By Nick Simonson While preparing for the upcoming salmon season, and tying a few extra spinners for summer walleye trolling, my fingers began to find the smoothest of patterns on the various rigs coming together at my desk.  The turns and twists of line around the metal of the hook shank and gentle tug that…

NDG&F Department Release More than 3,500 deer licenses are still available in seven units for North Dakota’s 2022 deer gun season, and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning July 27 at 8 a.m. Central time. Residents and nonresidents who have not already received a lottery or landowner license are eligible to apply…

By Brad Durick Catfishing continues to be good on the Red River in and around Grand Forks but has slowed some over the past week. The heat and a water color variation have made fishing a little tougher but it is still outstanding. There are still many big fish around to be caught with many…

By Mike Peluso The walleye bite at times is absolutely insane for both numbers and quality fish on Lake Sakakawea this past week, with overall fishing success continuing to be good. Walleyes on most days have been trending deeper in the 16-to-20-foot range, but if wind and water clarity are right fish can still be…

By John Bradley Most hunters and anglers understand the important role they play in conserving the habitat of the fish and wildlife they pursue. Most know the phrase “hunting is conservation” made popular by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and other hunting groups over the years. Sportsmen and women know it’s more than just the…

By Nick Simonson The neat thing about labs is they never want to quit. Whether it’s in the field or on a summertime swim, it most often comes down to their owners to know when to say when.  On about the twenty-seventh stick thrown from the end of the dock yesterday morning, the mounting blue…

By Nick Simonson With the lottery application process wrapped for this fall’s firearms deer season, many hunters’ minds are already turning to the cool days of autumn, despite the confirmation from a warm, sweaty suggestion that summer has just started.  In this time of preparation, no other tool is more important in the process of…

By Brad Durick It’s mid-July, and the big catfish just keep coming all up and down the Red River!   It seems that everywhere on the Red River – from Wahpeton to the Canadian Border – is producing great catfish. One big change the past couple of days, however, is that the fish have moved…

By Mike Peluso This week, the walleyes are still biting across Lake Sakakawea. Some areas like the mid-section or the Van Hook Arm can be better, but that doesn’t mean the eastern edge can’t be dynamite! Key depths have been 12-to-18 feet. Now, some days with the right winds and water clarity they move up…

By Nick Simonson Into the back half of summer is when crappie fishing really gets fun.  The evenings are warm, the fish are on the feed, and save for the occasional swatting of a mosquito, the outings are often both pleasant and productive.  Targeting crappies in this stretch of the season requires some searching, but…

By Nick Simonson With the Fourth of July in the rear-view mirror, it won’t be long until birds take to the skies in front of hunters across the northern plains. Keeping shooting form and eye function at their peak requires practice during the off season and one of the best ways to do it is…

By Nick Simonson Whether it’s taking my pick of one out of 10,000 lakes on my Independence Day holiday road trip, or floating down the Missouri River back home, the presence of freshwater is a major part of my summer and presumably that of any other boater or angler enjoying the warmer temperatures of the…

By Doug Leier No matter if you’re attending a baseball game, concert or any summer gathering, getting there and getting home safely and efficiently is important. At a recent concert it was pouring rain, and everyone had the same idea. How can we get out of here as fast as we can? It’s the same…

By Brad Durick Since last week, the Red River in Grand Forks has fallen over five feet. After just a few days off the water for the Independence Day holiday, it is like a totally different world out there as far as how things look. Looks are one thing, catfishing is another. The catfish bite…

By Mike Peluso The walleye fishing is on fire up here on Sakakawea. On certain days, it’s truly remarkable. A mix of slow death, PK prop rigs, and a plain old live bait rig with crawlers is hard to beat. The fish are still really shallow on days depending on conditions, but average depth to…

By Nick Simonson As fishing lures went, the bait I found buried among the myriad muskie offerings on the wall in the old boathouse was a first generation bucktail.  The fluted Indiana blades came from a bulk order I placed when I was first tying up the in-line spinners for muskie fishing more than a…

By Nick Simonson This spring’s decrease in crowing counts for rooster pheasants was not unexpected according to North Dakota Game & Fish Department Upland Game Biologist RJ Gross.   And while the statewide decrease of 22 percent year-over-year of roosters heard marking their territories in the early morning hours on the countryside seems large, he points…

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….