DEVILS LAKE FISHING REPORT

6/26/2009

WELCOME anglers to the Devils Lake Chamber of Commerce Annual Walleye Tournament. Walleye fishing this past week has been excellent for most all fisherman. Those having the best luck have been working wind swept shorelines and weed lines with cranks such as #5 shad raps, #7 countdowns, or plastics such as mimic minnows and slurpies; or slip bobbering with leeches or crawlers in the trees. Some of the better areas have been Pelican Lake, the smaller bays and points in the Flats, the trees near Grahams Island and Patience Point, Doc Hagens, the Ft. Totten/Cactus Point area, Swansons Point by the Casino, Stromme Addition, Skadsen's Bay, and Black Tiger.

Shore fisherman continue to do well in the early morning and evening hours. Try using lindy rigs, slip bobbers, or cranks. The better areas have been the bridges, the Acorn Ridge area, north end of Creel Bay along Hwy 19, Skadens, Mauvee area, and the Hwy 19/281 area. Bass and pike are being caught along with walleyes in most areas of the lake. Good Luck and Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

6/26/2009

Geez, there goes my 40 incher

I have Verizon and apparently my network was on vacation again. NO SERVICE. Mark made mention to the fact that we can put a man on the moon but---. Anyway after several moves in an attempt to get in the morning radio segment we loaded into the Lund 1900 and headed east. I’ve fished lots of water in the Devils Lake area including East Bay but this is my first walleye trip to East Lake. The two lakes are separated by a road but connected by a bridge that allows us to slip under. Mark is the talent behind Bry’s Guide Service and we have never met before so today is new water, new people.

First stop, a gentle sloping shoreline with clear water, a little too clear in Mark’s opinion. I’m throwing a #5 Shad Rap in Firetiger which is exactly what I would pick if given the choice. 15 minutes into the game and Mark gets a solid hit. First fish and a very good fish it is. I’m liking this new relationship already as Mark slips the fish to brag about back into the water for someone else to catch. We give it another 5 minutes and off to the next adventure.

I’m still throwing the Shad Rap and Mark is pitching a 3/8 oz jig with a tail. I asked Mark about favorite crank color for Devils Lake. “Firetiger, anything with an orange belly.” Well that’s exactly what I got on and at this stop I got it to go. Mostly by accident though, I was burning it back to the boat for a quick move and wack, right at the boat. Got to see the whole thing. That may be the best part of tossing cranks, getting to see the strike. When walleyes talk I do my best to listen and the next few casts I shifted into high gear. Mark is making a solid showing with the jig and tail.

Devils Lake fish like any ethnic group like certain types of food. Bry claims one of those delicacy’s is Gulp. In fact his bait bucket is 3 tubs of Gulp in 3 different preparations. The 3 inch minnow grub in pearl white being Mark’s first choice today. With the boat in 8 feet we pitch toward shore at any likely looking location and lift drop the jig back to the boat. The electric keeps us constantly moving as we search for the next bite, a very short wait today.

We are into our third move and I’m pitching a jig and, Yep you guessed it, Gulp. Walleyes are stealing the show followed by a tie between the Whitebass and Northern. I’ve been bit off a couple of times and on one particular solid hook set the line just snapped without the fish even moving. Geez, there goes my chance at the 40 incher. The 6 lb Fireline we are using is easy to throw and keeps you in touch with the jig like no other line can but it ain’t got it when a Northern puts the razors to it. Might as well be fishing with cotton candy line. Sometimes you don’t even feel the thump as a northern downs the meal.

Browns Bay is our best locationof the day. Filled with schools of White Bass, Northern and Walleye but not filled with boats. The few boats here today are all doing well and nets are getting a work out. This is the way I like fishing. EASY! Weeds are still behind schedule which suits me fine but Mark mentions several times throughout the day that weed beds are the hot ticket when fished along the edges with the same equipment we are using. If weather continues on the hot side, won’t be long before they are up and filled with fish.

Greg Schoneck for ND Live Wet & Wild

For Google Earth GPS location, photos and mp3's go to: www.ndlive.com

6/25/2009

Woodland Resort/ Mitchell's Guide Service Fishing Report

This past week has been a week of change for those fishing on Devils Lake.  (1) Summer is finally here!  The temperature has been mostly in the 70 degree range and we did hit 80 degrees for a day or two and it has given us some warmer water to deal with.  The surface temperatures are now mostly in the 60 degree range with some shallow water bay temps hitting as high as 68 degrees.  (2) We have experienced a major bug hatch.  The sand flies have hatched and if the wind is not blowing they can be a major nuisance.  Not too mention they provides an extra food source for the fish.  (3) The wind quit blowing for about four days.  This made fishing very challenging and forced us to find new fish in deeper water and also forced us to spend most of our time either slip bobbering or lindy rigging with leaches and vertical jigging on top of structure.  (4) Because of the calm conditions the shallow water became extremely clear.  This seemed to be a bad deal for fishing shallow water especially for casting crank baits.  (5) The weed beds are growing daily.  All the ingredients - clear water and warmer water temps have been just right for healthy weed growth in the shallow water.  (6) The past 2 days the wind began to blow and it clouded up the shallow water and made for excellent fishing casting crank baits.
The life of a fishing guide.  Imagine how fun it is to try and continue to catch fish with all these changes going on in 1 week's time.  We did struggle some what during the calm conditions early in the week but we were able to still limit out most of our customers but it was extremely slow and a long time would pass between bites.  Check out photos from this past week at http://fishdevilslake.net/reports.html.  >From the middle to the end of the week the fishing drastically improved especially when the wind started to blow.  We are still catching fish on slip bobbers with red hooks and leeches along shorelines but we did move out deeper to the 10 to 13 foot range.  We are also still catching a lot of fish pitching crank baits and mimic minnows on windy shorelines.  Best crankbaits have been #4 and #5 Salmo Hornets and #5 Shad Raps.  Good colors have been perch, fire tiger and chartreuse.  All in all, it turned out to be a pretty good week of fishing despite all the biological changes that occurred.  Again the team work executed by the Mitchell's Guide Service Team of guides pulled us through some tough fishing conditions.
We are very proud to announce that Merle Nelson of Mitchell's Guide Service won the Spirit Lake Casino Cup over the weekend.  This was a two day tournament with over 100 teams rounding out the competition.  Each Team could way 5 walleyes per day.  Merle brought in a two day limit of 10 walleye weighing over 57 pounds!  Way to go Merle!  Don't spend all that money in one place!
Steve "Zippy" Dahl
Mitchell's Guide Service

Good luck fishing this week
 
Mitchell's Guide Service:  701-662-6560  www.fishdevilslake.net
Woodland Resort:  701-662-5996 , www.woodlandresort.com

6/23/2009

                   Limitless Opportunity, North Dakota

Last week was family style mini van vacation pursuing Devils Lake’s giant northern and countless white bass. Monday, off to the incredible high water walleyes in Sakakawea for two limits. The past 3 days here in Washburn on a fantastic river walleye bite that even thunderstorms and cold fronts can’t shut down. Limitless opportunity for everyone from the lawn chair bank fisherman to the high end, gadget prone walleye fanatics. North Dakota!

Tuesday morning:  The bell rang for the first round here in Washburn. I was about to meet Bill, a boat ramp permanent fixture, with his lower unit molded into the cooler lid at the end of the dock.  He was hauling in a walleye while I launched the boat so conversation began about the fishing. Two successive mornings later I realized I’m not going to beat Bill to the river no matter how early I get up. Bill has a heart problem that won’t let him sleep when walleyes are swimming in his boat ramp hole. Tuesday ends early afternoon with 3 limits of 16-20 inch fish.

Wednesday morning: Just a ½ mile upstream is what has become the community hole and while many fishermen avoid these locations I suggest you break the social rule about fishing with others and stop in to see what the commotion is all about. We had our 3 limits before noon with John first up followed by Dalles, who just happened to bring along the boat food. Dalles owns the Super Values in Garrison, Hazen and here in Washburn but more importantly he developed Krause’s Smokehouse brand of homemade style meats, what I call boat food. Last to fill the livewell was Kevin with another example of why a trip to the river is in order.

Thursday morning: Remember Bill? I managed to pry him loose from the dock side cooler lid and get him in the boat. Geremy has joined me today as well. He is the superb talent behind the ND Forest Service “Fire Safety” video tips. Lots of good stuff on campfires. Anyway we are off to the community hole which by the way is community for a lot more than fishermen. Walleyes need social activity as well and they are packed in here like a bunch of Lutherans at the monthly pot luck. By 10 am Bill cranks in the last of his 5 fish limit so it’s back to the dock to say good byes and exchange Bill for two new faces, Peter, Geremy’s 7 year old son and Dave, also from the ND Forest Service.

Bomber 24a’s are 45 feet back followed by a variety of lures ranging from Reef Runner Rip Shads to #9 Shad Raps. Everything catches fish but the Bombers are winning round one today. If fish are not going in the deeper water I move up shallow and change out Bombers for plain old #5 and #7 Shad Raps. Fish move constantly in the river making a transition from resting in current breaks to active feeding up in the shallow water. Speed does not seem to be a big deal as I fished as slow as .55 and as fast as 3.5 mph. Something you can get away with in the community hole is pulling cranks down stream. Never lost a crank but trust me on this one. Downstream with a crank is a good way to make Cabelas smile!

