Fishing ND With Professional Walleye Guide Greg Schoneck

ND Live host
Geg Schoneck                 2008 ~North Dakota  Fishing Reports ~ 2008



Copyright (c) No Bonz  All Rights Reserved

Yesterday never did warm up, I was cold all day in the boat. A sure sign of fall is reaching into the water for a walleye and being amazed at how warm it is. Same story today only x’s 10. Wind is NW at 15 and the fog and mist is so heavy I can’t wear my glasses because the lenses are saturated. We started this season with one cold front after another and it looks like we may end the season with similar weather.

By now you have to be sick of me talking about all the bait I’m seeing but in order to stay consistent here is yet one more look. As I leave New Town Marina and follow the creek channel out, just a few hundred yards from the ramp I mark bait. Same story over in Parshall yesterday, the ramp ends in a creek channel and ---yep more bait. Bait is promise for the future, the kind that gives you hope for better fishing. Something we all dream of.

I have this favorite little sunken island over by Antelope Flats that in the past years has been fantastic. I have hit this location 4 times this summer with the same eagerness and anticipation. Three weeks ago I got this season's first and only fish here. Today keeps the record in good standing.

A move to the south gets me the first walleye of the day in 24 feet on a Bomber 24A. (Chartreuse-Wonderbread). I wear the water out trying to get the second and finally give up and move over to the Grain Bins. A depth change up to 18 feet had the drag working overtime. What have we got here? It is heavy that’s for sure. Whenever I get a good fish I try to move to deeper water if I can. Hopefully to prevent a bottom loving fish from finding something to latch onto. Before long I’m looking into two beady red eyes staring back at me from below, followed by Mr. Fall Northern. If you like catching big northern this is the time of year to focus your attention on them. Early fall brings out the best in them as they seem eager to get caught.

There is something rugged and majestic about the badlands. Seen from a pristine lake it’s all the better. It’s late morning and fog is just starting to lift. I make a move across the lake to the east shore. There is a short but sweet section of gravel sandwiched between two little bays. No one is fishing here today so I make a pass for walleye # two. It seems to be one of those days where it’s a one fish limit at every stop.

Electronics are not showing fish and when that happens I move in hopes of finding the secret location. With 5 moves before noon I still have yet to find it. I blame it on the weather. Cold fronts have a way of gluing fish to the bottom where they remain hidden from sonar. That’s my excuse anyway for not being able to locate fish.

You would think it would have warmed up by now but the clouds and wind are tenacious today. I fish past two other boats and we exchange the “tuff day on the water” news. One fish each-should have been here yesterday. I make three more moves but not even a Skip Jack is waiting for me. Good Grief, where are these fish? In desperation I make a 5 mile run to the North in hopes of salvaging the day. Turns out to be wasted gas.

This weather should see a counselor for the dramatic mood swings. Mid-afternoon and I can’t get the jackets and sweatshirts off fast enough. We went from a nasty cold NW wind to flat calm, sunny and hot in what seemed to be less than an hour. This is my last stop of the day, a little point on the west shore a couple of miles north of the bridge. Finally I mark fish, lots of them! Two passes with the Bombers didn’t faze ‘em. Out comes the leadcore with cold front RS-4’s attached and up comes a Sauger. This is the chunkiest Sauger I have caught in years. Several more passes from several different directions. That’s not the answer either.  I make yet another switch to Rip Shads and after an hour of futile effort I toss in the towel.

It’s the last radio day of the season and I had hoped to finish strong. For me that means a limit of walleyes and the confidence that I can still put fish in the boat. I’ve been here before and I’ll return again, even if it is against my will. Fish do not always cooperate!

Fishing is not over but I admit that my mind turns to a different adventure this time every year. Bow hunting with my two fishing partners, Jesse and Levi. The only thing better than fishing is family.

Fall Transition:

Mid September puts us into the middle of the fall transition here on Lake Sakakwea. That means fish are not where they were a few weeks ago and often that leaves us scratching our head. Keep in mind Sakakawea is a reservoir and these fish are constantly moving and changing locations throughout the year. I have given some thought to where these fish are generally found and will pass on some of the typical locations for fall. This is by no means all or even the best locations; just places that have been excellent for fall fishing in the past. Brendles Bay Resort is centered in much of the better fall bite. They have cabins, bait, tackle and gas late into the season.

