Memorial weekend on Devils

[jiggin' fool]

Any recent reports??

Of course, I plan this perfectly, to hit 2, not one, but 2.., back-to-back cold-fronts!!!!

Any thoughts/tips appreciated. I am staying at West Bay resort.., but I always when on Devils, plan to be mobile, concerning where to launch and where to fish.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!!!

[Corey Heiser]

Jiggin Fool,

Great choice on staying at the West Bay Resort. Jim and Diane are wonderful, I was just there last week. Make sure and tell them I said hi.

As far as the fishing, here are some general tips to head you in the right direction. If you get some wind and warm, start pitching the wind blown shorelines or bays with warmer water. If it's flat calm or TOO windy, fish bobbers in the timber. I personally like to fish between 5-11ft. Look for holes, humps, or anything else that "looks" fishy.

[jiggin' fool]

Thanks Corey.

Yeah, I have stayed with Jim and Diane before. And like you, this time of year, I fish shallow. I have frequently caught them shallower then 5ft. even!!!

Wind.., I hate it, but it is a fact of life on Devils. We all love a "walleye-chop".., but on Devils, it is too frequently a "walleye-tsunami"!!!!!

Back-to-back cold-fronts (which is also my "norm") ought to make this an interesting trip. I am guessing the old slip-bobber presentation will be best.., although loving to pitch jigs and throw cranks, I will try that. I am thinking with a 30-degree drop in temp, those fish are not going to be in a "chase-mode"!!!!!

[Corey Heiser]

Jiggin Fool,

How did the long weekend go?

[jiggin' fool]

Corey,

Well.., we caught our fish, but boy, did we have to work for them. As the reports indicated, they are really SCATTERED!!!! And of course being 36-degrees and snow mixed with rain did a number on them..., but we did find them willing to take a leech on a slip bobber by Saturday night, and it got better from there on out. We did get some fish in the weeds, but they aren't there in numbers yet. Weeds are still mostly brown, with very little new growth.., so look for that to go later. Most of our fish came from 5-7 f.o.w. in the trees. Slip-bobbers and leeches.

And to top it off.., Monday afternoon I went back into Pelican, and like an (Contact Us Please), ran over a submerged road, putting a ding in my lower-unit, hardly noticeable, yet I have no reverse!! 2004 Suzuki that now needs a new lower-unit.

I am JUST SICK over that deal. Good thing I was going slow, as it was unfamiliar water, or someone could have gotten hurt, or worse, if I would have had that Suzi wide-open!!!! Kind of P1$$E$ me off that SOMEONE from N.D. Game & Fish doens't put some (Contact Us Please) bouys out on that lake!!! Only major fishing lake I have been on that doesn't have marked hazards. Yeah, they exist in Canada, but here in MN, most reefs-rockpiles and such are marked!!!!!

In conclusion, DL was good to me again, as usual. Tough as they were, and as bad as the weather was, we got all our fish!!!!!

Awesome lake.

[iffwalleyes]

OK hold off critizing the ND Game and Fish. Who was it running the boat that hit the road. In case you didn't know the history of Devils Lake it is a rising lake that has flooded many many many miles of road ways. Some of those are not far under water. I have fished many waters and not every hazard is marked on them. Case in point the lake where my cabin is by Park Rapids MN Long Lake the South end. If the DNR marked ever hazard on this lake there would be enough buoys for the rest of the state. So do not for a second blame anyone from the game and fish as they do a great job out here.

[jiggin' fool]

Iff,

It wasn't a "slam".., just a frustrated boater that was still sick at what happened!!! I am 50-years old, and that was my first, (and hopefully my last), lower-unit episode.

You are 100% correct as to the ND Game & Fish. I have them to thank for all the wonderful hunting and fishing trips I have had in that state. They do a marvelous job!!!!

So please, if I offended anyone, don't for a moment think I was "bashing" the game and fish boys. They do a bang-up job, (no pun intended).

Accept my apologies, while recognizing the frustration and sick-feeling that results in a situation like this, (if any of you have been in that situation), and recognizing it as nothing more then "gee, it would have been nice if some of those hazards were marked".., and nothing more.

ND is a GREAT state, great enough for me to seriously ponder retiring there!!!!!

Have a great summer all.., and may your days be filled with fishing excitement!!!!