Time for change so we make a run upriver to a place all to ourselves. I gave away the GPS numbers to this secret little hole earlier this year. Nothing has changed, still a GPS Hot Spot. Location was not the only change. We also switched over to jigs and ½ a crawler for vertical drift fishing. Good decision, as first drift wins 7 year old Peter a slot in the photo section of ND Live, just ahead of his Dad, Geremy. We are drifting a current break in 9 feet with ¼ and 3/8 oz jigs. Bigger than needed and bigger than I like to use but I try not to argue with walleyes attracted to bigger than I like jigs.

Vertical jigging is a bit of an art that does take some time to learn. If you are new at this don’t be intimidated as the rewards far outweigh the learning curve. The foundation of this technique is the electric which is used to match current speed. Even a light breeze will push you off vertical and the electric is what compensates for wind drift. By vertical I mean your line needs to be straight up and down. No angles allowed and the walleyes will tell you why this is important as the gold goes to the most vertical presentation possible. One inch off the bottom is also key as these walleyes are holding tight to the bottom in little depressions and current breaks. To understand how difficult holding one inch is, practice this with your 6 foot rod on the driveway. It takes concentration to touch the concrete and lift just one little inch. Which by the way is how I stay in touch with bottom, constantly lowering the jig to touch bottom and lifting just one little inch. Speaking of getting the gold, yours truly even got into the action with a dandy 26 incher we were able to release. Dave, who is new to the vertical technique was a quick study and put his share into the live well.

GPS Hot Spot today is for the community hole which is not that busy, at least not during the week. There are numerous other locations both up and downstream. A word of caution on the river. Be Careful! Submerged logs, stumps, rocks and sand bars can ruin a lower unit. I have not had any trouble, just take your time and stay alert and have the time of your life. As for me, I’m thinking about gettn’ me one a dem coolers Bill has so when I retire it will already be broken in with my lower unit form fitted to the lid.

Google Earth GPS locations and audio reports go to :  www.ndlive.com

Greg is a ND Fishing Guide and can be contacted at: 701-720-0447 or www.gregisfishing.com

6/19/2009

Walleye fishing continues to get better and better. Warm weather is heating the water, which is making the walleyes more and more active each day. Fish are still being caught in shallow water, anywhere from 2 – 12 feet. When the wind blows, try to work wind-swept shorelines. Again, try to avoid clear water. Northern Pike and White Bass fishing remain fantastic. When you find a school of white bass, you can catch them every single cast. Northerns are usually close to schools of bass. The best lures have still been crank baits, especially cranks with orange bellies. Jigs and plastics are working well too and fishermen are also starting to pull spinners with leeches and worms. Good luck fishing and enjoy the warm weather we are finally getting!

Courtesy of Mark Bry, Bry's Guide Service

6/19/2009

Overall fishing remains quite good on Devils Lake for both shore fisherman and boaters. For walleyes, anglers have been working windswept shorelines on windy days or slip bobbering in the trees on calm days. Some of the better areas for cranking have been Pelican Lake, Howards Bay, New Mill Bay, Doc Hagens, the storm sewer area in East Bay, Penny Bay, Skadsen’s Bay, and Haybale Bay. In these areas anglers are pitching #5 shad raps, #7 or #9 countdowns, and jigs with plastic such as mimic minnows or slurpies. For cranks the best colors continue to be firetiger, blue/silver, black/silver, and perch. For slip bobbering, the trees of Pelican and the Mauvee area, the trees near Grahams Island (Florida as it’s called), Patience Point, the trees near Ft. Totten, Swanson’s Point, Foughty’s Point, and the Skadens area have all been producing fish. Anglers are also reporting some fish on bouncers and spinners and that should improve as water temps increase. Pike and white bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in most areas.

Shore fisherman are reporting some excellent early morning and evening fishing for pike, walleyes, and white bass. The best fishing has been along the Mauvee, the Hwy 19/281 area, the Mauvee, Six Mile, 57, 20, and Woods Rutten bridges, the north end of Creel Bay along Hwy 19, and Hwy 57 just before Acorn Ridge. In these areas, anglers are pitching cranks or jigs, lindy rigging, or slip bobbering with leeches, minnows, or crawlers. Leeches have been working the best for walleyes and minnows for white bass. While the windy areas are tougher to fish, the better action is usually worth the extra effort. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

6/16/2009

This past week has been a week of change for those fishing on Devils Lake.  (1) Summer is finally here!  The temperature has been mostly in the 70 degree range and we did hit 80 degrees for a day or two and it has given us some warmer water to deal with.  The surface temperatures are now mostly in the 60 degree range with some shallow water bay temps hitting as high as 68 degrees.  (2) We have experienced a major bug hatch.  The may flies or sand flies have hatched and if the wind is not blowing they can be a major nuisance.  Not to mention it provides an extra food source for the fish.  (3) The wind quit blowing for about four days.  This made fishing very challenging and forced us to find new fish in deeper water and also forced us to spend most of our time either slip bobbering or lindy rigging with leaches and vertical jigging on top of structure.  (4) Because of the calm conditions the shallow water became extremely clear.  This seems to me a bad deal for fishing shallow water especially for casting crank baits.  (5) The weed beds are growing daily.  All the ingredients - clear water and warmer water temps have been just right for healthy weed growth in the shallow water.  (6) The past 2 days the wind began to blow and it clouded up the shallow water and made for excellent fishing casting crank baits.

The life of a fishing guide.  Imagine how fun it is to try and continue to catch fish with all these changes going on in 1 week's time.  We did struggle some what during the calm conditions early in the week but we were able to still limit out most of our customers but it was extremely slow and a long time would pass between bites.  From the middle to the end of the week the fishing drastically improved especially when the wind started to blow.  We are still catching fish on slip bobbers with red hooks and leeches along shorelines but we did move out deeper to the 10 to 13 foot range.  We are also still catching a lot of fish pitching crank baits and mimic minnows on windy shorelines.  All in all it turned out to be a pretty good week of fishing despite all the biological changes that occurred.  Again the team work executed by the Mitchell's Guide Service Team of guides pulled us through some tough fishing conditions.

We are very proud to announce that Merle Nelson of Mitchell's Guide Service won the Spirit Lake Casino Cup over the weekend.  This was a two day tournament with over 100 teams rounding out the competition.  Each Team could way 5 walleyes per day.  Merle brought in a two day limit of 10 walleye weighing over 57 pounds!  Way to go Merle!  Don't spend all that money in one place!

Good luck fishing this week!

Courtesy of Woodland Resort

6/14/2009

Devils Lake Fishing Report   Finally we have summer. Yes I said summer. The water temps have finally gone into the sixty's. The fishing report has been good. Anglers are catching fish slip bobbering on the minnewaukan flats. Leches seem to be the best bet under slip bobbers with colored hooks. Howards bay area and monkeys ridge have been good. Trolling the golden hwy has been good also. Salmo Hornets have been working best. When the wind blows casting shad raps has been very good on the wind swept shoreslines on the flats and on Pelican lake. Shore fishintg has been hit and miss. The best report has been Hwy 281 north of minnewaukan. The road is closed to truck travel. You are allowed to walk or take a ATV down it. Good Luck!
 
 JJ's Bait Shop and Lodging
Po Box 7
Minnewaukan, ND 58351
701-473-5440
www.jjsbaitshop.com

6/14/2009

Key ingredients to big fish

The key right now is sunshine. Cold overnight temps and the late spring has the summer transition way behind. As a result the two critical factors are cold water and no weed growth. Without the sun to warm shallow water during the day fish simply don’t move shallow and while you still catch fish they are not zooming in from 25 feet away on a torpedo strike.

Boyd is die hard northern, a convert from in my opinion, a better way of life. Walleye Fishing! But in spite of his serious character flaw there is something intriguing about Boyd. He catches big fish, very big fish, 20 plus - 40 inch plus, trophy northern. That is the goal today and if you have yet to read the first part of this two part article go to NDLive.com for part one.

We kick off the adventure with Boyd heaving out big spring bulldogs that land like a 5 lb rock launched from a catapult. I’m on duty with a more conventional lure, the Husky Jerk. We are in flat calm conditions, not what we hoped for, but one positive side effect is the ability to see down deep. Boyd and I talked about being prepared for the instant arrival of a 40 incher just before lifting your lure from the water, but absolutely nothing can settle the adrenaline pump when it magically appears. I would compare this to having a big buck suddenly appear from behind your bow stand. High alert, senses razor sharp, heart pumping wildly. Extreme elation blended with depressing let down. DID YOU SEE THAT!

As a matter of fact I did. In fact several times throughout the day and it always caught me a bit off guard. The strategy is to not freak and with the same cool composure of shooting your first deer, lead the lure in a circle, figure 8, or drop it in his face. I watched Boyd do this twice, once for an eater sized fish that went in the cooler and again at the end of the day when all 35 inches launched out of the water at the hook set and that was the last we saw of it.

item. Since we are on the subject of cash flow, how about a leader you pay over a buck an inch for? Boyd claims the Terminator is well worth the price as it can handle big fish and never seems to kink.

Where do you start? I suggest Devils Lake, which will give you more acres of water to cover than can be done in this lifetime so let’s narrow it down. Flats, expansive shallow flats under 8 feet of depth. Add to that weed growth and to be more specific the grassy type weed growth. This gives the predator a hiding place while waiting patiently for his next meal of sushi. White Bass according to Boyd are on the main menu here in Devils Lake. Don’t forget to drain the checking account with those big lure purchases and all that’s left is the fun.

