North Dakota’s Free Fishing Weekend Coming Soon!

 

A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.

Truer words were never spoken. Unless it's ice fishing, than heck with that.  Fishing in it's most basic form is a relatively inexpensive hobby that folks of all ages and abilities can participate in.  June 5th and 6th, it's not just inexpensive- it's free!  It's a great chance to get your kids hooked on having fun.  Or getting them literally "hooked", which is less fun.

You just need a rod n reel (cheap is OK for starting out), fishing line, some leaders, sinkers, hooks, bait, and bobbers.  Crankbait lures are cool too!

I still have memories of the first lures my dad introduced me too!  Kids think they're more like toys- so bring some of these

When my sister and I first started we had bamboo fishing poles which were pretty much just sticks with fishing line tied on the end.   We'd toss out the lines and then go catch frogs or play in the water.  Catching fish was just a bonus in the early days. But, there we were on a Saturday morning, me and my sis, my mom and my dad...and some bologna sandwiches.

We did a lot of fishing together and eventually the family got a boat.  Here's where the "fishing is inexpensive"  statement gets thrown out the window and fishing becomes the MOST EXPENSIVE SPORT OF THEM ALL!  But before you invest $70,000 in a fancy fishing boat, let's go give it a try for free.

“This is a great opportunity to give fishing a try or to invite someone new with you on the water for their first time,” said Cayla Bendel, North Dakota Game and Fish Department R3 coordinator.

But remember even though you don't have a license you still have to fish by the rules!  And there's plenty of them- find the ND Game and Fish regulations here.

So let's go fishing for free North Dakota, June 5th and 6th at some water near you.