Anyone Done the Perch Express trip to Devils Lake??

[castmaster]

I will be taking my dad out to Devils Lake ND for some fishing over New Years weekend. This will be our first time out there fishing and of course our first time on the "Perch Express" package. Just wondering if anyone on here has done this trip and can give any advice, recommendations etc as far as things one needs to make sure and bring, things that they brought and never used etc. Whats it like getting your gear on/off the train etc. Reviews of the lodge and guides would be nice as well.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and have a great season!

[Chef]

I'd think twice about that trip frankly. It's become a losing proposition the past 5-6 years. I'd head to Waubay...

[Wallgeye]

Did this trip last year with the GF. It was a great time. Guides were personable and tried like heck to get us on fish. Resort is also top notch. Food was very good. I felt under dressed walking in still wearing my ice fishing clothes. Allow lots of time for train schedule variations! We made it out there about on time from Mpls, the return trip was 3 hours late picking us up in DL, we sat in empty station the entire time. Was -25 outside that night. Station was nice and warm though. Just a bit spooky sitting there like that. We ended up like 5 hours late getting back to Mpls after more delays or slower running speeds for the train. Train was comfy if not a bit on the boring side, especially running at night. Bring a book or three or plan on trying to sleep.

You are going to bring a ton of stuff with you, your going ice fishing and not getting there yourself and have "allowances" for baggage size and weight to contend with. We managed, would not call it super easy though. The storage for large luggage is just feet inside the train so you do not need to lug it all over the train. DL does not have something called "baggage service" that means your stuff needs to go in the train, not a baggage compartment that a train employee stows and retrieves for you. They seemed accomodating on the weights and sizes of our luggage. I would guess that several of our bags were overweight or pushing the size envelope, no one paid all that much attention. As your gear will be out of your site and in a place where anyone can walk past it, you might consider something with locks, hard to get into or try to keep something expensive with you.

We brought the GF's marcum camera with us and a handheld to make recordings. The guides supplies us with vexilars, FL-20's or FL-18's I think so we did not need to bring anything but warm clothes and knives/bags for cleaning and storing fish. I might add that the fish cleaning house at the resort is one of the nicest I have ever seen! The bait shop, where you meet in the mornings is also well stocked if you feel the need to try something new. Again the guides provide bait, rods, lures, a bag lunch for on the ice, shacks, heaters, etc,. you just pile into the truck and when you get to the site they drill holes, set up the portabe and get the heater going all in about the time it takes everyone to finish getting out of the trucks. Think they even offered to bait hooks and set depth if needed.

That said, last year was goofy for ice fishing, just as ice was setting in we got 20+ inches of snow, several times in fact. We had our trip set up and 2 or 3 weeks before we were to head there they had a truck go through the ice and ended up on the bottom of the lake. They halted operations for a couple weeks to let the ice conditions improve. I think they restarted just a few days before we went up. The truck was still on the bottom while I was there. It was tough for everyone. There was so much snow that the guides were only using the suburban with the trax and because of ice conditions and the amount of snow on the ice were not able to get to some of their "spots". We got chased off our first spot in fact because the area was turning into a lake. The ice was sagging just a bit under the weight of all the vehicles and people and water was coming up through the holes.

Not sure what the fishing is like up there now, or for new years. We had umm..... less then steller luck fishing. GF caught a 12 inch walleye within minutes of getting a line in. It was the last fish we caught during the entire trip. We were using the same baits, lures and set up within feet of our fellow fisherman and we were the only ones not catching anything. That said, the only difference was we also were the only ones using a underwater camera. Dunno if that made the difference. Heck, we had a big pike swim by on camera and I yelled to the guys in the next shack one was coming, they caught it! We did not leave without any fish. They guides and the other fisherman gifted us enough that we had several meals of fish to bring home. We were told that the perch bit really comes on in March. If I was to do it again, I would prolly try it later in the season. We had a perfect storm of bad fishing weather and conditions. It was 40 degrees the day before we got there, dont think it ever got about -10 while we were there and the winds were HOWLING!

