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I cant say enough about how good the perch fishing has been the last 10 days. We have had many days that our groups are limiting out on perch and we have found fish in several different locations. The magic depth seems to be 36 ft and Halis and Genz worms tipped with Waxworms have been working the best. Today i had a group of 3 limit out with 60 jumbo perch averaging in size from 9-13 inches. Some areas we sorting through the smaller fish so there is constant action. Travel on the lake has become a lot better and it has made finding and staying on top of perch much easier. The walleye bite has also been excellent but with a much shorter window of opportunity in the morning and evenings. Although on cloudy days the bite is lasting much longer. The average size has been 14-18 inches and we have had fish up to 30 inches. 10-25 ft of water and buckshots and jigging raps tipped with minnow heads have been working the best. northern pike fihsing has been steady the entire winter and just yesterday we had a group land a 43 inch monster that tipped the scales at 24 lbs. The big pike was caught on rod and reel so it was twice as much fun! This is by far the most exciting ice fishing season that I can remember, and I cant wait for March to come. We do still have some openings left in March and if you have ever been thinking of making a trip, now is the time.
Jeff
- Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 19:44:53 (CST)
Perch fishing continues to improve as the season goes on. The last 2 weeks have we have seen some incredible perch fishing. Several areas on the lake have been really good and with snow conditions improving we are finding perch in more and more areas. We still advise to travel with 2 4x4 pickups but travel off the trails has become a lot easier. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent in most areas of the lake and some larger walleyes are starting to be picked up. The average size walleyes this winter has been 13-17 inches and now we are catching more fish over 18 inches. The last 2 weeks has been some of the best perch and walleye fishing I have seen for years and some of the best fishing of the season is right in front of us. We do have some dates open but space is getting very limited. If you have some dates in mind, give me a call and reserve them now.
Jeff
Jeff Dosch
Devils lake, ND - Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 15:46:21 (CST)
I have never seen conditions change on a lake so quickly. We thought for sure that the weather they were predicting was going to end our season and instead has made travel on the lake the easiest it has been since early January. Late Sunday and all day Monday we received close to a half an inch of rain and half of the snow on the lake has disappeared! There are many places on the lake where you can see bare ice! The best news of all is that we currently have the best perch bite of the season happening right now. I was out today and limited out on 10-13 inch Jumbo Perch in just under 2 hours. The perch were very aggressive and at times I would have 2-3 ft of fish on the Vexilar! Last night and tonight We fished walleyes in 20 ft and have limited out on 13-16 inch walleyes and we did see one walleye at 30 inches. What a hawg! It was release to fight another day. With the snow cover cut in half it has given us a whole new outlook on the season and has made looking for fish a lot easier. There are a lot of places that haven't been touched yet this season and a lot of fish that haven't had any pressure. The best fishing of the season is yet to come!
Jeff
Devils Lake, ND - Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 20:17:04 (CST)
First of all i would like to say what a great job everyone did that helped make the ice fishing tournament a success. It takes a lot of planning to make it work and Jim Moe and his crew really do a great job! We could of had a little less wind but that didn't stop everyone from coming out and a lot of fish were caught and everyone had a great time. The last time I heard there was a little over 3,000 people on the ice.
Now for a fishing report: The high winds over the weekend made it hard to be very mobile and most people were blown off the lake. The good news is that the warmer temps helped to settle some of the snow and make travel a little easier. Today we spent the day chasing perch and we found that traveling off the trail was much easier and made looking for perch that more fun. Some of the best perch reports of the year have been coming in the past week or so. Several different areas of the lake have been reporting excellent perch catches with nice size Jumbos being reported. A group of 3 came in with 54 perch averaging 10-13 inches. The best depths have been 28-36 ft and halis, genz worms and small buckshots tipped with waxworms or small minnows have been working best. The walleye bite remains fairly steady with walleyes coming in depths of 6-30 ft. Shallow timber lines are producing early and late and some walleyes are being caught along with the perch on deep rocky structure. Jigging Shad Raps and Buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working best. Northern fishing continues to be excellent in many parts of the lake. Smaller pike have been coming off jigging while the larger pike are coming off tip-ups with smelt or herring.
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
Devils Lake, ND USA - Monday, February 02, 2009 at 21:19:17 (CST)
Another arctic blast has pushed down on us with -20 degree temps and -45 below wind chills. Hopefully this is the last of the season and warmer weather will start to make its way back. Even though the weather has been cold the fishing has mostly been excellent. We have had a few tough days but for the most part we have been doing just fine. The walleye and Northerns still remain to be the most consistent bite on the lake but the perch fishing is picking up. Even on the days of slow perch fishing the size has been incredible. We have seen a lot of 13" perch already this year. We have been fishng walleyes in anywhere form 5-35 ft of water and some days the walleyes have been biting all day. Perch remain fairly deep (35-45 ft) and genz worms, halis, and forage minnows tipped with waxworms have been working the best. On days when a cold front has moved through a minnow on a plain hook has been working the best and has produced some of the biggest perch. Our schedule is filling in fast for Feb and March. If you are planning a trip make sure to give us a call to we can get your dates reserved.
Jeff
- Monday, January 26, 2009 at 07:58:15 (CST)
Excellent news for perch fishermen! The past few days the perch have really been biting. Several different areas of the lake have had good catches of perch. Yesterday I had a group catch 44 nice jumbos. When I say Jumbos, I mean 10-13 inch perch. We have been sorting through the smaller ones so you have a lot of action. Halis and Genz worms have been working the best and at mid day when the bite slows down we have been switching to minnows on a plain hook and thats how some of our bigger perch have been caught. Walleyes seem to be everywhere this year! The average size has been 13-17 inches with some smaller and larger fish mixed in along with them. Most of our better spots have been in deeper water (20-30ft). Sunny days the bite only lasts an hour in the morning and at night but on cloudy days the bite will last the entire day. We do still have some openings, look over our website and if you cant find a package to fit your needs we will customize one for you.
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 20:24:19 (CST)
We really got lucky this last week and missed the last storm that moved through the area. Just to the west of us in Minot they recieved 12" of snow.
The lake has gotten a lot more accesable now that we have plowed roads thanks to the Lake Access Committee, Woodland Resort, Ackermans Resort, East Bay Camp Ground and the Spirit Lake Casino. Without these groups the lake would be a lot harder to navigate than it is. Now with the trails it has gotten a lot easier to get around in most areas of the lake.
I will start on the East side of the lake:
Bill Woods of Est Bay Camp Ground has trails to the south of his resort and into the Woods Rutten area.
Neal Ackerman of Ackermans Resort has a trail to haybale Bay, Stromme Additions and to Foughts Point.
Spirit Lake Casino has trails to Concrete Bay and to the hwy 57 corner.
East Bay boat ramp has trail in the acorn ridge area and to the gates at Camp Grafton.
Woodland Resort has trails in Creel Bay.
Lakeview Lodge has trails to Budweiser Bay and to the Towers area.
Jeff
- Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 11:22:23 (CST)
We finally have plowed roads on Devils Lake! There is getting to be some snow on the ice but now that there is plowed roads it makes it a lot easier to get around. The best news is that the walleyes have really been aggressive and we are getting some nice Jumbo Perch. The walleyes have mostly been in evenings and mornings and sizes have ranged from14-20 inches. We have had days where people have came close to their limit and if your willing to sit and pick away at them your going to take home some incredible Jumbo perch. Last week we had a couple of guys fill a bucket of 10-13 inch jumbos. There isnt a lot of pressure on the lake and we have been able to sit on a school of perch a long time. Its going to be a great year!
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 07, 2009 at 19:01:28 (CST)
Happy New Year!
We ended 2008 with a great day of fishing. Today I had a couple guys limit out on walleyes and a limit of perch. The walleyes were all 15-18 inches and the perch were 10-13 inches. What a great day of fishing! I hope everyone has a great new year and we hope to see you on the ice. We still have some open dates. The fish are biting what are you waiting for?
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 23:26:04 (CST)
The last snowfall has added a few inches of snow on the lake but we arent having any problems getting around on the lake. As of 2 days ago we have been traveling the entire lake with pickups and we are finding no less than 18 inches of ice.
Walleye fishing continues to be excellent in the mornings and evenings and on cloudy days the walleyes have been biting all day. The best lures have been buckshots and jigging shad raps tipped with minnow heads. Some perch reports have been coming in but with how good the walleye fishing has been we havent spent a lot of time chasing perch. Some of the nicer perch being caught have been mixed in with the walleyes. Northern pike continue to be very aggressive in the shallow bays on tipups with smelt of herring.
Jeff
- Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 19:15:48 (CST)
I cant remember a year that we have had this much ice, this early. I drove our today for the first time and I stayed in Creel Bay north of Woodland resort and found no less than 14". There are some small snow drifts on the lake but it is mostly bare ice. I only fished today for about an hour an a half and managed 5 nice Jumbos and marked fish the whole time. I think this front moving in really had them messed up. I received a call today from a local fisherman and said that he was fishing East Bay and everywhere he fished they found nothing less than 15". He told me they were doing real well on perch this week until this weather change. Walleyes and northerns seem to be biting almost everywhere on the lake. A lot of nice eater sized fish 13-16" with some 18-22" fish mixed in with them. Its exciting to get back out and be able to cover some ice in the truck. With all the good reports that we have been hearing its looks to be a great year on the ice!
Merry Christmas
Hope to see you on the ice
Jeff
- Friday, December 19, 2008 at 18:46:15 (CST)
Well, the first winter storm of the season has came and went and I think we ended up better than we ever thought. For a while i was worried we would have a lot of snow on top of marginal ice, but the lake now has less snow than we started. As you can imagine with the high winds there hasn't been a lot of anglers hitting the ice in the last couple of days. Before the storm hit though many people were having some great luck. Northern fishermen are reporting excellent catches in the smaller bays in shallow water mostly using tip ups along the weed beds and tree lines. Many reports of excellent walleye fishing have been coming in from across the lake. Eds bait shop had a walleye weigh in at 11 lbs last weekend. Shallow water points and flooded tree lines have been producing best for use and buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working the best. We have found perch in many locations with most areas being fairly deep(25-36)ft of water. We have some great ice making weather forecasted for the next couple of days. Highs of -10 degrees and lows pushing -20 should help us make ice fast and it wont be long before we are driving on the lake. We are taking reservations pretty steadily now and if you and your group have a date in mind please call soon. We don't want anyone to miss out on a great year of fishing on Devils Lake.
