North Dakota Fishing - North Dakota Hunting

name: Greg
city: Fargo
Area: Fargo
Date: Thursday April 03, 2003
Time: 03:50:44 PM

I was wondering if anyone could help me with some questions i have about fishing on the red river in fargo.

First i am going to school here and i am from minnesota. Do i have to be on the MN side of the river to be legally fishing?

and second i was wondering if anyone could tell me if there are any good spots to go for walleyes and cats that are close to downtown fargo.

Thanks alot Greg

name: Backwater Guiding
city: Fargo/Horace
Area: Fargo
: backwtr1@msn.com
Date: Thursday April 03, 2003
Time: 01:23:37 AM

Red River Report Headwaters and Central Region (4-2-03)

The Headwaters region of the Red River and it's associated tributaries is largely ice free and warming. Water temps were in the upper 30's to mid 40's as of yesterday in the PM. Fishing has been fair to good but the cold snap has slowed the bite a bit in recent days. Jigs and minnows has been the best overall producer, followed by floating jigs on rigs.

Central Region of the Red River has residual ice pack on channels but rapidly clearing. Water temps are in the mid 30's from Brushville North to Fargo. Action will increase as the water temps warm. Residual ice flows would make boating in this region hazardous at best at this time. With some sun we should see a ice free channel in a week, God willing? Some action has been seen on dams, yet it is slow overall just yet. This will change quick once the sun pops out for a day or so. Then it will be peek spring walleye action on much of the Central Red River basin.

Overall flows are low for this time of year and without a substantial shot of rain likely to remain slow and low. This may impact movements of fish into tributaries and concentrate them more on the main Red throughout the spawning cycle, time will tell on that.

We are into spring, ever so grudgingly, but headed in the right direction. Better days and better bites are surely on the way. With the robins and Killdeers patrolling my yard I gain a wider smile by the day.

Slip on the mud boots and sneak out some early fishing action, coming SOON, to a river near you.

Enjoy!

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson Backwater Guiding

name: Phil Wiebe
city: Selkirk
Area: Canada
: http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~pgwiebe/webpage.html
Date: Wednesday April 02, 2003
Time: 02:17:53 PM

Well, its closure time, but the warm spring may mean an early breakup and the opportunity to hit some rare sping monster walleye on the Red River.

name: sully
city: moorhead
Area: Fargo
: fishtrap66@hotmail.com
Date: Saturday March 29, 2003
Time: 03:12:16 PM

anything going on at the north damn I was there last week and caught a northern but nothing else when i was there no one else caught a thing any info would be great!

name: Drew
city: Kingsley, IA
Area: Comment
Date: Saturday March 29, 2003
Time: 01:57:09 PM

Can anyone tell me if there are any resorts or cabins on or near the Red around the Grand Forks area? Thanks to anyone who can help.

name: Brad Durick
city: Grand forks
Area: Comment
: bdurick@yahoo.com
Date: Friday March 28, 2003
Time: 10:08:21 AM

Very well said Roger. Be sure to call you council members.

Also, I will be meeting with some council members and the ramp group in the next couple of weeks so if anyone would like send an to the above address and I will see that it gets to the right place.

name: Roger D.
city: Grand Forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Friday March 28, 2003
Time: 09:32:37 AM

The city of Grand Forks has been at an attempt to put in another boat access in the Greenway. The had found a very nice spot in the Lincoln Park area that had the right slope and bank stability. Some of the local homeowners in the area through up a stink, and the project was put on hold. Alternate area of Elks drive had the same thing happen. Now let us all remember that the Greenway is PUBLIC LAND and all the citizens have a voice on how it is used. It should not be left up to a handful of citizens who do not want to see any use of the area. If you are interested in having increased boat access in the Grand Forks area, call your councilman or the mayor. If the other side can do this so can we. If we can create a higher volumn of calls/letters/, they will have to consider our position. I would think there are way more people who would like another boat ramp in the area than not.

name: Brad Durick
city: Grand Forks
Area: Comment
Date: Wednesday March 26, 2003
Time: 04:43:43 PM

Spring must be here. i just went by the north landing to take a look and there was a boat launched.. WELCOME SPRING!!!

