Ice Fishing Techniques – Cameras

By Jason Mitchell The education we get from ice fishing techniques such as underwater cameras is invaluable. Having the mental picture of how the presentation or lure looks in the water, how the fish approach the lure and what actions caused particular reactions from the fish sets some anglers apart. Anglers who have this education [...]

Snap Shot Ruler Review

Now you can prove the big one didn’t get away! The new SNAP SHOT RULER easily attaches to any fishing line, grip, or scale and measures fish length vertically so there is less handling of your prized catch. Accurate and photo friendly, this innovative ruler is great for anything from catch and release measurements to [...]

Aquatic Nuisance Species

By Doug Leier It feels like just yesterday, when in fact it’s been over a year and a half, since the first official discovery of zebra mussels in the Red River watershed. First, these aquatic nuisance species were found established in a Minnesota lake upstream of the Red River. Then, to no one’s surprise, they [...]

Canadian Night Crawlers

With fishing season coming to light, it’s a great time to start looking into cheap bait.   You can now buy premium Canadian night crawlers for a lot cheaper then your local bait shop.  Canadian night crawlers are considered the highest quality, largest crawlers available.   One of our newest sponsors now has a special [...]

Good North Dakota Fishing

By Doug Leier The late Dean Hildebrand was North Dakota Game and Fish Department director from 1996 through 2005 and he had a well-developed vocabulary of catch phrases and sayings. One description I heard repeatedly for years was his exclamation that, “We’re living in the good old days when it comes to hunting and fishing.” [...]

Sharing Fishing Success

Our Outdoors  - By Nick Simonson I had promised to take a coworker, Dane, on a number of fishing trips this past year, but it seemed as if fate was aligned against the idea of getting him exposed to the different niches of angling he wanted to learn about. Our muskie adventure in August was cancelled [...]

180 Ice Holes

Our Outdoors: 180 Ice Holes By Nick Simonson 180 ice holes make an area about the size of a football field look like a giant slice of Swiss cheese. 180 ice holes feel like a P90X doubles workout day followed by a lactic acid soak for the shoulders, back and triceps, even with a lightweight [...]

Vertical Ice Fishing

By Nick Simonson There’s an old Irish proverb that wishes good luck to the traveler by stating “may the road rise to meet you.” For anglers, especially those on the ice, it should be more like “may the fish rise to meet you.” Presentation is one of the key factors for consistently catching fish and [...]

Ice Auger Drilling

By Jason Mitchell When you look at some of the best ice anglers, there often is some strategy in how and where they drill holes.  Ice anglers might not be able to drift or troll but they can drill holes in a pattern and discipline themselves to fish the holes in a set time to [...]

Downsize Your Ice Fishing

By Nick Simonson As the seasons pass and I have become more adept at ice fishing and technology has bolstered my ability on the ice, I have drifted away from those species I once pursued primarily in winter. Walleyes and northern pike, though tops on the food chain, take a back seat these days to [...]

Bluegills for Kids

By Doug Leier Late in the 1980s my family moved from LaMoure to Valley City. I’d fished the Jim River and Lake LaMoure prior to the move, and enjoyed an array of fish, from pike to perch and even the lowly carp. In Barnes County around Valley City, I spent a good chunk of time [...]

Horizontal Jigging

By Nick Simonson Have you ever watched the way minnows move? When I was in Grand Forks, N.D. attending “The School that Shall Not Be Named” I had multiple chances to jump the Red River into East Grand Forks, Minn., and watch as trout, bass and pike preyed upon minnows that the staff had dumped [...]

Ultralight Fishing Tackle

The UltraLight Brigade By Nick Simonson There’s something special about taming a charging bull bluegill on line as thin as a spider web. Few fishing sensations are wilder than a white bass tearing up the sunset reflecting off of the evening water. Even a ten-inch trout brings a wondrous battle as it twists and turns [...]

