Current Devils Lake Fishing Report

[Guest]

Kevin,

Are the white bass biting yet?

[Guest]

Nobody targets white bass through the ice to any significant degree. All of them are caught for the most part by accident.

White bass can be the marks on your electronics higher in the water column this time of year. I've caught some this way hoping they might be crappies. I heard a rather sad rumour the other day as far as the Neve family goes that our state record white bass (credited to my nephew) was broke by 4 ounces.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

Fishing has picked up tremendously this week. Devils Lake tactics still prevail. My best perch have just been felt when I lift my rattle spoon to bounce it. Record high temperatures this past weekend and no real cold weather in site could spell the end to access via pick-up shortly. Those of you holding off coming to Devils Lake until mid to late March or April had better come sooner than later. Perch are being caught all over the lake in the usual places. My best action was in 42-44 feet of water with euro-larva as bait.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

For the basshunter. We caught 4 white bass on Friday over 3 pounds. They came in schools 1-3 feet off the bottom.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Sheephead]

Fishig must be pretty good kevin, have'nt heard a report from you lately! The weater really sucks down here, ice going to heck real quick! Probably should go get the boat pretty soon. See ya, Sheephead.

[JIGSTER]

Kevin, thinking about coming to Devils Lake early next week.This is going to be my first trip to this area.I've heard horror stories about road construction and was wondering what to expect.I will be coming from Lake of the Woods and was also wondering if it would be necessary to bring the atv or pick-up will do?Any info greatly appreciated.

Thanks,Gary

[Guest]

No road construction occurs during the winter months here as does any where else in the north. I assume you are driving a pick-up or a vehicle that can drive an a short stretch of unpaved road that will be paved during the next construction season. The horror isn't the road construction but the fact that there has to be road construction to accomadate a 26 foot rise in lake elevation. You can get some what of an appreciation of this if you go on the road to the Casino and see the dike that keeps the lake out of the city of Devils Lake.

The ice OK except for a couple of problem areas at access points which can be pointed out at the baitshops.

The internet and the rumor mill stirs up more bullsh*t than one can stand at times.

By the jigger, got a guide?

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[2dog]

Kevin, what areas have some of the trouble spots.I'm thinking of coming on Friday and maybe trying Cactus point or Swansons or maybe around Creel bay. How has fishing been in these areas? Thanks.

[Guest]

Sorry 2dog. I saw your nessage to late.

Fishing slowed down with the fronts that moved through.

The good news is that the lows will be around zero to five below and highs of less than 20. We should even be making ice.

The same areas are good that have been all winter. The same advice holds, keep it on the bottom and slow.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

With the colder weather, angler activity has slowed somewhat considering we are entering the hot season here. The same tactics for perch that work all the time are still effective at all the usual spots.

Perch cooperation varies with the specific day and is really weather related. Use spikes and don't be afraid to use a minnow on a slipbobber along side a rattler of some sort.

Walleye and pike are still relating to the shallower water and low light conditions.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Bruce Mosher]

Kevin, Do you use a Slipbobber in the Summer. If you do I would send you my new Wave Buster bobber. It's a summer (weighted) casting slip bobber. Contact me at [email protected] and give me your address. Check it out at www.todaystackle.com thanks, Bruce Mosher

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Bruce Mosher,www.icebusterbobbers.com

[Tully]

Hey Bruce,
Are you planning on hitting Maple again this year for opener? If so maybe we could hook up and you could show me how to master those new bobbers of yours.
Todd

[Guest]

I use slip bobbers a lot during the summer. Send me some and I'll give em a try.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Tully]

Hey Kevin,
Thinking about coming out from Grand Forks Saturday sometime after lunch to try for some perch and then go for walleyes in the late afternoon/evening with my 9 year old son and nephew. Is the wind supposed to die down by then? Any tips where I might get these kids on some action?
Thanks,
Tully

[Guest]

The winds are predicted to be 20-30 tomorrow. We have about 6 inches of new snow these past couple of days. You know what that does.

Bookmark the noaa site to get the most up to date weather for the valley on the ne part of ND www.weather.noaa.gov/pd/ndframes.html
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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[This message has been edited by kevin neve (edited 03-08-2002).]

