Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Atop the tank of the basement toilet, where any good publication of any sort rests in any household, sits a well-worn copy of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. As a smaller reference book, it tops of the stack of old Outdoor Life and Dakota Country magazines and sets perfectly on the foundation of the Complete Outdoor Encyclopedia, finishing off the easy access pyramid of print. The crown jewel of my bathroom reading with the emerald leather...
July 1 deadline for landowners to post land electronically The deadline for landowners interested in posting private land electronically for the 2022-23 hunting season is July 1. Landowners can log into My Account on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. The July 1 deadline is necessary to produce print material and digital content prior to hunting seasons that begin in August. The 2021 state legislature passed a bill to allow electronic posting of private land, giving landowners another option for posting private...
Things have really started to heat up here on Devils Lake! The impressive walleyes and total weights in the Spirit Lake Casino Tournament recently are evidence of that. So, what's working for walleyes? Maybe a better question or easier question would be "what isn't!?" I truly believe you can catch fish on Devils Lake anyway you like to right now. For us guiding, it's been a mix of bobbers and trolling bottom bouncers and depends on the day/weather. The one lure that is doing really well up here...
Aside from the physical appearance of prairie pothole sloughs filled to the brim with runoff from spring snow melt and rain, the ability of these engines of America's duck factory to support broods of waterfowl has been supercharged. The ducklings now emerging from nests alongside these refilled lowlands and onto their heightened waters stand a better chance of survival, thanks in part to the increased nutrients and food provided by those areas along their shores, which last year were left high...
We finally got in the Red River at Grand Forks on Sunday, June 12. As far as I know the two Grand Forks ramps are the only two open boat accesses on the on the Red River right now. As of now there should be little change. Due to the river levels falling more than one foot per day, the fishing has been very slow. The channel catfish are confused and it has to level off some to allow them to get their bearings. Add to that the water temperatures are in the low 70s which will be triggering the...
Hunters in North Dakota circle the first Friday in November on their calendars every year, while politicians circle the second Tuesday of November – election day. For hunters, excitement for the deer gun opener starts well before the season. When primary elections are occurring in June, hunters are eagerly awaiting their draw results. While candidates campaign all summer and fall, hunters scout their unit, hang trail cams, secure permission from landowners and fine tune their equipment. Just a...
Tournaments: *June 17: Devils Lake, Grahams Island State Park. *June 18: Devils Lake, 6-Mile Bay; Lake Sakakawea, Fort Stevenson State Park. *June 18 & 19: Lake Audubon, cabin site. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, June 7: 1,450.66 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,450.6 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,830.03 MSL; 19,100 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases. *N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No reports from east-central area lakes...
For some, the scent of summer is that of hamburgers on the grill, floating into the evening air between houses and through yards, ringing the mental bell of Pavlov's dog in even the most civilized of us. For others, it's the smell of freshly opened lilacs, a sweet fragrance which industry has tried for decades to duplicate in candles, bathroom deodorizers and laundry detergent, but never has quite captured in a way that elicits the accompanying sigh that signals summer. There are a hundred diffe...
We finally have received a couple lighter wind days and we have also been able to get around Devils Lake a little more. Both of which have helped the fishing. The water hasn't warmed up a ton yet but it's getting better, it is currently 60-62 degrees and the water is mixed. Some areas are really dirty and some are really clean. You have to drive around a bit looking for stained water. Once you find that with a little breeze, the fish seem to bite. Bobbers and leeches have been the best...
Finally, I get to tell you something good. The projections the past few days on the Red River have the ramps in Grand Forks opening as early as Saturday, but it will probably more like Monday. Water temperatures and the time of year are saying we missed the best part of the prespawn channel catfish bite, but we will be in the water and that is a huge step forward. I suspect the catfish will be a little off kilter until the water levels off some. They tend to bite tough when there is a fast...
The Restoring America's Wildlife Act (House Resolution 2773, or "RAWA"), introduced in the United States Congress in 2021, is a bill designed to improve habitat for threatened and endangered species throughout the U.S., but its benefits go far beyond those at-risk creatures in decline around the country. Through contributions to state management agencies with plans to help conserve threatened and declining species of songbirds, insects, mammals, and plants, if voted into law, the legislation wou...
Outdoor notes: *June 8: Deer gun and muzzleloader applications due. Tournaments: *June 7: Lake Ashtabula. *June 11 & 12: Lake Ashtabula. *June 11: Devils Lake, Spirit Lake Casino. *June 17: Devils Lake, Grahams Island State Park. *June 18: Devils Lake, 6-Mile Bay; Lake Sakakawea, Fort Stevenson State Park. *June 18 & 19: Lake Audubon, cabin site. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, May 31: 1,450.81 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,450.57 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation:...
In the turn of the creek so tiny I could step across it I saw the tell-tale sign that suggested brook trout were lurking along the cut. The fast water of the tiny flow rolling down from the small impoundment in the recreation area above spun out against the grassy bank, still beige with the matted vegetation of last year and the peak through green of the late spring dappling the slight drop to the water. Stalking in on my knees, I pulled an arm's length of neon yellow line from my fly reel,...
