ND Live Fishing Reports

Fishing reports are updated every Friday and follow the ND Live radio program heard throughout North Dakota

Greg Schoneck

Fishing Mission

The drive over was uneventful except for a casual question from my son Jesse. 10 minutes out he quietly asks, “Dad will you baptize me?”

We were headed to Lake Irving and a couple days of exploring new water. Awesome fishing experience and you can bet we will be back for more. I guess it’s even better in the spring and early summer. I have a report posted with more details than you probably care to know. The summary however is 7 feet, slow, jointed cranks wrapped in Firetiger. Oh ya, I almost forgot, fish too big to keep.

Wednesday was good weather, great fishing, but cold. Thursday was bad weather, strong wind, very cold and heavy rain. On the way across the lake I took a couple of waves down the neck to get me ready for the soaker coming later in the day. The bright spots were, one, we got off just before the lightning. Two, we got off with a livewell full of fish. Not a bad day after all.

Friday both Jesse and I were surprised by the warm air. It is still raining and wind is howling from a new direction but the air has warmed up. Forecast calls for more wind and rain than I care to talk about. We pick up Brandon from 6 Mile Bait and decide to give it a go. One quick look at the fierce wave action on DL and we are headed back to Irving.

I had this feeling since yesterday that Irving was in a state of shock due to the high winds. We worked our way around a point, fished a shore line and worked a hump all for a few northern and one walleye. We tossed in the towel early as Brandon needed to get back to the shop. Jesse and I were meeting the rest of the family at Lakewood.

A group of volunteers are showing up tonight and tomorrow from all over ND. We are taking the guys from Teen Challenge fishing for the day. North Dakota Teen Challenge is a faith-based residential recovery program for people battling with drug and alcohol addiction in Mandan, ND. We are hoping a day on the water will take the edge off.

Forecast is for wind up to 30 and the weathermen can gloat this time as the blast out of the west is all of that. After a breakfast of homemade everything, compliments of my wife Julie, we get down to business. One volunteer with boat + two TC guys = a team. This is not a tournament, just a fun day on the water. We do have an objective however, fish fry tonight at 6.

I asked everyone to text me at 2 o’clock and let me know fish count. Most of the texts reported 2 fish. Two boats had 5. By 2:15 my wife Julie is headed into Devils Lake to buy brats. I’m keeping northern just in case. I’ve heard you can’t tell’em from walleye once they are cooked. NOT. I kept’em anyway.

Turns out lots of the guys don’t like fish. I’m serious. One guy is allergic to fish. Thank God he isn’t allergic to fishing. Also turns out that we had plenty of fish. Some of the volunteers brought fish they had previously caught. Those were guys who have fished with me before.  Sorry pessimists.

Jesse, age 15, my oldest son has been thinking about baptism since early spring but I was still taken by surprise when he asked me if I would baptize him. There has got to be something ironic about being baptized in Devils Lake. After the fish fry we all walked down to the Lakewood ramp for the event. I was introduced first hand to why the fish weren’t biting. Geez, 58 degrees is cold.

I tried to think of a way to do this from the Ranger so I could stay dry but there was simply no way he was going to fit in the livewell. I asked Jesse why he wanted to be baptized. He said he wants to be a stronger, a better Christian. How I can relate.

I baptize you Jesse Schoneck in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I don’t understand all the symbolism or deep theology of baptism. Frankly, don’t really care. I do understand someone who wants to be stronger, a better Christian. That I can identify with.

Few things in life do more for my soul than to see God at work in the lives of those who are left without hope. Maybe it’s because I’ve been there. I suspect most of us have or will be before we move on. Ya, I know the guys from TC had a good time and appreciated a day on the water but it’s the volunteers that got the gravy.

We drove home with a satisfied feeling of spending our fishing time for something big. Something important. Something larger than ourselves.

Remember fishing is a learned sport. More you practice the better you get, so better get fishing!

Greg Schoneck for ND Live