Jeff
- Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 18:18:21 (CST)
First of all I would like to thank everyone that visited our
booth at the St Paul Ice Fishing Show. We had the opportunity to
meet some great people and we booked several trips. Its sounds like
everyone is ready to start the new ice fishing season. When we got
back to Devils Lake the first thing on my mind was to make calls
and find out about ice conditions and fishing reports, so here it
goes. Most of the smaller bays have 6-9 inches with a few of the
more sheltered bays having over 9 inches. The main lake area has
only been froze for 5 days and has 3-4 inches but with this cold
weather and hardly any snow cover we are making ice fast. The smaller
lake connected to Devils Lake have between 10-12 inches. So far
many areas of the lake are having an excellent start to the walleye
fishing, with walleyes averaging 14-17 inches. The amin depths have
been 8-14 ft of water along the flooded trees and gravel points.
I have heard of several perch bites happening in different locations
and some are shallow and others in deeper water in the mud flats.
Hearing that perch are in both areas is a very promising sign this
early in the season. Pike fishing continues to be excellent across
the lake with most people using tip ups with smelt or herring. We
have two different lodging choices this season with Ackerman Acres
Resort being the newest choice. Ackermans Resort will have a lake
access and live bait. We hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Tuesday, December 09, 2008 at 12:10:10 (CST)
Call in sick,quit your job and tell your girlfriend or wife you
have plans for the next 5 months! Ice fishing season is finally here.
Devils Lake is completely covered with a sheet of ice. Some of the
smaller lakes have 3-5 inches and the smaller lakes that have had
ice for a couple of weeks now have 7-10 inches. As you can imagine
there has already been some anglers out and the fishing reports are
starting to come in. Some good reports of walleyes in the shallows
along the weed beds in 6-15 ft using buckshot's with minnow heads.
And just today a good friend of mine was out looking for walleyes
and found himself on top of perch in 7 ft of water. Sounds like the
season is starting off right where we left off. We are heading to
St paul this weekend for the St Paul Ice Fishing Show and if you are
in the area and have any questions on Devils Lake ice fishng packages,
how the Amtak packages work or if you just want to talk ice fishing.
Stop by our booth and say hi. Lets go fishing!
Jeff
- Monday, December 01, 2008 at 20:59:48 (CST)
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a great day and didn't
eat to much. I don't know which is better. The great meal or the nap
that follows. I'm sure over the long weekend there will be a few that
venture out onto the ice, so here is an ice report from anglers I
have talked with. Areas of the Minnewaukan flats have 4-5 inches,
Pelican Lake has 5-8 inches and Mikes Lake has 5 inches. Please remember
that this time of year ice thickness varies and can change in just
a few yards. Please be careful and fish with a partner and carry your
safety equipment. I will be going out for the first time this weekend
and I will be posting a report on more ice conditions and a fishing
report on Monday. Have a safe and great weekend!
Jeff
USA - Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 21:06:24 (CST)
In some areas of the lake the ice fishing season is officially under way. There have been reports of 3-5 inches in the Minnewaukan Flats and 6-8 inches on Pelican Lake. Today i heard two reports of anglers catching some nice walleyes in both areas. East Bay and Creel Bay both have a sheet of ice ubt it is very thin and I would say it will be at least 10 days before we get out onto those areas. If you are gong to venture out onto the ice this time of year please use caution and take your safety equipment with you. Ice picks, rope, a bar to check the ice in front of you and always fish with a partner this time of year. WE FINALLY HAVE ICE AGAIN, LETS HAVE A GREAT SEASON!
Jeff
- Monday, November 24, 2008 at 21:46:32 (CST)
Ice fishing season is getting closer and closer every day. Some
of the smaller area lakes have had a sheet of ice for about a week
or 10 days and I have heard reports of some small lakes having close
to 5 inches. overnigt temps the next couple of days are expected
to dip below 10 degrees. i drive by the main lake every morning
in hopes of seeing a fresh blanket of ice on the lake. This week
I have had many calls from people looking into our ice fihsing packages.
Its always nice to see people as fired up about ice fishing as I
am. With the St. Paul Ice Fishng Show only a couple of weeks away
and organizing equipment, the time is going to go by fast and we
will be back on the ice sooner than we think.
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 16:25:43 (CST)
It has warmed up a little around here in the last couple of days
but with all the snow on the ground it really does feel like winter.
The main lake is still holding a lot of ducks and there are still
a lot of geese in the area as well. Most of the smaller lakes have
a sheet of ice on them and hopefully in the next two weeks we will
have a sheet of ice on the main lake. I will be heading to the St
paul ice fishing show the first week in december so if you have any
questions on packages or just questions on Devils Lake and are going
to be i the area, stop by our booth and say, Hi. Its also that time
of year to get new equipment so we need to get rid of last years equipment.
We have 9 Fl-18s for $350.00 and 9 FL-20s for $370.00. Also 2 Marcum
LX 2s for $200.00 and 1 LX 3 for $250.00. All units are like new and
in excellent condition. If interested give me a call on my cell phone
at 701-739-3158
Jeff
- Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 20:44:19 (CST)
Winter weather has arrived
early this year. The first winter storm of the season hit last weekend
and left 4-7 inches of snow in the Devils Lake area. The heavy snow
cover has helped to keep temps down already some of the smaller
bodies of water are starting to freeze over. I took a drive this
morning and the areas along shore protected from the wind were froze
over. Early ice is going to be here sooner than we expected. We
have some exciting changes be added to our website in the next couple
of days. We have some great pictures from last season and we have
added some new lodging packages for the upcoming season. We have
started taking reservations for the season and some dates are starting
to fill in quickly. Ice will be here soon, its time to make your
reservations!
Jeff
- Monday, November 10, 2008 at 21:52:44 (CST)
Looking
for Lodging in Devils Lake?
Check
out Ackerman
Acres & Resort or The
Great American Inn & Suites.
Ive had a little trouble keeping up on fishing reports lately.
The time change keeps us out on the lake late and it doesnt leave
much time for reports. March weather is finally here and that means
stable weather. This is the weather we have been waiting for and it
has really helped. Walleye and pike fishing has been incredible. We
have been on one of the best walleye bites that I can ever remember.
Limits are happeneing almost daily and the size of the walleyes is
just incredible. Most of the fish have been between17-23 inches and
a lot of walleyes over 25". The best bite has been in the eraly morning
hours and we are fishing extemely shallow water of 3-6 ft. The pike
fishing is as good as it has been all winter. Many days we are still
catching between 50-75 pike per day and the average size is 3-8 pds.
On saturday my brother was out with us and landed a 40" pike weighing
in at 18pds. CONGRATULATIONS STEVE! The best news this week is that
the perch bite is on! Today we had a couple of groups limit out on
10-14" Jumbo perch. Stable weather is here and the fish are biting,
what are you waiting for? See you on the ice!
Jeff
- Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 20:09:35 (CDT)
Snow conditons have made travel on the lake somewhat difficult
but if you travel in pairs and have a good rope its not that bad.
We are over the halfway point of February and hopefully warmer temps
are on the way to help settle some of this snow. Perch fishing remains
spotty but when we have stable weather the bite has been consistent
and the size of the perch is great. We have been getting a lot of
10-13 inchers mixed in with a lot of smaller fish. When the bite gets
tough, minnow heads on a genz worm has been working well and a lot
of the bigger fish have been coming on a small minnow under a bobber.
Walleye fishing has really improved over the last couple of days.
Both deep and shallow water have been producing some nice catches
of 13-15 inch walleyes. Buckshots and jigging shad raps tipped with
minnow heads have been working the best. When we get a cold front
and times are tough we have been changing gears and going pike fishng.
The only way I can describe the action is INCREDIBLE! We have had
many days when we have had groups catch weel over 100 pike. Last week
I had a group of 3 catch and release 142 PIKE! They caught them all
jigging and had the time of their lives. So even under the worst conditions
we are still catching fish and the best time of the year is just getting
under way. Remember that the walleye season doesnt close in North
Dakota and we do still have some openings in March. Therte is still
time to get one more ice fishng trip in this year. We hope to hear
from you!
Jeff
- Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 19:28:36 (CST)
Its been a while since my last report but we have been very busy
and we have been fishing walleyes until dark almost every night. The
best news I have is that when we have had stable weather the fishing
has been great. We had a tough week or so when the weather kept changing
but now that we have had more stable weather we are right back on
track. Thursday and Friday of this week we had an excellent perch
bite with many groups coming very close to their limits of nice 9-13
inch jumbo perch. Along with the perch the walleyes have also picked
up, and we are starting to see excellent numbers of smaller fish (13-16")
with some bigger fish mixed in with them. Firay we had a group catch
a nice limit of 16-20" walleyes and they released a 24 and a 26 walleye.
GREAT JOB GUYS! Even if we do have a weather pattern move in we have
the pike fishing to fall back on. Today I had a group of 3 limit out
on 3-10 pd pike in just under 3 hrs. They figure they released at
least 20 pike that were a bit smaller. Warmer and more stable weather
is on the way, dont miss out on the rest of the season.