ND Fishing Reg Changes

By Doug Leier Rather than wholesale changes on a yearly basis, the bulk of North Dakota’s fishing rules and regulations are implemented every two years, and 2010 is one of the years when we get a new fishing proclamation. The new regulations begin April 1 and are in place until March 31, 2012. By no [...]

Fishing Diary

By Nick Simonson There have been a lot of changes in my life over the past five years. I’ve lived in two states and three towns and have had six different jobs, with this one being the most consistent. In that time I’ve fished over 60 lakes and rivers, gaining some level of familiarity with [...]

President Obama Attacking Fishing Industry

Sport Anglers Alarmed by Proposed Obama Policy A controversy has erupted in the sport fishing community over a new federal management plan for oceans and Great Lakes waters. Recent opinion pieces circulating on the internet and reported on numerous radio stations have stoked the flames through revelations that the policy, if implemented, would prohibit recreational [...]

Fishing Buddies

By Nick Simonson Of angling’s many positive elements, near the top of the list is that it is a great way to spend time with friends that are so close they might as well be family. My buddies and I try to make it a regular thing to meet up at the cabin, at someone’s [...]

Slip Bobbers for Crappies

The Deadly Drag Dumbing-down to a crawl dupes springtime crappies for panfish pros By Brian “Bro” Brosdahl with Tom Neustrom “Slow and steady wins the race.” I’m a disciple of the philosophy. In real life, the examples are countless. Consider the marathoner. The guy who paces himself for 26.2 miles is sure to pass the [...]

Catch and Release Fishing

‘Swimming Pools’ for Fish A Little Advice on Caring for Your Catch By Tony Roach Have you ever caught the same fish twice in a single day? How about the same fish two or three times inside a week? I’ll bet many of you have. Even on a massive fish factory like Mille Lacs in [...]

Fish House Spotters

By Nick Simonson Shantytowns are generally a bad sign. Economic downturns, natural disasters and tribal wars all come to mind when such a place is shown on the evening news. However, in the ice belt and points north, it is the sign of something good – a hot bite on frozen waters. While fishing a [...]

Make Custom Crappie Jigs

Our Outdoors – By Nick Simonson As winter blankets, and blankets, and blankets the region with snow, it is becoming more apparent that it will be a long season indeed. That’s not a bad thing if you need some time to get your tacklebox ready for one of open water’s early quarries – prespawn slab [...]

Piggybacking Ice Spoons for Bull Bluegills

By Jason Durham Bluegill fishing is about balance. Each trip is a constant trial and error to figure out if the fish want a tiny speck of an ice jig – the flash, vibration and, meaty profile of a jigging spoon, or any presentation that falls in between. Each presentation has its strengths and weaknesses [...]

Praise for Polarized Sunglasses

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson As I pulled up the trolling motor and hoped for a clean glide over the small sandy delta leading into a back bay on my favorite lake for Minnesota’s Bass Season opener, I was disappointed to not immediately see signs of fish ahead of the Grumman. My yellow lab, Gunnar, and [...]

Pall Mall Payback

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson On a recent fishing trip to a small, virtually featureless lake, save for one giant point that separated the body of water into two halves, I began to wonder where to get started. It was a sunny day with unseasonably warm temperatures and a slight wind. My friend Adam and I [...]

Catch and Release 101

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson     A dead-weight tug on the end of my line signaled that the largemouth bass under the dock was indeed hungry. I swept the rod back and the four-pound fish rocketed up out of the water. She battled every foot of the way to my hand. I reached down, tweaked [...]

Summer Presents Plentiful Panfish Fishing Options

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson Panfish – be they sunfish, crappies, perch or white bass – are present throughout the upper Midwest. They comprise the midsection of most lakes’ biomass and present a sure-fire fishing opportunity for anglers young and old. If you are new to fishing, or already a panfish aficionado these species are right [...]

Extra Hooks Bring the Sting

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson     In one of the best Simpsons episodes, Moe uses a punch-absorbing Homer to relive his glory days as a boxer. But when Homer ends up having to fight the heavyweight champion, the all too Tyson-like Drederick Tatum, Moe searches through his bag of tricks to find the weapon that [...]

