By Nick Simonson When it comes to angling, I’m a huge fan of matching the hatch to catch more fish and will often start with something natural on that first cast if I know what bass, walleyes, pike and other species I pursue are eating.  Silver jig-and-twister patterns shine for walleyes when the spottails are…

By Brad Durick My what a difference a few days can make for catfishing on the Red River. We went from sluggish fishing with a big fish from time to time to GAME ON! Big fish are biting fast and often. Right now, the fish are on fire and it really does not matter what…

By Mike Peluso Once again the wind seems to be giving us problems up here in North Dakota. Recently, one out of every three days the winds are strong enough to keep us off the water. When you can get on the water and things are right, the bite is on! One thing I have…

By Nick Simonson Summer adds so much to the menu for foraging gamefish.  From baitfish and young-of-the-year panfish like perch, bluegills and white bass, to insects and crustaceans, now is the time that bass, walleyes and other popular targets for anglers fatten up to survive the leaner months in winter and make it to spring…

By Nick Simonson No other season seems to go by as quickly as summer.  In these northern tiers, the warmth often feels like it’s here and gone in a matter of days, as opposed to the three months the seasonal calendar actually allots. With the heat and the warming of the region’s waters – the…

By Brad Durick The big news this week is the ramps in the Fargo/Moorhead area are opening up. Grand Forks where I am fishing is nearly perfect for boating by my standards. All three ramps are now open. No docks yet but I suspect they will be coming shortly. Fishing is fairly tough as it…

By Nick Simonson Two months ago today, it snowed and snowed and snowed; and it wasn’t just for a day, but for nearly four straight days that the skies remained gray under a stalled low-pressure system, where the wind howled, and drifts of ten feet in depth that blocked traffic into and out of my…

NDG&F Release North Dakota’s deer gun lottery has been held and more than 5,500 deer gun licenses remain. Only resident applicants who were unsuccessful in the lottery can apply for remaining licenses. More than 71,000 individuals applied for a deer gun lottery license, in addition to over 13,600 gratis applicants. The 2022 deer gun proclamation allows for…

NDG&F Dept. Release The number of roosters heard crowing during the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2022 spring pheasant crowing count survey was down 22% statewide from last year. “The decrease came as no surprise,” said R.J. Gross, upland game management biologist. “We documented below average production from late summer roadside counts and the…

By Mike Peluso My report this week is one of relocation and more wind. I was able to guide Friday on Devils Lake before the hurricane and we did well. I’m now relocated to Lake Sakakawea so we will have about a month worth of reports from here. Before I talk about Lake Sakakawea let’s…

By Nick Simonson Aside from the physical appearance of prairie pothole sloughs filled to the brim with runoff from spring snow melt and rain, the ability of these engines of America’s duck factory to support broods of waterfowl has been supercharged.  The ducklings now emerging from nests alongside these refilled lowlands and onto their heightened…

By Nick Simonson Atop the tank of the basement toilet, where any good publication of any sort rests in any household, sits a well-worn copy of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. As a smaller reference book, it tops of the stack of old Outdoor Life and Dakota Country…

By Doug Leier One of the struggles in preaching about safety is that, quite honestly, no one heads out the door thinking a boating or water tragedy may occur.  No matter the outdoor activity, there’s always a safety checklist, and I’ll never lose sight of the importance of keeping everyone safe from start to finish….

By Brad Durick We finally got in the Red River at Grand Forks on Sunday, June 12. As far as I know the two Grand Forks ramps are the only two open boat accesses on the on the Red River right now. As of now there should be little change. Due to the river levels…

By Mike Peluso Things have really started to heat up here on Devils Lake! The impressive walleyes and total weights in the Spirit Lake Casino Tournament recently are evidence of that. So, what’s working for walleyes? Maybe a better question or easier question would be “what isn’t!?” I truly believe you can catch fish on…

By Courtney Wilhelm For most of my life, I had dreamt of experiencing a mountain lion hunt and it was at the top of my hunting bucket list. For a time it seemed as if it would never be anything more than a fantasy but in December, I was able to embark on a trip…

By Nick Simonson For some, the scent of summer is that of hamburgers on the grill, floating into the evening air between houses and through yards, ringing the mental bell of Pavlov’s dog in even the most civilized of us.  For others, it’s the smell of freshly opened lilacs, a sweet fragrance which industry has…

By Nick Simonson The Restoring America’s Wildlife Act (House Resolution 2773, or “RAWA”), introduced in the United States Congress in 2021, is a bill designed to improve habitat for threatened and endangered species throughout the U.S., but its benefits go far beyond those at-risk creatures in decline around the country.  Through contributions to state management…

By Doug Leier I’ve connected with many compassionate people in person, on the phone and via email regarding situations with young wildlife, and I understand it’s not easy to step back from the urge to “help” an animal. Most people understand why the answer remains consistent even if they don’t like it. The best advice…

By Brad Durick Finally, I get to tell you something good. The projections the past few days on the Red River have the ramps in Grand Forks opening as early as Saturday, but it will probably more like Monday. Water temperatures and the time of year are saying we missed the best part of the…

By Mike Peluso We finally have received a couple lighter wind days and we have also been able to get around Devils Lake a little more. Both of which have helped the fishing. The water hasn’t warmed up a ton yet but it’s getting better, it is currently 60-62 degrees and the water is mixed….

By Nick Simonson The workings of rut-influenced bucks go a bit haywire in November.  Where they could be patterned in summer and early fall, their daily mechanics go out the window when the breeding season hits and they’re driven by natural instincts to do their part in begetting the next generation.  The same can be…

By Nick Simonson “That’s why they say Montana is the big leagues of fly fishing.” My brother’s words stung like a spring training cut for the lifetime AAA baseball player that knew this was his last shot at the majors, but still found the pink slip tucked into the air slot on his April Arizona…

By Nick Simonson In the turn of the creek so tiny I could step across it I saw the tell-tale sign that suggested brook trout were lurking along the cut.  The fast water of the tiny flow rolling down from the small impoundment in the recreation area above spun out against the grassy bank, still…

By Brad Durick Storms over the weekend have put our flood situation on the Red River right back where it was last week. Only this time, we will have to wait a week for the river to rise and fall again. It now looks like around June 15 before boats will be able to get…

By Mike Peluso I honestly cannot believe this is my last spring river fishing report. It just feels like we all got cheated out of a nice long season here. It is what it is, so here we go. Looking back, the Missouri River opened up around Bismarck in mid-March like normal. Maybe it was…

By Nick Simonson When afforded the opportunity, accessing an entire lake, stretch of river, or impoundment provides the greatest clarity on where fish are, what they’re up to, and how they’re biting.  While sometimes we’re limited by time, access, and terrain; a boat or a fishing trail around many angling destinations opens things up, and…

By Nick Simonson With the lottery drawing deadline for the 2022 North Dakota firearms deer season fast approaching on June 8, many factors influence the set number of tags awarded through the state’s online lottery process: herd health, weather conditions, disease and habitat availability affect the opportunities made available to hunters during the state’s most…

By Nick Simonson Staring out over the glassy lake, the early morning was a symphony of spring, and like the trill of the redwing blackbirds coming from down the beach in the brush surrounding the high flowing creek, it was a far cry from the day before.  Then, as my wife and I took the…

By Brad Durick All of my Red River reports from last year had some mention of low water and dealing with where we could and could not go. Let’s start 2022 off with a change. We have been flooding here on the Red River  since mid-April. It is officially the latest start to catfishing that…