I honestly cannot believe this is my last spring river fishing report. It just feels like we all got cheated out of a nice long season here. It is what it is, so here we go. Looking back, the Missouri River opened up around Bismarck in mid-March like normal. Maybe it was a few days later then average, but the water was good. The flow was definitely lower, but usually when it starts out low, it changes and dishes itself out. It did just that and navigating and access was decent. The fishing...
"That's why they say Montana is the big leagues of fly fishing." My brother's words stung like a spring training cut for the lifetime AAA baseball player that knew this was his last shot at the majors, but still found the pink slip tucked into the air slot on his April Arizona changing room locker. The waters along the Yellowstone River outside of Livingston under the snow-capped peaks of the Beartooth mountains were high and muddy and while they reflected the runoff those of us downstream on th...
Storms over the weekend have put our flood situation on the Red River right back where it was last week. Only this time, we will have to wait a week for the river to rise and fall again. It now looks like around June 15 before boats will be able to get on the water and searching for catfish. Water temperatures right now are in the mid-60s so the pre spawn period for channel cats is in full swing. The next couple of weeks could offer great shore fishing opportunities. As the water rises again...
Outdoor notes: *June 4 & 5: Free Fishing Weekend. *June 8: Deer gun and muzzleloader applications due. Tournaments: *June 4: Devils Lake, East Bay. *June 4 & 5: Pipestem Reservoir, Parkhurst Landing. *June 7: Lake Ashtabula. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, May 24: 1,450.19 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,450.12 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,829.3 MSL; 17,800 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases. *Devils Lake, Ed’s Bait Shop, Devils L...
Staring out over the glassy lake, the early morning was a symphony of spring, and like the trill of the redwing blackbirds coming from down the beach in the brush surrounding the high flowing creek, it was a far cry from the day before. Then, as my wife and I took the line for the Fargo Half Marathon, temperatures near freezing and a chilly continued northwest wind from the exit of yet another swirling low in a series of season killers made things feel more like the end of summer than its unoffi...
Walleye fishing on the Missouri River has definitely improved since Wednesday of last week. The water in the river is settling back down, it's clearing up, and the fish are responding. I'm almost done on the river here near Bismarck for the spring. A few more trips and I will be headed to Devils Lake for a pretty good stint and then, of course, Sakakawea. This is always a bittersweet time for me. Usually, I'm tired of the river and ready for a change at this point in the season. This year...
Angling for all species in northeastern South Dakota has been ramping up as conditions stabilize and temperatures warm. Water temperatures are nearing the 60 degree mark and we are seeing the walleyes firing up. Currently most lakes have bass and crappies in the shallows for spawn. Trolling crankbaits a bit deeper has been working best for walleyes, and crappies are relating to that shallower structure at this time. Wind continues to be a big factor, particularly during the day with the calmer...
With the lottery drawing deadline for the 2022 North Dakota firearms deer season fast approaching on June 8, many factors influence the set number of tags awarded through the state's online lottery process: herd health, weather conditions, disease and habitat availability affect the opportunities made available to hunters during the state's most notable season. With a noted decrease of approximately 8,000 tags for this fall, many hunters will find a lowered chance of drawing their desired...
All of my Red River reports from last year had some mention of low water and dealing with where we could and could not go. Let's start 2022 off with a change. We have been flooding here on the Red River since mid-April. It is officially the latest start to catfishing that I have ever had. Right now, the water level is dropping fairly quickly and I am hoping to be in the water by the end of next week, but being realistic it will probably be the week of June 6, because the boat ramps need to be...
Outdoor notes: *June 4 & 5: Free Fishing Weekend. *June 8: Deer gun and muzzleloader applications due Tournaments: *June 4: Devils Lake, East Bay. *June 4: Pipestem Reservoir, Parkhurst Landing. *June 7: Lake Ashtabula. Fishing: *Devils Lake elevation, May 17: 1,449.84 feet above mean sea level (MSL). *Stump Lake elevation: 1,449.8 MSL. *Lake Sakakawea elevation: 1,829.03 MSL; 18,700 cubic feet per second average (CFS) Garrison Dam daily releases. *N.D. Game & Fish Dept. Dist. game wardens: No...
In good springs and bad, snowy ones and warm ones, no matter how the kids come out of the final day of competition in the USA High School Clay Target League's regular season, it's the four weeks in between today's end of the often chilly, windy, and trying eight weeks that make all the difference ahead of the state tournament. Whether with the first team in southwest Minnesota I helmed nearly a decade ago, or with the six pack of schools I coach along with 75 other adults now in central North...
Boom goes the dynamite if you are looking for action! Early this spring I was questioning if we had a population of smaller fish. Well, I'm here to tell you we do! Unfortunately, I fear these are older fish finding very little to eat and not growing much. The bigger fish in the system seem to be doing just fine. Between herring, smelt, white bass, drum and definitely some of these smaller walleyes we are catching the big girls have plenty of food. The smaller fish, not so much. It is my opinion...