I’m walleye from start to finish and northern are simply trouble, but I may have seen the light. Geez that was exciting. It is so hard to describe what seeing a really big fish just inches from your lure does to the heart. Multiply that several times throughout the day when you’re least expecting it and there goes the heart on the last lap racing for the finish. Good Grief, get some composure here Schoneck, it’s only a NORTHERN!

Courtesy of Greg Schoneck of NDLIVE

6/12/2009

A little warmer weather and things really start picking up on Devils Lake.   Water conditions have been playing a big role for boaters. Later in the day when the water warms up, so does fishing. Also, a little wind blowing into shorelines also seems to trigger better action. Most anglers are pitching cranks such as shad raps and countdowns and plastic into shallow windswept shorelines or are slip bobbering along weed edges or in the trees. Those finding the warmest water are also finding a little better fishing. The better areas continue to be Pelican Lake, the Mauvee area, Howards Bay, Doc Hagens, the north end of Six Mile, Knutson's Bay and the Ft. Totten area, New Mil Bay, Mission Bay, Penny Bay, and Skadsens Bay. Pike and white bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in these areas and also in East Devils Lake.

Shorefisherman are reporting some excellent fishing at the Mauvee, Six Mile, Hwy 20, and Woods Rutten bridges in the evening hours. The rip rap along the north end of Creel Bay and the Hwy 281/19 area have been picking up as well. In these areas anglers are pitching cranks, jigs, or using slip bobbers or lindy rigs tipped with leeches. Anglers in these areas are reporting the better fishing being on the windy sides. For white bass, anglers are finding fish in most areas of the lake. Some of the better areas have been Channel A, Hwy 281, the Brinsmade Bridge, and County #4. Each day one area seems better than the other and those moving around have been having the best luck. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtest of Ed's Bait Shop

Woodland Resort/ Mitchell's Guide Service Fishing Report

There are three things in life that are most enjoyable to watch.  The flames of a camp fire at night, a zamboni cleaning the ice between periods of a hockey game, and a bobber sinking below the surface of the water.  This past week Mitchell's Guide Service has watched a lot of bobbers sink.   This past weekend, Devils Lake was hit with a major cold front and so far our temperatures have had a hard time reaching 50 degrees ever since.  This did have a major impact on our fishing for a couple of days.

All the spectacular fishing we enjoyed pitching crank baits in our last fishing report came to a screeching halt.  After casting our arms off pitching crank baits, we did find success pitching Northland Mimic Minnows with a slower retrieve.  Silver and blue have been good colors.

After the cold front came through, slip bobbers along with leeches worked well any where from 2 feet to 10 feet of water.  A plain hook has worked the best. We have learned some valuable lessons this past week.  Instead of focusing on one particular depth and continually moving trying to find new spots, we slid deeper fishing current spots we had been successful at in the past.  This paid off big time!  Once we found the magic depth we found ourselves tripping over one another scrambling for the net.  The action was hot and heavy.  Once we found the depth where active walleyes were feeding we would go from having one or two in the live well to ten or eleven in just a matter of 10 to 15 minutes.  Then it would get quiet again and we would have to go back to moving the stopper knot and continually trying new depths until we found them again.

Major cold fronts such as the one we have just experienced this past week, often make fishing very difficult, especially walleye fishing.  But this is where the team work approach of Mitchell's Guide Service really shined.  The constant communication amongst the guide staff and each guide trying something new or different until discovering a pattern or method that worked, and sharing it with one another is what made us successful this past week.  The white bass fishing from boat and shore remained incredible and so did the northern pike fishing.  We have had some incredible fishing this past week, check out the photo gallery at:http://www.fishdevilslake.net/reports.html from pictures taken this past week.

So far, shallow bays have been the key.  The fishing does seem solid across the lake.  Find warmer water in the back ends of bays and give the spots time.  The fishing often picked up during the afternoon when the water warmed up.

The forecast does look better coming up.  It is supposed to reach 80 degrees by this weekend.  These warm temperatures and sunshine will again warm up the shallows and should ignite the bite all over the lake. 

Good Luck Fishing!

Steve Zippy Dahl
Mitchell's Guide Service

Mitchell's Guide Service 701-662-6560   www.fishdevilslake.net
Woodland Resort 701-662-5996   www.woodlandresort.com

6/8/2009

Fishing really heated up this last week. Then a big cold front. Surprisingly the fishing stayed good. Some hot spots this week are Howards bay, New Mill Bay, Mulvee CCouleeTrees and Pelican. The slip bobber bite has started to get better and better. Most anglers are uusingbig leeches under slip bobbers in 4 to 8 ft. of water. The casting bite remains good also. They are casting #7 countdown rapalas and #5 shad raps on the wind swept shorelines. Shore fisherman have also been doing well. Old HHwy281 north of minnewaukan has been good. The road is closed so you have to walk or take a ATV. Shore fishing has been the best on the windy shorelines with slip bobbers or lLindyrigs. Good Luck to all.

Courtesy of Jason Feldner,
Licensed Guide, Minnewaukan, ND

6/8/2009

Ya, I know - huge!

At the 5 am alarm it never entered my mind. When it comes to fishing, wind is your friend. Today we find out if this is true. The early morning trip over to Devils Lake was easy on the mileage with 20 mph plus pushing the mini-van east to Devils Lake. The plan was to hit the water in search of above average northern, something I know nothing about when it comes to Devils Lake. I stopped for the morning radio report with Phil and Jason and then it was off to Ed’s bait to meet Boyd who is my big fish guide for the day.

Wind has the lake in an uproar so as Boyd and I discussed earlier plan B was to shore fish the Devils Lake area. Again, something I know very little about. That is soon to change! First stop is a bridge that does not look all that impressive. Lots of current, in fact my guess would be too much current and by no means a big drainage. I’m getting rigged up while being constantly interrupted by two other fishermen who were already at the bridge as we pulled up. They are getting a fish every single cast! By the time I get a jig tied on Boyd has his first fish, a Devils Lake White Bass. OK, what is priority here the camera or getting this jig tied. After a few pictures it’s back to the reason I’m here. First cast, first fish, why can’t it always be this easy.

Ten to fifteen bass later we are back in the truck and off to the next bridge. Boyd is always first in and again rewarded with first fish. I may be slow but I’m consistent. First cast and –yep, White Bass. A guy could get to liking this. It’s not just first cast it is almost every cast! With fast water you need to read the current and look for the break. Drop a jig in and just like a mathematical formula, same results every time. Fish. While I like a challenge I have to admit I really like easy fishing.

Within twenty minutes we are back in the truck on the way to a northern location. Best spot of the day and I didn’t even put in a line. A retirement party is in full swing with lures being tossed around that date back to my fishing days as a kid, prime material for the Antique Road Show. Tackle boxes are opened wide for easy access and it looks like the 5 of diamonds is still in fashion with stringers of northern as proof. I had as much fun here as at any of the stops. Landing a fish does more than fill the frying pan. It fills our hearts. I left this bridge with a full tank.

Every lake has a personality and Devils Lake likes jigs and tails. Don’t seem to matter much what kind, some work better at times than others. Just make sure you have an assortment. We used heavy jigs because of the current, up to ½ once. A leader may be a good idea if you don’t like feeding lead to the northern. This is fishing at its simplest. There is no better place to teach kids the basics like casting, jigging and setting the hook. Opportunity is nearly every cast.

I normally pass on a GPS location but this week I’m forwarding a tip that will be more helpful. Get on Google Earth and do an aerial survey of Devils Lake. Start 20 miles west at Minnewauken and work 20 miles north of Hwy 2. Head east of the town of Devils Lake for yet another 20 miles.  Ya, I know - huge! Unbelievable opportunity. Look for drainages going into and out of the lake. Find the bridges, make a map and you’re ready for action.

We put up with 20 mph winds all day and I hardly noticed. Six bridges and all but one gave me a fish on the first cast. No bridge left us without fish. I’m reminded, when it comes to fishing wind is your friend. This is a family vacation waiting to happen. Fishing does not get easier, cheaper or better. Kids under 16 don’t need a license here in ND. Jigs and tails are cheap and live bait is not necessary. Have a garage sale, pack the mini-van with lawn chairs and the BBQ, take vacation days, call in sick, do whatever it takes but get over here while the bite is hot. Fill your cooler and your heart.

For instant reports and pictures of fish as they are caught join me on Twitter

Google Earth GPS locations and audio reports go to :  www.ndlive.com
Greg is a ND Fishing Guide and can be contacted at: 701-720-0447

6/5/2009

Most anglers reported excellent fishing this past week. Boaters are finding walleyes in the warmer shallow bays during midday and the afternoons as the water warms up.

Shore fisherman are reporting great fishing in the evening hours. Boat fisherman are now finding pike, walleyes, and bass in most all of the shallow bays located around the lake. Finding the warmest water continues to be the key. Water temps have been ranging from 52 degrees on up to 64 degrees depending on the weather. The best presentations continue to be pitching #5 shad raps, #7 and #9 countdowns, esko’s, and jigs with plastic such as mimic minnows.

