Swallowed by the growing giant From tragedy to success, Devils Lake has numerous stories from both sides. Many have been forced out of homes and farms by rising water bringing with it loss and grief. Others more fortunate, due to elevations and locations, have enjoyed the blessings high water has brought with fishing and tourism topping the list. Jim and Diane who own a family farm west of Devils Lake on Hwy 19 are a combination of each. They have lost a way of life as the farm continues to be swallowed by the growing giant, Devils Lake. They have also experienced the high side of rising water as by faith and hard work they turned a family farm into a family resort. Like any birth, not without pain, but also not without immense joy. Fishing is a learned sport; more you practice the better you get so better get fishing. I showed up here a day early to get in some practice. Flat calm with temps in the lower 80’s. Terrible fishing conditions but Devils Lake is not bothered by tuff conditions and Tom and I caught fish almost every stop. In fact as Tom would be reeling one in we would get another on and before the first was in the live well number 3 was jerking on the line. Cranks in 10 a little on the slow side at 1.6 seemed to be the sweet spot. My understanding of Devils Lake is under as much change as the lake itself. Shore fishing is huge here. You’ve heard of road hunters? Here it’s road fishermen. The lake is surrounded by roads and rip rap, much of which is a perfect setup for pulling off on the shoulder and getting an easy limit of walleyes during the evening bite. Looks like a lindy and leech is on top of the list for bait right now. I stopped and visited with 3 guys who were one short of their 15 walleyes. In the time it took me to shoot a couple of pictures they had caught at least 4 more keepers before the last one made it in the bucket for a trip to the frying pan. With smiles of satisfaction the trio loaded up for home and I made the trip back to West Bay. West Bay’s cabins are as nice inside as out. You won’t be missing anything from home except the busyness. I even had a chest freezer in the cabin, geez how many fish do they think I can catch? With sausage on the grill and coffee almost done I go over the day’s agenda. It’s radio day for ND Live and I’m hoping fishing is as good as yesterday. With the morning report in the bag and Jeff, his son and two grandsons loaded up, fishing is underway. Thunderstorms are keeping us close to the dock and in any other lake would be keeping the fish off the hook. Remember, this is Devils Lake, not bothered by tuff conditions. Toby gets first fish of the day right in front of West Bay’s dock before we can even get four lines out. Sheldon is up next and the jointed #5 Shad Rap in Firetiger is getting all the hits. Thunderstorms are closing in fast, temps dropped what feels like 20 degrees and wind is getting whitecaps rolling over on Bluebill point. When the tee shirted gang started shivering with the wet cold we motored in and Jeff fired up the heater in the truck. Two sandwiches, some licorice and assorted goodies later we are back in the boat. Storms are passing to our west and we are headed east to the secret spot where activity was 3 at a time yesterday. I’m pulling 10 feet with cranks and fish are surprisingly easy to mark. Maybe because there is so dog gone many of them. Yesterday RS-4’s were by far the best of show at 60-70 feet back on 10-4 fireline and Reef Runner Rip Shads held their own. Today it’s jointed #5’s 30 feet back and it stays that way all day long. I normally see lure preference change throughout the day. I think it’s due to light conditions as the sun reaches a more vertical position but I could be way off base. I just know that it’s not unusual to see lure preference change with the day. My best advice on this is “listen to your customers”, they know what they like and if you meet their demands it will come back to you. Northern, ya gotta be, only thing that pulls that hard with a rod snapping head shake. Geez was that some color, could it be? Naw, too much fight and look how it’s pulling off to the side. Keep your rod up John, when he pulls you want to be able to give some. Good grief get the net! A quick scoop and we have a boat load of bug eyes all staring at big fish of the day. Did I mention jointed 5 in Firetiger? On the stick at 29 ¾, one heck of a fish and John’s biggest ever. Bonus feature includes a ND Game and Fish tag. If you get a tagged fish I encourage you to do two things. Send in the tag number with length, weight, date and location to the ND Game and Fish. You will get a history back on your fish. And, I hope you will release the fish. It is not required but it is fun to think about the possibilities. What if you catch it again? How cool is that? Plus it is just that much more information and history for the Game and Fish to put in the data base. John released this one. I occasionally hear “How can you ask a kid to release his biggest fish ever?” It’s easy, just make the suggestion followed by some good advice on catch and release. Kids don’t mind at all. I have a feeling it’s Dad who has trouble with it but if Dad’s don’t pass on the ethic who will? The afternoon wind disappeared and flat calm seemed to fire up the northerns as the father son team of Jeff and John posed for a nice shot. Our best location today is the inside corner of Grahams Island where the road meets the island on the west side. At the end of the report I will give you a Google Earth link to where we were fishing. You need Google Earth to view this but it is a free download and how fun is it to have a bird’s eye view of our best spot of the day? 10 feet and cranks have been good to us but any preference you have to catching walleyes is working right now. Leeches may have some advantage and they can be served up jig or lindy style. Keep moving till you find ’em and never give up. I’m grateful for Jim and Diane at West Bay who are examples to me of the “never give up no matter what” ideal. With a farm being swallowed, a house having to be moved to higher ground and the need to adopt a new way of life they set the standard pretty high. |
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