Freshen Up Your Skills

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson     The season for big fish has come! The snow is rapidly melting, the ice is weakening, and the fish are preparing for the spawn. It is a picture perfect time for spring angling. If you plan to take some photos of your angling success this openwater season, here are [...]

The Fishing Preseason – Spring Crappie Fishing

By Eric Hustad Another April is upon us and I can’t help but get excited! What a great month: the Twins play meaningful games, the NFL draft, snow melting, longer days, and the start of what I consider my preseason fishing. Giving normal ice out, in the middle of April, crappie fishing is my preseason [...]

Crappie Recipe List

Here are some favorite crappie recipes of ours. Stir Fry Crappie Recipe : This is a very easy recipe to make, and is very delicious and healthy. 2 lbs of Crappie fillets 2 cups of broccoli 1 wide sliced onion 2 cups of sliced mushrooms 1 wide sliced green pepper Add more vegetables if you [...]

Scud: An Ugly Word for Freshwater Shrimp

By Brian Brosdahl       A system is only as good as the weakest link. That’s a profound statement and applies to everything from a football team to stereo systems. Think about it. Well, in fishing, it also pertains to the freshwater shrimp – or scud as they’re referred to on the ice. They’ll [...]

Ice Fishing for Panfish – The Right Ice Rods

By Jason Mitchell More ice anglers are discovering that the tip of the rod we are using has as much influence on our presentation as the actual motion we put on the rod while fishing. A rod with a fast tip for example will give the lure a distinct flash and pound that is more [...]

Approaching Late Ice

By Jason Mitchell Late ice patterns can vary. People often preach about fishing shallow. Others stress the importance of finding moving water. Late ice is often hailed as the best fishing of the year. The fish are supposed to be biting as well as they have all winter. Anglers eagerly await the last hurrah. The [...]

It’s Wrong to Think About Ice Fishing Right Now

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson   It’s wrong to think about ice fishing right now. Especially since I reeled in two healthy, hard-fighting, late summer smallies from under one of my favorite bridges during lunch today. More so because I spent last night attempting to trace the flight patterns of mourning doves over a cattle pond. [...]

Ice Fishing Safety

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson     I  experienced a first last year, four times over. With the unstable cold-and-warm trend through late fall and winter, I managed to break through the ice four times; twice while upland hunting and twice while ice fishing. Early in the season, I was too close to shoreline vegetation, but [...]

Ice Fishing – Fish it Through

By Noel Vick with Brian “Bro” Brosdahl Believe it or not, mobility on the ice has its pitfalls. For more than a decade you’ve heard and read about the criticalness of mobility. To competently and effectively catch fish on the hardwater, an angler must be mercurial as a gypsy and stealthy as a fox. These [...]

Fishing with Spring Bobbers

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson     I  cannot recall how many times I have watched fish rise up on the Vexilar as I work my lure in the water column only to have the fish pause at my offering then head back to the bottom. Be it a small jig with a wax worm or [...]

Ice Fishing at Night

By Mark Strand During ice fishing season, the sun often sets before you can wrap up the workday. Because of this, an awful lot of people don’t even think about going fishing except during daylight hours on the weekends. If you can miss the boat when lakes are frozen over, you are missing the boat [...]

Winter Crappie Tips and Tactics – Q & A Session

Crappies are one of the most frequently-chased winter fish. So it’s no surprise that the subject of crappies comes up constantly when the Power Sticks gather at sports shows. We put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) when it comes to crappie fishing, followed by solid answers, built from an informal poll of [...]

Crazy for Crappies – Crappie Ice Fishing Tips

By Chris Hustad I  really don’t care where you live in the upper Midwest, you’re in driving distance of a quality crappie fishery. I’ve caught crappies in small ponds, large lakes, rivers and variations of the three. But finding and catching crappies on these systems can vary, especially during the time of day. Here’s a [...]

