How 'bout the shrimp Kevin?

[Polar Bear]

Kevin, Last January some of my buddies had a lot of trouble on Devil's Lake. They blamed the slow perch bite on the hoards of small shrimp which would actually come up their holes while fishing. Has the forage base evened out this year or isn't that a factor on why they did so poorly?

I'm planning on trying to get up to your neck of the woods for the first time this winter. When would be the best chance of finding some of your huge perch?

Thanks for all your info. PolarBear

[Guest]

The shrimp are the main forage for all species on the lake. We catch 12 pound northerns with bellies full of shrimp. Fish don't HAVE to chase baitfish, hence part of our problem/success.

If you drill a hole and shrimp come through the hole and your in 40 foot of water, move. If your shallow, rip a blade bait.

My thoughts are that the shrimp did not cause the slower bite rather it was weather related. We had fronts move through almost daily. The lack of stable weather slowed the fish. But, no one REALLY knows.

We fisherman tend to not to think in a true scientific manner when deduce this thing we do called fishing. We know what we think we know. Superstition reigns. Where's the witch doctor when you need him?

My educational background is in biology and agriculture where you are trained to believe in the research and not in anecdotal information. This conflicts with the superstitious fisherman in me who believes that a specific color of a jig was the reason he caught that 8 pounder.

Any who, the shrimp populations seems to be down from last year. To be honest with you, I don't know.

Best time to come is anytime you can get here!!! Go after what is going. For walleyes, it is good now, perch usually is good starting the end of January through ice out. Peak fisherman activity in March. It's like you throw a switch and they come from all over. Get your reservations in now for a March visit if that is when you plan to attend.

Holy cow, did I even answer any of your questions. I got to long winded. My finger hurts from typing.

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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