Jeff
- Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 19:38:50 (CST)
Weather patterns have been changing daily and along with it, so
has the fishing. Its frustrating when you get-em real good one day
and go back the next and see fish that just want to chase your bait
all day but wont bite. Saturday we had a group do real well on perch
and we went back the following day and marked fish that just wouldn't
bite. But the promising news is that February will bring more stable
weather and the best news of all is that we are finding perch in all
areas across the lake. Its been a long time since I can remember so
many locations that have large schools of perch. Once we have some
stable weather, I think we are going to have one of our best seasons
ever. Our schedule is filling in fast and February is getting limited
for space. If you are thinking about making a trip, now is the time
to call and make reservations. We hope to hear from you, Jeff
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 15:28:03 (CST)
Fishing has started
to pick up in the last week. The cold weather was a struggle for
everyone but we made it through and it looks like warmer temps are
finally here and hopefully we are out of the deep freeze for the
season. We spent the last three days filming with In-Fishermen and
things went really great. I would like to thank Chip Leer and his
camera man,Ross for doing such a great job. There a several different
places on the lake that we have been catching perch. Some of our
best days most of the perch ahve been coming off a plain hook and
minnow. Walleyes were tough to find a week ago but now they seem
to be showing up everywhere. Shallow water and deep structure have
both been good. Good luck to everyone in the ice fishing tournament
this weekend.
Jeff
- Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 17:55:36 (CST)
Well, where do I start. First of all, sorry its been so long since
the last report. We had a little trouble with our fishing report page
but we are back in action. The last couple of weeks we have been very
busy with fishermen and the schedule for the season is starting to
fill up fast. We've had some great people on the ice so far this season
and we are looking forward to the remainder of the season. Some of
our guests are already looking at coming back again this season. We
finally got what we have been asking for and that was cold weather.
Most areas of the lake have at least 12-14 inches and with this upcoming
artic front moving in we should easily make an inch a day. The weather
patterns have been swinging back and forth all week and along with
it, so has the fishing. When we do have a short period of stable weather
the perch have been aggressive and the size of the perch this year
has been great. We have had many days with many perch in the bucket
from 10-13 inches. Most of the perch have moved into deeper water
now (32-45ft) and halis, genz worms, and frostees tipped with waxworms
or spikes have been working. The best thing this year is that we are
finding many large schools of perch and if one school isn't biting
we just pack up and move on to the next. Great walleye reports are
coming in from across the lake and from all depths of water. Along
the flooded trees in 6-15 ft or on deep rocky structures (15-30ft).
Buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working great and the
best times of day have been early morning and evening hours. If its
an overcast day don't be scared to sit on those walleyes all day.
Some of our best walleye bites this year have come in the middle of
the day. THE FISH ARE BITING, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 21:26:28 (CST)
We fished the weekend with mixed results. Saturday we had a great
day of perch fishing and at the end of the day we ended up with a
5 gallon bucket full. Sunday was a little different story. After the
cold front moved in the fish almost completely shut down. If you down
sized your bait and were patient, you were able to get a few to bite
but it was tough. We all know how the weather can affect the fishing.
The great news is that the perch are biting and we are finding perch
in many different areas of the lake. Now we just need some cold weather
to make enough ice so we can start to drive. We wish everyone a Merry
Christmas and we hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Monday, December 24, 2007 at 15:12:46 (CST)
Ice conditions on Devils Lake are steadily improving. Most of the
smaller bays have close to 12" of ice. The main lake, which was last
to freeze has spots where we are still finding 5" of ice. It will
be a while before we can drive vehicles but it is no problem getting
around with an ATV. Many good reports are coming in from around the
lake on perch. We have been having our best luck in 30-36 ft using
waxworms on Halis or Genz worms. Walleye fishing has been spotty but
if your on the right spot there has been some really nice fish coming
in lately. Best times have been sunrise and just before sunset. Go
Demons and Buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working best.
Pike fishing continues to be excellent in the shallow bays along the
flooded timber and flooded roads. Jeff Dosch www.doschguides.com
Jeff
- Sunday, December 16, 2007 at 21:01:31 (CST)
We spent the last couple of days on the ice and conditions are
improving. Ice conditions vary from 5" on the larger bays and the
main lake to 10" in the smaller more sheltered bays. Some people are
starting to drive on some of the bays but we do not recommend this.
Ice conditions can change in very short distances. In the areas we
have been fishing this week we have been finding perch and walleyes
and both have been biting. The walleyes have been in depths from 8-2o
ft along weed lines and gravel points. We have been finding some perch
mixed in with the walleyes but the larger numbers of perch have been
coming from 25 ft or more. Also a lot of huge northern pike have been
coming from the flooded timber using smelt or herring on tip ups.
Don't miss out on the excellent season ahead and give us a call to
set up your package.
Jeff
- Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 20:07:46 (CST)
We were out this morning and put the first fish of the season on
the ice. A mixed bag of 14-18 inch walleyes along with 12 nice 10-12
inch jumbo perch. We were only out for a few hours but it was great
to feel that tug at the end of the line again. You really forget how
big those Jumbos are until you hold one in your hand again. When we
came off the ice, we talked to a couple of guys that were Northern
Pike fishing and they said they had a lot of flags but only managed
to land three. One of the pike they had on the ice would easily go
12 lbs. It was really short but it looked like it just swallowed a
football. Ice conditions are rapidly improving. All of the areas that
we checked had 5-7 inches and I have heard reports of some of the
more sheltered bays having over 9 inches. Were making ice and the
fish are biting, it just doesn't get any better than this! Jeff
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 20:17:14 (CST)
The first winter storm of the season has made its way through North
Dakota, and we very very lucky to only get a couple of inches. The
southern part of the state all the way through Minnesota, could expect
8-10 inches before things are over. The entire lake is froze over
now and it looks good for making ice in the 10 day forecast. Lows
near zero and highs only around 10 degrees we should be well on our
way to be traveling by ATV by next weekend. I talked to a few fishermen
that were out tonight on one of the smaller bays and they said they
were fishing on 5 inches of ice. When I talked to them they had a
couple walleyes and a few perch and were very excited to be back on
the ice. I'll be making it out on the ice by the middle of the week
and I'll keep you posted on ice conditions and how the bite is going.
Jeff
- Saturday, December 01, 2007 at 22:26:55 (CST)
10 degrees below zero no wind and MAKING ICE! The entire lake has
a sheet of ice on it. Temps are not expected to reach above 10 degrees
for the next 10 day so the new season is officially under way. We
should be able to walk out on the smaller bays by this weekend and
people are already pike fishing on some of the smaller area lakes
connected to devils lake and the reports are that the pike are biting.
Our first days of guiding will start the 15th of December and if your
looking for some early ice fishing, now is the time to call. Early
ice can be some of the best fishing of the season because everything
is still shallow and often times you can catch perch,walleye and pike
in the same areas. ITS FINALLY HERE!
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
- Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 09:51:45 (CST)
Ice has finally covered the smaller lakes in the area and it wont
be long before people are out on the smaller lakes pike fishing. I
bet there are a few people out by next weekend. Yesterday morning
the temp dropped to 9 degrees and half of creel bay was froze over
until the wind blew it off. The local forecast is calling for lows
around zero or even dipping below zero by thursday morning. With the
great perch fishing we had last season and all the people that were
catching fish in the boats this fall,everyone cant wait to get back
out onto the ice. Make sure you check out our site on Monday afternoon.
We will have some new photos of a couple groups we had last season
with perch that were only a couple ounces shy of 2 lbs. I've been
fishing Devils Lake all my life and you still never really realize
how big a 2 pd perch is. Get ready,Its almost time!
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
- Friday, November 23, 2007 at 21:25:07 (CST)
Colder temps are on the way! The last couple of years the weather
has been the same way. It seems like its not until that last week
of deer hunting until the weather starts turning colder. Most of the
small ponds are all froze over and by the end of the week some of
the bigger bodies of water will start to freeze. There are still a
lot of ducks and geese in the area but things are starting to move
through quicker everyday. We are starting to get a lot of call for
the coming season. The great perch bite we had at the end of the season
really has people excited. Were all patiently waiting for that first
day to get back on the ice and see that first Jumbo come through the
hole! We got some great news from the people at AAA Travel in Devils
lake. The Amtrak rates this year are unbelievable! If your thinking
of making the trip and have never traveled by train, you should really
consider giving this a try. You don't have to worry about driving
and your fully rested by the time you arrive in Devils Lake and we
pick you up at the train depot. It really eliminates all the stress
from worrying about driving in winter weather. Check out our Amtrak
rates because it wont be long and you don't want to miss out on the
upcoming season!
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
- Monday, November 19, 2007 at 17:13:39 (CST)
Colder temps are moving in and pushing the snow geese in along
with it. More and more birds are moving in daily and hopefully the
weather will hold and the geese will be here for a few weeks. Colder
temps have also got more people thinking of ice fishing. Last year
we got on the ice the first part of Dec., so the season is only about
a month away. There have been a few still braving the cold and heading
out onto the water. They have been having fairly good success on perch
and walleye. Perch catches have been good all fall so the outlook
for the winter is very good. We will be at the Minneapolis sport show
the 16-18th of this month. If you have any questions about Devils
Lake or would like to book a trip, please stop by our booth. We are
currently in the process of getting a new computer, if you have any
questions or would like to book a trip please give us a call instead
of sending an email. We should be back up and running by the end of
the week. Thank You
Jeff
- Monday, November 05, 2007 at 16:07:17 (CST)
The snow goose migration is slowly starting to take place. More
and more birds are making their way into the area daily and with temps
expected to change this week, I would expect the big push should start
happening next weekend. Most of the people that I have talked to that
have been walleye fishing is things have really slowed down. Pike
fishermen are still catching huge numbers of fish in the coulees north
of Devils Lake. Last year we were on the ice the first week of December,
so its not that far away anymore. We have started taking reservations
for the upcoming season. We will also be at the Minneapolis Sports
Show, Nov 16-18th. If you plan on attending the show and have any
questions on Devils Lake or Dosch's Guide Service please stop by our
booth. Think Ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 19:18:00 (CDT)
The annual young of the year gill netting survey has been completed
and young of the year perch, walleye and white bass are at their highest
levels in several years. According to Randy Hiltner, northeastern
district fisheries supervisor for Game and Fish in Devils Lake, the
annual young of the year fall gill netting survey produced a stunning
101 fish per net. That's the highest cumulative catch since 1991.
Hiltner said, and considerable higher than the 16-year average of
38 fish per net. Walleye and perch were both at their highest levels
since 2001. After last seasons excellent perch and walleye fishing
I think we really have a great season ahead of us! Cold weather is
just around the corner. Its time to think about ice!
