By Nick Simonson There’s no fish more welcoming to me than a smallmouth bass.  Having grown up with them during my formative fishing years on the Sheyenne River in southeastern North Dakota, they made up the bulk of my pursuits as I learned the ways of flowing water.  When I married and relocated to the…

LOOKING OUT. Things appear nice into Friday night, where heat and a slight disturbance in the evening will trigger thunderstorms across the region.  While we’re looking ahead, we check out the current status for the pheasant nesting season and some local and national conservation options in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: A hen patrols…

PLAYING HOOKY.  If you’re looking to extend your holiday weekend, this week would be the perfect one for it as conditions and temperatures facilitate time outdoors, and some rumbles and rain look to be in the forecast for the weekend.  We go around the horn in today’s Three Things with some general info on what’s…

WHAT’S BUGGIN’ YA? I guess it’s the fact we have to get back to the grind after a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with perfect weather and some awesome fishing around the region. All around us, signs of summer are cropping up as the unofficial start to the season is under our belts. We talk about…

STICK IT TO ‘EM! Plastic stick baits like the Yamamoto Senko and the dozens of other knockoffs of the original have become synonymous with spring bass fishing – really bass fishing in any season – and are easy to use.  We offer up some tips for these baits to help you catch more fish! Featured…

HUNGRY? Probably not after the brats, burgers and more from the first full day of our long weekend.  But you know the fish are, as a bounty of tiny creatures are starting to show up for their dining pleasure. We talk about these morsels in today’s Three Things, so you know what’s on the menu….

HAVE A CRAPPIE DAY! Conditions will be anything but crappy as warm air settles in over the region.  Remember that awful spring we had?  Yeah…me neither!  But with highs north of 90 today, it’ll be the start of a Memorial Day weekend for the memory books.  Speaking of memorable, the shallows are coming alive with…

By Nick Simonson The first insects of the year to emerge en masse are midges.  While most are relatively tiny – less than one quarter of an inch (or size 20 or smaller on a fly hook) – some can be quite sizeable.  Around the water’s edge, it’s common to see swarms of these gray…

CALM CONDITIONS.  After today’s breeze, tomorrow’s conditions will be calm and sunny.  Knowing how to target light sensitive species like walleyes will keep you on fish all holiday weekend, even in the middle of the day.  We lay out some pointers in today’s Three Things. Photo: Smooth sailing.  A pair of grebes cruise the calm…

SHINING THROUGH. A great holiday weekend is setting up, with temperatures having a chance to touch 90 in the area and the only real threat of rain forecasted for when it’ll be time to pack things up and head home on Monday night.  We check the fishing forecast for Memorial Day weekend and get you…

NDG&F Press Release North Dakota boaters are reminded to exercise patience and plan accordingly when heading to a lake or river this summer. The state Game and Fish Department receives a number of complaints every year about overly aggressive behavior at boat ramps. A few simple reminders will help ensure a fluent transition when launching…

MONSTER MIDGE. Summer’s pump is getting primed as the first crops of insects emerge.  Among those winged ones are midges, ranging anywhere from a millimeter or two to almost three-quarters of an inch long, the buzz of the first major midge hatch (going on along a water body near you) is tough to miss on…

NDG&F Press Release More than 50 local fisheries throughout North Dakota now have a fresh supply of catchable trout, as state Game and Fish Department personnel are wrapping up their annual spring trout stocking efforts. Fisheries production and development section leader Jerry Weigel said while the number of fisheries statewide is at a historic high,…

SOAKIN’ IT IN! Warm conditions persist through the week, and wildlife species of all stripes – and shells – are getting active.  We talk about that and more in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: Painted Turtles rest in the sun on Harmon Lake north of Mandan. Simonson Photo.   DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast):…

WE’RE SET! The hookset can be the most exciting moment in angling.  Filled with anticipation of connecting with a fish, having the right technique will help bring more of them to boat.  We go through three common standard tackle hooksets in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: The sun sets on a great weekend of…