When looking for fall fish think structure much like you would in the spring. The flats are generally not going to produce fish. Sharp drops into deep water are places to check. Also keep in mind the old river channel. The places where the river pushed up against shore on the outside bend is almost always going to be the better locations. Just like early spring, now is the time to tie on the jig and minnow. Cranks still work and work great if you like them but many fishermen have more confidence in livebait.

 Depth is all over the board after the fall turnover as water temps stabilize top to bottom. You may find fish in 3 feet and 30 feet on the same day. Most fall fishing is done in deeper water, 20’s and 30’s.

 Here is my list for places to check out. They are not key spots but general locations. They will get you into the right area if you are new to Sakakawea. Once on location you will need to use the electronics and find you're way around. All have steep structure and deep water, keys to fall walleyes.

These are not listed in any order or importance and keep in mind there are many other locations as well.

Good luck fishing, 
Greg

First Stop, Shell Village on the west end. With bait and hooks everywhere on the screen it was hard to know what depth to start at. I picked the 23-foot range with fish up in 20 and down in 25 thinking maybe I’d hit the middle. We started with two Deep Diving Reef Runners and two Bomber 24A’s. Marri Anne landed our first and best walleye of the day 10 minutes into the show. After several more empty passes we moved on to east Shell Village for a quick pull in the same depth. Not much for fish or bait here so on to Lucky Mound Bay. This area is often called the east slides as well. We dropped the same stuff down for the same results. I have fall strategy on the brain and Deep Water seems like a good prospect. It wasn’t.

Normally by now I have found fish or at least have some idea but not today. We pull up and head over to Independence Point where we get a couple of small saugers. Shell Village is starting to sound better all the time.

We are back to where we started and things still look good here. We change colors and Texas Red brings out the smiles and for good reason. I have all the lines in by now and we have slipped out into deep water for a battle that has the kicker running wide open trying to keep clear of a charging run under the boat. Another narrow escape with the prop on the big motor and this fish finally starts to get tired Marri Anne has all she can do to keep this one up for pictures. Fish released and back to the program.

We have been pulling over arches all day without much luck so I opt to make the switch to lead in hopes of better luck. A quick double on White Bass keeps Doug’s spirits up as he patiently waits his turn. The lead core is at least an improvement and before long we have a few small walleyes to show for the efforts. The day ends with 7 walleyes ranging from very nice to very small.

Signs of Fall

 Brendles is a great stay on Sakakawea if you are looking forward to fall fishing and hunting. Miles of pheasant hunting and miles of water if you have the desire to chase the fall bite. Sakakawea is still holding strong at 1825 or better. This higher elevation had me thinking I could fish the North end of the lake and still find fish in the bays. Parshall ramp drops into a small river channel and sure enough it is looking good. With a south wind over 20 I decided to stick close to this end of the lake. I spent the first hour north of the ramp with no fish to show. Signs of fall are everywhere and the birds are getting together to make plans for the trip south. Good riddance to the Cormorants, maybe they wont find their way back.

Waves are a concern but I decide to make a move over to the NW corner on the grade. A pull to the west without a bite so over to the willows. There has to be fish in this cover but I don’t get single strike. More willows and back around the island to get out of the wind. It doesn’t seem possible to fish this area without at least a northern but still not a fish.

 I would love to make a run to the south where we typically get fish this time of year but the 20 plus south wind is telling me if I even get to Shell Village I wont be able to fish it. I settle on some steep structure just west of Fox and move into 23 feet. Bait is absolutely everywhere from 19 feet down, but no fish to be found, not a single arch!

By now I’m glad I didn’t get on the water early today as I have already had enough and it’s only 4 in the afternoon. Crossing the lake was a wet, rough ride and it was relief to get back into Parshall Bay and out of the wind. If you put in here be careful not to cut the corner out to the main lake, lots of shallow stuff on your left as you leave the bay.

 Fall fishing could be here early as water temps are down to 61 already. Last year at this time we were still sitting at 66 to 67. Tomorrow calls for lighter winds out of the east. I plan to head south and not stop until I get to Shell Village.

“Everybody knows everybody here, it’s like they are family.”