Jeff
- Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 20:21:15 (CDT)
With hunting season in full swing, there hasn't been to many people
on the water fishing. The people that have been going out have been
reporting fair success in and around the flooded trees. Colder temps
the last couple of weeks have gotten more people thinking about ice
fishing. We have started taking reservations for the upcoming season,
and it looks to be another great one. Last season the perch really
came back strong and the test netting results from the Game and Fish
Dept. also say that we should be looking at an excellent season for
all three species. Walleyes in the morning and evening and perch during
the day, and if a cold front moves in, the pike are always biting.
There is something for everyone on Devils Lake and now is the time
to start thinking about making your reservations. If you have any
questions please give us a call or send an email and hopefully we
sill see you on the ice. Its not that far away!
Jeff
- Sunday, October 07, 2007 at 21:58:17 (CDT)
Spring is finally here and there are a million things to do. Its
hard to believe but some people are still ice fishing and from the
reports I have been hearing they have been doing rather well. Most
people have put away the ice fishing rods and brought out the summer
tackle. The channels are all flowing and the pike bite has been really
good this week. You can catch pike almost anywhere you find some running
water. The walleyes have started to make their way into the channel
but we would really like to everyone release the walleyes and keep
a limit of northerns if your looking for a great meal. If you want
to see how to clean pike boneless, log onto edsbaitshop.com and click
on the pike fishing video. A lot of guys are still out in the fields
chasing snow geese and most are still have fair success. In the last
couple of days I have seen quite a few still moving through the area.
Ten days from now all the ice should be off the lake and a new season
will be under way. Good Luck everyone!
Jeff
- Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 20:05:00 (CDT)
A few people are still venturing out onto the ice but it is down
to foot travel only now. With all the rain we have had the last couple
of days it wont take long until the ice is off the lake. I would like
to thank everyone that chose Dosch's Guide Service this winter for
their trip to Devils Lake. We had our busiest season so far, and with
the fishing being so great this winter, next year should be even busier.
As you could see by looking at our reports the fishing on Devils Lake
this winter was excellent. The walleye and northern bite was steady
all winter but the Perch is what made the winter so great. We were
able to find perch in numerous areas this winter, and they were there
in both numbers and size. Next year is going to be a year that nobody
is going to want to miss! The Spring snow goose season is under way
and there are many birds in the area. It looked like the warm weather
was going to send the birds through in a hurry but this recent cold
weather has pushed a lot of birds back down from Canada. Hopefully
the Geese will hold in the area for a couple of more weeks. Open water
season is just around the corner and most of the bride areas have
started to open up and the coulees will soon be running. The spring
season can be some of the best walleye and northern pike fishing of
the season, but we urge everyone to practice catch and release when
you catch those big females full of eggs. Again, I would like to thank
everyone that chose Dosch's Guide Service this winter and we hope
you have a great summer!
Jeff
- Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 12:00:14 (CDT)
That late ice that everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived.
Longer days and warmer temps bring some of the best fishing of the
winter season. Walleyes are moving into the spawning areas and the
bite is definitely on! Shallow water is the key and the best times
have been at sun up and just before dark until about a half an hour
after. This time of year walleyes are very aggressive and this is
the time of year to get that haw over 10 lbs. Perch fishing picked
up as soon as the temperature rose and with stable weather in the
forecast the bite should continue. Several excellent bites are going
on now. Most of the perch are still holding in deep water but are
becoming more aggressive. The better perch areas we have been fishing
we are seeing more and more perch everyday. This is a good sign that
they are getting concentrated in one area. We still have opening is
March, if your looking for that last chance to ice fish and want to
get in on some great action, give us a call before you miss out!
Jeff
- Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 21:12:43 (CST)
Longer days and warmer weather means spring is just around the
corner. But before we think about spring we have one of the best months
of ice fishing ahead of us. March is known for wall hanging walleyes
and gigantic schools of perch making their way to their spawning areas.
The month of March more whopper walleyes are caught than any other
time in the ice fishing season. The last couple of days we have gotten
around 4-6 inches of snow making getting around on the lake a little
more challenging but still no problem with a 4 wheel drive. Walleye
fishing the past week has been excellent in a number of areas. We
have been finding walleyes in 18-25 ft off of structure and in 4-10
ft along the shore lines. Some walleyes are starting to make their
way to pre spawn areas. Perch have been showing up in several different
areas of the lake and many good reports have been coming in. With
the many different fronts we have been having move in if you get on
fish before a front moves in you can do really well. Pike fishing
remains excellent around the entire lake. We have been catching pike
from 4-20 lbs in a number of areas. Some areas we have taken 20 pike
in less than 3 hrs. Don't miss out on the March bite and we hope to
see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 19:38:01 (CST)
Warm weather is finally on the way! Starting this weekend the temps
are going to be in the 20's and its going to feel like a heat wave.
Last week we had some of the best perch fishing of the season. This
week started out slow, with weather patterns changing and extreme
cold weather. Today the perch fishing picked back up and the fish
are starting to get aggressive again. Most of the perch have been
in 35-45 ft of water and have been mixed in with some big white bass.
We are still finding big walleyes in very shallow leading to deep
water. Some of our better spots have been shallow flats with deep
drops less than 50 yards away. Some of the best walleye and perch
fishing of the season is right around the corner. With the excellent
perch fishing that we have had this winter I would expect that March
is going to be great. We have been checking some the areas that walleyes
stage in before they spawn and they are already starting to hold fish.
We still have openings in March and with close to 3 ft of ice I would
expect we will be driving on the ice late into march or even early
April. If your thinking of booing a trip give me a call because the
schedule is filling in fast. We have some new pictures coming early
next week of the perch we caught last week. Wait till you see these
JUMBOS! Give us a call, lets go fishing!
Jeff
- Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 21:35:40 (CST)
The cold weather is finally coming to an end and the perch fishing
has really taken off! The last two days we have had many limits of
9-13 inch perch. Today we had 9 people out and we all limited out
by 2:00. Excellent reports keep coming in from many areas of the lake
and things should just keep getting better as the season moves along.
Its been a few years since I have seen perch fishing this good. We
are still finding aggressive walleyes in shallow water (5-15 ft.)
Early morning and evening have been the best times for walleyes. Most
of our perch are coming out of deep water and when the bite is on
there is times when you have 2-3 ft of fish underneath you. Halis,genz
worms and forage minnows have all been working tipped with waxworms
or spikes. Some of the bigger perch have been coming of a plain hook
and a minnow. Pike fishing remains to be excellent! Don't miss out
on the bite!
Jeff
- Thursday, February 08, 2007 at 19:51:05 (CST)
The perch bite continues to be excellent across Devils Lake and
continues to improve as the winter moves along. We are starting to
find larger and larger schools of perch and that means more aggressive
fish. Walleye fishing continues to be great in the early morning and
late evening hours. Larger fish have been coming in shallow water
near structure and smaller eater fish are coming from deeper basin
areas. Pike fishing remains steady and some huge pike in the 40-44
inch range have been coming in. We still have openings in Feb. and
March!
Jeff
- Monday, January 29, 2007 at 16:42:22 (CST)
Excellent perch and walleye bite the last week. Today we had a
large group limit out on walleyes and two other groups limit out on
perch. At times the perch were 3ft deep and coming up 5 ft off the
bottom to meet your jig. It didn't matter what you put down the bite
was that great. The walleyes ranged from 15-24 inches and the perch
were 3/4 pd to 1 1/2 lbs. There at least five places that I heard
of today that people were getting limits of perch. Check out our great
packages and don't miss out on the incredible bite going on Devils
Lake.
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 18:28:49 (CST)
Sorry there hasn't been any reports for the last week. We have
been fishing walleyes late and the time has slipped bye. Extremely
cold temps have kept most anglers off the lake and has made mobility
a challenge but we have been able to stay on top of a steady bite.
We have been finding walleyes anywhere from 6-25 ft of water and dead
sticking has been more productive than jigging. The perch bite has
been steady this week with the best bite coming from 35-46 ft of water.
Halis,forage minnows and small buckshots tipped with minnow heads
have been working the best. Some of the biggest perch we have seen
in years have been caught this season. Walleyes seem to be almost
everywhere we look ranging in size from 13"-27". Ice conditions range
from 20-24 inches and with no snow cover we are still making ice fast.
It looks to be one of the best ice fishing seasons we have had for
years.
Jeff
- Monday, January 15, 2007 at 10:16:17 (CST)
The snow cover we had on the lake is al most
gone from the warm weather we had in the beginning of the week. This
next week it looks like temps are going to be back like a normal January
and dip below 0. The fishing this week was great. A lot of perch and
some really nice walleyes. We've had walleyes caught this week up
to 7.6 lbs and many 2-3 pd fish. We have found several different areas
that have been great for perch. Some of the best areas have been in
the flooded timber in shallow water. This is the best perch fishing
I have seen in a number of years for numbers of fish and for the size
of the perch. Don't miss out on the great bite! I will have some pictures
on the site by the middle of the week.
Jeff
- Sunday, January 07, 2007 at 19:45:21 (CST)
Good perch reports continue to come in from  across
the lake. We have found several large schools of perch and the key
has been mobility to stay on active feeding fish. I have seen some
of the biggest perch I have seen in years this past week. Most of
the perch we have been finding now have been coming from deeper water(30-40ft).
The bite has been changing daily switching from minnows one day to
waxworms the next. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent and we
have had some excellent days pike fishing. Our average size pike have
been 4-8 lbs and a few big pike over 12 lbs. Check out our packages
and don't miss out on the great bite!
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at 18:19:23 (CST)
Incredible perch bite the last three days. Six of us limited out
on perch by 2 o'clock today and when we left the bite was still going
strong. The most aggressive fish today were in 36 ft and halis with
wax worms were working best. At times when the bite was at the best
we had 2-3 ft of perch below us. Its unbelievable how things can change
from one winter to the next. This is one of the best perch bites I
have seen in years!
