By Nick Simonson   As area lakes and flows heat up, fishing action for bass can be fast, but that doesn’t mean a quick presentation always rules a day on the water.  While crankbaits and spinnerbaits may pick up a few fish, the use of soft plastics like tubes, craws and sticks allows for direct…

PERFECTION.  June couldn’t start any better than with the fishing conditions you’ll be getting today!  Highs in the 70s, light winds and a new moon rising will make today one to remember.  We get wet and wild with waterfowl surveys and in Our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  Profile in Plumage. A mallard strikes a pose…

By Nick Simonson   Somewhere between the black screen report of a low battery drained by the cold morning of fishing, and the loading of the boat with a near limit of walleyes in the livewell at the wind-swept launch an hour or two later, it vanished from the shallow pocket of the borrowed camouflage…

FINAL FRIDAY! It’s the last day of May and our final Friday in an uncommon month with five of them!  We look ahead to the start of meteorological summer tomorrow, where DEO is at today, preview a great weekend on tap for all your fishing adventures and check out some weird wildlife in our Outdoors…

FEELIN’ HOT!  Welcome warm conditions return to the region as part of an extended stay as we crack 80 today and stay into the upper 70s throughout the weekend.  We’ve got trail cam tips, a look ahead and suggestions for angler success from the FWS in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:  SMILE! A trail camera…

HOT SEAT?  Things are going to feel warm after the chilly start to spring as today’s temps jump into the upper 70s and tomorrow’s top 80.  We talk about late spring fishing tactics in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Warm Up.  A solid 18-inch smallmouth comes to hand for DEO’s Nick Simonson. DEO Photo by…

WELCOME WARMTH!  Things heat up as we head out of the holiday weekend and highs in the 80s are on tap for the coming days.  In the meantime we check in on painted turtles and fishing tourneys as part of our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: Best Seat In The House.  A painted turtle scales a…

WHAT’S BUGGIN’ YA?  Sure, your holiday Monday is a bit cool, but enjoy the time away and remember those who served and others who had an impact on your life today.  As we unofficially kick off summer – hey, have we even had spring yet? – we look at some favorite insect visitors in today’s…

By Nick Simonson Spring brings with it regrowth of vegetation both on land and in the water.  While the former in the appearance of light green leaves bursting from buds gives us a sign that the season has finally arrived, the latter provides a signal as to where fish will be and exactly the places…

IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU.  We’re here at the midpoint of the holiday weekend and while the weather is mixed, the times should be good.  We cover boating safety, smelly baits and another seasonal midpoint in today’s Outdoors Roundup Featured Photo: An angler battles a fish in a creek outflow at sunset.  Simonson Photo.  …

SOME SUN!  Saturday starts the three-day holiday weekend off right with near ideal conditions for time on the water as sun, highs near seventy and light winds make things pleasant.  We cover walleyes, some great duct tape life hacks and how to make your lures really spin in our Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo: A hazy…

DUCK DAYS.  Another wet day today will benefit the ducks in our region as we eye the holiday weekend for fishing, fun and family.  We check out tips for boat launching this busy weekend, look at where DEO will be next week and cast a glance toward hunting season in today’s Outdoors Roundup. Featured Photo:…

By Nick Simonson As I staked out the long-term forecast and searched for some bright spot in the near future – hopefully for the upcoming holiday weekend – I caught a fragment of the interview with David Letterman that was going on in the background noise of the television morning show, in which he and…

DAM!  We’ll shake loose from the rain for a day, and with relatively light winds things should be manageable on the water, but we’ll need to get through one more dousing tomorrow before we’re (mostly) clear of this week’s precip problems. We look ahead to the long range for conditions, talk life jackets and how…

WET, BLANKETS.  More precip is on the way and chilly temps today too as we muddle through another round of rain.  We go around the horn in today’s Outdoors Roundup with requests for board members from BHA, free fishing in ND and a look at pheasant nesting conditions. Featured Photo: WILL IT? A willet pauses…

SLICK. It’s tough to beat a brand new spool of line on a reel.  The hope and feel that it’ll take the next big fish and make a minnow out of it is a great sensation.  Things will be a bit slicker with the rain coming through tonight and tomorrow, so we keep our eyes…

DRY DAY. Our one-day reprieve from the rain will be welcome, but we’ll struggle to touch sixty before the next round of precipitation douses the region.  We continue to look ahead to the holiday weekend, a wrap on the CTL season, and an amazing bass landing in today’s Outdoors Roundup.   Featured Photo:  GOOD GRIP….

CONSERVATION CUT.  Continuous CRP sign-up is on the horizon and the impact of conservation is clear beyond birds and deer, as we talk about a pollinator helping produce beer as part of today’s Outdoor Update.   Featured Photo: ROOSTER ROLL. A rooster pheasant works his way to a line of pines in the green spring…

SATURDAY SOAKER.  Today will be a washout as up to an inch of rain will fall across the region, in the meantime, plan for safe fishing with tips in our Outdoor Update. Featured Photo: Rough Water.   Wear a life jacket, stay in contact and let family or neighbors know where you’re fishing on each trip….

By Nick Simonson   The running joke every Sunday, when the more than 200 students on our six area Clay Target League teams get together, is that it’s easy to tell it is our shooting day.  This spring, conditions have been, without fail, the worst of the week on our designated afternoon at the gun…

TOO EARLY TO TALK DEER?  Never!  We delve into this year’s deer lottery in ND, check out some food plot prep tips and get the low down on big racks in our Outdoor Update as we await a soggy, windy weekend. Featured Photo:  SIDE GLANCE. A deer in velvet gets caught in profile on a…

NDG&F Dept. Release North Dakota anglers, water recreationists and anyone working in lakes or streams are reminded to follow these simple regulations to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species. Know the laws, as each state and province have their own rules and regulations. North Dakota regulations include: Do not import live aquatic bait. Use…

GROUNDED.  You might feel like it with the weather that’s rolling in for the weekend, so take advantage of today and what remains of our one-week sampling of spring!  We get you caught up on some fisheries and fishing knowledge in our Outdoors Update. Featured Photo:  Squirreled Away.  A groundsquirrel (a/k/a gopher) ducks behind a…

WINDY ONE!   Gusts kick up today as instability builds into the region. We cover tips for young wildlife encounters, the coming shift in the weather and a rare visitor to the states in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  IN THE WEEDS.  A young whitetail deer peeks out from some foliage. Simonson Photo   WEATHER (Bismarck…

By Nick Simonson     On Apr. 22, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDG&F) issued a press release announcing that a 16-pound 9-ounce walleye caught by Tom Volk of Lincoln, N.D. “broke a record” when he reeled in a “32 and one-half inch fish from shore along the Heart River in Mandan, besting…

CRANK IT UP!  Another nice day with light winds will give you an opportunity to get out there and get on fish.  We wander around the web for some of the worst lures, some good fly fishing targets and take stock of the sunlight we’re adding each day in our Outdoors Update. Featured Photo:  LOOP…

GET THE SHADES!  Warm, sunny and generally calm is the story this week as long-awaited temperate conditions take hold over the region. We take a look through the benefits – from letting you see what’s swimming below to avoiding a hook in the eye – of a good set of sunglasses on the water in…

By Nick Simonson   There will be an exodus of sorts as anglers head east from North Dakota for the Minnesota fishing opener this weekend.  While sportsmen have been enjoying a successful start to walleye and pike angling on the various lakes and rivers throughout the Peace Garden State, much of Minnesota remains closed until…