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks
Area: Comment
Date: Wednesday March 26, 2003
Time: 09:20:52 AM

Nope boat isn't ready yet. Haven't even thought about it yet this spring. If someone does get their boat into the river this weekend please watch for ice flows. They coould let go at any point and take your boat out and possibly you. So just be careful,

name: Scott McNamee
city: Grand Forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Tuesday March 25, 2003
Time: 08:58:19 PM

The Ice in Grand Forks has moved nearly 1/2 mile downstream from the dam. The water levels have started to recede.

A person could put a boat in right now, but certainly by this weekend.

Kent, is your boat ready?

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks
Area: Comment
Date: Monday March 24, 2003
Time: 09:57:47 AM

The North landing isn't looking to well. The land slumping cause by the under cut of the rivers currents is taking its toll on the ramp. Year after year this gets worse. I was down there Sun Afternoon looking at it and It could be very tricky with the drop it left this spring. Lets just hope that when the frost comes out that it doesn't get any worse. Many people think that this is caused from frost heaves. Some of it might but most is cause from the location of the ramp and the currents from the river. These currents affect to soft underlaying muds eroding them away causing the upper layers to slump. I have seen these slumps fall as much a ten feet in one spring, if that ever happened you all know what the ramp wouold look like. This will always be a problem with the North Ramp and something the North End anglers will always have to put up with until the ramp is moved. A new ramp won't take care of this problem only a new location will.

that causes undercurrents to cut away the soft undermuds under the bank itself

name: Scott McNamee
city: Grand Forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Monday March 24, 2003
Time: 06:53:36 AM

Just a quick note- the ice is gone from the North Landing. I saw several people out with the long rods yeaterday down by the Riverside dam.

Several new cracks in the blacktop at the North Landing. (What's new?)

Ice is breaking up all over!

Get your long rods ready!

name: chad
city: grand forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Thursday March 20, 2003
Time: 08:37:18 PM

lol yea i guess that would meen i we would get in but we had ours in on monday morning so i was just wondering if you thought you were going to be able to be in it...i would be soo bummed out if we didnt get in. that tourny is the highlite of my summers on the red. yessir i will be entering that wednesday night league as often as i can and would love to hook up with you guys for a night of fishing although for the longer nights we may want to look into a weekend so it isnt so hard getting up for work the next day? anytime you want to hook-up is fine with me. take care, i really hope you get in bud.

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Thursday March 20, 2003
Time: 09:37:19 AM

Chad, Got mine in at noon. There were just over one hundred when I got it in. They told me if they receive over 135 total with the drop ins and the ones that were postmarked the 17th that I would have to get drawn from those, when they draw April 1st. Kindof makes if an evening playing feild for the ones that live out of state.

I myself don't think they should hold spots for last years top 15. I think maybe the top five. With last years champs getting in for free. This means the number two team from last year gets in right CHAD, good luck.

Say you plan on fishing any summer league nights this summer. Since I have just seen your picture and would like to meet you in person, maybe we can plan a invoman night on the river this summer and get the guys together for a fun night of fishing. Catch you later

name: chad
city: grand forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Thursday March 20, 2003
Time: 12:52:31 AM

So Kent when did you get yours in? and did they tell you that you will have to be put on the waiting list?

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Wednesday March 19, 2003
Time: 02:02:47 PM

I hope everyone that wanted to get into the Cats Incredible got their entries in on the 17th. It sounds like if you didn't theres no way. I heard that they had already over 135 and the postmarked on haven't even started showing up yet.

OK heres the deal, I'm planning on going up to Selkirk if I'm not drawn, who's interested.

name: Dennis Flom
city: Harwood
Area: Fargo
: icatchbigcats@aol.com
Date: Monday March 17, 2003
Time: 09:58:48 PM

Kent, Suckers are easy to catch in the spring when they are moving up river. I also catch quite a few in the late summer or fall. Just fish nightcrawlers on the bottom and you can't help but catch a few. The trouble is sorting through all the other fish you catch while using nightcrawlers. You know those darn pesky walleyes and carp and other junk fish.

The spot I saw you last spring is a good place to start as we filled the live well with suckers that day. Just fish one rod with crawlers and the other you can fish for walleyes.

Suckers are in all the rivers around here and are fun to catch and will make great bait for the catfish this next summer. They freeze well and will stay fresh well into the summer in your freezer.

Hope to work out a time to fish with you up your way this summer.

