Waubay Report?

[HonkerDown]

Anyone rippin lips out on Waubay yet and how much ice are we talkin out there? Thanks

[ICE_TEAM_DREAMER]

I was also thinkin about heading out there but, by the looks of there must not be alot of action. 10 days and no replies?????

[The Freak]

Yeah, don't hold your breath. I posted a ? back on dec 27 and still have no replies. This subject has been viewed 268 times and not one person can give any reports to how the fishing has been on waubay.......NICE!!!!!!! Guess They don't want us out of staters spending our money out there.

[skies]

I was out fishing waubay two weeks ago there is alot of snow on the lake in some spots. There was 18- 20 inches of good ice. The fishing was really good for the walleyes and the perch bit was not really good for me I only caught 3 perch but they were some big jumbos not a lot of people out fishing

I will also be heading out there next weekend. I will be going solo this trip/ If anyone would be interested in going post something.

[tweedlap]

I think you can drive most everywhere, now. Friends were out last weekend. Lots O Walleyes but the perch were very slow.

They fished the south end, Haystacks and Grenville area.

They drove everywhere they wanted to fish.

Be careful.

tweed

[PERCHJR]

Nope no fish biting as far as I know!!! LOL The Freak we just love you out of staters, keep spending the cash!!!

Perchjr

[ICE_TEAM_DREAMER]

Skies, Tweed, and Perch. Thanx for the info! Possibly headed out this weekend but not sure. (daddy day care) Thought about bringin the wheeler but sounds like just the truck will be enough. has the perch fishing declined steadily in the last few years? Was out there with Honkerdown i think 3-4 yeasr ago and we had a great time but alot of guys have come back and said they had a good walleye bite but perch were hard to come by?

[rssheik29]

any one give a little insight on where to go on the lake if we come up. I used to trap net the lake years back but have never fished it. Hear all sorts of good things about it but my knowlege is limited on where to go and landmarks to go by. Any help would be greatfull!

[aquafang]

yes, perch fishing has really decreased in the past 3 years. Ice fishing has been a hit and the lakes and sloughs have taken a huge hit. I think the gf&p needs to decrease the perch limit and consider slots. Yes I'm serious. that is if you want to still have quality fishing.

[JamesT]

Hey, A group of us are heading out to the Waubay area on the 25-27. Shoot me an email sometime if you are interested in going on a trip. We ended up 1 short for this trip. [email protected]

[tweedlap]

Hey Aqua,

Is it so much the fishing pressure, now that the limit is 10 perch. It has been 10 for a number of years, now.

Could some of it be the result of less fresh water shrimp in the sloughs and lakes? In the good ol days the shrimp used to bubble up through ice hole. The last few years, not just on Waubay, I never see shrimp surfacing.

Just a thought.

I, also, heard that the life expectancy of a perch, in shrimp infested lake, is considerably shorter than that of a normal perch. Does anyone have any information or facts on this?

Thanks,

tweed

[ImissReeds]

The pressure is intense when word gets out about an active bite. Being from MN, I thought I knew what pressure was and since its sparcely populated, the fish must be endless in the fertile prairie lakes. Wrong. Not that there isn't an abundance of fish out there, but pressure definately plays a role.

Don't think SD fisherman are innocent and MN guys are all the problem either PerchJr. I've yet to see ANY SD guys thow back a 3-6# walleye yet in my 12+ years fishing the Webster, Sisseton, Waubay area. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I've seen plenty of SD plates double dipping and keeping large spawning females several times. Overall, like the SD guys a lot, but I'll never claim they are all angels and us out of staters are the devil...

[webbs]

I agree with a lot of that. Hey it's always easier to blame the other guy, right? I'm from Webster but lived in Minnesota for awhile and have probally heard every complaint there is. But when it comes down to it you're gonna get double dippers and rule breakers anywhere. One of the biggest things I've noticed is the Northern population. Back 10 years ago it wasn't uncommon to go to waubay and catch at least 5-10 that were 8-15lbs now, I've gone a season without catching any, which is alright I guess, but you just don't see the numbers. It makes pullen plugs a lot cheaper for me.

[cold one sd]

 Originally Posted By: ImissReeds

The pressure is intense when word gets out about an active bite. Being from MN, I thought I knew what pressure was and since its sparcely populated, the fish must be endless in the fertile prairie lakes. Wrong. Not that there isn't an abundance of fish out there, but pressure definately plays a role.

Don't think SD fisherman are innocent and MN guys are all the problem either PerchJr. I've yet to see ANY SD guys thow back a 3-6# walleye yet in my 12+ years fishing the Webster, Sisseton, Waubay area. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I've seen plenty of SD plates double dipping and keeping large spawning females several times. Overall, like the SD guys a lot, but I'll never claim they are all angels and us out of staters are the devil...

I don't discriminate when I see someone double dipping. I call the SD TIPS line and turn em in. I hope you do the same. I don't know of anyone that likes a double dipper. I have a buddy that has nine belt buckles from GF&P for convictions from violators turned in by him.

[PERCHJR]

No Comment!!!

Perchjr

[webbs]

So has anyone been up here fishing lately? I was fishing Enemy Swim a lot but since our little cold spell I haven't been out. It's been a pretty good winter for me. The crappies and walleye's have been biting pretty consistant all winter and some of the sloughs have been producing some awesome perch.

[aquafang]

webbs,

shoot me an e-mail. [email protected]

I have a question for ya. Then I can get your address.

thx.

[icehousebob]

I just got back from a couple of days fishing in NE SoDak. The first lake we hit was pretty good for perch, but the weekend crowd traffic turned off the bite. We moved to a lake south of there and found the Perch but we had to experiment quite a bit to find what they wanted to hit on. After that, they went crazy. I wish I could tell you what lakes and what the magic lures were but I know So Dak guys don't like people saying too much. And that would deprive other guys of the fun of finding where they are and what works. Good luck. Hint: go light.

[tweedlap]

We got some perch on Waubay last week. Fished the South end.

They only bit for about 45 minutes and it was Done.Dead.

22' of H2O. 50% minnows the rest on waxies.

Fished Bitter for 6 hours (five guys)+++ one walleye.

tweed

[Jarrod32]

I was out on Waubay on Friday...went all over the lake looking for fish...probably drilled 65-70 holes in different places...couldn't find 'em.

So we tried a couple spots on the James River that have been known to produce northerns...and we found a spot that was producing. Didn't keep limits...I don't really need to stand and clean a limit of northern...but we did come home with a few each yesterday and today.

[PERCHJR]

Good report bob, thats why they call it fishing and not catching, half the fun is finding them and where they are and keeping it to yourself!!!

Perchjr

[rssheik29]

Any new on Waubay lately? Heading up there this weekend and looking for any advice anyone has.

[Take 'Em]

se side of waubay is your best bit on the lake near and around hedke's island and cormarant island also might want to try pias just south of south buffalo good perch and walleye bite. those two places should produce fish and keep a guy busy for the weekend

[cmo]

Looking at fishing N. Buffalo on the 25th and 26th. Can anyone give me any info. on this lake. Depths,bite,size ect. Lake surveys look good but can not find a lake map on-line. Found lake map for S.Buffalo. Thanks to all and good fishing.

[Jarrod32]

South Buffalo has a lot of structure, with points and islands and sunken humps...

North Buffalo has a long point coming into the lake on the west side, sort of dividing the lake into two sections. That point is pretty much the extent of the structure in that lake. Look into a shallow cereal bowl and you will have an effective lake map for each section of North Buffalo lake.