Anglers are also finding fish slip bobbering in the trees or along windswept points. Some of the best areas have been New Mill Bay, the north end of Six Mile, Pelican Lake, Howards Bay, Doc Hagens, Knudson’s Bay, Penny & New Penny Bays, and East Devils Lake. Shore fisherman are reporting good bites at all the bridges (Mauvee, Six Mile, 57, 20, & Black Tiger) and along the rip rap in these areas as well as the Hwy 281/19 area. In these areas anglers are pitching jigs with leeches or plastic, slip bobbering, and using lindy rigs. Bass fisherman are doing best on jigs and minnows or jigs w/plastic. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

6/2/2009

Call in sick, lie to the wife, or bring her along!  Do what ever it takes to get to Devils Lake and fish with Mitchell's Guide Service right now.   What an incredible week of fishing!  Walleyes, Northern Pike, White Bass take your pick, it's all happining on Devils Lake right now.  Some of our guides are religiously slip bobbering the shallows and some of our other guides are religiously pitching crank baits.  Both methods have been extremely successful this past week.  The common denominator for success is shallow water back bays and follow the windy shorelines. 

Slip bobbering with leaches placed 6 inches to 1 foot off the bottom in 5 to 8 feet of water along windward shorelines has been trick for bobber fishing.  As far as casting crank baits, we are still pitching #5 Shad Raps and Countdowns and the No. 5 Salmo Hornets and #8F.  Some of the hot colors have been bleak, fire tiger, perch, Chrome and blue with orange belly, bleeding hot olive,  and hot mustard and fire minnow.  Plastics have been working as well but the guys haven't needed to use them this week the way the fish have been biting so aggressively.

The water temperatures are on the rise as well.  The main parts of the lake are mostly 52 to 54 degrees with the back bays in that 58 to 60 degree range.  This is why we are spending so much time in the back bays because the water is sometimes as much as 6 degrees warmer. 

Bruce Bonzer of Mitchell's Guide Service guided In-Fisherman Television with host Doug Stange as they shot a white bass segment.  They really pounded them too.  The white bass have not yet spawned but Bruce tells us they sure are schooled up and feeding heavily.  Sounds like a lot of fun!

If you have ever wanted to fish Devils Lake now is the time to take advantage of this shallow water bite.  You would be challenged to find another lake on the continent that is producing like Devils Lake is right now for both numbers and size.  The Mitchell's Guide Service Team of Guides is ready to show you what it's all about.  Gather up you family, friends, co-workers, who ever you can find, you won't be disappointed.  We would love to have you!

Good luck fishing!

5/29/09

As water temps increase on Devils Lake anglers are finding action heating up as well. Most anglers are finding water temps in the mid 50’s to low 60’s with the warmer temps occurring later in the day. Anglers doing best are looking for the warmer water and working those areas.

For walleyes, anglers are doing well during the warmer afternoon periods and near dusk. Try pitching cranks such as shad raps and countdowns, or jigs tipped with plastic twister tails or powerbait into windswept shorelines. Some of the better areas have been Doc Hagens, Pelican Lake, the shallow bays of the Flats, New Mill Bay, Knudson’s Bay, Six Mile, the moving water bridge areas, Channel A, and Penny Bay.

Shore fisherman are reporting excellent fishing in the evening hours along the rip rap of the north end of Creel Bay, Six Mile Bay, Hwy 281/19 area, and the Brinsmade bridge area. Pike and white bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in most areas of the lake. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtest of Ed's Bait Shop

5/25/09

Fishing on Devils Lake with Mitchell's Guide Service is red hot!  This past week things have drastically improved despite some tough weather conditions.  Last Monday and Tuesday we had to cancel due to high winds and rain but things began to improve on Wednesday.  Pitching crank baits in shallow water  on windy shorelines has really been a lot of fun and the fish we are catching have been unbelievable.  Things are slow in the mornings but once the sun has heated up the shallow water, the afternoons have been very good.  Some of our guides have been doing well slip bobbering the shallows as well but patience levels will be tested at times. 

Some of lures we are using and have had the greatest success on so far have been the Salmo Perch No. 8F, the no. 5 shadraps and Countdowns, and we have caught a lot of beautiful walleyes on Mimic Minnows made by Northland Tackle.  Yes, you read it right, plastics!  The action and flutter of the paddle tails on these baits are unreal.  They are heavy enough to cast a country mile and when reeled in at a slow and steady retrieve, hang on! 

The water temperatures in the mornings are for the most part above 50 degrees and in the afternoons we have found spots to be as high as 58 degrees.  Flooded back bays have warmer water than the shallows on the big lake so don't be afraid to explore a little.  There are so many new areas to learn due to all the flooding, everyday is almost a Lewis and Clark expedition. 

It is not too late to book a trip with Mitchell's Guide Service.  Things have really cranked up for us now and we have an extremely busy schedule ahead of us but we do have some room on certain dates that we can take your party fishing with us.  Take advantage of this shallow water bite while it lasts, it doesn't get much more fun than feeling that explosion of a 20 inch walleye hitting a crank bait.  We are a team of guides that work together and are in constant communication through out the day sharing fishing information all  to benefit you! So you can experience the hottest action Devils Lake has to offer.  We would love to have you.

Courtesy of Woodland Resort

5/23/09

God’s creative best Devils Lake

Water and life share an inseparable link and it seems the more water the more life. Don’t seem to be relegated to just a single type either. If it’s a heavy dose of life at God’s creative best Devils Lake may be the therapy your heart is needing. I know it did wonders for mine.Birds of so many colors and types it would keep bird enthusiasts burning through the look up book for days. Whitetails behind every clump of cover. Bugs by the billions. Good part about the bugs is they is the good kind. If you didn’t know there was a good kind well there is. This kind of bug, the mayfly, feeds the fish, which is last on my list of life. Not because of rank but because this is where the good stuff begins.

Nate and I put in next to the Brinsmade bridge with his tiller Warrior. Ya, I’m being guided and getting to enjoy the change of pace. The plan is to work our way into the back side of Pelican as we pitch jigs along the way. First sign of activity is a clipped off jig on my first cast. Northern. No walleyes for us north of the tracks so we look for a railroad crossing. All I can say here is be careful, we made it easily but it is shallow. With that we are off to the secret bay where Nate and I caught about 100 whitebass and numerous walleyes in the 7lb + class in recent history. Kind of burns in the memory. With all of the anticipation of school kids at the bell, jigs were flying. Results were a bit different than last time. Two northern.

Heading south we stop at a sunken road and make a reasonable attempt. Nate gets a reasonable walleye, not a big fish but at any other lake it would be in my livewell. Nate decides it needs to grow. It proves to be a good call. Off on the next exploratory run. We don’t stop until we are tucked into a small bay that dead ends at a road about to go under. Same story here. Nate. In fact it’s all about Nate all day. Of the 15 walleyes caught Nate gets credit for 13. I did out do him on the northern!

We are pitching into 2 feet while keeping the boat in 8. Use this as a general guide, not a hard and fast rule.  Every lake has personality and Devils Lake is strong on plastic or rubber on the jig. Try this in Sakakawea and don’t count on a big day. Here at DL you can’t go wrong with the tails. Leeches also work well. If you can get a smooth lift drop and repeat just as the jig touches bottom you may out fish your partners. However there are days when sleeping in the boat and simply dragging the jig while drifting will perform as well if not better.

You don’t need a boat to fish Devils Lake. With hundreds of miles of very effective shore fishing the problem is where to start. Give one of the resorts or bait shops a call and you will find friendly folks eager to share some of the better locations. If it’s a boat you’re needing I may be able to help. I noticed a dandy homemade pontoon still on the trailer that looks like it may go cheap. Be very sure to bring lifejackets.

Several moves, one hot spot that we worked to the end and a dozen or so stops brought us back to the beginning. Now we are north of the tracks and in easy sight of the Brinsmade Bridge where this all started. A passing boat holds up their catch for a quick picture and we make one final stop next to the cattail line just off the main channel. Story of the day. I get a northern, Nate gets a walleye.

Birds, birds, birds, they are everywhere and the sweet singing of nature is something I don’t hear in my office. I wonder if I could do that home office thing from the lake? Maybe I should look into that pontoon.

Courtesy of Greg Schoneck for ND Live

5/22/2009

With water temps finally warming up fishing on Devils Lake is really starting to take off. Shorefisherman are reporting excellent walleye and pike fishing along the coulees feeding into Devils Lake, the Mauvee and Six Mile bridges, and along the rip rap shorelines of Six Mile, the Flats, and Pelican. In these areas anglers are pitching cranks such as shad raps and countdowns, jigs tipped with twister tails or leeches, and lindy rigs or slip bobbers tipped with leeches. The best bite is from mid day to dark during the warmer water periods.

Boat fisherman are finding some excellent jigging along the bridges, pitching cranks or jigs tipped with twister tails or power bait, or pitching slip bobbers with leeches in the trees or wind swept shorelines. The key is to look for the bays and areas with the warmest temperatures. White bass are just starting to turn on. Boat fisherman are finding large schools of white bass in the north end of Six Mile Bay, Penny Bay, and the Flats.