HE’S NO DUMMY. Spring time is puppy time and the start of training for fall.  From scent lines to dummy retrieves, there is lots to do and you can never start too early with a young pup, or in conditioning an older dog in getting acclimated to the fun of the hunt.   Featured Photo:…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept.   Just like everything else this spring, the boating season is a little delayed. But as the air and water temperatures heat up, thousands will head toward the water to enjoy time fishing, boating, on personal watercraft, paddling a canoe or drifting along in a pontoon.   Whenever that first…

HEAR ANY GOOD FISH STORIES LATELY?  The state of North Dakota celebrates a new walleye king as Neal Leier of Bismarck dethrones the dubious and long-reigning Wood Lake walleye from 1959 with his 15-pound 13-ounce fish caught yesterday morning in the rain on the Missouri River.  While the cool and rainy conditions under which Leier…

By Nick Simonson With the catch of a 32.5-inch, 15-pound, 13-ounce walleye on the morning of Friday, May 18, 2018 from the Missouri River by Neal Leier of Bismarck, N.D., the previous state record walleye which stood since 1959 has fallen, but according to the angler who caught the fish, it was an outing that…

MAKE A RUN. When tangling with hard running fish, be they bass, pike, muskies or large trout, managing specific aspects of the battle and being cognizant of advanced techniques can help land those fish who put your equipment and skills to the test. We share those tips in today’s Three Things. Photo: A charging smallmouth…

By Nick Simonson The sun broke free of the high, hazy clouds that held the forecasted temperatures in check and the world around our boat in the shallows of Little Detroit Lake lit up in a verdant show of the first emergent weeds of the season.  Having worked hard in the chilly mid-day gray, flipping…

ARE WE CLEAR?  Now that all of the snow has melted and runoff into lakes has settled down, things are clearing up on area waters.  Use this time to assess not only the flash and quality of lures, but how you control them by seeing the results of your actions first hand. We talk about…

NDG&F Dept. Press Release North Dakota’s 2018 deer season is set, with 55,150 licenses available to hunters this fall, 650 more than last year. In total, antlered mule deer licenses increased by 150 from last year, antlerless mule deer by 550, antlered whitetail by 150 and antlerless whitetail by 150. The North Dakota Game and…

BROWN TOWN. We’re off the Edge getting our stream trout fix in old stomping grounds and sharing some of our favorite tactics with you as part of today’s Three Things. Photo: A brown trout rests streamside in the net prior to release. Simonson Photo. DAILY CONDITIONS: WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Wed 5/16 – Even hotter! Hi…

LOON-ACY.  While the name of the bird “loon” is NOT derived from the moon, or lunar, a good number of other words are. We talk about those origins and the pull of the moon on fish and wildlife in today’s Three Things. Photo: A loon moves about in the gray morning light. Simonson Photo. DAILY…

JUST HANGIN’ OUT!  What a great start to the week, perfect for fishing, shooting sports, barbecuing or taking it easy.  In the cool waters of this late spring, those quick tactics might not be hitting their stride as they normally do in this stretch of the season, and we talk in today’s Three Things about…

BIG TIME BASSIN!  Largemouth bass are pre-spawn right now, which means some of the best fishing for the biggest lunkers of the year is at hand.  Get insight on how these fish react to the world around them in today’s Three Things.   Featured Photo: DEO’s Nick Simonson with an 18-inch largemouth caught on a…

WIDE OPEN. Looking east, the Land of 10,000 Lakes opens up with ice still breaking apart on many northern tier lakes, while the “opener” in terms of iceout here in ND was some time ago for most fisheries in the state, with Sakakawea finally clearing this week.  We talk about the function of opening days,…

By Nick Simonson Spring is the time for big fish, and big fish have been coming up in good numbers throughout the last few seasons, thanks to increased practice of catch and release by conservation-minded anglers looking to continue the opportunities for trophy-sized fish and sustainable fisheries.  The success of North Dakota’s continuous fishing season…