Minnewaukan is best known in my mind for fishing the huge walleye that were caught in the flooded cattails. That bite is just memories now and this is my first trip back to this area of Devils Lake in several years. We used to camp at the city park where I can still remember holding my tent down on planet earth as a distant tornado tried to launch Jesse and I into orbit. He calmly slept through the entire ordeal.

After a night on the town (burgers and coke) at Millers, Jesse and I settled in at our cabin. One of the things I keep banging on is if you don’t know the area get a guide, at least for the first day. Well I took my own advice. Aaron and Trish McQuoid run a first rate guide service and lodging operation here in Minnewaukan. We plan to meet up in the morning and do some damage to the walleye population.

If Minnewaukan had a Cenex, (it don’t) this is what it would look like. You know, the one place for it all, gas, groceries, and bait. As we were walking the sidewalk back to the truck Jesse commented, “Everybody knows everybody here, it’s like they are family.” Don’t come here if you don’t have time for some sidewalk conversation with folks you have never met.

Forecast calls for rain and cold, second major cold front this week. Water temps are down to 64 when we hit the water which is 7 to 8 degrees off from last week. By the end of the day, I was down 7-8 degrees from last week. Rain all day with only brief let up as it caught its breath for the next good shower.

Aaron is with us today and I have asked him to pass on some pointers and places to fish the Minnewaukan area. The plan begins with Jesse and I dropping in the leadcore while Aaron gets into the lindy box and ties up the rigs he likes to use for livebait. A heavy ½ oz egg sinker goes on first followed by swivel and a short 12-14 inch leader with a #6 hook. Before he is done Jesse has the first fish of the day on the lead with a Salmo Hornet.

Livebait is not something I do much of and Jesse really lacks confidence as we drop down the rigs with crawlers and leeches. That confidence thing makes a dramatic U turn as Jesse unhooked the 5^th walleye in a row before Aaron or I had our first. In fact he has become something of an instant expert as he is now directing boat control every time something isn’t just perfect for speed or direction. I suspect you have had several similar experiences; I know I have. Just a little success and I’m breaking my arms patting myself on the back. It goes the other way as well, the highs and lows of fishing. By now the rest of us are in the game and it’s catch and release until we decide to look for bigger fish.

Clouds are hanging low with the promise of no let up when we settle in on our second location. We are on the end of a long ridge on the flats. That’s as far as I can go with that, as Aaron was not all that excited about my giving this spot away, for good reason too as he reeled in our big fish of the day. Guides can be a little protective when it comes to their secret locations.

It’s getting close to noon and we need to move so I can get some signal for the next radio segment. Wind has picked up so shallow and cranks sound like a good option. We chose the right area for signal but not for fish. One small walleye on a Jointed Shad Rap was all we could manage. Shallow is still on our mind as we make our third move over to the area where the famous Highway turns to Gold as it enters Devils Lake. I suspect there has been as much or more traffic on this road since it was closed. Aaron picked up a northern on the road bed and I got a picture of a small buck.

Back to home plate where we started the day and also where Jesse and I finished out yesterday. We are out front of  Minnewaukan on a hump with a ridge running mostly North to South. I marked the top out yesterday with icons so I could follow the very top which is where the fish seem to be again today. Aaron sets the hook on a decent fish and our boat control expert is back in the control tower as he puts our last fish in the livewell.  

A quick stop at the cleaning station and off to the cabin for a few minutes to relax and warm up. Jesse and Aaron drop into the easy chairs and begin rehearsing stories. Just this week at supper as we were discussing philosophy my 10 year old Levi blurts out, “Mom it’s not a story if it’s not exaggerated!” Memories are often bigger than life. That’s how I feel about Minnewaukan, don’t come here if you don’t have time for some sidewalk chatter.

Hot Tamale

 Overnight lows in the mid-thirties, is it that time of year already? A major cold front just blew by changing daytime temps from the 90’s to the 60’s. Fish don’t like cold fronts. I don’t either, mostly because it usually makes my fishing more work. Our first fish came from the “Golden Highway” abut mid-way across to Grahams. I haven’t used Hot Tamale in a long time but for whatever reason it looked like the lure to use. Jesse was on the next fish a well and it came on a #7 Shad Rap. So it went for the next few hours. One on Hot Tamale and one on the Shad Rap. The top of the road ranges from 9 to 11 feet and is an easy pull without much for snags. I suggest you give it a try when you are in the western end of the lake.