Would do it again! Just a bad roll of the dice for us with the actual catching of fish.

Hope this helps!

[mww24]

that was an excellent review and share of your personal experience. Thanks. Super informative.

[Get'n Jiggy]

Great report think I'll stick with LOTW.

[lispeej]

Not trying to make you change your mind, but why not just drive there? Each year, I go there 2-3 times a year. You get to bring what you want, how much you want, and bring back what ever you want. You will not be short any gear if you plan accordingly.

[castmaster]

Thanks for the info wallgeye.

My dad kind of enjoys trains, so figured why not do the train thing once.

Jiggy,

One certainly would never find someone reporting catching no fish at LOTW right? We've been going up twice a year (early and late season) and its been a while since the fishing has been anything more than mediocre for us.

Like I said, with my dad kind of liking the train part of it, figure this will be more of a whole "experience" type thing than just a fishing trip. We never do the meal packages etc, so to just be able to get on the train 20 miles from home and not have to do much until it drops us back off will be a change of pace. Getting on some decent fish #'s would just be a bonus. I've long since learned that when doing a 2 day trip fishing is mostly a [PoorWordUsage] shoot, dependent on weather etc.

I'm also learning that taking an old fella who hasnt done much fishing in years, is a lot like taking a kid or a girlfriend. A trip needs to be abot more than just the fishing sometime, otherwise a couple slow trips and they start losing interest in going. The old boy isnt getting any younger, and I figure I'll do as many trips and make as many memorys as we can, while we can, even if it isnt what I'd really like to do.

Shoot if it was up to me, I'd be on one of those trips in the Milwaukee area chasing BIG steelies and browns through the ice! Just dont think he's up for that one.

[Gordie]

Just got off the phone with a buddy that lives in Minnewaken and he just got off the lake and he said today fishing was slow a few northerns ,3 walleys 1 was a keeper and 2 small ones . He aaslo said that the fish were biting like crazy the this past week with really nice eyes and northerns and if you get northerns keep them they taste so good from that lake IMO there even better than the eyes.

Good Luck and have fun take tons of pics and post results please

[candiru]

One thing that you might want to look into while you are there is Northern fishing. There are tons of them in and around Devils Lake right now and the bite seems more consistant than the Perch bite. Assuming fish cleaning is part of the package; a guide should know how to take the Y bones out.

[dougger222]

I've stayed at Woodland and fished by the perch patrol a couple days but never took the train out.

The funny thing was the days we fished within casting distance of the patrol was it wasn't on Devils. Devils that trip was horrible... There was over 3.5 feet of ice and middle of March.

A lot of people say the Devils perch days are over.

[Scott M]

The big perch days are gone (numbers). With the lake expanding, its creating more and more spawning habitat for pike and walleyes, hence banner natural reproduction year after year for both species. Those two species don't eat popcorn. The big perch numbers thing is more or less over for now. You can still get some big ones, just the numbers and the real tanks they used to routinely pull are gone.

Check out this ND Game and Fish Devil's Lake Perch handout.

There are just some places that you need to be at during the right time. Crappies on Red Lake for a few years either side of the year 2000. Perch at Devil's Lake at various times between 1980 and 1999. Metigoshe bluegills ten years after their introduction. Mille Lacs walleyes during the 2002 "Bite of the Century."

[Gordie]

eyes and pike is what your gonna find now

[Chef]

A lot of people say the Devils perch days are over.

[dougger222]

This Winter it would be three years ago I did see a group of three pull limits out of Devils. They ran atv's with tracks and every piece of electronic known to man. If anybody deserved these perch it was these guys!!! The two days after that they reported very poor perch fishing...

Another thing that hurt the perch fishery could be the people filling up beds of their trucks with them only to feed them to the hogs...