[This message has been edited by kevin neve (edited 03-08-2002).]

[Guest]

Perch fishing on Devils Lake has been good to excellent depending on which day you ask. Bites have been weather related and seldom hold out on any one particular location for more than a couple of days. This doesn't mean the fishing is bad, you just have to explore other locations when the bite cools on your spot. Keep mobile, they might just be 300 yards away. For light biters switch fropm a dropper rig to a marmasoka. Changing the bait frequently helps too. All the usual places have perch. The bigger fish normally bite lighter than small ones. Picture a herd of cattle grazing on a hill side with plenty of fresh grass. The perch are the cattle and the shrimp are the grass. How often do you see cattle fighting for a bite of grass?

Walleye and pike fishing has been good all winter, especially for walleyes during the low light period.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Scoot]

Fished Blacktiger, Haybail, and Six Mile yesterday- did not catch a fish! I couldn't believe it. I've never been shut out on Devil's Lake. A state surveyer said that things were extremely tough going everywhere he had been all day.
Scoot

[Bruce Mosher]

TULLY, Yes I will be on Maple on opener. Give Me a call about 2-weeks before and we'll talk. 218-926-5682. Bruce Mosher

Kevin Neve, I just e-mailed you for your address. You'll like the new Wave Busters! Bruce Mosher

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Bruce Mosher,www.icebusterbobbers.com

[Guest]

More anglers are switching to walleyes and northerns. Folks are happy to catch 3,4,5 of each but need to catch a bucket full of perch to be happy. I don't get it. Both walleye and northerns are insanely easy to catch right now. Perch takes concentration and skill. Maybe that is backwards to expectations most have or maybe because of higher limits set for perch but isn't it more fun and rewarding to catch a 1.5# perch versus a 1.5# walleye?

For some reason the larger jumbo perch are hard to find right now. Schools of smaller fish that stretch for thousands of feet are active.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

Crowds of fisherman are attacking the areas near open water like bridges and culverts. There is no run off so wind action is forcing a small current through necked down areas creating the open water and concentrating the fish.

Access is by ATV's and walking only.

Reports of walleyes, some large ones at times are being caught. It is nice to hear that catch and release is catching on. People are using tip-ups for with larger dead baits like smelt or herring to catch northerns. Adventerous souls are hitting the perch spots and having good luck also.

It will be two weeks before we can launch a boat off a ramp unless it gets warm and windy.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

The good news...The ice is out on Devils Lake as of the middle of last week.

The bad news...Temperatures have not been over 40 nor have the winds been under 20 mph since. We had another inch of snow Saturday and wet dreary conditions are predicated for the next few days. Even shore fishing activity is way down. The intense low pressure system has the fish shut down.

However, never frete, ice fishing should be good in a week or two.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

Cold weather has not allowed for water temps to rise much above 40 degrees. Very few people are catching any walleyes right now on the lake. You can catch northerns with dead bait. Cold weather is predicted throughout the week so things don't appear to be getting much better anytime soon.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

Kevin,

I see that there is no limit on both striped bass and white bass. Are there alot of striped bass in Devils Lake?

[Guest]

The water temperature is in the lower 40's. Very little fishing activity is taking place with the windy conditions we have seen the last couile of days. Angler activity was up this weekend but success was not what most hope for.

Walleye fishing has been as horrible as the weather the past week. Some are being caught by those who work at it, but it does take a lot of effort to find some willing to bite.

Smaller northern pike up to 5 pounds can be caught near shore with dead bait either smelt or herring. I caught some jigging deep with a fathead in creek channels.

There are no stripped bass in Devils Lake.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[fiskyknut]

I saw a guy from GFKS I know catch the state record Striped Bass, it was something like 20 3/4 pounds, can't remember if it was '91 or '92 but he caught it in Devil's lake cause I was there and saw it. I believe the mount of the fish is hanging in the GFKS Scheel's, or at one time it did. Was this the only one? I remember hearing that perhaps some were inadvertently in with a stocking of White Bass in the early '80s. There is probably another one or two in there that are HUGE by now!

Fisky

[This message has been edited by fiskyknut (edited 05-15-2002).]