Waubay, SD area lakes

[Cal]

Didn't see a place for SD lakes, so I figured this would work.

Anyone doing anything at Bitter or Waubay Lake yet? I was thinking about heading up there this Saturday.

Thanks

[Jarrod32]

In the South Dakota forum, there is a 'northeast SD lakes' forum. That would be the place to go...you'll have better luck with a response in there.

[moccasinboy]

I stayed in Webster over the NYE weeknd, pheasant hunting. Motels were full with ice fishermen. No one bragging about the fishing though. Some reports of walleyes on Waubay overheard at a diner. Open water along side Hwy 12 between Waubay and Webster. Saw no trucks on ice, some atv's. Rainy/snow Fri & Sat. Good luck.

[verg]

don't think i'd waste the gas to drive up to fish waubay. Ice is good on most areas. a good '15 inches. Waubay is quite slow, some catch a few but for most part quite bad. Bitter is slow at the moment too. A few sloughs are doing ok but we kind of keep those somewhat quite.

[Cal]

Well we wasted some fuel and tried Bitter anyways. Not a single bite and only saw a handfull of fish on the sonar all day.

Few guys caught a couple decent Northerns in near some fallen timber, but not much happening.

[PERCHJR]

Somewhat secret's huh, Thanks for the info verg!!!

Perchjr

[verg]

Jr...you just stick to Richmond. i'll tell ya about the sloughs when the ice melts

[PERCHJR]

Boy where have I heard that before!!!

Perchjr

[verg]

I could tell you one but then you'd tell your little RR buddy there and he and everyone he knows would be there everyday.

[engfish]

Just got back from SD last night. I'll give you a slough that's "hot" because the SD guys won't tell you until it's been dead for at least a week...Todd Lake/Slough just south of 20 and west of 25. They bit like crazy in that high wind and blowing snow on Sunday morning and shut down as soon as the wind died and the sun came out. They were fairly good on Saturday according to some of the guys who fished. Okay size but not like the ones you can get on Bitter or Waubay. But if you want some action and fish, it's a good spot. There is a "private" slough south and west of Webster that was putting out good numbers and some good size, but my sources in SD told me that there are fences across both roads that lead into the slough. Some say you can still fish it as long as you walk into the slough and don't drive, but I'm not pushing the envelope. We fished it one day over Christmas vacation and caught some decent fish, but it wasn't fast and furious like it had been earlier in the month. There were probably 200 guys fishing the slough and one section of it had sign on fence posts in the ice that said NO TRESSPASSING. That was a first for me. Love those sloughs, though.

Okay, I'll give you one other tip even though my in-laws are going to hate it...Goose Lake outside of Roslyn. Lots of fish and a variety of sizes, but it can be real hit and miss. With nice weather and a chance to move around, try the east side of the lake near the timber and move around.

[PERCHJR]

Verg, that hurt, that hurt really bad!!! I promise I won't tell!!!

Perchjr

[PERCHJR]

engfish, could you tell me why "OUR" lakes end up dead in the first place!!! I have no clue why they would get fished out around here, do you???

Perchjr

[verg]

ahhh, i like that Jr. Excellent point. Why are most of the minnesota lakes no good...hmmm?? Now guess why we don't say much?

[B Nelson]

The slough southwest of Webster is all private. There are four

landowners who pay taxes on this flooded pasture. The township

closed and erected a barricade on the flooded county road that crosses the slough. Anyone going around the barricade is considered a trespasser unless they have permission.

[engfish]

Last time I counted the license plates on the "local" sloughs, they were 100% SD red, white, and blue. Nothing stays a secret once happy hour starts at the local watering hole, and most of the sloughs are small enough that anything that looks like a bite attracts attention.

It's so easy to blame the "guys from Minnesota" or anyone from out-of-state for the sloughs getting fishing pressure, but the reality is that most of the slough fishing is local pressure.

By the way--"dead" is a figurative term, which means that the fishing has slowed from the two or three days it was "hot" until the Monster Truck rally (co-sponsored by Frabill and Michelob Genuine Draft Light) started.

I promise, no more "secrets" will be forthcoming. I want those Grenville crappies all to myself this spring!

[verg]

that's right engfish...all south dakotans on the sloughs. Which of none blabbed about it on the net. Guess what color the plates will all be now? Getting the idea?

[engfish]

Based on what I've seen of the NE SD forum the past three years, I think our "little secrets" are pretty safe--unless you're going to give RattleL a big warm Webster welcome.

[BucketButt]

I'm pretty sure that the local economy is still fueled from us "out of towners". If no one came to your corner of the world how long would the bait shops and Inns be in business?

I really enjoy the area and would like to know some better fishing spots when I come up and spend my money in your shops and stores and resturants.

Also I sent an email to you some time back. I never heard from you so I'll just assume you never got it.