[Get'n Jiggy]

That was the only point I was trying to convey--if catching fish for the effort isn't your goal--have a great time. I would also go to LOTW instead.

Hope you have a wonderful time and your Dad enjoys the trip!

+ 1 I meant no offense in my post, if you're having mediocre results on

LOTW I"d try a different resort or time of year.

[castmaster]

I guess from everyone I've talked to, including some locals, a fella should have more than a remote chance of picking up their eyes, and some bonus pike, doing the guided deal for 2 days. Thats providing weather cooperates, which is always the case no matter where one goes.

So on LOTW we can keep 8 eyes/sauger combo, no more than 6 being walleyes. On Devils one can keep 5 eyes per day with 10 in possession. So if ones goal is to put fish in the cooler, would seem we could leave Devils with 4 more eyes/saugers than what we could leave LOTW with. Add in some bonus pike, which one doesnt get many of on LOTW, outside maybe fishing at Zippel Bay, and looking better. Add in a shot, however remote these days, of picking up a few nice perch sounding a bit better. Add in that its 2 days of guided fishing of the variety I'm more used to...i.e. fishing out of portables with the option to keep moving to find a better bite vs being dropped off in a house to sit all day whether the fish are biting or not...looking even better.

Like I said, we are very familiar with LOTW, been fishing it 2x a year, most years since the mid 90's. Fished with most of the big resorts up there, from Zipples to Border View. Wigwam to Sporties. Cryrus, Schusters, Arnesens etc etc. I know what they offer, and know what the fishing is like up there, and I certainly dont see any resorts there offering guaranteed limits lol! Heck we had a trip t oZipple Bay mid December a few years back, known to be a great time to be at the bay most years. They were catching good #'s prior to our arrival, and did great the weekend following our departure. We had S---L---O---W fishing to say the least, coming home with 7 fish for 3 guys on that trip. And we did better than most that weekend. Of course the -20 degree weather with 30+mph winds probably didnt help anything, but then we didnt reserve that weather when we booked our trip!

Its just a change of pace, and a chance to do something we havent dont before. Some folks like returning to the same familiar places year after year, while others like to explore new options. I'm looking for new adventures now. This may be a one and done deal, but at least I will know, and the memories will have been made regardless. Most of those LOTW trips have blended together over the years for me, but a train trip to ice fish D.L. will be one we remember for a long time to come, be it good or bad.

[castmaster]

Sorry if my last post offended anyone. I wasnt offended by others either just so ya know.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that others are offering information or advice based on kindness and a desire to help. Most of us dont know each other from Adam and therefore dont know each others experience levels, knowledge etc. That being so, we often try to steer others towards what we feel is best, assuming we are more experienced or else they wouldnt be asking the question. Such information isnt being given for any reason otehr than to try and help a fellow sportsman and I know that, just have to remind myself from time to time its not some personal thing where others think I must be too dumb to make my own decisions....kind of like having an extra 100 wives without needing to move to Utah!

At the same time I think posters also need to, at times, remind themselves of what it is thats being asked for. In this instance I wasnt asking for advice on where the best place to do an ice fishing trip would be. I was looking for specific information/experiences about this specific trip. Wallgeye was the only one to provide that. Not every thread need turn into a "Chevy is better than Ford", "Jiffy is better than StrikeMaster" etc. Sometimes the place that you find best to go, isnt the next guys idea of the same. Different strokes for different folks ya know!

And just for the record, I do agree with you guys on LOTW as far as this...If your looking for the place that you can have the most consistent chance of getting some fish having to plan a trip out in advance like that, and for what one gets as far as convenience to go with it, LOTW is a great option and one we will go back to again. Just time for a little something different to ring in 2012. Ya never know, those Mayans may be right....or did that "preacher" fellow change his predictions again???

You fellas have a great holidays, and may your 2011/2012 ice season be a safe and prosperous one!

[BLACKJACK]

CASTMASTER, looking forward on hearing the report on your trip to Devils lake!!! Contemplated the trip several times but have never pulled the trigger!!