Shore fisherman are finding fish in Channel A, the Mauvee and Six Mile bridge areas, and the culverts on the coulee from East Devils Lake to Stump Lake. One of the better areas is about 7 miles south off County #4 south of the Southam turn off Hwy 2. Firetiger cranks or chartreuse jigs tipped with minnows or twister tails have been working well. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

5/19/09

Fishing has been good when the weather cooperates. Anglers are reporting good catches by the coulee bridges and the Johnson road. Along old Hyw 281 south of Minnewaukan. Also along Hyw 281 north of Minnewaukan. You can only access 281 north from Minnewaukan. The gate is closed at Hyw 19. Then from Hyw 19 north the hyw 281 is  also open. The boat ramp in the city of Minnewaukan is closed. But the ramp 1 mile south of Minnewaukan on old 281 is open and high and dry. Anglers fishing from the boat are reporting catches out of pelican lake and the shorelines of wwest bay. They are casting Shorelines with #5 Shad Raps, Count down Rapala's, and Wee Craws. Some anglers are slip bobber fishing in the trees with leeches.   Keep your lines tight.

Courtesy of licensed guide, Jason Feldner, Minnewaukan, ND

5/19/2009

Way Too Nice For A Redneck Like Me

Devils Lake, where do you start with thousands of acres of productive looking, shoreline, miles of open water and advice from every fisherman eager to tell his story?  For me the answere is AL.  I did the "change identities" thing and switched from fishing guide to fishing client.  Ya, it was great, didn't even bring a pole, just my coffee.  Now the only question is where am I gonna stay? 

Anytime I head out to somewhere new, I get the nagging question sneaking in to darken my enthusiasm.  Remember last time?

Don't plan on getting any sleep this trip. Ha, slept like a baby and pampered to boot.  Holliday Inn Express, Devils Lake's newest motel is what I'm talking about.  Continental breakfast runs the gamut from yogurt to bagel, yuk all the way to a outdoorsman, sausage, eggs and coffee.  Way too nice for redneck like me.

This trip was a gas saver with 30 plus mph winds out of the west.  By now you have heard the lake is up a couple of feet.  Much higher and we can start fishing with our cars.  In fact, check out the latest in ND style rod holders.  Just clip the rod into your door handle, sit back and wait, with the heater on of course.

The 30 plus winds are down this morning and so is the temperature. Low, very low 30's. You talk about cold front!  Al and I discuss tactics but after spending a day in his boat, I realize it don't matter much what tactic you discuss, when with Al, you pitch cranks. I had a feeling the morning would be pretty dull due to the cold front but was surprised with a limit long before the afternoon sun burned a hole in the clouds.

First fish does to Al bundled up in winter ice fishing gear.

We are fishing the north end of 6 mile bay and working shorelines with #5 Shad Raps.  Holding the boat in 8 feet, we pitch to shore and reel back with the occasional twitch of the rod tip. Al graciously passed on a fishing tip during the process.  Try to pitch at a 45 degree angle ahead of the boat.  The reason, you catch more fish, good enough reason for me.  Most of the fish for the next couple of weeks are going to be concentrated in the drainages coming back to the lake.  Walleyes are returning from the upstream spawn and will hold for a while in the first warmer water they find.  Pelican would have been our second choice if we would have needed to make a move.  By noon it started warming up and so did the bite.

We finish up all smiles, on the west shore of 6 mile, our best spot of the day.  Firetiger was the color this moring but by late afternoon things switched to blue.  Shad Raps are the go to lure when it comes to pitching but Al closed the deal several times with a countdown.  Spooled with 14-6 fireline helps with snags and invisa-leader helps with the northierns. Wal-Mart and not very expensive either, not nearly as expensive as feeding $7 dollar cranks to hungry pike.

Every area has the landmark that is used to guide fishermen.  You know, look for the snag, line up the tallest tree on the left and fish next to the sunken island. Six Mile's land mark is the Pepsi Barn, completely sided with sign, the Pepsi sign being front and center.  Times have changes with GPS and now even one better, Google Earth. If you want the bird's eye view of our best GPS location today check out the illustrated reports on www.ndlive.com and click Google Earth.  It will take you right to our location.  Speaking of change you can now be the very first to know where ND Live is fishing as well as live in changing times.  While at ND Live just click the link to follow ND Live on Twitter.

Courtesy of Greg Schoneck for ND Live

5/19/2009

Fishing has been good when the weather cooperates.  Anglers are reporting good catches by the coulee bridges and the Johnson road.  Along old Hwy 281 south of Minnewaukan.  Also along Hwy 281 north of Minnewaukan.  You can only access 281 north from Minnewaukan. The gate is closed at Hwy 19.  Then from Hwy 19 north the Hwy 281 is also open.  The boat ramp in the city of Minnewarkan is closed.  But the ramp 1 mile south of Minnewaukan on old 281 is open and high and dry.  Anglers fishing from the boat are reporting catches out of pelican lake and the shorelines of west bay.  They are casting shorelines with #5 Shad Raps, Count down Rapala's, and Wee Craws.  Some anglers are slip bobber fishing in the trees with leeches.

KEEP YOUR LINES TIGHT!!!

Courtesy of JJ's Bait Shop and Lodging

5/15/09

Anglers continue to report some excellent spring fishing even despite the cold fronts that have been moving through the area.

The best fishing continues to come from shore fisherman in the far west and far east parts of the lake.  The Mauvee Coulee,

Channel A, the bridges north of Lake Alice, the bridges leading to Stump Lake, and the bridges on Hwy 19 have all been

offering some excellent walleye and pike action.  In these areas anglers are pitching jigs with leeches, minnow, or

chartreuse or white twister tails.  Boat anglers are also starting to report some good walleye and pike action in the shallower

western bays of the Flats and Pelican.  The best fishing for boaters has been pitching cranks or jugs into shallow water during

the warmer mid day periods or jigging the moving water bridge areas.  A few white bass are starting to show up at the

bridges and Channel A, but water temps need to improve a bit more before that action will heat up.

GOOD LUCK & GOOD FISHING!!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

5/8/09

A good spring runoff continues to offer anglers some excellent spring shore fishing this year.  Anglers are reporting good catches

of walleyes and pike in most all the coulee and bridge areas that lead into Devils Lake.  These include the bridges north of Lake

Alice all the way to the Cando area, the Mauvee bridges from Lake Irvin to Pelican Lake, the bridges in the Webster/Garske

area, Channel A, the bridges on the lake itself, and the bridges between Devils Lake and Stump Lake.  While the larger

spawning walleyes seem to have already spawned, anglers are reporting good catches of the smaller more eating sized male

fish.  Pike are also being caught along with walleyes in most areas as well.  Water temp this time of year is a big factor.

The warmer water areas are typically the better areas and anglers are finding that moving from one bridge to another can make

a big difference in action.  For walleyes and pike most anglers are doing the best on jigs tipped with plastic such as powerbait

or twister tails.  White and chartreuse tend to be the better colors.

GOOD LUCK & GOOD FISHING!!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

4/23/09

Anglers this week reported some excellent fishing on the coulees and bridges in the Devils Lake area. The key for the best fishing is to move around if the fish are not in the area you are fishing. Chances are there is another area where they are.

The pike started strong and have since slowed a bit, but now the walleye action has picked up. Anglers are reporting good catches of eating sized males and some nice large females as well. Keep in mind these large fish are our future and we ask all anglers to practice catch and release on the bigger females. In addition, North Dakota Game & Fish rules require any fish caught behind the gill plate to be released because their rules consider those fish to be snagged and you will be issued a ticket.

As for fishing for walleyes and pike, anglers are reporting the best success with jigs with plastic. This includes twister tails, mimic minnows, powerbait, and other jig/plastic body type jigs. White, chartreuse, firetiger, or silver/black all work at times. Some of the better areas include the bridges along the highways of the main lake, Channel A, the bridges of the Mauvee Coulee, Edmore Coulee, and the coulees going north of Lake Alice. Anglers are also reporting that those putting in small boats off the ditches are having some excellent success as they target the edges of the moving water and calmer water areas. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

4/17/09

While there are few people still walking out on the ice, we DO NOT recommend it. Ice conditions have deteriorated to the point that even foot traffic is not safe. However, anglers shore fishing are starting to find some excellent fishing around the open water bridge and coulee areas. These areas include the south end of Channel A near Hwy 2 and the railroad bridges. The bridges along the Mauvee Coulee from Churches Ferry to Pelican Lake, the coulees in the Webster/Garske area, and the coulees north of Lake Alice.

For pike, anglers are using jigs tipped with plastic or daredevils. For walleyes, anglers are primarily using jigs with white or chartreuse plastic twister tails or powerbait. Keep in mind, ND Game and Fish laws consider any fish hooked behind the gill plate as being “snagged”, and they must be released immediately. We also ask all anglers to help insure the future of our fishery and to release the larger spawning females. The next few weeks can be the best and most enjoyable time for shore fisherman and we wish you all the best of luck.

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

4/3/09

Cold temps have allowed ice fishing to continue on Devils Lake. Currently, most anglers are driving vehicles on the ice but as temps increase shorelines will start deteriorating and anglers will need to start using atv’s or concentrating on shore fishing around bridges and coulees as they open. Reports from anglers indicate fishing continues to be hit and miss. Walleye fishing remains quite good, but the bite seems best in the early morning and just before dark periods. Some of the better areas for fishing have been Mission Bay, Doc Hagen’s, the north end of Six Mile Bay, Stromme Addition, the storm sewer area, and the sunken Black Tiger road. Sonars and chubby darters, or buckshots, raps, nils, and kastmasters tipped with minnows or minnow heads have all been working.