[vexilar23]

Verg you shouldn't be mad at the out of staters you should be mad at your game and fish department. Fishing in Minnesota has been excellent this year but our DNR closes the walleye season at the end of february while your season doesn't end, so i head out to SD every FEB and March to continue ice fishing for walleyes. I also checked out the stocking reports the game and fish department stock so many walleyes in some of these lakes that any novice fisherman can catch fish. I do feel your pain if i was a local fisherman i wouldn't like all the extra fisherman either,but with the popularity of ice fishing right now i don't see it stopping.

[jacobj12k]

I plan to fish the Webster area in about a week and a half and would love to get some fishing reports regardless of where the bite is, Waubay, Bitter, a slough, the Legion, where ever. I fish the Webster area about 3 times a year so I don't think I'll catch all of the fish out of a honeyhole. I do know that the people I fish with from MN share productive fishing spots with locals and the bait shops when we find them.

If a person doesn't want to shout out slough names/locations on the web they can email me at my user name @yahoo.com.

There is one slough in particular that we ice fished last year that produced nice perch and there was very little fishing pressure on it. I made sure to save it on my GPS. I don't know the name of it, if it has a name. It's pretty likely I'll hit that spot.

[verg]

You all make good points. We do need the money for our economy. But don't fool yourself and think we can't live without it. We did for a long time before everyone came. The thing is, put yourself in our shoes here. Truthfully most locals don't mind NR's. We just like things quiet. Simple as that. What happens is people like engfish go back to minn and blab to everyone he knows then lakes and sloughs are overrun with people. If i didn't live in webster- like another SD town, i may not care. But, where do most NR's come to hunt and fish--here!! Not too many other areas in our state get our pressure. It gets frustrating. You know what, i have given out a ton of info to Nrs at the local watering holes or at the bait shop etc. I don't mind doing that at all. Have even got thank you cards in the mail for it. I don't like it on the net..email is ok but not the net. Engfish you have made no good points except defend yourself which everyone knows you are in the wrong.

Bucketbutt i did not recieve your mail..try again.

And an honest question...why do so many come here. Minnesota has some outstanding lakes. What makes you want to come here? Would be a shorter drive over there.. no?

I understand in the spring, your season doesn't open but winter and summer i don't get it. I would love to fish Rainy, mille lacs, LOW etc. Bnrbk catches a ton of fish in his area on smaller lakes. Honestly-what makes you want to come here?

[fishphan]

I have to agree with the sentiment that it makes no sense for someone from MN, with such great fishing, to come to SD. Yes, the season in MN closes, but it doesn't have to. Closing the season during the spawn doesn't protect the large females to any significant degree. It works just fine to leave the season open here all year, why not there? Also, does MN still have a 6 fish limit? Maybe they should drop their limit to 4 and open up fishing in the spring.

[Fish'n guy]

"LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS"

If you want to keep a good spot good, keep it quite. The more people the slower the fishing. That is what I have found. I guess I don't mind telling people that the fish are biting and if it is a place that I think can take a "beating" then I will talk, but besides that presentation, depth, and time of day are plenty of info for a person to go on.

I hate to sound like a jerk here but I have seen little gems of sloughs and lakes get burned cause people can't keep quite. I am originally from Southern Minnesota and if one person gives up a hot bite it spreads like wildfire and that spot will look like a circus the next day. I am not about to see that happen again on any of my spots. I am just sick of it! It doesn't matter if a person is from another state and says that they won't come back, the friends that they tell certainly will and probably not alone.

Sorry but its brutal honesty sometimes the truth hurts. I do however have no problem with nonresidents coming over. They help the economy so much and usually really good guys and gals!

[jigging-matt]

I understand the keeping your favorite fishing spot quiet. I make the trek out to SD every year at least once to fish. Yes I could go to Northern, Mn and fish but some of it is the trip itself. Now I have friends in the area, so that is part of the convienence of the trip. The fishing in SD is unlike any fishing I have done in southern MN. I have noticed that people tend to keep a little quieter and not be quite as sociable on the lake, as that is fine. I lived in SD for many years, and enjoy coming to fish at least once or twice a year. It is not always about just the fish, but the chance to go out and try something different. While I enjoy coming to SD and fishing and would recomend it to anyone asking, I rarely tell someone exactly where the fish were caught. This is mainly out of respect for the locals. Hopefully they are happy that my $ are going into their economy during my visits. You guys have a great thing going there, so while you try to protect it, don't just assume everyone is there to gut your fish population.

[vexilar23]

Verg, i can tell you why this Minnesotan comes out to SD every year,ya the fishing is excellant but a person could go to the lakes you guys mentioned in minnesota and catch fish, the main draw for me is the scenery driving to your fishing spot in the morning and seeing all the deer and the hundreds of pheasents is quite a sight. My favorite time to come out to SD is in March when the waterfowl start returning there is nothing better then running tip-ups for walleyes in the flooded timber with thousands of ducks and geese flying over your head, i sure wish i could talk my wife into moving out there. I understand how you feel i have been coming out there for 8 years and the amount of fisherman has increased every year, if you could get the game and fish department to reduce non resident limits it would certainly cut down on the number of fisherman coming out. They could set the limit at zero for me and i will still make the trip.