Good luck!!

[dougger222]

I guess from everyone I've talked to, including some locals, a fella should have more than a remote chance of picking up their eyes, and some bonus pike, doing the guided deal for 2 days. Thats providing weather cooperates, which is always the case no matter where one goes.

So on LOTW we can keep 8 eyes/sauger combo, no more than 6 being walleyes. On Devils one can keep 5 eyes per day with 10 in possession. So if ones goal is to put fish in the cooler, would seem we could leave Devils with 4 more eyes/saugers than what we could leave LOTW with. Add in some bonus pike, which one doesnt get many of on LOTW, outside maybe fishing at Zippel Bay, and looking better. Add in a shot, however remote these days, of picking up a few nice perch sounding a bit better. Add in that its 2 days of guided fishing of the variety I'm more used to...i.e. fishing out of portables with the option to keep moving to find a better bite vs being dropped off in a house to sit all day whether the fish are biting or not...looking even better.

Like I said, we are very familiar with LOTW, been fishing it 2x a year, most years since the mid 90's. Fished with most of the big resorts up there, from Zipples to Border View. Wigwam to Sporties. Cryrus, Schusters, Arnesens etc etc. I know what they offer, and know what the fishing is like up there, and I certainly dont see any resorts there offering guaranteed limits lol! Heck we had a trip t oZipple Bay mid December a few years back, known to be a great time to be at the bay most years. They were catching good #'s prior to our arrival, and did great the weekend following our departure. We had S---L---O---W fishing to say the least, coming home with 7 fish for 3 guys on that trip. And we did better than most that weekend. Of course the -20 degree weather with 30+mph winds probably didnt help anything, but then we didnt reserve that weather when we booked our trip!

Its just a change of pace, and a chance to do something we havent dont before. Some folks like returning to the same familiar places year after year, while others like to explore new options. I'm looking for new adventures now. This may be a one and done deal, but at least I will know, and the memories will have been made regardless. Most of those LOTW trips have blended together over the years for me, but a train trip to ice fish D.L. will be one we remember for a long time to come, be it good or bad.

No more than 4 walleyes on LOW. The limit used to be 20 total/6 eyes then it went to 14 total/6 eyes, not it's been 8 total/4 eyes. I never fished it when it was 20 but my Uncle told me stories. Unless you get into a good shallow bite it's tough to bring back 4 real quality eyes on LOW in the Winter.

I have to say for total pounds of fillets Devils or any other lake in ND would beat out MN. There is no one over a certain length in ND like MN. My Uncle lives there and his freezer it totaly loaded with eye and pike fillets. I can openly admit that because in ND there is no storage limit. Also in ND they openely encourage giving away a possesion limit of eyes or pike, 10 each. In MN that would be a fine.

One thing I've learned about fishing out in Devils, the best fishing is not always on Devils...

[castmaster]

Well we made it back, and it was one of the best trips I have been on. Even given a major cold front that came through during our trip, we still managed our limit of eyes both days, along with releasing several smaller and bigger fish. Biggest eye was a 25". Caught probably 25-30 pike on Sunday along with our eyes. And we even got into a few bonus perch. Real nice size to the eyes, they sure are chunky out that way.

All in all, given the conditions, I was VERY pleased with Devils Lake and will definitely be making some more trips out that way. Our guide with the Perch Patrol worked hard to get us on fish, and braved some hefty 50mph winds to try and find better fish. Great guys to work with, I would definitely recommend going with them at least one day if your new to the area just to get a feel for things.

Oh, I guess I should add that we were to late in getting reservations for the train so we ended up driving up. So I cant report on how the amtrak side of the trip would be.

[Gordie]

Glad to hear it went so well and those pike if you kept any are some of the best tasteing fish you will ever eat.

[Get'n Jiggy]

Great report glad to hear you had a successful trip, sounds like Eyes are

taking over out there.