Perch fishing has been tough for most anglers. Those catching some are reporting marking many fish, but find they’ll only be able to stay on active schools for short periods of time. The better perch areas have been Skadsens, the Woods Rutten area, and the south end of Black Tiger Bay.

Pike fishing has been good in the north end of Six Mile Bay with some nice fish coming from that area

Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

3/27/09

Last week warm temperatures deteriorated shorelines and it appeared the end of driving on the lake was near. But this week’s cold snap has refrozen shorelines and appears to have given ice fishermen a reprieve. Fishing on the other hand continues to be a bit hit and miss. Anglers are reporting decent walleye catches but are having trouble staying on any perch.

For walleyes, anglers have been fishing the north end of Six Mile Bay, the Doc Hagen’s area, Mission Bay, Foughty’s Point, the sunken Black Tiger road, and Jerusalem Bay. Sonars and chubby darters or nils, buckshots, kastmasters raps, and other spoon type jigs tipped with minnows or minnow heads continue to be the lures of choice. Perch fisherman are finding some fish in the south end of Black Tiger Bay, the Woods Rutten area, Skadsen’s Bay, and the mouth of Creel Bay.

Perch anglers are reporting they have to move quite a bit too both find fish and to stay on them once they do. Hali’s, kastmasters, small raps, genz worms, and other small jigs tipped with minnows, minnow heads, wax worms, and spikes all work at times.

For pike fishing try Jerusalem Bay or the north end of Six Mile Bay near Channel A. Smelt or herring off tip-ups continues to work the best. Pike and walleyes are also being caught in Lake Irvin, but access has been deteriorating and moving water in that area will make it one of the first areas to cause problems. As temperatures warm up, anglers will need to start using ATV’s or walking out. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

3/20/09

Anglers reported fishing this past week to be hit and miss. One day anglers would do quite well in an area only to not do

so well the next day.  Some of the better areas for walleyes have been Lake Irvin, Mission Bay, Doc Hagens, Jerusalem

Bay, and Six Mile Bay.  The best bite has been in the early morning and evening hours but anglers are reporting some fish

throughout the day.  In these areas, anglers are using sonars and chubby darters, or kastmasters, raps, nils, buckshots,

and other spoon type lures tipped with minnows or minnow heads.  Persh fishing has been hit and miss as well with the

better areas being the Woods Rutten and south end of Black Tiger Bay areas.  Hali's kastmasters, genz worms, forage

minnows, and ratso's tipped with wax worms, spikes, minnow heads, or perch eyes all work at times.  Pike fishing

remains good in the Churches Ferry and Lake Irvin area.  Smelt or herring off tip-ups remains the best bet.  Ice

conditions have been pretty good with most of the snow cover having melted down some allowing travel by vehicle in most

all areas.  The ice in many areas is quite thick and the use of an extension is a good ides.

Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

3/13/09

The recent cold blast and wind kept most anglers off the lake this past week. The few who did venture out reported typical cold front conditions with slow or hit and miss fishing. But this week we have a completely different weather forecast which should help things pick up. Typically, this time of year offers some of the best perch, walleye, and pike ice fishing. Prior to the recent cold front, anglers were reporting good to excellent fishing.

For perch, anglers were finding fish in the Woods Rutten/East Bay Campground area, south end of Black Tiger Bay, Casino area, and the mouth of Creel Bay. Hali’s, small raps, kastmasters, genz worms, buckshots, and ratso’s tipped with wax worms, spikes, minnow head, minnows, or perch eyes all work at times. Each day a few anglers were doing well while others struggled. Mobility and trying different presentations were the keys to those doing better.

Walleye fishing’s also been good in most areas of the lake. Anglers are reporting good catches of eating sized fish on the sunken Black Tiger road, Stromme Addition, Casino area, Mission Bay, Creel Bay, and Doc Hagens. Sonars and chubby darters, or raps, kastmasters, and buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working the best.

Pike fishing continues to be good in Lake Irvin. Anglers are mainly using smelt or herring on tip-ups, but those using sonars, chubby darters, and other walleye type setups are also reporting some nice walleye catches with a few jumbo perch mixed in. There’s a fair amount of snow on the lakes, but driving around with a 4 wheel drive hasn’t been too bad. Ice thickness is to the point where and extension is required in some areas. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

2/27/09

Most anglers are have been reporting poor fishing the past couple days since this major cold front moved in. Prior to this snap though fishing was pretty decent and as the weather improves this week things should pick up again.
Some of the better areas for walleyes have been Doc Hagens, the Casino/57 bridge area, East Bay near the Camp entrance, and the sunken Woods Rutten road. Other areas producing fish include Bud Bay, the Ft. Totten area, Rocky/Military points, the Woodland and Country Club areas, Stromme Addition, and Foughty's Point. In these areas anglers are jigging sonars and salmos; or using buckshots, raps, nils, kastmasters, and other spoon type lures tipped with minnows or minnow heads.
Perch fishing has also been hit or miss with some anglers doing quite well each day while others around them will struggle. Mobility continues to be the key for perch. Some of the better areas have been the Casino area, Military Point, Woods Rutten area, and the south end of Black Tiger Bay. Buckshots, forage minnows, genz worms, hali's, kastmasters, and ratfinkies tipped with minnows, minnow heads, wax worms, spikes, or perch eyes all work at times. Lake Irvin continues to produce pike, walleyes, and a few jumbo perch. The bridge area and the far northeast area have been the best. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

2/20/09

Fishing has been a bit hit and miss as of late. Each day some anglers do great while others around them will struggle. The better areas for walleyes have been the Casino, 57 bridge, Doc Hagen’s, Stromme Addition, Foughty’s Point, and Black Tiger. Those catching fish are reporting a short early morning and evening bite in anywhere from 8-25 feet of water. Sunken trees and rocky ledges or points have been the more key areas to work. Try actively working sonars or chubby darters; or nils, raps, buckshots, kastmasters tipped with minnows or minnow heads. When pressure occurs in an area the walleyes tend to scatter or shut down and those working the outer edges and away from the crowds tend to do the best.

Perch fishing has been hit and misses as well. Some of the better areas have been the deep water off Rocky and Military Points, the Casino area, the Woods Rutten area, and the south end of Black Tiger. Kastmasters, genz worms, buckshots, small raps, or hanger rigs tipped with spikes, waxworms, minnow heads, or perch eyes all work at times.Some anglers have also reporting Lake Irvin picking up for pike and walleyes with an occasional jumbo perch mixed in. For pike, smelt and herring off tip-ups has been the setup of choice. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

2/13/09

Last week’s warm weather blast brought some excellent fishing and really helped ice conditions. However, as the weather cooled and snow moved in ice conditions deteriorated and fishing really slowed. At the present, moving around on the ice is again tough as there is a fair amount of water under the snow in places and a hard crust is forming on the snow. Until things freeze up a bit (or warm weather again appears), driving will remain difficult.

As for fishing there has been some perch being caught in the Woods Rutten area, south end of Black Tiger, the 57 bridge area, and Military/Rocky Points. Hali’s, small raps, buckshots, genz worms, and ratfinkies tipped with wax worms, spikes, or minnow heads have been working the best.

Walleye fishing while a bit slower than last weekend continues to be quite good with a good morning and evening bite. Some of the better areas have been Doc Hagens (snowmobile access only), Bud Bay, Rocky/Military Points, the 57 bridge area, East Bay near the camp entrance, Foughty’s Point, and the sunken Black Tiger road. Try working sonars or chubby darters, or raps, nils, kastmasters, buckshots, and other jigs tipped with minnows or minnow heads. The best success has been in the 10-20 foot range in trees or rocky points.

Pike fishing remains steady with some good fishing in Walfords Bay and Jerusalem Bay. Lake Irvin continues to be good for walleyes, pike, and a few large perch. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop.
Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service

2/5/09

All the trails are in good condition and new trails have been established. At East Bay Campground, Bill Wood and John have opened the trails and they are in good condition. East Bay ramp is open with a trail going south and across to Stromme and Pops road. The Casino area looks great with a trail to Concrete Bay and Fort Totten Bay. Daniel and the crew have been working hard down there. Kyle at Woodland has Creel Bay looking great with trails everywhere and nice off shoots on which to fish. John, out at Lakeview Lodge, has the Dome house to Bud Bay open and ready for travel. All in all the trails are in great shape.

The best perch fishing is in Black Tiger Bay in 36' of water south of Old Bail Shop road. I’ve been there the last couple of weeks and the perch are nice. The east side is better than the west. The best walleye fishing is at Doc Hagen’s, the Casino, the south end of Black Tiger Bay and Foughty's. Good luck to all!

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service  |  Ed's Bait Shop

1/28/09

The trails are all open on Devils Lake. I talked with Kyle at Woodlands Resort and he has creel bay looking good. He also added a trail down front on Camp Grafton’s main lakeside to the corner of Hwy. 57. Kyle also tied the trail from Creel to the trail by the Dome house and then west to Bud Bay. Daniel at the Casino has everything open and ready (good walleye bite there off the point). He will be working on the trail to connect to the corner of Hwy 57. East Bay ramp is in good condition with more work to be done later today and tomorrow. The trail going south has been extended almost to the corner of 20/57 and across to Pop’s road access. Neil Ackerman has the trail open across to Foughty's and it was extended to Skadsems Bay were there is good perch action being reported there. Bill over at East Bay Campground has been working a lot on the trails and will get some help this week from John Dahlen to put a trail in going north up into Black Tiger Bay. All trails should be good for the coming weekend with Creel Bay looking like a super highway and the rest of the trails in good condition.

