By Nick Simonson With the approaching chill of fall, an underutilized fishing opportunity materializes in the deeper prairie lakes of North Dakota.  Those waters with depths of 40 feet or more which were stocked with trout in the spring provide an exciting fishery in fall as summer survivors that holed up in the depths and…

FULL FRONTAL.  The overnight front and the strong winds behind it will keep many off the water today.  While we wait for the rebound of better conditions, we go around the horn in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Loons flock up before heading south. Simonson Photo. DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Sun 8/19 – Early…

By Nick Simonson The heat and sun of summertime is perfect for warming up waters and pinning bass in places that give them the shade, ambush points and access to shallow food they need to bulk up for the coming cold-water season.  Nothing fits the bill for such a haunt like the sprawling dock complexes…

HARD AT IT!  Get those casts in now and enjoy the day, but start looking west after dinner as a front rolls in bringing a good shot at rain and noticeably cooler temperatures for tomorrow. We check out that and all that’s to come Featured Photo: Anglers ply the waters of Big Detroit Lake early…

CLASSIC SUMMER.  Today and tomorrow will be your classic late summer weekend, with heat and humidity building in through early Sunday morning.  Then a cold front will having you thinking fall.  We look ahead and talk tags in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: A cloud-shrouded, smoke-enhanced sun sinks in the west. Simonson Photo DAILY CONDITIONS:…

By Nick Simonson Late summer brings with it fast fishing, but it can provide challenging conditions as well.  Gearing up for the home stretch of the season and the start of fall, which produces some of the biggest and fastest bites of the year, requires anglers to rethink some strategies, remain persistent on others and…

VELVET ELVIS. Ahhh…thank ya, thank ya very much. We celebrate the king of autumn as antlers grow and mature in these last few weeks approaching early September and we talk about how velvet works and its “magical” properties in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: A velvet-antlered buck creeps into camera view. Simonson Photo DAILY CONDITIONS:…

RUN IT! We’re in the homeward sprint toward fall hunting seasons, with Goose Management opening today and archery deer and upland seasons just two and three weeks away. Feel the rush as we talk through those topics and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Ole the lab plows through the grass on a hike…

MAKE IT COUNT.  Gear up for the fast-approaching hunting seasons and be ready for whatever comes.  We talk about that in today’s Three Things and address our quick cool down before summer returns tomorrow. Featured Photo: Grey Ghost.  A 4×4 whitetail visits a trail camera site during low-light conditions. Simonson Photo. DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck…

WRAP IT UP. As we head into the homeward stretch of summer fishing, and what can be some great fall action, take the time to check the status of the line that has kept you connected to fish all season long. We talk about those tips and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Filaments….

HOP ALONG HEAT.  Strong southerly winds will bring one more day of extreme warmth to the region before a cool front rolls in overnight and sends the steamy weather south.  We look ahead at that and what’s to come in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Good morning, Mr. Toad. A Woodhouse’s toad rests under the…

GETTING WARMER.  It’s a sizzling Saturday, with temps cracking 100.  Of the two warm days this weekend, this will be the best – with light winds and sunny skies.  Tomorrow, expect gusty conditions and an old-school drought feel.  Speaking of no rain, we address the recent dry stretch in our region and more in today’s…

By Nick Simonson For avid lure makers, there’s nothing more valuable than a few quick shortcuts at the bench to crank out high-quality, customizable homemade baits.  With salmon season firing up, the addition of banded mylar strips to a tackle-crafter’s material list is a must have this time of year.  These stretches of mylar which…

GETTING WARMER.  We’re headed into a super-warm weekend, with Saturday and Sunday’s highs hitting 101. On southern breezes, expect warm and windy to be the tale of the two-day stretch until things cool down into the 80s on Monday.  We talk about that and more in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Time Flies. The…

By Nick Simonson While strolling the aisles of the nearby megamart it hit me like a ton of bricks, or a pile of spiral-bound notebooks, as it were.  The creeping metal twist through covers of blue and yellow binding college-ruled papers brought a slight feeling of melancholy. It was as if I had been transported…

SMOKIN’ HOT. Things stay warm into the weekend, and those slow sultry summer sunsets will be heightened by smoke in the atmosphere.  We talk about where that’s coming from and some summer animal observations and yet another hunting season to prepare for in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: A deep red sunset settles in…

GOING FAST, GROWING FAST. We’re motoring through August, like sprinting pheasant chicks through ditch grass!  Nearing the 1/3 mark on the month, we’ll see temperatures soar this weekend to give you that full summer experience.  We talk about those items and more in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: A nearly full-grown pheasant chick sneaks…

NOTES & NUMBERS. The high number will be 90 or more today as temperatures begin to get back into more August-like reaches.  In addition, there’s lots to sign up for as shooting sports and hunting application deadlines come due.  We have the scoop on those items and more in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo:…

FLASH IN THE PAN. While today will be cool, things will heat up quickly, keeping summer patterns for your fishing action on track and running strong into the second week of the month.  We talk about the near and long term forecasts and what they’ll mean for your fishing (and hunting) action.   Featured Photo:…

TAKE IT EASY.  There are steps to take while fishing that will make the process of catch and release easier this time of year.  With warm waters, the stress of landing fish requires a quick and knowledgable turn-around to get them back in the flow to be caught again.   We talk about those tips in…

By Nick Simonson In Part 1, we tied up the skirts for our mondo muskie spinner.  In this installment we’ll combine them with the rest of the components to finish off a lure that will help you catch more muskies as the spinner slinging season begins in late summer. CLICK HERE FOR STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL In…

WHO’S READY TO HUNT? Patiently awaiting the opening of management goose or dove season?  So is your four-legged friend.  We’ve got some hot weather to get through and still quite a bit of fishing to do, which we address in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo:  Ole the lab pleads his case for a session…

TRIM TIME. NDG&F Roadside Brood Counts are underway, and as hay fields and ditches start to come down with many farmers waiting until after the first of August to mow to protect young pheasants and other birds, we’re seeing broods en masse for the first time, and numbers are looking good. We talk about that…

UP & AT ‘EM!  Temperatures are on the rise today, bringing in a much more August-like feel to the region with a hot and humid stretch coming on south winds. We talk about that and some history and current events on the hunting and fishing fronts in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Shiny Three. …

JIG SOLVED PUZZLE.  There are few places where jigs can’t be employed to catch fish, and these simple options are great for summer panfish or slowly working weedlines for walleyes and perch.  Pick your favorites and hit the water with tips in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Getting Ahead of the Game. Stock up…

SHIFTING. Changes are ahead not only in the next couple of days, but in the outdoor world around us.  We look at what’s coming up, and what’s going down in today’s Three Things as we make our move into late summer.   Featured Photo: What remains. A small vertical island sits separated from what’s left…