Jeff
- Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 21:02:16 (CST)
Excellent perch and walleye bite again today. We have already had
a way better season on perch than we did all of last year. Today the
perch and walleye were mixed together and at times very aggressive.
The best bite was from 8-11 and again from 3-5. I had a couple of
guys get there limit of perch with some nice eater walleyes in the
bucket. Today I received several good walleye reports from area locals.
Ice conditions range from 12-16 inches on the lake with no snow cover.
We have some cold weather moving in for the weekend and this will
help to make more ice fast.
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 27, 2006 at 20:37:05 (CST)
Merry Christmas! We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
Jeff
- Sunday, December 24, 2006 at 13:36:24 (CST)
The last couple of days the perch and walleye bite has been excellent.
Walleyes are biting across the lake and some good size fish have been
coming in. Most of the walleyes have been ranging in size from 14-20
inches and there has been a 10.6 and 11.6 whoppers weighed in at Ed's
Bait Shop this week. Excellent perch reports continue to come in from
different areas of the lake. Most of the perch are coming in shallow
water and are hitting spikes, waxworms and minnows. The perch bite
is already better than it was all last year. If fast action and big
fish is what your looking for, try jigging or tip ups for northern
pike. The action has been fast and the average size has been from
3-8 lbs with many fish over 10 lbs. Herring or smelt have been working
the best or try jigging a spoon tipped with a minnow head. This is
going to be a great season on Devils Lake. Give us a call and let
us share some of the best fishing in the midwest with you. Merry Christmas!
Jeff
- Friday, December 22, 2006 at 22:03:51 (CST)
More and more ice fishermen are starting to hit the ice this past
week. A lot of good walleye reports have been coming in from several
locations on the lake. The best news of the winter is that people
are catching some perch. Hopefully this is good signs of what is to
happen this winter. So far all the perch reports have come in shallow
water in or around the flooded timber. Pike fishing remains to be
excellent and so far this early ice we have had some big pike on the
ice. The biggest so far this season is 15 lbs. With no snow ice is
forming fast. Some of the smaller bays have between 12-14 inches and
some people are starting to drive. The areas on the main lake we have
been fishing have had between 10-12 inches. The next couple of nights
are supposed to be in the single digits we should gain at least a
half an inch a night.
Jeff
- Monday, December 18, 2006 at 20:42:29 (CST)
Perch fishing is already better than it was last year. Almost every
spot we find walleyes the perch are mixed in with them. Last night
we got on the ice at 3:30 for the walleye bite and we had 10 nice
jumbos in the bucket before we caught one walleye. We ended up catching
some 14-17 inch walleyes before dark so it was a great night of fishing.
This morning I was out pike fishing and the flags were flying at a
steady pace. We had 8 pike in 3 hrs with the biggest around 8 lbs.
Beautiful day to be on the ice!
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 12:36:39 (CST)
Early ice is living up to everything we expect it too. Walleye
fishing on Devils Lake has been incredible. Shallow water sandbars
(5-14 ft) have been producing constant action in the evening and early
morning hours. During the afternoon we have been moving to a little
deeper water and finding walleyes that are aggressive all day. The
thing that has surprised us the most is the number of perch we have
been picking up in the shallow water. The perch have been very aggressive
hitting walleye tackle and until after the sun has went down. Yesterday
we had a couple guys get some real nice 13 inch jumbos. I have fished
several different areas on the lake now and ice conditions have been
a steady 8-10 inches. Most people are traveling by ATV's and a few
people are starting to drive on some of the smaller bays that have
12 inches of ice or more. We do not recommend that people start driving
yet. We are making ice every night and in a couple of weeks the entire
lake will be safe.
Jeff Dosch <jeff@doschguides.com>
Devils Lake, ND USA - Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 16:13:11 (CST)
We have started using ATV's this weekend. The areas we have been
fishing we have been seeing ice thickness from 8-10 inches. The walleye
bite this week has been excellent and we are catching a lot of perch
mixed in with the walleyes. Early morning and late evening have been
best for walleyes and perch with a few perch mixed in throughout the
day. More and more fishermen have been hitting the ice this week and
everybody is reporting excellent walleye fishing. Don't miss out!
See you on the ice.
Jeff
- Saturday, December 09, 2006 at 12:57:13 (CST)
Check out the new Hot Spot Outdoors pike fishing video on www.fishingminnesota.com
It gets you in the mood to start chasing after flags! The best thing
about pike fishing is that you never now if your next flag is going
to be a 5 lb pike or that 20 lb monster you've been waiting for. FLAG
UP!
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 06, 2006 at 13:08:48 (CST)
WOW! What a great feeling to be back out on the ice. Ice is forming
fast and the fishing is excellent. We did real well on walleyes tonight
ranging in size from 14-22 inches and we picked up some real nice
perch from 10-13 inches. Ice conditions are from 4-6 inches on the
small bays and we should be able to venture out farther by the middle
of the week. Early ice is great because you can find every species
in the shallow water. It felt great having that first walleye come
in and just hammer your jig. Get ready, ice fishing is in full swing!
Jeff
- Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 18:06:23 (CST)
People are starting to hit the ice on the smaller bodies of water
around Devils Lake. Ice conditions range from 4-10 inches depending
on who you talk to. Some of the smaller lakes have been frozen for
over a month now. Ice is forming on Devils Lake and the smaller bays
have all iced over. We need some calm nights and we could get a sheet
of ice over the entire lake. Temps are expected to be around zero
for lows and only the single digits for highs the next couple of days.
We should be able to get out on some of the bays by this weekend.
Don't miss out on an incredible season of ice fishing. Check out our
packages and if you don't see one that fits your needs give us a call
and we sill customize one for you.
Jeff
- Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 08:19:38 (CST)
ICE IS ON THE WAY! Starting Thursday night the weather is forecasted
to make a dramatic change. The forecast calls for temps in the high
teen and lows in the single digits by the middle of next week. Some
of the smaller bays like six mile and new mill have had ice for about
a week now. The smaller lakes like Sweetwater,morrison and Pelican
have had ice for over a week. I talked to some deer hunter that were
hunting around Pelican lake and said there was about 3-4 inches of
ice on Sunday. Hopefully the forecast will hold and we will be out
by the first week in Dec.. Happy Thanksgiving
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 18:42:59 (CST)
Deer hunting is on the minds of almost everyone but the warmer
weather has gotten a few more anglers back on the water. The bridge
areas and some of the smaller bays have been the best for walleyes
and Northern Pike. A few reports of some decent perch catches have
been reported. Everybody waiting for that big cold front to finally
move in so we can get back out on the ice. Still quite a few snow
geese and canada geese left around the area. Most of the geese that
I have seen have been coming off the flats and feeding to the southwest.
There are still a lot of mallards and diver ducks on the big lake.
When we have been deer hunting we have seen thousands of mallards
coming off of the main lake. Now is the time to make your plans for
this years fishing trips. We have some excellent packages available
and if you don't see what you are looking for we will customize a
package to fit your needs. The summer fishing on Devils Lake this
year was the best it probably ever has been, and with perch up 30%
from last year and the addition of crappies this looks to be an excellent
season ahead of us. Give us a call if you have any questions!
Jeff
- Friday, November 17, 2006 at 14:10:12 (CST)
Cold windy conditions has moved a lot of the snow geese and mallards
into the area. With about 3-5 inches of snow on the ground who know
how long the birds will stick around. If the snow geese do leave we
will still have some excellent duck shooting until the big lake freezes.
Windy conditions have kept most fishermen off the lake but before
this cold front moved in the walleyes were on the bite in the shallows.
After today we should be able to get back out on the water and start
pitching cranks in the shallows. Lows down to around 10 degrees tonight
and tomorrow should freeze some of the smaller lakes if the wind dies
down. If things stay like this we could be ice fishing some of the
smaller lakes during deer season. Now's the time to book your trip
for the ice fishing season!
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 01, 2006 at 17:44:59 (CST)
This is a busy time of year for all of us that hunt and fish. Its
hard to decide to get out in the boat for the last time or to be out
in the field. By the looks of most of the boat landings most people
have decided to be out in the field. The people that have put the
boat in the water and braved the cold have been having excellent success.
Jigging in rocky structures and areas with moving water especially
around the bridges have been the key areas the last couple of weeks.
Pink/white and chartreuse jigs tipped with large minnows have been
the hot presentation. Some anglers are still picking up some nice
fish cranking along the rip rap along the roads. The snow goose migration
is under way and tens of thousands of birds are showing up daily.
Several areas around Devils Lake have between 50-75,000 snow geese.
The larger bodies of water are holding a lot of mallards but we haven't
seen the big push of northern mallards yet. The big lake is starting
to fill up with diver ducks and by the sounds of it there isn't much
hunting pressure on the big lake. A lot of the corn is starting to
come off and this usually means some of the best hunting of the season.
THINK ICE!!
Jeff
- Friday, October 27, 2006 at 22:08:14 (CDT)
Walleyes are on the bite if you can find time between the wind
and the rain. Every other day the wind has been blowing and along
with it, it has brought rain and snow. The moving water around most
of the bridges has been the best this last week. Jigging in 15-25
ft using bigger minnows has been by far the best. It doesn't seem
to matter what time of day it is, if you find the area just outside
the current your going to have some fantastic fishing. This cold weather
has pushed more and more snow geese into the area. Different areas
around Devils Lake and to the North and west are reporting more geese
arriving daily. Some of the smaller sloughs have frozen over and have
moved most of the ducks onto the larger bodies of water. This cold
weather is expected to last and this should help to bring the major
push of snow geese into the area.
Jeff
- Tuesday, October 17, 2006 at 14:55:33 (CDT)
Weather change is on the way with temps expected to be only in
the high 30s and overnight lows in the 20s by mid week. Hopefully
this will bring down the snow geese and ducks that have been staging
up across the Canadian Border. Walleyes are still being picked up
in shallow water on crank baits and slip bobbers. And reports of good
perch catches have been coming in along weed lines using slip bobbers
in 15-20 ft. We are starting to get all geared up for the upcoming
ice fishing season and have already starting taking reservations.