Dennis

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks
Area: Comment
Date: Friday March 07, 2003
Time: 09:35:33 AM

Dennis, of all the time I have spend fishing the river I have yet to catch one sucker. I would love to hear how you do that, what you look for, and bait, etc... Hopeing to be fishing soon come on baby melt.

name: Dennis Flom
city: Harwood
Area: Fargo
: icatchbigcats.com
Date: Friday March 07, 2003
Time: 12:41:02 AM

Kent H, I will give you a call sometime as I love to fish the Grand Forks area of the Red River. I have told many people that the Grand Forks area is my favorite area of the River in the US. You have plenty of depth and also snags which means lots of catfish.

In fact you may see me up there early again chasing suckers. I am going to try to catch a freezer full prior to the start of the catfish.

Hope for warm weather!

Dennis

name: Jim Martens
city: Winnipeg, MB
Area: Comment
Date: Friday February 28, 2003
Time: 03:54:01 PM

Where's all the green back hunters

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks
Area: Comment
Date: Friday February 28, 2003
Time: 11:37:30 AM

Dennis F, I think your right I forgot to add in the trip up north. I up my goal, I'm going to shoot for 2500. This includes one trip up north. I'm planning on tryen to get on the river at least 3 nights a week and at least one full day on the weekends maybe two. That all depends on the other half. Lets just hope we don't have the high river like we did last summer.

Say if you ever have a night off and would like to go fishing up here consider giving me a call. Might me fun shotting the bull one night on the river.

Kent H. I think you should up that goal a little bit, you will be suprised how fast that comes. 1000 lbs is not all that much when you are fishing the Red. Brad D., myself and one other fisherman managed that in just 10 hours of fishing up in Lockport late last summer. I think 1000 lbs a week would be a fair goal for this area.

name: Dennis Flom
city: Harwood
Area: Fargo
: icatchbigcats@aol.com
Date: Wednesday February 26, 2003
Time: 11:13:19 PM

Thanks for all the info Ed, or is that "Backwater Idiot". Heck, I never refer to you that way and still you never give me anything. Ha Ha Ha

Kent H. I think you should up that goal a little bit, you will be suprised how fast that comes. 1000 lbs is not all that much when you are fishing the Red. Brad D., myself and one other fisherman managed that in just 10 hours of fishing up in Lockport late last summer. I think 1000 lbs a week would be a fair goal for this area.

Hope all the you catfishermen are wintering well. Spring is on the way!

Dennis

name: Ed "Backwater Eddy"
city: Fargo/Horace
Area: Fargo
: backwtr1@msn.com
Date: Tuesday February 25, 2003
Time: 08:36:11 AM

The Spring Conservation Season begins on March 1st.

You need to fallow the spring conservation regulations that apply to the Red River and it’s associated tributaries as agreed upon by ND & MN.

[b] NOTE - MN have slightly differing regulations, be sure to read and understand both first.[/b]

[b]The Spring Conservation Season begins on March 1 and runs through the first Saturday in May.[/b]

[b]Limits on walleye or combination of or are 2 under 18" and the OPTION to keep 1 over 28".[/b]

So 3 is the potential daily limit. But if you decide not to keep a one over 28", you [b]CAN NOT[/b] keep an additional fish less than 18" to compensate.

Catch all you want, just keep 2 eaters (under 18"). [b]I NEVER keep the fish over 28"![/b] We treat walleye over 28” as an ethical mandatory release, although legally you may keep one over 28” for the wall.

Northern Pike is 3 a day, 6 in possession. [b]No pike to exceed 27", larger then that they all go back.[/b]

Catfish is continuous and does not close. Daily limits are the same as always for the Red River system. [b]Five a day with only 1 to be in excess of 24"[/b].

[b]ND & MN do differ as to what constitutes a tributary and also how far you may enter into tributaries. So make sure to note the differences. MN watches this closely.[/b]

Resident license fee- $10 Husband and wife fee- $14 Resident over 65 fee- $03

Resident disabled fee- $03 (Available at the ND office of the G&F only in Bismarck ND.)

ND Non resident licensee fee's;

Nonresident single fee- $25 Nonresident Husband & wife fee- $35 Nonresident 3 day fee $10 Nonresident 7 day fee $15

See full details at the links below.

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

[]backwtr1@msn.com[/]

name: Backwater Eddy
city: Fargo
Area: Wahpeton
: backwtr1@msn.com
Date: Friday February 21, 2003
Time: 09:39:49 AM

Kids..Ya know..ya got to love-um Eh!

