ND Live Fishing Reports

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

Gulp!

3 days of wind with gusts up to 40 combined with heavy rain is the perfect formula for destroying the winter ice pack. Sakakawea and Devils Lake both had ice out this week.

For Sakakawea, the area from Tobacco Gardens to New Town, with White Earth being the center, will start the game for walleyes as they spawn in this area. Give Rex or Peg at Tobacco a call for the latest info. Northerns from shore is a good bet for the next several weeks. Lawn chair, bobber and bait, easy fishing. Every spring northern over 20 are hauled in from Sakakawea shorelines and back bays.

Devils Lake is going right now and a boat is not essential. Miles of good shoreline and unlimited bridges and creeks will fill limits of walleyes and northern for the next couple of months. My kids consider Devils Lake the best place on earth to fish. I think they are right.

The contrast between 30 mph wind and absolute calm can only be fully appreciated from a boat, so when the forecast predicted no wind for Friday, fishing came to mind. Temps topping high 50’s with water in the low 40’s, no wind and a totally clear sky. Perfect formula for absorbing sunshine and life outdoors.

We started the day helping a fellow fisherman launch his boat and he repaid the favor by telling us not to run into the rock directly upstream. I pass this on for those who may be new to the Washburn area. Just up river ¼ mile or so from the ramp is a strategically placed rock that lays in wait for unsuspecting lower units and has a very good record going so far. Water was extremely low this morning and about 6 inches of aluminum polished granite was sticking out. Be careful on the river! Don’t let this keep you away, just be careful as rocks, logs and sand bars are part of fishing. Also part of fishing the Missouri is Walleyes so let’s get to the good stuff.

None of my sweet locations from last year are the same. The river is constantly moving sand bars and cutting new channels. That translates for us into no fish early on. We did manage to pull a very good fish vertical jigging in a small backwater area. Gave the cranks a try, couple of times as wel,l with the same results, nothing.

By early afternoon water came up a little and out of desperation I started pitching jigs and Gulp. First cast a hit and a miss but second cast a fish. I’ve seen this same scenario played out in nature this week with 30 plus winds. No fish to a limit of 5 in almost as many minutes, fast and furious.

We are fishing the very same water we were vertical jigging with minnows. Pitching the jig and keeping it off the bottom with a lift–drop style motion is what they want. They also want Gulp or at least the action from the tail as the same lift-drop presentation with a minnow showed far less results.

Most of the fish came from 5 to 9 feet of water in an area just up river from the bridge. Levi has wanted to learn how to pitch and a day without wind is the perfect situation. You can easily see your line go slack the second it hits bottom. That is when you have to lift and reel. Learn he did as he caught both walleye and sauger on this method.

The wild bite slowed but by then we were able to put a couple of limits into the boat and release our biggest fish. If you see these guys in the Lund tell’em thanks. They released a 24 incher full of eggs, something I’m seeing more of all the time.

Google Earth GPS for the river rock
N47'17'32'9 W101'03'01'4 GPS is in Degrees Minutes Seconds. This can be set on your GPS unit.

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

Greg Schoneck for ND Live