Waubay

[ratso]

Wondering on ice thickness,fishing reports,any other lakes doing well??? Are people driving everywhere on waubay? How are the heaves??? Let me know asap I will return the favor with my report when returning.

[percherman]

Ratso I just spoke with Roger at Sportsmans Cove Webster said gained some good Ice. People were driving everywhere over the weekend during the tourney out of konego which went very well I guess, top four teams 15 fish wieghed almost a pound a piece. Hope this helps.

[Tyler Holm]

Ratso,

Welcome to FishingMinnesota. I'm sure you'll enjoy your experiences here.

As percherman said, people are driving on Waubay, but use caution. I don't have any recent knowledge of the heaves, so I can't help there.

[ratso]

Any tips on what areas were doing the best for the perch.. walleyes I am not worried about I will get them from a honey hole I discovered about 4 yrs ago. Who else can say they catch 2 or three 20+ in walleyes every time out...All released of course. It just takes common sense to bring fish up slowly from deep water. I also drill two connecting 10 in holes outside my house for the camera cable and to revive tired Hawg Eyes.....2 extra holes to protect fishing for future generation=well worth it! I am a seriously dedicated fisherman. I fish about 300 days a year and that no lie....I only keep what me and my family can eat so 90% of my fishing is cpr. Let me know

[Tyler Holm]

Some of my favorite areas of Waubay are School Bus Point and the south mud flats. I usually fish pretty close to the School Bus, and favor the East side of the South Mud flats.

A big tip is not to be taken in by the crowds of people out there. If you see a "city" of 100+ shaks grouped together, steer clear of that area. They might be catchin 1 or 2. If anything, fish the outskirts of the city.

The Waubay perch will roam seeking food. They will be schooled up and will be tough to locate. Nobody can honestly give you an exact spot as no one spot will produce fish every single day.

These perch are kinda hit and miss. You can increase your odds of "hitting" if you go on a quest for them. I've ran through 2 tanks of auger gas in a single day looking for them. That’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 holes.

No matter the weather, I almost never fish in a shak during the daylight at Waubay. I like to spread my 4 rods out with about a 10' separation between each. If I catch a fish or two from one side, I will move the farther rods closer to the hole that has produced the fish.

I recommend moving in 50-100 yard increments. There is no reason move much further than that when trying to locate fish.

You'll need to be in 18+ FOW, and 22-23 is where I usually end up finding fish.

Minnows, Waxies, and Minnow heads are my baits of choice. My favorite jig is a perch eye jig, and I always have one rod rigged up with a plain glow hook with a lively minnow.

If the weather has been stable for a few days, the perch should be aggressive. Drop a Buckshot rattling jig down there and make some noise. Tip it with a minnow head.

Talk to the local bait shops as your buying bait from them. They can be a big help.

For the best possible experience, you’ll want to have a flasher or two in your group. A camera will be a bonus as well. Another thing I might recommend taking a look at is a few SOSs from Ladredge Outdoors. I’ve personally never used them on Waubay, but I can vouch for the fact that they will attract and hold fishing in your area. If your not sure what an SOS is, Search FM for SOS and you’ll find some good information. Ladredge.com

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Be somewhat specific as I could talk on for hours about the wrong sort of tips.

[ratso]

Thanks for the info Tyler!!! You sound like the kind of guy I could fish with. I will be there until Monday I will let you know how we do>