REPEAT!  Another nice day is setting up for the region with some clouds but lessened winds from Friday’s gusty conditions.  Take advantage at one of the many boat ramps in the state, and check out this year’s winning Junior Duck Stamp along with some youth shooting sports news in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  A…

By Nick Simosnon   In the light winds, the boat drifted easily toward shore as I missed yet another hookset on the paper-mouthed crappies staging on the edge of the shallows in preparation for the spawn. Slowly, I felt the back of the boat catch on something and turn with the slight breeze.  I looked…

FULL MOON FRIDAY!  It’s an angler’s dream today as the full moon aligns with the holiday weekend, warm temperatures and a little bit of chop to start off the walleye run on just about any water that’s open in ND.  We talk about that, big game lotteries and some help in the backcountry in today’s…

By Nick Simonson   A year ago, the pike ran so thick at the end of the late spring it almost seemed likely that one could walk on their backs across the surface of the water below the small rock dam.  This year, under the warm white light of the mid-April sun against a pure…

POTPOURRI.  We get a mix of everything today in terms of fishing, while the day starts cool, calm and foggy and ends warm, windy and clear.  We cover eyes on walleyes, skirts on muskie baits and the top bass circuit in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Taste the Rainbow.  A hank of rainbow marabou flash…

SOAKER.  A wet Wednesday will help green things up and erase the last few remaining drifts along the countryside. We talk bighorn sheep and bad fish transactions in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Spawnin’ Slab.  A white crappie dons darker stripes and speckles for the spawn. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Wed 4/17 –…

MIDWEEK WONDER. A warm, sunny and calm day today will be the highlight of the week as clouds build in over the evening and rain falls overnight. We track the forecast and upcoming seasons, along with an outdoors access bill that won’t die in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Hide & Seek.  A rooster pheasant…

GO LARGE.  As temperatures stabilize, we dig into some largemouth bass history at home and abroad in today’s installment of Three Things. Featured Photo: Lip Lock.  A largemouth bass comes to hand. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Mon 4/15 – Nice – Hi 52, Lo 35, Wind W@13, G20 Tomorrow:  Tue 4/16 – Calm…

WARMING.  We’re looking forward to a relatively warm and windy week where the remainder of last week’s snow should say sayonara. We’ve got that glimpse ahead in today’s Three Things, along with a look at paddlefish recovery programs and hitting the spring pavement in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: A meadowlark hangs out on a…

By Nick Simonson Fishing great Al Lindner once said, “Ninety percent of the fish occupy ten percent of the water.” As spring river walleye angling goes, that is often the truth.   Isolating productive areas of moving water is what turns spring fishing into catching.  Reading the water and focusing on prime spots puts more fish…

HOOKED.  Saturday will be the nicest day of the weekend with generally calm conditions turning into light south winds by evening, use it to get outdoors and catch those first runs of fish, but don’t get hooked, things get breezy again tomorrow. As you get set for the season, we have some suggestions and guidelines…

By Nick Simonson Anywhere big fish eat little fish, you’ll find room for the Clouser minnow.  Kept simple and sparse, it moves freely in the water and is dynamite on bass, panfish, trout, pike and other piscivorous species. Customize to confidence colors or the hues of baitfish in your waters and you’ll have a selection…

A BOATLOAD.  While SD and MN got socked with heavy snow, ND was mostly spared, though the accumulations and wind were enough to shut down the eastern edge of the state.  The system wraps up today, and the melt will be on (again) next week – and then boating season will be here.  We get…

By Nick Simonson As the ice fades from white, to blue, to black to open water, one of the first species available for anglers throughout the region are the trout in the scattered streams and lakes of the upper Midwest.  Whether it’s stocked browns in the Redwood River of southwestern Minnesota or rainbows in the…

TUCK & ROLL.   It’ll be a taste of winter again as the region catches the back edge of the system rolling through.  To help you survive the day, we check out some NDG&F fishing reports, important legislation and a look at jackrabbits in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Jacked Up.  A jackrabbit lays low in…

THE DODGE?  The snowline creeps a little more northward with each model run as extreme southeast ND falls into the “red zone” of 12-20 inches with this weather maker running to our south.  We give it one more look along with other pertinent items in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Head Down.  Expect snow for…

RISE ABOVE.  While southeastern ND may get a glancing blow from the snow system moving through this week, much of the state stays above the storm line. We keep an eye on that and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: On the Wing.  A hen pheasant flies down a draw near Bismarck. Simonson Photo….