This year we have a new sponsor for our fish houses with Team Otter.
These are top of the line fish houses which will make the experience
better for comfort and mobility. The Game and FIsh Dept. says perch
numbers are up by 30 percent from last year and we are already seeing
the difference this fall. Walleye and pike numbers are at an all time
high and you throw crappies into the mix and you have the potential
for an unforgettable ice fishing trip.
Jeff
- Saturday, October 07, 2006 at 21:16:33 (CDT)
I was out this morning with a couple of friends and their kids
for the youth hunt opener. I was in charge of the video camera, and
boy is it hard to sit and watch those ducks come in and not be able
to shoot. We had close to 3-4 thousand ducks in the area and the kids
had a great time. Looks like fall isn't wasting any time to get here
this year. Temps are expected to be in the high 40s for sunday and
most of the week next week. For the guys still looking for that last
great day on the lake it sounds like things are really getting good.
Crank baits or bottom bouncers in 5-15 ft have been producing some
real nice fish. And the bridges are really starting to pick up for
all the shore fishermen. Good luck to all the kids out for the youth
hunt this week and only 6 more days until we can all get out there.
Jeff
- Saturday, September 16, 2006 at 22:00:07 (CDT)
Early Canada Goose season is under way and it looks like its going
to be another great season. I've been working on the road a lot this
summer and everywhere I went there were geese. Dry conditions have
dried up some of the smaller sloughs but conditions aren't that bad.
It seems early to be getting ready for goose hunting but the cool
weather really helps you get in the mood. Even though goose hunting
is hear don't give up on fishing just yet. This can be one of the
better times of the open water season to get in on some great action.
Cooler temps will move fish shallow again and most people have put
their boats away which means no crowds. The Flats, Golden Highway,
trees at Grahams Island, Bud Bay and the north end of Six Mile Bay
have all been producing some excellent catches this week. Good Luck
Jeff
- Friday, September 01, 2006 at 21:27:39 (CDT)
Ice conditions are slowly getting worse. We should be able to get
out with atv's for about another two weeks. Fishing the last two weeks
has been the best it has been all year long. Walleyes are moving into
shallow water and are very aggressive in the morning and evening hours.
On cloudy days the bite has lasted throughout the entire day. Perch
fishing has picked up this last month and the perch are great in size.
A lot of perch from 11-13 inches have been being caught. The perch
are still in fairly deep water(25-35ft) but are really starting to
school up. Some really nice walleyes have been coming when we are
perch fishing. Crappie fishing has also picked up and it should keep
getting better until we cant make it out on the ice anymore. Pike
are getting ready to spawn so now is a great time to get out there
and try for that pike over 20 lbs. More and more snow geese are moving
into the area everyday and with the snow cover they have to the North
of us they should hold in the area for a while. Its common for us
to have close to 1 million birds in the area for about a week or two
if the conditions are right. Thanks to everyone that fished with us
this winter and we hope to see you back next ice fishing season. We
will try to keep you posted on the summer bite. Good Luck Fishing!
Jeff
- Saturday, April 01, 2006 at 11:59:19 (CST)
The last cold snap that we had really helped to improve ice conditions.
We now have about 28-32 inches of ice. Some good perch reports have
been coming in but they are very scattered and don't last more than
a couple of days. The best perch fishing we have been having lately
is with the walleyes in shallow water. The perch have been feeding
with the walleyes and the best times are the early morning hours and
late evenings. The days are getting longer and this is the time of
year we all wait for as far as walleye fishing goes. This time of
year is great because you can fish all three species of fish in the
same shallow bays. This is the time of year everything goes on the
bite and a lot of the bigger fish of the season are caught. We still
have openings in March so give us a call and don't miss out.
Jeff
- Thursday, February 23, 2006 at 16:52:30 (CST)
More and more good perch reports are coming in all the time. Its
hard to say what is better shallow or deep because reports have been
coming in on both. Minnow heads really seem to be the key bait under
a hali or a forage minnow. Glow colors have been the best by far.
Walleye fishing was quiet for about a week but things have picked
up over the weekend. This colder weather that moved in has seemed
to push the walleyes a little deeper. Pike fishing remains excellent
and more bigger fish over 10 lbs are showing up. The later in the
season we get,especially in March, the big females move into the shallows
and put the feed bag on and really get aggressive, that's when your
chances of getting that pike over 20 lbs are at its best. We are forecasted
to have another cold spell move in at the end of the week and highs
are only expected to reach the single digits. We already have 2 ft
of ice and this cold weather is really going to help stretch out our
March fishing. We still have openings in Feb.. and a few in March
so give us a call and don't miss out on the late season bite.
Jeff
- Sunday, February 12, 2006 at 20:14:33 (CST)
Ice conditions on Devils Lake range from 18-24 inches! Sorry about
the mix up below.
jeff
USA - Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 19:53:54 (CST)
Ice conditions across the lake range from 18-14 inches and we are
driving across the entire lake. We have about 4 inches of snow on
the lake and the forecast is for lows this weekend around the zero
mark which will help make even more ice. Perch fishing is finally
starting to pick up. We are starting to find larger schools of perch
and if your willing to work at them the payoff has been great. The
overall size of the perch coming in this year is very good. Walleye
fishing continues to be good in the morning and evening hours in 8-24
ft. Flooded timber,shallow flats and points with deep drops have been
seeing the best fishing. Pike fishing continues to be AWESOME!. This
weekend I had a group of ten out and we got 49 pike in less than 6
hrs of fishing both days. I don't know how many flags we had go off
those two days but it was none stop action the whole time. That's
the nice thing about Devils Lake is that there is always something
that will be biting. Don't miss out on the action and give us a call!
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 19:51:11 (CST)
Better Perch reports are coming in all the time but walleye and
pike continue to steal the show. Several places have been producing
fantastic walleye fishing this week in a variety of depths. Areas
of 15-25 ft have been producing more fish but in the flooded trees
in shallow 3-10 ft have been producing the bigger fish. Perch have
been mixed in with the walleyes and the size of the perch has been
great. This week we did get in on a good bite and the perch were averaging
9-13 inches. Pike fishing continues to be the fastest action around.
Its hard to believe that there are that many pike that you can fish
the same areas day after day and catch limits of fish every time you
go. Pike are the one fish that weather doesn't seem to affect. Good
luck to everyone in the tournament this weekend!
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 21:38:29 (CST)
Brian
Klawitter <bklawitter@comcast.net>
MN - Monday, January 16, 2006 at 19:58:14 (CST)
Hi Jeff Thanks for your hard work, I enjoyed spending time with
you. Good Luck, and I'll send on a picture of Al and his big pike.
Dan Keith MWO TV.
Jeff
USA - Monday, January 16, 2006 at 19:27:48 (CST)
Ice conditions on Devils Lake range from 12-18 inches and with
this cold weather now they are improving fast. Pike and walleye continue
to be the main draw for people right now but more and more perch reports
are coming in all the time. Everybody was looking way to deep for
perch. Some of the best perch catches have been in 10-15 ft. Walleye
fishing continues to be very good in the morning and evening with
most fish from 14-20 inches. Pike fishing has been incredible and
shows no signs of slowing down. Some monster pike have been coming
in these 1st two weeks. The average size is 4-8 lbs but we have had
fish over 15 lbs Its a great time to fish Devils Lake now because
of the limited people and you can sit on a school of fish for a long
time.
Jeff
- Monday, January 16, 2006 at 19:21:01 (CST)
We were out filming Midwest Outdoors today and got into some really
nice Jumbos and some monster pike. Pike ranged in size from 6-13 lbs
and all came off tip ups with herring. Perch were the most aggressive
when the sun would peek out at times. Minnows on a plain hook and
a genz worm with wax worms. Hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 21:35:28 (CST)
Great news for everybody that's been waiting to hear of the first
good perch report. Two of our guides really got into the Jumbos today.
All together the two of them had 45 perch ranging in size from 3/4
lb-1.5 lbs. Some really nice JUMBOS! We have to start fishing shallow
in the trees!
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 17:39:39 (CST)
Pike fishing remains to be the main attraction this winter. Pike
numbers seem to be at an all time high and the action is very fast
paced. Walleye action remains good and the perch we are finding are
mixed in with the walleye. There are areas that we are picking up
perch but the numbers are low and the size is very good. Most perch
being caught are over 1 lb. Pike are running from 3-8 lbs with a few
fish over 10 lbs. There was one weighed in just the other day that
tipped the scales at 24 lbs. Yesterday we had a group out and landed
35 pike in just under 4 hrs. To get in on some great action give us
a call.
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 09:34:59 (CST)
Pike and walleye continue to be on an excellent bite this past
week. More and more people are driving on the lake now and there has
been some reports of people getting into the perch. We have been spending
most of our time fishing pike and walleye since the bite has been
so good. We are picking up some nice big Jumbos when we are walleye
fishing. We should be driving across the entire lake be next week
and more and more people will be fishing. Yesterday we limited out
in pike in 3 hrs and they ranged in size from 3-6pds. A few fish have
come in this last week over the 20 lb mark. Walleyes have been averaging
from 1-4 lbs and mornings and evenings have been the best.
Jeff
- Thursday, January 05, 2006 at 20:16:56 (CST)
A lot of people are driving on the lake now and most areas have
12 inches or better. Walleye and pike fishing continue to be excellent
and perch fishing is picking up. Many areas across the lake have been
good for walleyes from 10-25 ft and buckshots,forage minnows,glow
demons and raps tipped with minnow heads have been working the best.
Pike action in the smaller shallower bays has been constant action
and pike have been ranging in size from 4-15 lbs. Herring and smelt
on a tip up have been working best and jigging larger spoons with
full minnows have also been working. More and more people are starting
to pick up a few perch since we are driving and can cover more area.
Good Luck
Jeff
- Monday, January 02, 2006 at 10:41:02 (CST)
Pike and walleye fishing continues to be excellent. Several different
areas are producing walleyes and early morning and late evening have
been the best. Some perch are starting to show up and the ones we
are getting the size is great. Pike fishing has just been unbelievable.