 As with most cold fronts the day was very clear and flat calm. One of those days when the warming sun felt great. We made a couple of moves thanks to the help of Aaron, local guide here in Minnewaukan. We did pick up fish but most were on the small side so my mind was in gear trying to sort out a plan. Years ago when the cattails were the thing to fish on the flats I would circle a hump right out in front of the water tower. As you know memories can be good and they can be bad when it comes to fishing. Today memories were on our side.

A switch to leadcore and 85 feet back got the ball rolling with non-stop action. It is easy to tell the fish have a different attitude this afternoon. Best crank now is the magic Salmo in Blue. In fact 3 to 1 over the other lures and it accounted for big fish of the day for Jesse.

 Before Navionics was in every boat I used to mark out structure with my GPS using icons. With no contours marking the ridge we were fishing I took the time to mark the 15 foot top. After that it was a simple matter of pulling into the ridge banging over the top and dropping off the back side for one to 3 fish almost every time.

It’s around 4:30 and Aaron and I planned to meet at the dock and hit the water so I could get a few pointers. We ended up following Aaron and his wife Trish out to the road for a demonstration on how to put walleyes in the livewell. Something they both were very good at.

The plan is to hit the water tomorrow with Aaron. If you ever come to a lake you have not fished before do what I do. Get a guide to help you, at least for the first day or two. You cannot spend either money or time more wisely.

Devils Lake, ND
Minnewaukan area

There is no adventure if there is no fish.

It’s late Wednesday afternoon and the rain is letting up as we get settled in our cabin at Hazen Bay. With a stout wind out of the south, spitting rain and temps in the lower 60’s for most of the day a comfortable, warm, dry place is just what I need. Steaks are almost done and Jesse, my oldest, and I are settled in and finally warming up. What drastic mood swings this weather has had the past two weeks. Highs in the 90’s and dropping to highs in the 60’s, cold fronts in August? Next week Hazen celebrates Hazen Harvest Fest, a 4 day party with the turkey BBQ being on the top of my list. I like parties.

Overnight winds picked up, a little more rain fell and then wind direction made the switch to the NW. Bismarck has wind at 8 mph and so I’m surprised when Phil and Jason from the PH Factor on KFYR are green with envy about my day on the lake. All I see is rollers and white caps as I look NW across the lake. National Weather Service says gusts into the high 20’s and I’m confident they are right.

Jesse and I decide to give it an honest effort and make plans to motor into the waves for a few miles and then fish back with the wind. Hazen has a great ramp in use right now and it is protected from the main lake. Still I managed to back the boat in too far away from the ramp for Jesse to catch it. He looked at me with those eyes that said, “Now what do we do?” Danged if I know, it’s my first time setting my boat free to blow in the wind. I do know what not to do. Don’t swim for it, that is how people drowned. At least it’s blowing into the bay and not out toward the main lake. Too bad the camera is in the boat; then again maybe it will be easier to forget without a picture to remind me.

These are 9 mph waves today. I mean that seems to be about top speed as we head for Expansion Bay to the west. We have on the rain gear but where it zips at the neck is not a waterproof seal. Most of the leaking is from drainage off my hat because every wave gives me a direct bucket full of fresh cold water. The thought crosses my mind that it would sure be helpful if I had wipers for my eyes.  We finally arrive and it is a relief to turn the boat east and let the waves push us back.  Down with lead into 23 feet and we begin a 3 mile pull that ends with the same number of fish we started with, zero. It’s just not in me today to try to cross the lake in these waves in hopes of locating fish.

Back at the ramp we get the boat tied down and take off some of the wet clothes. Normally every Thursday I try to give some good info on where and how to fish. Ain't gonna happen today! We drive into Hazen and give away some “Fishing Sakakawea” DVD’s. It’s not fresh but it is real. I’m not one of those guys who after a bad day of fishing can say, “It’s not about bringing home fish, it’s the experience that makes the adventure”. There is no adventure if there is no fish. Same goes for hunting, I can get fellowship at the coffee shop. Every adventure is that much sweeter if I bring something home.

There may still be a few free copies of the DVD available. For the GPS Hot Spot of the day I gave out the numbers to a location on the lake that has several copies just for the asking.

