of tomorrow’s storm will allow you to enjoy the holiday and try out that new shotgun or ice rod that Santa dropped off. We give the system one more look and go around the horn in…

A GREAT GIFT! Ma Nature’s present to you is a Christmas Holiday and extended weekend with perfect conditions for hunting and fishing.  The Grinch comes on Wednesday behind a powerful system expected to bring a foot of snow to some parts of the region.  We keep an eye on that and more in today’s Three…

WITH A BOW. Your last shopping days are upon you, but here’s hoping you’re done and ready to hit the ice or squeeze in a hunt.  In today’s Three Things, we’re keeping an eye on Christmas conditions and looking ahead to a weathermaker next week and where it will land. Featured Photo:  A young buck…

By Nick Simonson With the hours ticking away until Santa visits your favorite angler, helping the jolly old elf find the stocking stuffers to wrap up a Christmas holiday doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.  What follows is a range of lures and other gear for under 10 dollars that can be easily recalled…

FEELING FULL. It’s not just that warm holiday feeling either!  The December full moon is upon us today as winds rush across the region, bringing a downward departure from the above normal temperatures we’ve experienced.  Anchor those ice houses until tomorrow when things calm down.  We look at your (extended?) holiday weekend outdoors in today’s…

By Nick Simonson No matter what water you visit, no matter what you fish for, the pheasant tail nymph (or “PTN” as it’s known in fly fishing circles) is the staple nymph pattern in any fly box.  From a fast-moving stream filled with browns, to still lake loaded with bluegills, or cold mountain pond stocked…

SOLSTICE STOMPING!   It’s the first day of winter, not that you could tell leading up to it but a cool down is in the works to more seasonable temperatures.  We chat solstice, full moon and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Pheasant tracks crack the icy and crusted snow remaining on a small stretch…

WHERE TO GO. You may have friends and family showing up for your last two weeks of hunting (which also coincide with the holiday season), and finding where to go and what to hunt is just a click away.  We share some favorites in today’s Three Things for getting your final trips all squared away….

WHOOSH! Winds will rise today following some overnight rain, and at chance at some more this afternoon.  It’s a good inside day and we’ve got projects planned for you in today’s Three Things to take advantage of outdoor opportunities and be set for the next season. Featured Photo: Stashed. Trolling rods find a winter home…

FIRE IT UP. Today will be ideal to ignite those late season hunting plans or get the auger roaring as calm winds and warm temps settle in for one last stay before tomorrow’s breezes roar in, tomorrow might be best to warm up to some inside projects.  In that theme, we talk about the effects…

FUN WITH THE FARM BILL!  Wow!  Congress can still get something done – and something good for hunters and conservation! At 27 million acres, the CRP cap under the 2018 Farm Bill is up 3 million acres from 2014 where it sat at a recent low of just 24 million acres.  We look at this…

WHAT’S THAT WSI? We kick off our 2018-19 Winter Severity Index, tracking the conditions that impact the wildlife populations in North Dakota with our first of eight reports!  We get into the numbers behind the process, what it means for next year’s hunting, and just how easy the start of this season has been! Featured…

CALL THE COPS!  Someone stole December and we’re looking at the big FIVE-O today!  That’s right, a rare 50 degrees (almost twice our average high) is on tap for today’s outdoor adventuring, even as the sun nears its weakest point and shortest amount of daylight (we start gaining on sunset tomorrow night, though!).  We keep…

By Nick Simonson The multi-colored blades hanging on the tackleshop wall lit up my eyes like Christmas lights as I prepared for what has become a holiday and wintertime tradition of tying up walleye spinners for friends, family and the non-profit outdoor groups’ silent auctions I contribute to this time of year.  I know that…

MERCURY RISING. There’s no end to the warm-up in sight, as high temperatures soar into the 40s for an extended stretch.  Take this into account as you size up the ice on your area lakes and make plans for the holiday season!  We talk about both of those topics and other options in this unseasonable…

By Nick Simonson Every year about this time there are stories in the headlines that have most people shaking their heads.  A truck goes through the ice, a towable shack house sinks during an untimely warm-up, or an angler unfamiliar with the elements of a body of water finds himself in trouble.  While most of…

WARM SURGE.  Today and tomorrow continue the region’s warming trend and set the stage for great weekend hunting conditions with moderate winds and above-average temps.  We talk about that and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Short Range.  The snow recedes on an area of rangeland along the Heart River Valley south of Judson….

THIS IS IT! We’re closing out some seasons, opening up new ones and even looking ahead to those that will come in 2019.  We talk about these items and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  The setting sun highlights the orange breast feathers of a rooster pheasant. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Tue…

SCHOOL’S IN!  As we get closer to holiday break, it’s tough to think about finishing out the semester, when “school” will take on another meaning as kids hit the ice with family and friends (maybe you’re taking a few?) When targeting schooling fish through the ice, we have some lessons to get the bigger ones…

By Nick Simonson If you’re looking to give the gift that keeps on giving to your favorite angler, or maybe just trying to find a way to burn up these dark winter nights in your den, a fly tying kit is the end of both holiday shopping quests and the beginning of a great pastime. …

LOOKING OUT.  The week looks fine for ice fishing or hunting, and we tap into some new resources made available by the G&F as part of today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Three eyes. Know how big the walleye population is getting in your water with help from Sampling Data.  Simonson Photo   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast):…

WINTER WONDER!  This weekend is setting up to be quite good for sportsmen getting on the ice.  With high temps in the 20s and low winds, expect to see many in the general population making their first moves to hardwater.  We continue to share our tips for this time of year in today’s Three Things….

GILLY, GILLY! With first ice established, one of our favorite early pursuits is panfish. In today’s Three Things we share tips for finding bull bluegills and consistent action. Featured Photo:  A nice bluegill caught and released on a small ND lake. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Thu 12/6 – Calm & Cold. Hi 17,…

ONE DAY WIND.  Gusts return today, but after they subside, you’ve got a great four-day stretch to get going on your favorite winter activities.  We talk about that and more and how to beat the bluster in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Tap That. A set of ice anchors will help hold houses in place…