This cold weather moving in will help to make a little more ice and
we should be driving soon.
Jeff
- Thursday, December 29, 2005 at 17:19:41 (CST)
Nice weather has made for some incredible early ice fishing this
December. Walleye and Pike fishing has continued to be excellent and
several reports of good perch catches have been reported. We are picking
up many Jumbo perch when we are walleye fishing in the early morning
and evening. Several different areas have been good for perch and
with hardly any pressure fishing will continue to be excellent. Some
people are starting to drive out on the smaller bays but we do not
recommend this yet. Ice conditions are getting close and we should
be driving by the first of the year. Have a Merry Christmas and we
hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Friday, December 23, 2005 at 20:06:08 (CST)
We got into some real jumbo perch at the end of last week. We didn't
have a lot for numbers but the size was excellent. All the fish we
caught were 3/4-1 3/4pds. The group of guys next to us had a real
good day and they also had a lot of perch over 1.5pds. Walleye and
pike fishing has been excellent this past week. Pike are hitting in
several different areas of the lake and the walleyes are hitting best
in the flooded timber. Ice conditions in the smaller bays is about
10-12 inches and the main lake has around 8-10 inches. There isn't
a lot of snow on the lake and we are making ice fast. Hopefully we
can get a good cold spell and we can start driving.
Jeff
- Sunday, December 18, 2005 at 19:07:16 (CST)
Walleye fishing this week has been excellent. A lot of 15-20 inch
walleyes have been coming out of the flooded timber in the smaller
bays. Most of the smaller bays have around 7-10 inches of ice. Walleyes
have been hitting buckshots,castmasters and raps tipped with minnow
heads. Best times have been early morning and late evening and we
have been picking up a few perch along with the walleyes. Pike fishing
tomorrow and hopefully the rest of the week chasing perch. There is
no snow on the ice so this next cold snap this weekend should make
some ice fast.
Jeff
- Monday, December 12, 2005 at 18:27:06 (CST)
Just got back from the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show and I'm ready
to hit the ice. Sounds like a few guys were out this weekend and I
know of two groups who did real well on PERCH! That's right perch.
A few guys got into some walleyes and pike, so it sounds like were
off to a good start. Most of the lake has at least 4" and some of
the bays have close to 8". Sounds like early ice is going to be great.
See you on the ice!
Jeff
- Monday, December 05, 2005 at 16:57:09 (CST)
The entire lake has a sheet of ice on it now. Some people are starting
to walk out and we suggest people wait at least another week. With
the cold temps predicted it wont take long to make a lot of ice. We
will be at the St. Paul Sport Show this weekend and if your in the
area stop by and say high and hopefully we can answer any questions
you have on Devils Lake. With the walleye and Pike fishing being so
great this summer and the good perch bite this late fall it looks
to be another great ice fishing season on Devils Lake.
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 18:46:17 (CST)
Some of the smaller lakes around the area have fishable ice and
a few people have been venturing out and have been having some success
pike fishing. Temps are predicted to drop to around the zero mark
this next week for lows and if we can get some calm nights we should
be able to get some of the smaller bays froze over. We will be heading
to the St. Paul ice fishing show next week(Thurs. - Sat.) and if your
in that area please stop by and let us answer any questions you have
on Devils Lake. We will be sharing the booth(#443) with the Great
American Inn and Suites and we will be promoting our packages. Ice
will be here soon, its time to think ice fishing!
Jeff
- Saturday, November 26, 2005 at 16:31:50 (CST)
Cold weather has finally arrived and in a big way. Temps are supposed
to drop below zero tonight and that should freeze over some of the
smaller lakes and ponds. It will be a while for the big lake but the
steam has really been coming off and it wont take long now.
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 19:13:35 (CST)
Winter is finally here! Snow and cold has hit the Devils Lake area
and it looks like it is here to stay. High winds and all the snow
should help to bring water temps down in a hurry and tomorrow the
high is only 18 degrees. Hopefully it will stay cold now and we will
be on the ice soon.
Jeff
- Tuesday, November 15, 2005 at 09:32:21 (CST)
Snow geese are moving in daily now and a strong cold front is moving
in for the weekend and should bring a lot of birds into the area.
Its almost time to start thinking ice fishing and we have put together
some great package deals for this winter. Last season we were out
the first week in Dec. so it wont be long now. We have had some reports
of fishermen doing quite well on perch this month and this usually
means a good bite at early ice. Think Ice!
Jeff
- Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 19:25:39 (CDT)
Duck numbers are still high and the snow geese are just starting
to make their way here. I would say in a week or two the big push
of snow geese should be coming through. We are going to be updating
our website this week with new pictures and some new packages that
we have put together. Its time to start thinking about that ice fishing
getaway!
Jeff
- Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 17:25:10 (CDT)
Anybody else thinking ice fishing? All this snow on the ground
sure makes it feel like December and not October. By mid afternoon
today most of the snow was melted off the roads already and I'm sure
by the weekend most, if not all of it will be gone. Most of us that
have been out shooting birds have had excellent success and we are
seeing good numbers of birds. Most of the teal and some of the less
hardy birds will also leave but the numbers of mallards is still high.
Some snow geese have started to make their way down and it wont be
long before the big wave makes its way here. It seems that the best
snow geese hunting is always about the first week of deer season and
its always a tough decision. I'm heading south for pheasant opener
this weekend and I will keep you posted how things are shaping up
around here. Good Luck
Jeff
- Thursday, October 06, 2005 at 17:43:45 (CDT)
Walleye fishing continues to be excellent across the lake and a
number of presentations have been working. Slip bobbers in the trees
are still producing a lot of smaller walleyes. Bottom bouncers and
spinners and trolling cranks in the deeper water are producing larger
fish but less numbers. A few perch are being caught in creel bay and
along the Camp Grafton shore line. Swarms of ducks are starting to
show up along the country side along with a lot of Canada Geese. This
season looks to be another great year for waterfowl in the lake region.
jeff
- Tuesday, August 30, 2005 at 20:54:34 (CDT)
Walleye fishing continues to be excellent across the entire lake.
Throwing crank baits in the shallows and slip bobbers in the trees
are still producing the most fish. Slip bobbers in the evening with
a leach will keep you busy for many hours and most nights its hard
to keep two lines in the water. Leaches and night crawlers are both
catching a lot of fish. White Bass are still being caught along highway
19 and at the north end of 6 mile bay. If you plan on throwing crank
baits plan on catching your share of northerns because they seem to
be everywhere. Good Luck
Jeff
- Sunday, June 26, 2005 at 16:00:52 (CDT)
Rainy windy weather has kept a lot of people off the lake but the
few nice days we have had the fishing has been excellent. The warmer
weather has really helped to turn the walleye bite on! Crank baits
in the shallows(1-10ft) or slip bobbers in the trees or jigging in
front of the bridges have all been producing excellent walleye bites.
The best times have been in the early morning and evening hours. Pike
fishing continues to be excellent across the entire lake and the white
bass are just starting to get aggressive. Good luck! We do offer lodging
in the summer. 701-662-4659
jeff
- Tuesday, May 31, 2005 at 21:37:00 (CDT)
Walleye fishing is in full swing and with temps expected to be
in the upper 40's this week, ice fishing will be coming to an end.
This past week the perch finally went on a good bite and we got into
some excellent crappie fishing. We saw a lot of crappie over 1 lb
and some pushing the 2 lb range. Walleye fishing has been excellent
in shallow water up next to the trees at early morning and late evening.
Many fish over 8 lbs have been coming in this week. The pike action
on Devils Lake this winter was incredible and this late ice things
haven't changed one bit except for the numbers of monster pike. In
the last 2 weeks there have been 10 pike over 20 lbs and the latest
monster to be weighed in at Ed's Bait Shop on friday tipped the scales
at 29 lbs 4 oz. It wont be long before the spring run off gets the
coulees flowing and the walleye and pike fishing just gets better.
Steady streams of snow geese have been going over all day so I think
its safe to say spring is finally here. Just want to remind everybody
that we do offer lodging throughout the summer and fall and you can
give us a call for any information. I would like to thanks everybody
that fished with us during the ice fishing season and we hope to see
you again. Thanks
jeff
- Sunday, March 27, 2005 at 20:08:17 (CST)
Sorry we haven't had any reports for a while. We have been walleye
fishing most nights and I just seem to run out of time. Perch fishing
continues to be hit and miss but more and more good reports have started
to come in. Last week we had a couple of days where three of us caught
60 nice perch. So things are slowly starting to improve. Walleye fishing
this past week was hit and miss and the people who stayed out until
a little after dark are having the best success. Pike fishing continues
to be excellent across the lake and a lot of monster pike have been
caught in the last two weeks. I know of seven pike over 20lbs and
it sounds like the new lake record was caught about ten days ago.
29 lbs 2 0z what a hawg! We still have plenty of ice and the season
should go well into april. Hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, March 13, 2005 at 20:28:15 (CST)
Perch fishing remains slow but the numbers have been picking up
this past week. The Walleye fishing has remained steady all week in
the morning and evening hours. The Walleye bite/times has been the
same in all areas of the lake. The Northern Pike have been the most
active of any species all week. The Pike reports continue to be excellent
with numerous people catching their limit daily. For all of you perch
fans, stable and warmer weather will be a key factor in the up coming
days. Hopefully we will start seeing some of those "Jumbo's" in the
next few days! Keep Jigging!!!
Jeff Dosch <jeff@doschguides.com>
Devils Lake, ND USA - Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 23:15:52 (CST)
Perch fishing this week has been the best I've seen all winter.
Three of us filled a 6 gallon pail in about 4 hours and the group
next to us had close to 40. Most of the perch were nice jumbos, 10-13
inches. Maybe all we needed was a little stable weather and some warmer
temps. Gold genz worms were working best with either spikes or waxworms
in 30 feet of water. Walleye and pike fishing continues to be excellent
in most parts of the lake. FInally perch fishing is heating up!