Can a miserable day produce an optimistic outlook?

 Jesse and I launched out of Hazen Bay and headed straight across to the north shore to one of my favorite pulls. With both fish and bait on the screen we dropped leadcore into 23 with an RS-4 Firetiger for first fish in short order and it ended in the same manner, short order. We moved, moved, moved but to no avail. The occasional walleye mark brought on gasps of delight they were so rare.

I generally feel the fist day of a cold front is the easy day. It’s the second day that is killer on the ego. Well this cold front may be both, first and second day ego killers. By the way, since when does a cold front come out of the south with high winds? We dropped 30 degrees from recent 90-degree highs! A check at 10 am showed 61 degrees with a full 2 degree rise by lunch.

 We moved, checked the electronics, marked bait and moved again. This was the pattern of the day. First we moved west across from Beulah Bay with several stops either checking electronics or dropping in the lines. Bait at every stop and in as shallow as 17 and out to 40. I determined that west was the wrong direction so east for several more stops that ended just past Douglas Bay. Again, bait at almost every stop but no walleyes.

It’s around 2pm and the wind is picking up in a serious manner. I don’t mind wind if I’m catching fish but today it was just a nuisance. 

Off to the south shore to get out of the wind and mark more bait. Several quick stops and we are now almost to Beulah bay straight across from where I made the remarkable observation that east was the answer to todays puzzle. NOT! 

Wind finally pushed over 30 and rain is beginning to make things uncomfortable. With just one more walleye to show for the day’s efforts we call it and head for the ramp. Last week I was amazed by the amount of bait in the New Town area. It was literally everywhere. Today I’m just as amazed by the amount of bait in such a large area of the lake on both the north and south shores. I have never had such a miserable day on the water and left with such an optimistic outlook for out future. Sakakawea is looking good!

Purple is One of Those Colors I Don’t Use Much

New Town Marina is in full swing again and we are putting in at the main ramp. I was here last Saturday and we had a fantastic day so hopes are high for a repeat performance. Our first stop is straight across on the west shore where we finished with 3 limits last week. The morning greeting on the screen was just what I was hoping to see. Bait and lots of it. Is the river ever loaded with bait, more than I’ve seen in years. What we didn’t find was fish. If you find yourself trying to make it work, the last place you caught fish should be the first place you leave. Give it a try but don’t spend your fishing hours trying to make it happen.

It didn’t happen so off we go to a sunken island just north on Antelope Flats. A quick pass with the electronics and down went the cranks in 16 feet. It’s a rain and shine overcast, hot day with high humidity and the feeling that we are in the eye of a hurricane. Light to no wind that circles us most of the day, if it weren’t for the clouds we would be melting. I mark some incredibly high bait and just before I’m ready for the next move the cranks pull over a 16 foot break. Surprise, Jessie gets big fish of the day on a Reef Runner in Mud Minnow, one of my favorite colors. Actually any color that catches a walleye is one of my favorite colors. That was our first and last so off to a new location. Last Saturday our best luck was north of the bridge and memories dictate that north is the starting point for today but with two stops already in the bag it’s time to just go fishing.

It’s a guess at this point, as the mind tries to find data for these conditions. Lately I’ve been trying to listen to my heart and not think too hard. So that is how we ended up at the end of a flat south of the bridge a few miles. I set everything for 17 feet and it looks good here with scattered bait and good walleye marks. My optimism is met with reality head on. How can you pull over this many fish and not get a hit? I’m still living in last Saturday’s performance. High action cranks at high speed, 3mph. It dawns on me that maybe these fish are of a different mindset. Bomber 24’A’s go down followed by Rip Shads and speed drops to less than 2 mph. If I would only remember to “just go fishing”. Sarah brings in our 2^nd fish of the day and the pattern for the day begins to show itself.

If “just go fishing” is good advice it’s no better advice than “listen to the walleyes.” What I mean is walleyes will tell you everything you need to know if you can get a couple of bites. With almost all fish caught on the back hook and never a clicker going off, fish are talking. What they are telling me today is slow down, use moderate to light action lures and switch to mellow colors. Firetiger, my “start every day color” is just too much. I can’t get a single bite on my favorite Sakakawea lure the Rip Shad. I put down a Blue Bomber and with a quick fish I’m thinking the Rip Shads have to go. While digging into the bottom of the memory banks it hits me. I haven’t used a Thunder Stick Jr. in what seems to be years. Jr.’s are one of the more moderate lures when it comes to action and have often worked in the past on days when the fish are off.

