Challenge Accepted
Cayla Bendel
Be it dumping buckets of ice over our heads, getting in our 11,000 steps for the day, or visiting all 50 states, we love a good challenge. So, I figured why not tap into this when it comes to getting people to wet a line?
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2022 North Dakota Fish Challenge seeks to do just that. The challenge is designed to get more people fishing, trying to catch a new species, exploring new waters and learning (or remembering) how much fun fishing can be.
To complete the challenge, anglers must catch a channel catfish, northern pike, yellow perch and smallmouth bass of any size in North Dakota from May 1 through August 15. Once submitting each of their catches on the “offishial” landing page, they’ll receive a sticker, certificate, and be listed on the page as a challenge winner.
Greg Power, Department fisheries chief, said readers may wonder why the Game and Fish chose channel catfish, northern pike, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass as the four species in the inaugural North Dakota Fish Challenge.
“First and foremost, these species are relatively easy and fun to catch. A boat isn’t needed to increase your odds to catch these species. Further, North Dakota has strong populations of these species spread throughout the state and an angler can seek out these species in their own back yard,” Power said. “Lastly, these species are a great alternative to walleye. In terms of both quality and quantity, North Dakota offers some world-class opportunities for these four species.”
Power said yellow perch are found in most of the state’s waters and with a very simple technique can be caught easily from docks, shores or boat. And in the winter, perch are a destination fishery for many as some of North Dakota waters are known to produce foot-long perch.
Widely known as North Dakotas’ state fish, northern pike are truly meant for most of the state’s waters. Again, they can be found throughout the state and can be easily caught, especially in spring and winter. Pike are also known as good fighters and certainly provide great memories for anglers fortunate to hook into a larger one (some pike may exceed 20 pounds).
“Historically, channel catfish were only found in some of North Dakota larger river systems. However, Department staff have stocked numerous community fisheries in the state with catfish to bring the fish to the angler,” Power said. “Catfish are wildly popular in the southern states and appear to be gaining more attention here at home. Again, catfish are fun to catch as they too can put up quite a tussle.”
The Red River is known for its trophy channel catfish, some pushing 30 pounds. Most catfish caught in North Dakota are 2-5 pounds.
“Lastly, the smallmouth bass is the only species of the four not native to North Dakota, although they’ve been present in the state for around 100 years. Smallies have been introduced to dozens of lakes and have done remarkably well, reproducing, and sustaining themselves,” Power said. “This is another species known for their fight when an angler hooks into one. Smallmouth bass can routinely get up to the 3-pound range in North Dakota with some exceeding 5 pounds.”
This first challenge features some of our native fish species and some of our best, but often overlooked, fisheries. The idea is to continue the challenge in future years but include different species, a rough fish slam, a panfish palooza, and river monsters have all been discussed.
Retired Minot resident, avid angler, and self-proclaimed “average guy,” David Rothschild, saw the challenge and was hooked.
“It’s just something different and neat to try. You know, I normally fish for walleyes and sometimes salmon in the fall, and I catch these species by accident but it’s a little challenge to try to target them,” said Rothschild who grew up in Rugby and has basically been fishing his entire life and has more time to devote to it since retiring. “I mostly fish during the week. I like to leave the weekends to folks who have to work and that way the boat ramps are a little less cramped, too.”
So far, Rothschild has caught his catfish and northern pike.
“I figured I better start with catfish because it might be the hardest, so I looked up where they had them on the Game and Fish website and found out Stanley Pond might be a good place to try,” he said.
Rothschild and his wife both checked off catfish that day at Stanley Pond from a fishing pier.
Rodney with a yellow perch from Gaebe Pond
“Of course, I’ve caught pike before,” he said, “but I figured I better try to find a lake with a lot of pike to target and I chose Clearwater.”
Rothschild said it’s one thing to pick the lake, but then once you get out there you’ve got to figure out where to go and what to do. Fortunately, they had all day to explore Clearwater and were able to fish the entire shoreline with crankbaits and, again, both anglers checked off their northern pike.
“Later I was out with my brother on Lake Darling, and he had to break in his new motor so we were trolling a little and I wondered if I could catch a bigger pike? And I put on the crankbait I used on Clearwater and sure enough, I did,” Rothschild said.
Rothschild says even before the Fish Challenge, he liked to push himself to try a new lake each year and both Stanley Pond and Clearwater were new to him.
“Usually, I look at the surveys and the netting reports for the last few years to see what the population is like and then I like to print off a lake contour map, even though I have it on my graph in my boat, because I like a paper copy with me,” he said.
Rothschild and his brother are headed to another lake soon to try to get both smallmouth bass and yellow perch. But at the end of the day, he “just likes getting out and feeling the fish on the end of the line … it’s a natural high.”
I couldn’t agree more. And I feel like I’d be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn’t complete the challenge myself.
This time of year often finds me targeting smallmouth bass on their spawning beds, so that one is checked off and these often overlooked fish will no doubt distract me for a few more weeks. Then it’s on to pulling spinners for walleyes, which may or may not produce a stray perch or northern pike. If not, perhaps our often-futile attempts at the few muskies in the state will entice a feisty pike. Later this summer, a few days at the Missouri River Tailrace should get channel catfish off the list and into my freezer. And if things get desperate, don’t be surprised to find me out at the Department’s OWLS Pond on my lunch break in search of a yellow perch.
My husband and I will no doubt have some sort of wager as well – largest of the four species wins – with ice cream or trolling motor duties on the line. After all, I’m notoriously up for a good competition. Either way, I’m looking forward to a summer spent barefoot in the boat in pursuit of that “natural high.”
My victory Dairy Queen Blizzard will simply be the cherry on top.
MD Risalatul with a smallmouth bass from Lake Ashtabula
Lori with a northern pike from Lake Sakakawea
Daniel with a Northern Pike from Lake Metigoshe
Morgan with a smallmouth bass from Lake Audubon
David with a channel catfish from Stanley Pond