Best Spots for: Walleye - East Bay across from Camp Grafton, the Casino, Rocky Point, in front of Woodlands Resort, Bud Bay, Foughty's Point, and the Sunken Road in Black Tiger Bay. Perch - The Dome House, Rocky Point, Military Point, corner of Hwy. 57, the south end of Black Tiger Bay, Skadsems. Most of the perch are coming out of 30-36 feet of water on small jigs with wax worms. I will repost if things change.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service  |  Ed's Bait Shop

1/15/09

Devils Lake will be open for fishermen this weekend. The trails are starting to be reopened today with Ackerman Acres open from the ramp all the way across to Foughty's Point and beyond. The walleye bite in this area has been very good with some perch also. The Casino has several trails already open. I talked with Daniel today and they are working feverishly to get more trails established. Fishing has been good right off the trails so you don't have to travel far. Creel Bay is like a super highway with Kyle at Woodlands plowing several trails. He also opened the Lakewood Ramp so all is set in that area. Bill over at East Bay Campground has been out the last two days plowing to the south into Black Tiger Bay. Access is okay for that area. John at Lakeview Lodge has the trail in the Towers, Dome House, and Bud Bay ready to be used and in good condition. The East bay ramp will be plowed tomorrow and the trail to the south and across the Stromme Addition to Pops Road. There is no trail to Hay Bale this week. We received a poor report this week from those who tried in that area. John Dahlen is going to try to get a trail from Foughty's Point to Skadsems Bay tomorrow, but I will update everyone on that (Rumor has it there are some very nice perch coming out of that area from guys on snowmobiles).

Best bets for fishing Walley's--Foughty's, Camp Grafton, the Casino, and the north end of 6-mile; Perch-Creel Bay, Dome House, Bud Bay, Foughty's. I will update you again tomorrow if possible.

Fishing Reports from other local guides and anglers:   Dosch's Guide Service  |  Ed's Bait Shop   

1/9/09

This past week the lake access committee was finally able to get out and make some trails. Luckily, we missed the heavy snows last night and that should help them stay open for a bit. Currently there are trails in Creel Bay, the Casino area, the Towers area to Bud Bay & the 6th tower, East Bay to the Camp entrance and from the boat ramp to the storm sewer area, Ackerman Acres to Foughty’s and Haybale, and East Bay Campground/Black Tiger area. Special thanks to not only the access committee, but also Woodland Resort, the Casino, Ackerman’s, and East Bay Campground as these folks are also doing their own trails to help anglers.

As for fishing, the walleye fishing’s been quite good, perch fishing a bit slow, and pike fishing good as well. Walleye anglers are reporting good success in the shallower 10-20 foot zones in the am & pm hours and a decent bite during the day out on the gravel humps and points in the 15-24 foot zones. Buckshots, raps, and nils tipped with minnows or minnow heads; or sonars and chubby darters have all been working. Some of the better areas include Doc Hagens, Bud Bay, the Casino area, Mission Bay, East Bay near the camp entrance and Stromme Addition area, Foughty’s Point, and Black Tiger Bay.

A few perch are being caught in the mouth and north end of Creel Bay, the Casino area, Black Tiger Bay, and Jerusalem Bay. Lake Irvin has also been really good for walleye fishing, but access is much more limited due to the heavy snowfall.

Pike fishing and spearing remain good in Jerusalem Bay, Walfords Bay, and Sweetwater/Morrison. Irvin’s been slow for some reason this year. While there are some trails on the lake, the snow cover is heavy and those wishing to be more mobile may want to use snowmobiles. Four-wheel drive is essential if you plan on driving off any of the trails. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

12/26/08

Cold temps continue to improve ice conditions on Devils Lake. Anglers are reporting 14-18 inches of ice in most areas and many anglers are now driving on the lake. For those wishing to venture out, we still advise ATV's or snowmobiles, and extreme care must be used near moving water bridge areas and the many pressure ridges forming on the lake.

Perch fishing remains slow with some fish being caught in the Country Club area, near the Casino, and in Black Tiger.

Walleye fishing, however, continues to be good. Some of the better areas include the Country Club, Beer Can Island, Wolfords Bay, Mission Bay near the gravel pits and sunken railroad bed, Stromme Addition, the sunken road and south end of Black Tiger. Raps, sonars, and buckshots have all been working well with most anglers targeting the 10-24 foot depths.

Pike fishing and spearing have been excellent in Wolfords Bay and Jerusalem Bay. In addition, the Sweetwater/Morrison area to the north is also producing fish. Good Luck and we wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Great New Year!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

12-19-08

Sub zero temperatures continue to improve ice conditions, but winds and storms have been hampering fisherman from making it out. Those going are reporting from 10-15 inches of ice in many of the smaller and earlier freezing bays. However, some areas such as the Main Bay, Dome house area, middle of Mission Bay, area near mouth of Creel Bay, and East Devils Lake froze late and

ice conditions in those areas are much less. Also, heavy fall rains resulted in a lot of moving water and extreme care should be used around the bridges, coulees, and Channel A area. As for fishing, anglers are reporting some excellent walleye fishing in the 10-20 ft. depth in the early morning and evening hours. The better areas have been the gravel pits in Mission Bay, Stromme Addition, East Bay across from Camp Grafton, and Black Tiger Bay. Sonars or buckshots and raps tipped with minnows or minnow heads have been working well. Perch fishing has been quite slow with few reports coming in. A few are being found in Creel Bay near the Country Club and the south end of Black Tiger Bay. However, anglers haven't been finding any numbers. Pike fishermen are reporting some good action on Sweetwater/Morrison. Spear fishermen are also reporting some good fishing. Wolfords Bay and Jerusalem Bay in East Devils Lake continue to be the better areas. As we said, ice conditions are improving, but anglers still need to use caution and common sense. Some people are starting to drive on the ice, but we still recommend traffic be limited to snowmobiles and ATVs. Good Luck and Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

12-12-08

Recent cold weather has definitely helped when it comes to ice conditions. We still don’t advise any vehicle traffic and only limited ATV or snowmobile traffic. Some of the areas on the Main bay, Mission Bay, East Devils Lake, and the moving water bridge areas just recently froze. smaller bays that froze earlier, anglers are reporting from 6-9 inches of ice.

In the north end of Creel Bay near the Country Club and north of it and in Black Tiger anglers are reporting a few perch. No real numbers but they are catching some.

As for walleyes, we’ve had some reports of good catches of eating sized fish in the trees near the Casino and gravel pits in Mission Bay, the Acorn/Stromme Addition area, Foughty’s Point, and Black Tiger.

Pike fishermen are reporting some good action on Sweetwater/Morrison. Spear fishermen are also reporting some good fishing. The Wolfords Bay and Jerusalem Bay in East Devils have been the better areas. As we said, ice conditions are improving, but anglers still need to use caution and common sense. Good Luck and Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

12-05-08

Ice conditions are slowly improving and a few people have been walking out on the ice.  While the smaller bays have had ice for a while, the larger bays and moving water areas continue to have open water.  Ice is reported to be up to 6-7 inches

in some of the smaller bays around the edges, but anglers are also finding ice as thin as 2 inches or less as they go out.  We still recommend extreme caution and foot traffic only.  As for fishing, anglers are reporting a few perch in the north end of Creel Bay,some walleyes around Foughtys Point, and some good pike fishing in Sweetwater/Morrison and the other lakes to the north.  The current cold weather forecast should help ice conditions. Good Luck and Good Fishing!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

10-24-08

Walleye fishing on Devils Lake continues to be excellent. With the recent heavy rains in the area, there’s a fair amount of moving water in the coulees and bridge areas. Many anglers have been working these moving water areas such as the Mauvee, Six Mile, & 57 bridges and doing quite well. Anglers are also reporting good fishing using normal fall patterns. Those include jigging the deeper rocky points such as 5 Crows, Ft. Totten/Cactus Point, Patience Point, Doc Hagens, & Foughty’s Point; and cranking windswept rocky shorelines. Some of the better areas for that are in Pelican Lake, Bud Bay, Mission Bay, East Bay, & East Devils Lake. Pike and bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in most areas. If you happen to get that big pike or walleye, don’t forget to enter them in Eds monthly Big Fish contest for gift certificates. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

10-03-08

Walleye fishing on Devils Lake continues to be excellent. While most anglers are catching a lot of fish working the shallow edges of weedbeds, the deeper rocky points, bridges, and shallower cranking areas are also starting to pick up. Most anglers continue to do their best working bottom bouncers and spinners along the deeper weedbeds and rocky structure, but jigging around the bridges of 57, 20, 6 Mile, and Mauvee has been picking up. Many are also starting to pitch cranks along windswept rocky shorelines. Some of the other areas producing fish have been Pelican Lake, Haley’s Hump, Patience Point, Doc Hagens, the Ft. Totten/Cactus area, Stromme Addition, and Black Tiger Bay. Pike and bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in most areas of the lake.