Purple is one of those colors I don’t use much but today it’s how you spell success. In fact Bombers seem to quit on me and Thunderstick Jr.’s are in the lead with Purple way out front. We are fishing the end of a flat where the contour lines all come together, our best location of the day. Normally this means the old river channel swings in tight to shore. If flats are good places to pull, the ends of the flats are often even better and today is proving the theory.

With 12 in the livewell I figure I can gamble a little so we switch over to leadcore and head south at 1.8 mph. Our first fish on lead is a dandy 18 incher followed by Mr. Croaker. I give the leadcore another 20 minutes for no good reason and move back to fireline and up into 15 feet. We are still marking bait and fish, even this shallow. It’s not long before we pick up a double on--- yep, Purple. Our location is right in front of the “Grain Bins”. If you’re not familiar with the area I have the GPS#’s here and a picture of the Grain Bins. It is one of those areas where the old river channel swings into shore and is a high percentage area. It’s here where we get the hook up that says lighten the drag and move to deeper water. What a mess! You can catch anything on a crank including twisted red line, bottom bouncer and the one that got away. If the person who lost this fish thinks like I do, he is still grieving the fact that a record breaking walleye snapped his line. Sorry if you’re reading this. It wasn’t a walleye.

The morning line up

All of these caught fish but Purple was best

What a way to wake up. With a sunrise like this it’s got to be a great day. Aaron, Tanner and I launched out of New Town Marina using the high water ramp. Has life ever come back to the river in more ways than just the high water. It’s like the migration in “Ice Age.” Two weeks ago fishing here was ok but - you had to plan on fishing hard for a reasonable pay back. Today you know things have changed by all the boats at the ramps. Walleyes move at an incredible rate. Fishermen are everywhere and it’s good to see as we don’t have a shortage of places to fish with over 150 miles of lake to choose from.

First stop is a mile stretch along the shoreline of Reunion which is about 7 miles south of New Town Marina. We start in 12 feet and after not seeing much on the screen decide to move out to 14 where we get our first 3 fish followed by Aaron’s lunker of the day.

A move back to the north along some steep structure got us one more in 14 feet but things seemed to slow down so off to the “Grain Bins”, an area on the west shore line just a few miles south of the bridge. While the grain bins on the hill give this area the name it is the outside bend of the old river channel that give it the reputation of a walleye producer. We get an encouraging greeting on the depth finder with a cloud of bait and a dandy walleye arch just under it. We mark lots of fish here but only catch 4 so with 8 in the live well we make our next hopeful move.

Some days you make the right decision in spite of the evidence. We set down just north of the bridge on the west shore along a mile long flat. I give it the once over on the electronics and say to myself, “What is all the fuss about”. Several boats are stretched out along here but not much for bait and no fish show up on the screen. I give in to the idea that folks are fishing here for a reason and we drop down the cranks. We are fishless until I put the speed on. At 3mph and switch to a Wonderbread/Chartreuse in Reef Runner Deep Little Ripper fish magically appear on the cranks two at a time even though I can’t mark a thing on the screen. By now we have moved toward the north end of the area and find bait to no end but still no fish arches. Some days they are not up off the bottom and actively feeding but still can’t resist the right pattern. As good as the electronics are they can’t separate fish glued to the bottom. Today is our day. Tanner puts in our last fish for 3 limits of river walleyes and we call it a day. I think the hardest part of fishing Sakakawea is keeping up with the fish as they transition with the seasons.  

Yikes! Sharks in Devils Lake?

Devils Lake fish demand #5 Salmos

How would you like to have a perfect yard ending in a sandy beach complete with lake view and boat slip. Kyle has made Woodland Resort a class act from start to finish. After a hard day on the water you can relax in the (fish cleaning station)? Ya, you heard me right. Air conditioned, clean and perfectly set up for the sportsman. Levi, my son upon leaving the cleaning station on our first day remarked, “Dad, it smells better in there than it does out here.” I think it smells better in the Cove, Woodlands restaurant, again a class act either inside or outside on the deck.

