THE BIG CHILL. Cold conditions continue today as we emerge from a post-Christmas-dinner coma.  No matter if it was turkey, ham or venison, it’s back to chilly reality as ice conditions improve and sub-zero highs keep us all inside.  Get those rods and tip-ups ready, however, as a warm up a week out looks to…

A COOL YULE!  Merry Christmas from all of us at Dakota Edge Outdoors.  It’s going to be a bit on the bitter side today, so snuggle up by the fireplace in the warmth of friends and family and celebrate this day. There will be time for the ice or field mid-week when things warm up…into…

NDG&F Press Release This month, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department honored its top-performing employees from around the state, working to protect and promote the incredible natural resources, hunting options, and angling opportunities. Kinzler Named Game and Fish Employee of the Year Russ Kinzler, Missouri River System fisheries biologist for the North Dakota Game…

AN ICE CHRISTMAS.  While we’re under freezing all day today, it’s about to get a whole lot colder!  In fact, for those worried about solid ice, rest assured that this week’s holiday chill will have a solid foot or so on most lakes by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around. Here’s hoping you didn’t…

ANCIENTS ON ICE.  The pursuit of sturgeon by rod is relatively new in the upper Midwest, but spearing a sturgeon has spawned songs and legends, especially in Wisconsin.  As we look forward to safe, hard water here in ND, we cast our gaze outward and into the future for sturgeon on ice in today’s Three…

LESS WAITING!  Welcome to the cold part of winter you’ve been waiting for…at least since the hints in early November.  Ice making season is upon us in the main part of ND and where there was just enough ice for angling,  we will have thicker stuff come Christmas.  As we await what’s to come, we…

By Nick Simonson Thirteen years ago, while walking the north side of the railroad fill at my grandmother’s farm on Christmas eve day, my old lab Gunnar gave me the best holiday gift.  Hard off our downhill sprint into the ten-foot wide cattail ditch that paralleled the blacktop highway, he crashed into the reeds, sending…

TIED DOWN.  What does a day with 25 mph winds, cold temps and the threat of snow spawn?  Indoors time and a couple hours to get some snells for walleye spinners tied up for friends’ and family’s stocking stuffers! Whatever your indoor projects were yesterday we hope you got them done, because today is a…

GRIN & BEAR IT.  The northern tier of the state is in the crosshairs for the approaching winter storm, with amounts up to 10 inches possible in some parts of northwestern ND.  The gradient sets up hard along the I-94 corridor, and Bismarck could see anywhere from a trace to four inches, depending on system…

FLAKE OUT? A slight chance of snow is approaching for the region, but models keep pushing down the amounts.  Will it be a dusting that highlights your hunt or a dump that dampens it?  Stay tuned, it might depend on where you are in ND.  In the meantime, we talk more about measuring up our…

By Nick Simonson ‘Twas the night before first ice, and all through the lake, Not a fish had been stirring, not even a splake. The buckets were filled with my rods and my tackle, In hopes that the perch would like jigs trimmed with hackle. The tip-ups were strung with nylon and leaders, To deal…

MONDAY MAGIC.  Take today off and string your weekend out for another 24, as forecasted winds are low and temperatures again top 40.  With the final day of muzzleloader deer season in the books, the fields will see way less pressure in the coming two weeks as we approach the holidays.  The new moon phase…

ON THE FENCE? Don’t be!  It’ll be another great day to get out and about, as above average temperatures persist today with relatively moderate southwest winds.   We check out the upcoming cold swipe and talk more about fences as they relate to hunting in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: A fenceline along some PLOTS land…

ANYTHING BUT A MIXED BAG.  This weekend is in-field perfection while you wait for solid ice.  Light winds, moderate temperatures and a major moon phase align for a final fantastic late fall weekend before colder conditions settle in next week.  Enjoy! We talk about more late season secrets in today’s three things. (Featured Photo:  A…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Ice fishing is certainly a hot topic in North Dakota this year. I can’t remember a year when I’ve heard so much positive chatter, and many anglers who haven’t already ventured out to their favorite lake, or a promising new destination, are waiting in anticipation of good ice to get their…

DON’T GET IT TWISTED.  Lure spin under the ice can seriously turn fish off, as potential energy of spooled or twisted line causes jigs, spoons and other offerings to turn unnaturally, making fish wait for a moment to bite, and when it doesn’t come, they take off. We give some recommendations as to how to…

COMING DOWN.  Winds dip today and nearly disappear tomorrow making for the start of another great weekend that most will spend in the field except in those places with solid ice up near the Canadian line. While it’s still a week off, we’re starting to see models pattern out a temperature drop into the single…

NDG&F Dept. Press Release To help North Dakota hunters prepare for hunting seasons in 2018, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department annually provides its best estimate for opening dates for the coming year. Dates become official when approved by governor’s proclamation. Tentative Opening Dates for 2018 are as follows: Spring Turkey April 14 Deer…

HEY MIKE! What day is it?  You’re halfway to another good looking weekend, with an early forecast showing highs in the upper 30s and moderate winds once again.  In the meantime, get through a couple gusty days and you’re golden.  We talk about that color and its holiday partner in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo:…

NDG&F Dept. Press Release Winter anglers are reminded that any fish house left unoccupied on North Dakota waters must be made out of materials that will allow it to float. A popular question this time of year is if campers qualify as legal fish houses. The answer is the same for any structure taken on…

SEE WHAT I MEAN?  Sandwiched between Monday’s gales and Wednesday’s gusts, you’ll find a perfect looking Tuesday.  With above average highs soaring into the mid-40s, you’ll have great weather to get out in the field or on the ice, but make sure recent winds and high temps haven’t eroded your favorite lake’s frozen surface.  We…

FOR THE KIDS!  While the next week once again sports high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal, the final, solidifying onset of ice making weather will come soon.  Prepare your gear and consider taking a young person out there this season, introducing him or her to ice angling.  When you do, take our tips…

HIT THE 10 RING!  It’s a perfect day to close out your weekend with some time in the field.  High temps cross the 50 degree mark, minor moon phase is up and light winds give your pup that perfect pheasant-finding breeze.  Take advantage, as Monday’s coming with winds and a cool down.  We set the…

BUTTE-IFUL WEEKEND. Unseasonably warm temperatures will once again fall on the weekend, giving you another shot at time in the field, with highs brushing 40 today and over 50 tomorrow.  Hopefully you got your decorating done last weekend so you can chase some birds or pursue that late season buck the next couple of days. …