Don’t forget to stop by this Saturday as Relay for Life will be having a pig roast starting at 4:00pm. If you happen to get that big pike or walleye, don’t forget to enter them in Eds monthly Big Fish contest for gift certificates. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

09-26-08

Fisherman continue to report excellent walleye fishing on Devils Lake. Most anglers are working the edges of deeper weedbeds, old shorelines, and sunken points with bottom bouncers and spinners or cranks. Anglers are also reporting that the shallower cranking bite’s been picking up. For cranking, anglers are working the edges of weedbeds or windswept rocky shorelines. Most fish are still on the smaller size, but anglers are catching a few larger fish mixed in. Some of the better areas continue to be Pelican Lake, the points and humps in the Flats such as Haley’s Hump & Patience Point, Doc Hagens, the Ft. Totten/Cactus area, Stromme Addition, Foughty’s Point, and Black Tiger Bay. Pike and bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in most areas.

Shore fisherman continue to report some excellent evening fishing at the bridges, along the rip rap before Acorn Ridge, and the Hwy 281/19 area.

This weekend is the start of the state’s resident only duck/goose season and we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend. If you happen to get that big pike or walleye, don’t forget to enter them in Eds monthly Big Fish contest for gift certificates. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

09-19-08

Not much has changed over the past few weeks as anglers continue to report excellent fishing. Most anglers are still reporting catching a lot of smaller sized walleyes and being able to sort through them to keep their limits of the more eating sized fish. Some larger fish are also being caught along with the smaller ones, but they have been harder to find. Presentations continue to be trolling cranks or bottom bouncers with spinners along the edges of weedbeds, old sunken shorelines, and rocky points. Cranks such as jointed raps or salmo hornets have been working the best. Some of the better walleye areas continue to be the Stromme Addition area, Doc Hagens, Patience Point, Haleys Hump, the Golden Highway, the sunken roads in Pelican, Bud Bay, Foughty’s Point, and the Ft. Totten/Cactus Point area. Pike continue to be caught along with walleyes in most of these areas and some are also working shallower weedbeds for larger pike. Shorefishing continues to be excellent as well. The Acorn Ridge area and Hwy 19/281 intersection area have been the better spots. Pitching cranks or jigs, or fishing Lindy rigs have been the best presentations. Working the windswept shores has been the best for walleyes. Pike and white bass are biting well in these areas. If you happen to get that big pike or walleye, don’t forget to enter them in Eds monthly Big Fish contest for gift certificates. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

09-12-08

Anglers continue to report some excellent fishing.  While cold fronts moving through have made the bite change some from day to day, most anglers are still finding a lot of walleyes.  The key patterns continue to be working the outer edges of weedbeds by trolling the deeper beds with cranks or bottom bouncers and spinners and cranking the shallower beds; or try trolling the
gravel/rocky structure of sunken points, old shorelines, and sunken roads.  The better areas continue to be the Stromme Addition area, Pelican Lake, Haley's Hump, Patience Point, the golden highway, Doc Hagens, the bridges, Five Crows, and Foughtys Point.  Pike and bass continue to be caught along with walleyes in most areas.  Shorefishing continues to be excellent as well.  The Acorn Ridge area and Hwy 19/281 intersection area have been the better spots. Pitching cranks or jigs, or fishing Lindy rigs have been the best presentations. Working the windswept shores has been the best for walleyes.  Pike and white bass are biting well in these areas.  If you happen to get that big pike or walleye, don't forget to enter them in Eds monthly Big Fish contest for gift certificates.  Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

09-05-08

While cold windy weather has kept most anglers off the lake, those making it out continue to report excellent fishing success. Most anglers are still reporting catching a lot of smaller sized walleyes and being able to sort through them to keep their limits of the more eating sized fish. Some larger fish are also being caught along with the smaller ones, but they have been harder to find. Presentations continue to be trolling cranks or bottom bouncers with spinners along the edges of weedbeds, old sunken shorelines, and rocky points. Cranks such as jointed raps or salmo hornets have been working the best. Some of the better walleye areas continue to be the Stromme Addition area, Doc Hagens, Patience Point, Haleys Hump, the Golden Highway, the sunken roads in Pelican, Bud Bay, Foughty’s Point, and the Ft. Totten/Cactus Point area. Pike continue to be caught along with walleyes in most of these areas and some are also working shallower weedbeds for larger pike.

Shorefishing continues to be excellent as well. The Acorn Ridge area and Hwy 19/281 intersection area have been the better spots. Pitching cranks or jigs, or fishing Lindy rigs have been the best presentations. Working the windswept shores has been the best for walleyes. Pike and white bass are biting well in these areas. If you happen to get that big pike or walleye, don’t forget to enter them in Eds monthly Big Fish contest for gift certificates. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

08-28-08

Not much has changed this past week as fishing on Devils Lake continues to be excellent. Anglers continue to report catching lots of smaller walleyes with many eating sized and some larger fish mixed in. The two key productive areas have been the edges of weedbeds and sunken rocky areas and points. Some of the better weedbed areas have been in Pelican Lake, the Doc Hagens area, and Stromme Addition. Some of the more productive rocky areas have been the sunken roads in Pelican and the Flats, Patience Point, Haleys Hump, Scooters Point, Foughty’s Point, and Birklands Point. In these areas anglers are trolling cranks such as jointed shads and salmos or bottom bouncers and spinners tipped with crawlers or leeches. Pike and white bass continue to be found along with walleyes in most areas of the lake with better action in the shallower areas.

Shore fisherman continue to report excellent walleye fishing near Acorn Ridge, the north end of Creel Bay, and in the Hwy 281/19 area. Lindy rigs, jigs, or cranks such as shad raps have all been working. The largest walleye wins a $50 gift certificate and the largest pike a $25 gift certificate. Good Luck & Good Fishing from us at Eds Bait Shop!!!

08-15-08

Walleye fishing has been excellent on Devils Lake with anglers reporting catching a lot of fish. While most tend to be a bit small, those with patience are sorting through them and keeping their limits of the more eating sized fish. Anglers are also reporting some nicer sized fish mixed in, but their numbers are more limited. Right now, most all presentations have been working.

Fish are being found along rocky sunken points, the outer edges of deeper weedbeds, in the trees, and right in the weeds in shallower water. In these areas anglers are trolling the sunken points and outer edges of weedbeds with cranks or live bait rigs, pitching cranks into the shallower weedbeds, and slip bobbering in the trees. Some of the most productive areas have been Stromme Addition, Doc Hagens, Patience Point, Haley’s Hump, the bridges, the trees by the Mauvee in Pelican, Black Tiger Bay near East Bay Campground, and East Devils Lake near the outlet. Pike are also being caught along with walleyes. The Lafluer boys have been reporting great pike action using spinnerbaits in the shallow weedbeds. White bass continue to be caught in most all areas of the lake. Many anglers are working windy rocky shorelines with blue or chartreuse cranks or jigs tipped with minnows.

Shore fisherman continue to report and excellent evening bite along the rip rap between the dike and Acorn Ridge, the north end of Creel Bay, and especially the area from West Bay Resort to the intersection of Hwy 19 and the old 281. Lindy rigs with leeches have been working the best. If you happen to get “the big one”, don’t forget our monthly big fish contest. The largest walleye wins a $50 gift certificate and the largest pike a $25 gift certificate.

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

08-08-08

Welcome MWC anglers to the Lake Region. We wish you all the best of luck. Anglers have been reporting some excellent walleye fishing the past couple weeks. While many fish are small, sorting through them or trying a different color or pattern can often be the trick that gets you a bit larger fish. Anglers are reporting catching some fish pitching cranks, but most anglers are either trolling the edges of weedbeds or old shorelines, or slip bobbering these edges or the trees. Those trolling are using cranks such as jointed rapalas, salmo hornets, or bottom bouncers with spinners and crawlers or leeches. Some of the better areas have been the Stromme Addition area, Haleys Hump, Pelican Lake, Foughty's Point, the Ft. Totten / Cactus area, Bud Bay, Doc Hagens, and Skadsens Bay. Pike continue to be caught along with walleyes, but their action is somewhat slower this time of year. White bass are being found everywhere along with walleyes.

Shorefisherman continue to report excellent fishing as well. The highway near Acorn Ridge, north end of hwy 19 in Creel, and the 281/19 area have all been producing a lot of fish. Lindy rigs with leeches and crawlers are working well. Good Luck & Good Fishing!!!

08-01-08

Anglers are continuing to report some excellent fishing right now. Reports indicate most fish are smaller but as you move around and weed through the smaller ones you can keep a decent sized limit. Most all presentations continue to work as well.

Anglers are pitching cranks, running live bait rigs, or trolling cranks along the edges of weedbeds. Some of the better areas continue to be Pelican Lake, Six Mile Bay, Bud Bay, Old & New Mill Bays, the bridges, and probably the hottest areas being Stromme Addition, Skadsens, Penny, & Black Tiger Bays in East Bay, Doc Hagens, and Haley’s Hump. Pike continue to be caught along with walleyes but their action continues to be a bit slow. White bass are being caught throughout the lake as anglers are finding large schools almost everywhere.

Shorefisherman continue to report some excellent fishing along the rip rap on Hwy 57 near Acorn Ridge, the north end of Creel Bay on Hwy 19, and the Hwy 281/19 intersection area. Lindy type rigs or jigs have been working the best for shore fisherman.

Courtesy of Ed's Bait Shop

07-25-08

Anglers are reporting catching a lot of smaller walleyes t