What has a paved flat top in 11-13 feet with rip rap ditches on each side, dropping steeply off into 25 feet?  Answer- No adventure to DL is complete without a trip to the “Golden Highway”, that magic road perfectly built for walleye structure. It’s been walleye heaven and underwater since '95. As good as it is, today was not our day for fishing the road.

Every lake has a personality that is identified by likes and dislikes. Devils Lake fish demand #5 Salmos. I also use Reef Runner Rip Shads here almost as effectively as in Sakakawea. The other important trait is wind. Zippy, top dog guide on DL emphasized wind, always fish the wind.

Wind is NW at 10 and the next move put us in 20 feet with leadcore on the south side of Grahams Island. One keeper and several little guys kept us busy until the wind died for the second day in a row. I decided to move back to yesterday’s location in hopes of more wind. Not! In fact it was even calmer if that’s possible. With the sun baking down and zero wind I notice the line of clouds I often see with these conditions. It’s like a front stretching from horizon to horizon holding back the weather.

So, how do you fish flat calm lakes? It starts with attitude. I mentally do not buy into the “fish don’t bite when it’s calm” theory. If you can get that one down the rest is easy because it is just fishing like any other day. Often I do what is counter-intuitive and put on the speed (3mph). I also move up in the water column. My best suspended bites are on flat calm days! Expect to work harder, but expect to be rewarded for the effort.

If there is a pattern here today it is the outside contours where subtle humps hold walleyes. In fact I gave up pulling the straight contours and focused on the short outside turns even though it means lots of turn arounds with 100 plus feet of leadcore.

We fished in 19-20 until things quieted down and then slid out to 23 and later into 25. That’s when it happened. The phone rang. It’s time for the afternoon radio report just as we are reeling in what we hope is not another big northern. I call times like this controlled chaos. Tangled in mic and booster wires while holding the cell phone, I’m trying to talk sense all the while Levi is losing line in yet another northern screaming run.  More frantic confusion, (controlled chaos) as the net fastens itself to the rod holder in what appears to be the Perfect Knot. Don’t you love it when it comes your way? There is just no stopping it, no matter the circumstances. For sure over 5 and in the net, Levi’s biggest walleye of the day.

Fish are easy to mark in the deeper water and we did have to sort through the fish to get good keepers. What a price to pay, sorting through fish I mean. Don’t plan a weekend here as it will leave you way short on adventure, a week minimum. This is a kid’s dream come true. Northern, White Bass, Walleye, and Perch, we caught fish nonstop, all day long. Even with the sun baking down and no breeze I had a hard time calling it quits. Expect to work harder, but expect to be rewarded for the effort.

We saw these all afternoon. It's like a wake from a torpedo/school of fish without the bubbles and ripples of bait fish or schools of White Bass. If you have any idea send me an e-mail. Try as I might I could never see fish below the wake.

PS. There is no carp in DL!

Levi with a Salmo Hornet Walleye

120 miles to Paridise 

This is as good as it gets, living in Minot I mean. Here I am sandwiched between two world class walleye fisheries. Which way do I go?  West to Sakakawea or East to Devils Lake. This week it’s east as we head out to explore Devils Lake from first class Woodland Resort.  

Fist on the agenda is info. You know- the how, when, where stuff, just give me something to get started. If you’re new to fishing Devils Lake let me suggest the fast track to a masters degree on Fishing DL. Steve (Zippy) can show you more in a day than can be learned in a summer on your own. My suggestion is always hire a guide on day one of any fishing adventure. You get an education either by paying for it or by experience. I don’t have enough vacation to do it the old fashioned way. Zippy can be booked by calling Woodlands.  701-662-5996

 With a little over the counter advice from the bait shop we headed out from Woodlands and motored just west of the mouth of 6 mile bay to a mostly sunken island named Doc Hagens. 15 feet looked as good as any so down goes Rip Shads and Jointed 5’s on fireline. Just as fast up came first fish of the day brought to you courtesy of Levi. Fish were  easy to mark so we stayed with the program and picked up Northern and 10 more walleyes ranging from 12-14 inches. By now we have released somewhere in the range of 15 walleyes and you can see why. I cant remember the last time I drove over so many fish. The strategy here was to work through the small guys and hope for the best which Levi had no problem with.

