Waubay, SD area lakes

[jigging-matt]

Well said Vex...

[cold one sd]

To be truthful, our game and fish officials and department of tourism are greedy. That is the reason that we have a 10 panfish limit and 4 walleye limit in parts of our state. (NE????) Waubay Lake has a 2 walleye limit now and it used to be four. Our walleye limit used to be eight. The I have talked to people from Chicago on the Missouri River and asked them what they are doing here all the way from Chicago. The answer was that all they see on TV is ads about the great fishing in South Dakota. Do ya remember the one about the six fish limit with the four pound average? I talked to a guy on Waubay Lake from Denver and he said that the perch in Waubay Lake is known all over out there. We have nothing against anyone from anywhere. How would you like a one walleye limit in MN? How about three perch or crappies. Our fishing has gone down the tube in South Dakota. I have seen days when most of the license plates are from out of state. I have seen the Missouri River go from seeing maybe ten other boats in a day to seeing three hundred. and that is in a six mile stretch. I have called people in the webster area that I know to find a place to hunt for early goose season and I din't really care to discuss why there was no land available. The fact is that money talks. I have asked people from another state why our fisheries are expected to handle the pressure and was told that we South Dakota bustards had gone to their state and fished it out years ago and we were being paid back. When I have checked the rates of the resorts in Minnesota, I about choked. An extra 6 bucks a day if you have a pet??? Maybe more, I don't remember or care to. The people that I talk to in the Webster area tell me that for the people coming in from other states, money is no object. I guess I would like to see fewer bait shops and a bigger walleye limit. I would like to go to a campground and not find it full. Another problem with our Game and Fish department is that they aren't proactive, they are reactive and close the barn door after the horse has gotten out. When they open up a walleye rearing pond to public fishing (Hazelton Lake) they have to advertise the heck out of it and they we have the usual circus and another lake gets fished down to nothing. I'm not saying that it is the fault of people from other states, but flocking in to a "hot lake" doesn't help the feelings of the poor folks that live here and support our local businesses 24/365. Sorry for the rant. But I can understand the tight lips. By the way, from what I have read on this forum, I don't think that lake x originated in South Dakota.

[Bassmaster151]

I agree with Vexilar23's comment, I would be fine with the non-resident limit set at zero.

I made 8 fishing trips for several different species in the NE corner of the state in 2006 and never cleaned a fish. I have no problem with keeping fish to eat but when will residents and non-residents stop guaging the success of their fishing trips by how many they slaughter?

If a few people would start to put a few back instead of always taking, we would probably have some of those fisheries around a little longer

[Fish'n guy]

I do love fishing South Dakota Lakes, but for big walleyes 8lbs plus I would stick to Minnesota. Lakes and rivers here produce numbers of eyes and some a pretty nice sized, but on Mille Lacs, Lake of the Woods, Rainy River, Mississippi & MN rivers, and a few Southern Minnesota Lakes walleyes of 7-11 lbs are very likely. The pike, perch and crappies rival some of the countries best as well in these lakes. Although the scenery in SoDak is 2nd 2 non and the licenses aren't too costly

[percherman]

Here we are again. It seems, if we go back a year ago, we will find this same useless, pointless, waist of brain power that has been going on ever since they put up state boundaries, added liscence plates, and game liscences.

Think of it, "what if we all drove around without plates?"

Would we still consider each other NR's "out of stater's"

or would we all be one big happy family meeting at Joes Duck-In for a cool one when we got off the Lake or after the hunt.

I personally have been ashamed of the fishing etiquet on a number of accounts with my SD brethren since I have moved to NE. I have even started taking my dads truck with the SD plates ice fishing because I was tired of the hassles and dump I was taking from the Webster crowd. It's pretty low to have your tip ups run over 25yards from your shack, not once but twice in the same day.

I grew up in SD and was a resident for 34yrs. Unfortunately my job took me to NE for the last six. I have seen first hand how hard it is to find out any Bite info on this site.

If you are a NR with a passion for ice fishing and don't get ice "NE" and have two sons who love to catch fish through the ice and see all the pheasants and deer around Webster, you would know how vital it is to be able to get info so you can plan trips so your boys are not dissapointed with a busted trip. Lucky for me, being a SD boy I am connected. It is the other people who don't have the means to get a good solid report before they make plans and drive 200 miles and their kids may only catch one or two fish.

I understand guys, everyone has a honey hole ON A LAKE, or you might own a lake. If it is public everyone has the right to fish it as long as they are with in their legal bounds.

Resident, Nonresident, Stocked Fish, Wild Fish.

Remember" Fish come and go, but it is the memory of afternoons on the lake that endure." -E. Donnall Thomas

[ivegottabite]

I am sorry to hear that many of you guys don't like seeing NR come into your state. I have a trip planned in Feb where I am the only out of stater while the rest are from SD. I chose to go to Waubay this year instead of MN like the years past because it would be closer for most of them and give more of them a chance to join us on the trip. The internet and the advancements in ice fishing technology have basically created "instant anglers" now and so even a person that doesn't know much about fishing can go out and have success. I myself keep lake names quiet unless I know they are big enough to support the pressure.

Keep the sloughs and potholes to yourself but a general report on Waubay and some of the other lakes in the area isn't too much to ask for is it? I mainly call the Cove if I am looking for a report and they give a good general report for the area.

If you are worried about lakes getting fished out, maybe the SD GF&P shouldn't do a double daily for possession limit? Maybe make it like MN where they equal the same and then some of the pressure would drop? It's hard to say but I hope I don't have the same problems that other NR's have had when I come up in Feb. I am originally from SD(first 22 years of my life) and I would like to be able to come back and enjoy the outdoor functions the state has to offer.

[cold one sd]

I don't think you will have any trouble at all. If people are bothered by going on a lake in their own state and being in the ten percent minority on a lake, I don't blame them for not liking it. Think about it, there are more people in ST. Paul than there are in the state of SD. Mn has 10,000 lakes and we have maybe 200. I have been on lakes in the winter when you couldn't see the shoreline because of the ice fishing outfits on the lake. Can those nice big lakes in MN get fished out without commercial fishing? I have seen them get fished down to nothing here time after time. Maybe some think that the only defense is tight lips. I get along with everyone, but how many people can our small lakes support? You are right. Our game and fish officials need to get their heads out of their butts and become pro-active instead or re-active. I challenge you to get a camping pad at Pickerel Lake at any time in the months of June, July or August next summer.

[ivegottabite]

Thanks for the kind words Cold One. I hope to have an enjoyable experience in a couple weeks. I agree that small lakes in any state are a problem and always will be. It amazes me how far some people will drive. There was a lake I checked out this winter that I felt guilty even fishing because of the amount of people that were already there. I did catch some nice fish in there but didn't keep many.

[cold one sd]

This state is pretty layed back. I was just on another forum and they were talking about packing pistols while on the ice and knocking people off of snowmibiles with spud bars if they get too close.Given a choice, I will hang around our little corner of the world for hunting and fishing.