Jeff
- Thursday, February 03, 2005 at 17:57:13 (CST)
The fishing tournament went well this weekend with a record number
of perch caught during the tournament. Six mile Bay isn't known for
its perch fishing but this year anything can happen. Warmer temps
the past couple of days has helped the perch bite across the entire
lake. With steady temps forecasted for the next 10 days perch fishing
should really pick up. Several places on the lake are producing some
nice perch catches and a few people have been coming in with limits
of perch. Walleye action continues to be excellent in the morning
and evening hours in the shallow water. Buckshots,castmasters,rapalas
and sonars have all been working well. Pike fishing on some of the
smaller lakes connected to Devils Lake has been excellent as well.
Tip ups with smelt or herring have been working best.
jeff
- Sunday, January 30, 2005 at 18:27:14 (CST)
Perch fishing has been picking up this past week. Several areas
are producing good numbers of perch. Warmer and more stable weather
patterns will help improve the perch fishing. Things have slowly been
improving and the numbers of perch coming in every day are getting
better and better. Walleye and pike fishing continue to be excellent.
Pike fishing has been really fast this past week. There has been days
when we've had 20 pike on the ice in less than 3 hrs.
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 18:59:53 (CST)
Perch fishing this week continues to be slow. We are picking up
some nice Jumbos while we are fishing for walleyes. The best thing
this year has been the walleye and pike fishing and this week they
continue to be excellent. There is hardly any fishing pressure on
Devils Lake and it is easy to keep a walleye spot for several days.
The days are getting longer and the bite has been lasting longer each
week. Pie fishing has continued to be excellent. Some days we have
had our people limit out in just a couple of hours with 4-6 pd fish.
There's never a wasted day on Devils Lake if you are willing to go
after whatever is on the bite. Perch fishing is going to pick up as
the winter goes on, it always does! Its really nice to have walleye
and pike to fall back on until they do.
JEFF
- Thursday, January 20, 2005 at 21:26:12 (CST)
The perch fishing on Devils Lake is really starting to pick up
this week. Each day this week our number of perch in the buckets increased
and you can really tell that the fish are becoming more aggressive.
Today the best lures were halis tipped with minnow heads or waxworms.
Most of the fish this week were in 25-35 ft. Warmer weather this week
should help the bite even more and it should be a great week of perch
fishing. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent in both the shallow
water and deep. There has been a good bite going on for about a week
in 31 ft of water. Buckshots,Angel Eyes,rocker minnows and sonars
have been working the best.
Jeff
- Sunday, January 16, 2005 at 21:52:35 (CST)
The perch bite is finally starting. I got into some really good
action today for a few hours and managed 23 nice perch. Silver hali
tipped with spikes was working best in 34ft of water. Walleye fishing
continues to be excellent. This morning 4 of us limited out in just
under a hour. Fish ranged in size from 1-2.5 lbs.
Jeff
- Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 19:14:28 (CST)
This is probable the best walleye bite I have seen on Devils Lake
in the winter. The last two days we had a group of six and limited
out on walleyes both days. Best time was about an hour before dark
but the bigger fish came in the morning hours. 10-15 ft of water using
Buckshots,castmasters,Sonars and Forage Minnows tipped with minnow
heads. We did spend some time looking for perch and found most of
our fish in deeper water (44ft) and Halis with spikes were working
the best.
Jeff
- Thursday, January 06, 2005 at 21:33:45 (CST)
Cold weather has moved into Devils Lake this week and has really
improved ice conditions. Most of us are driving across the lake now
and most areas have at least 15" of ice. This last snow storm left
about 6" of snow on the ice and it is still very easy to get around
on the lake. We needed a little snow to bank up the fish houses. Walleye
fishing continues to be excellent in several different areas on the
lake. Most walleyes have been shallow from 6-15 ft along flooded brush
and old road beds. Since we have started driving we have been finding
more perch and is easier to stay on top the schools. Pike fishing
has been steady all week but the walleye fishing has really been stealing
the show. Most of the walleye have been nice eaters(1-3lbs) but we
have been getting into some really nice fish over 5 lbs. Hope to see
you on the ice!
Jeff
- Monday, January 03, 2005 at 19:54:05 (CST)
Just got off the lake and it was a cold and windy day. Spent most
of the day walleye fishing in the trees just to get out of the wind.
The walleye bite the last 3 days has been excellent. Shallow water
(8-16ft) has been the best with buckshots,rapalas and forage minnows
working the best. The last 4 nights we have averaged 18 walleyes each
night between 4 of us and they have ranged in size from 1-5lbs. Several
different areas of the lake are producing some nice perch. More and
more people are driving out now and are covering a lot more area.
I talked to some guys in the bait shop tonight that had a pail full
of perch and they said they were in shallow water and halis were working
the best. Ice conditions across the lake are a nearly steady 12" or
better. Highs in the single digits this weekend should make a couple
of inches and we should be driving out by early next week.
jeff
- Thursday, December 30, 2004 at 17:57:40 (CST)
Merry Christmas! Perch fishing is starting to pick up this past
week. There has been a lot more fishermen out on the ice covering
more areas and we have been getting in on some good action. Cold weather
has really improved ice conditions this past week. Most of the bays
have 10" or better and the big lake has up to 9". Walleye and pike
fishing continues to be excellent in the flooded timber in shallow
water. Jeff
jeff
- Friday, December 24, 2004 at 11:13:06 (CST)
Cold windy weather has kept most fishermen off the lake this last
week. Below zero temps and 30+ mph winds have made conditions tough
to say the least. This cold snap is suppose to break by christmas
day and by then we should have a solid 8" across the lake. Some of
the smaller bays will have closer to 10". Walleye and pike continue
to bite at early morning and late evening in shallow water. Buckshots
and castmasters tipped with minnow heads have been working the best.
Some fishermen are starting to venture out into the deeper water for
perch and are reporting some success. I did talk to one group that
had very good success in East Bay. It will be nice to finally be able
to cover some ground and get after some perch. 3 day fully guided
trip/3 nights lodging for $405
jeff
- Tuesday, December 21, 2004 at 13:35:11 (CST)
The Walleye and Pike bite continues to be excellent this week.
Most people are having success along the flooded trees for walleyes
in 10-18ft using Buckshots tipped with minnow heads. Pike continue
to bite in several bays and the best bait has been herring on tip-ups.
Ice conditions have improved over the last couple of days even though
it hasn't been that cold. Most of the smaller bays have 6" and areas
in East Bay we found 8". Cold temps of -10 are forecasted for this
weekend and it wont be long before we are out on ATV's.
Jeff
- Thursday, December 16, 2004 at 14:00:48 (CST)
The entire lake is froze over now and some of the smaller bays
we are finding as much as 6". Friday I was out checking ice conditions
and managed to get some walleye fishing in and had great success.
Two of us caught 7 nice walleyes ranging from 1.5 lbs to 4.5. lbs.
Saturday we had our first group of fishermen and the walleyes didn't
cooperate but the pike action saved the day. We ended up catching
17 pike ranging from 3lbs to 6lbs and we had one monster tip the scales
at 20 lbs.(44 1/2") Most of the pike were caught on tip-ups and a
few jigging Buckshots. We are going to try a different spot for walleyes
in the morning and I will keep you posted.
Jeff
- Saturday, December 11, 2004 at 19:10:06 (CST)
Ice conditions are starting to improve across the lake this week.
We ventured out onto some of the smaller bays by Black Tiger and found
most places had 4-5 inches. The north end of six mile bay has close
to 6" of ice at the north end. There is very little snow cover on
the lake so we should continue to make ice daily. Highs are expected
in the 20's and lows in the teens so it wont be long before we can
venture out onto more of the bays. I went out tonight after walleyes
and fished a flooded road. I marked a lot of fish but caught 3 keepers.
It feels good to be back on the ice!
Jeff
- Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 21:55:50 (CST)
People are starting to venture out onto some of the smaller bays
on Devils Lake now. We have been receiving reports of 2-4 inches in
most bays and conditions will be improving this week. Temps are forecasted
for highs in the upper teens to low twenties and lows in the single
digits. Today we got 3" of snow so that should help to keep the temps
down. Fishermen that have been pike fishing on Morrison lake have
had excellent success. Most pike are ranging in size from 3-5 lbs.
We will be going out on tuesday after perch and we will keep you posted!
Jeff
- Sunday, December 05, 2004 at 13:53:40 (CST)
Sweetwater and Morrison lakes have fishable ice! I talked to fishermen
that were out on Morrison yesterday and they reported 3" of ice and
they were picking up some pike. Yesterday I drove down to Black TIger
Bay and Deadcow bay and Matson's bay were both covered with ice. There
were a couple of spots where you could see open water but they should
have froze last night. Temps this week are expected to be in the low
teens at night and daytime highs of only mid 20's so we should be
making ice every day now. Hopefully we can be out on the ice chasing
perch in the next 7-10 days. We might be going out after pike this
week and I'll keep you posted.
Jeff
- Sunday, November 28, 2004 at 12:56:35 (CST)
Some of the smaller lakes that are connected to Devils Lake have
started to freeze over. Some of these lakes only have small open spots
that the ducks are keeping open. A couple of the smaller bays on Devils
Lake have started to freeze over. Most bays have ice out about 20
or 30 yards and with temps to be in the 10's at night and daytime
highs of only upper 20's, we should start making ice. Hopefully we
can be out on some of the smaller bays by the first week in Dec. Have
a Happy Thanksgiving! Jeff
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 24, 2004 at 21:33:32 (CST)
Cold weather is on the way! Lows this week are expected to be in
the single digits and highs only in the 20s. If we can get some calm
nights some of the smaller lakes connecting to Devils Lake will freeze
and hopefully some of the smaller bays will ice over. If we can just
get that first sheet on we could be out by the first week in Dec.
Think Ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, November 21, 2004 at 17:01:31 (CST)
Monday is the first of November and that means ice fishing is just
around the corner. If the fishing this winter is anything like this
summer and fall it will be a great season. Fishermen that have been
going out the last couple of weeks are still reporting nice catches
of walleye and perch. Last season |