LAST DRY ONE.  Warm and windy conditions persist ahead of a notable shift in the weather.  We check out the line and see where we sit along with more outdoor news in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Take Cover.  A rooster pheasant runs the edge of roadside vegetation. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Mon…

DRYING OUT.  A sunny and windy Sunday will help dry things out as northwest gusts dominate the day.  We provide some spring prep tips in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:   Light geese pause in a wet spring field. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Sun 4/7 – Clear & Windy – Hi 65, Lo 38,…

DARK.  While things will be drizzly and damp today, watch for a shift tomorrow to clear this system out.  In other dark news, SB 2315 returns in worse form and famed Animal Planet angler Jeremy Wade returns with a new show.  We cover those and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:   Dark woolly buggers…

By Nick Simonson   The North Dakota State High School Clay Target League (ND CTL) continues to grow as the league enters its fourth season in the state.  With over 1,600 shooters and more than 60 teams kicking off the spring league this week, ND CTL Director Joe Courneya cites the alignment of the right…

GET CASTING!  As ice gives way to flowing waters, cautious anglers are headed out checking for the first runs of fish.  We’ve got the low down on what’s up and where we’re at with the spring melt and a preview of spring fishing in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  DEO’s Nick Simonson casts for pike…

GUSTS GALORE!  Winds will be up today, blowing in warmer temperatures for the weekend, and a shot at some rain.  It’ll be hit and miss, but for many the conditions won’t dictate outdoors opportunity – only open water, as rivers and streams bust loose. We run the gamut in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Foot…

SPRING(ISH?)  While today’s cold temps won’t have you thinking hot thoughts, tomorrow’s southern breezes will bring the warm up and the masses of snow geese into the state.  We follow the migration, check out the fishing reports and look ahead in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: With the melt comes early opportunities for trout after…

TWO COOL.  After a squall, today’s wind will keep things chilly, and tomorrow will be calmer but colder.  After that though it’s time to start spring in earnest as temperatures warm into the 50s, 60s and maybe even 70, giving folks a chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors.  We talk about that and…

AWESOME APRIL.  With the turn of the calendar to a new month (and a new licensing season) we welcome spring to the region. We cover those license issues, what’s on tap for the week and some tips for memorable fish in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Time the Run.  Keep an eye on open water…

THAT’S A WRAP!  We bring the weekend to a close with our final review of the DEO Winter Severity Index and all the cool (and cold) stuff that happened  in North Dakota’s signature season. Featured Photo: Think Spring!  We’re looking forward to green grass, colorful roosters and warm yellow sun, now that our WSI has…

By Nick Simonson While known more as a material for nymphs, the pheasant tail feather fibers have been part of a very successful dry fly in my fly box for years.  Whether it’s brown trout on a faraway mountain stream, or local stocked rainbows acclimating to their new environs on some North Dakota lake, this…

A CUT ABOVE.  We’re racing against the coming spring to get our projects done and be ready for open water.  The weekend will be hit-and-miss for outdoor activities, with today’s cooler but calm conditions being the best for some end-of-season ice fishing.  We cover that and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Beavers have…

FIFTH FRIDAY!  It’s the final Friday of March, a rare five-Friday month, so celebrate the unique day with some time outdoors.  It’ll be a bit breezy, but temps will climb near 50 adding some melt and drying things out with the wind.  We cover some favorite spring topics in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Put…