Gearing Up for Ice Fishing

Chris Hustad It’s that time of year, ice fishing season is upon us. Cold weather has started the freezing process a little bit earlier this year. Consistent cold temperatures and no snow are the ingredients for some thick, sturdy ice; just when we need it. It’s going to be a good ice fishing season this [...]

Standard Fishing Knot – The Palomar

This is a common fishing knot around the world. It is very easy to tie.This fishing knot can be used many different ways and is one of the strongest knots known. Very common with tackle, and is also used for flying fishing when connecting the tippet. With the braided line brands of today, it’s one [...]

North Dakota Map

Click on North Dakota Map for a larger image. North Dakota State Maps North Dakota Lake Contour Maps Extensive ND Game & Fish Map – NEW North Dakota State Wildlife Management Areas Map North Dakota PLOTS Map North Dakota Road Condition Reports North Dakota Road Construction Map North Dakota County Map Snow Line and Depth Maps MapQuest [...]

Prepping for an Ice Season

By the Ice Team Here’s a toast to your best ice season ever. To help you get off to a good start, here are a few key things you can do. They’re all important, but in no particular order. Keep Your Line Prime One of the most important– and universally overlooked– things you can do: [...]

Fly Fishing Tying – Terrific Terrestrial

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson The Fourth is behind us, and summer is in full swing. If swarms of mosquitoes weren’t a sure sign, the vast numbers and array of other insects present during the day and at dusk is a definite reminder. The table is set for summer’s great binge, and every fly fisherman needs [...]

Fishing Laydowns

Joe Zentner  Bank sloping trees that have fallen into the water, known as lay-downs, attract fish throughout the Midwest. Long-time anglers are keenly aware of the value of immersed trees. The primary cover choice of freshwater fish is, in fact, submerged wood. A lay-down is a tree that has fallen into the water and is [...]

Arbor Vital – Fishing Flooded Trees

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson I  think that I shall never see structure lovely as a tree. Pardon the take on Ms. Kilmer’s poem; let’s consider it the angler’s version. But timber – be it live on shore, a deadfall along a river or a man-made reef on a lake – is structure that all anglers [...]

Bluegill Fishing

By Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson Fresh, golden brown bluegill fillets are bound to bring a smile when you lay them on a plate beside baked beans and coleslaw at the summer cookout. Bluegills are a summertime favorite for a lot of good reasons. They are abundant and nearly everywhere. Their populations can stand good [...]

The Old Crappie Fishing Hole

By PJ Maguire In my day I have lost my share of fishing gear to the bottom of many lakes. Along the way I have heard many stories of family members and peers losing fishing equipment as well. I have often thought about how cool it would be to take an underwater adventure to the [...]

The Legend of the Grumman Boat

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson The fisherman’s dictionary defines the word “boat” as a hole in the water into which money is thrown. Similar to a hunting dog, the price paid for a boat is rarely reflected in the purchase. There’s winterizing, summerizing, trailer repairs, motor tune ups, depth finders, rod racks, lure holders and much [...]

Fishing with Light Tackle

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson     Lighten up! If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been told that I’d be a rich man. However, there is one time no one has to tell me to lighten up and that is when I am angling for panfish, trout and finicky bass. The allure of [...]

Free Fishing Log – Printable Fishing Log

Our Outdoors Nick Simonson “Putting together the fishing pieces of the puzzle” Fishing, no matter how good a person gets at it, is still the grandest puzzle of all. There are so many elements that have to be put into place such as weather, season, bait, lures, and so on. When looked at in hindsight, [...]

Fast & Easy Fish Cleaning Tips for Walleye, Perch, and Panfish

By Chris Hustad The fish cleaning techniques described here are nothing new, and is mainly intended for beginners. This process takes about a minute for each fish, depending on experience. The example shown is using a walleye, but can work all the same on perch, crappies and bluegills. On those crappies, you DO NOT need to [...]