You may get a hoot & a smile out of this?

I gave a presentation last night in Wahpeton ND to the Red River Sportsman's Club, a kids ice fishing clinic. I would like to thank them for asking me to participate too, great club, nice group of kids too.

Anywho...At the end of the evening I did a pop quiz kinda deal.

Asking questions about what I had talked about, then gave out a lure or something cool like Millennium Lures, Bass Candy soft baits, Pradco products, Bombers, Rebels, cool stuff like that from my grab bag of fishing goodies.

I had asked about 20-30 questions, then I was starting to run out of good questions.

So I asked, "Ah....What is my nick name?"

I had introduced myself as Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson at the beginning of the evening. So lets see if anyone way paying attention Eh?

One young man, oh..about 7 or 8 years old, jumped up, waving his hand like crazy. He was jumping up and down, just having a cow, certain he had it pegged.

Me-Me-Me-Me!

Ok....Ah.....you, what's my nick name?

He said "I know...It's..."Backwater Idiot".

I said, "Well...Ah...OK, That's close enough for me"

I gave him his lure..the crowd went crazy laughing.

Kids..Ya know..ya got to love-um Eh!

:D

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson..><,sUMo,>

(FBO Field Staff)

name: Kent Hollands
city: Grand Forks, ND
Area: Comment
Date: Wednesday February 19, 2003
Time: 05:12:29 PM

OK, I'm getting excited about getting on the river again. This warm spell has me thinking about getting out on the river again. I going to set a personal goal this summer of boating 1000lbs of catfish, and release each and everyone.

name: Jesse C
city: Grand Forks
Area: Grand Forks
Date: Sunday February 16, 2003
Time: 10:41:16 PM

Just wondering if anyone could tell me any good shore fishing areas on the Red River within 20 miles of grand forks. I'm really interested in hooking into some cats. Any info on locations would be great. I've recently moved into the area, and have heard that the catfish are especially large. Wondering if anyone could give me an idea of what typeof equipment I'll need. (line #, hook size, bait, etc.)

name: Scoot
city: Fargo
Area: Fargo
: scott.engel@ndsu.nodak.edu
Date: Sunday February 16, 2003
Time: 02:30:10 PM

Ol' Whiskers,

Shoot me an e-mail (scott.engel@ndsu.nodak.edu)- I'll get you some good info. Scoot

name: Ol' Whiskers
city: Sioux City
Area: Other area
Date: Saturday February 15, 2003
Time: 09:54:27 PM

Hey thanks. When the corn is tall the cat are fat. Are there many accesses around Grand Forks? I'm afraid my boat trailer wouldn't make an 8 hour trek so I'm pretty much grounded to land fishin. I've caught my share of 10-20 pounders in the Big Sioux down here in Iowa but I'm still frothing at the thought of finally landing that 30 pounder. Any direction on where to go would be very much appreciated.

name: Scott McNamee
city: Grand Forks
Area: Comment
Date: Friday February 14, 2003
Time: 01:38:08 PM

Best catfishing is LATE July, early August.

name: Ol' Whiskers
city: Sioux City
Area: Other area
Date: Friday February 14, 2003
Time: 01:33:01 PM

Can anyone tell me when the catfishing really starts getting hot during the spring? Also what is the best month overall for fishing the Red? I can take one safari per year so I have to time this right.

name: sully
city: moorhead
Area: Fargo
: fishtrap66@hotmail.com
Date: Wednesday January 22, 2003
Time: 07:02:06 PM

thanks for the info

name: Dennis Flom
city: Harwood
Area: Fargo
: icatchbigcats@aol.com
Date: Wednesday January 22, 2003
Time: 12:02:57 AM

Sully, Yes, there are a few people that fish the Red in the Fargo area in the winter. This is the easiest time of the year to catch those ugly green fish (walleyes). You will also catch quite a few Goldeyes and maybe, if you are lucky, a cat or two. The best areas are deeper spots with less current. These areas almost always have some fish in them. Getting them to bite may be another story though.

Becareful, river ice is never safe. It is best to stay close to shore when moving up and down the river. When you get to an area you would like to fish, test the ice every few feet as you make your way out to deeper water.

I have not fished the river yet this winter. I have a son that plays hockey so the only ice I see is in the hockey arena. Check with Ed Carlson of Horace though as he fishes the river quite frequently.

Good luck!

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