With no wind at all conditions are a bit on the tuff side but every time we made the outside corner around this tree we had another fish. If you get here and the tree stump is gone don’t worry you have the right GPS location, it’s just some of these are not attached and they move on sort of like the fish.

 Just maybe the bigger fish are deeper. A switch to leadcore at 115 back in 21-23 feet of water certainly helped fill the livewell. It seemed the outside corner as seen on the Navionics map was the subtle secret of the day. In fact as I was taking this shot of the GPS we got our first triple play. Two back for more growing and one for us. Not a  bad average!

We stayed with the leadcore for the rest of the afternoon and managed to get a couple of limits of dandy keepers. Rip Shads and RS-4 turned out to be the best cranks even though we tried several others. The word around the lake today was “Should have been here yesterday, limited by 10:30.” Well, can’t do yesterday, but - God willing, I will do tomorrow. See ya on the water.

Bus loads of kids waiting for a chance to fish.

Volunteers are lined up for check in just before bus loads of kids show up from the Triangle Y camp located west of Garrison for a day of fishing. For many it will be the first time ever in a boat. After launching we all head over to the courtesy dock for the days supplies, food for the volunteers and food for the fish. Everything is donated, how I like free! Next on the agenda is kids, big boats get 3 or even 4, little boats get two but no matter what there are plenty to go around. The days forecast calls for SE wind which turns out be around 15 mps for most of the day with overcast skies. Near perfect conditions for walleye fishing.

The fun about fishing with kids is all the enthusiasm and contagious smiles. We aren’t in the water fishing 10 minutes before Paige reels in our first fish of the day. If pure delight is an ingredient to successful fishing Kaitlyn is on the fast track. One for Ellie and we’ve made the rounds and my first goal of the day is in the bag, one fish for each girl. The next goal was get a few good pictures, which the trio made easy.

Pushing 10 am and already we have been on the water for over an hour and a half. If you remember traveling with kids you know the first potty beak comes in the first hundred miles. While back at the ramp I take a picture of the work being done on the new marina. What a project! The kids grab the forgotten lunches and we drift out from the dock and I discover what may be called “Summer Camp Appetite”, just stay out of the way!

If you have interest in volunteering a day of your time for fishing (what a sacrifice) Clarence will be happy to get you on the list and contact you for next season’s camp. Clarence works with the NWF, the group that organizes the fishing day. He can be reached at clbina@bis.midco.net

I love the spirit and passion that gets us on the water one way or the other. If it floats you can put a motor on it and fish. We head back to the secret spot, which by the way is loaded with both fish and volunteers for another round. The girls have forgotten whose turn is up so they all offer a helping hand for our next fish. Things go downhill fast after this as each new bite is announced to every boat in the area with screams and giggles.

Deeper fish are easy to mark and even though fish are small the result on our hearts is the same. Thank God for the small things in life that bring us the joy of  pure delight.

Everything I fished today would have been high and dry in May.

I pulled into Van Hook and stopped at Van Hook Bait and Tackle for a quick update on fishing. If you ever need good fishing info, like who doesn’t, ask for Rick, the local expert on Sakakawea and in particular the Van Hook Arm.

Many low water ramps are now submerged and have become hang outs for the birds. We have gained an astonishing 18 feet of water since this spring. The new high water ramp at Van Hook is in full operation complete with dock. It is hard to remember how all of this looked back in May. Everything I fished today would have been high and dry this spring. The biggest problem on Sakakawea this summer is where to start looking. With thousands of acres just flooded, that can be a challenge.

It’s August and “walleye wisdom,” as well as most fishing advice directs us to deeper water. The common reply to “Where are the fish biting?” is “Go deep”. That generally means the 30 foot range and is exactly where you would have found me a few years ago. Sometime during our low water years I started giving so called “walleye wisdom” the once over and it came up a little short on the stick. Back bays are not normally on the top of the list when it comes to August walleyes, however much of what I thought I understood about fishing has been challenged.

We started our day on what is called The Grade in the NW corner of the Van Hook Arm. It’s the old railroad bed and now sets in about 12-14 feet of water with great ditches on both sides. In the past it has been a traditional hot spot for excellent fish. Action today would certainly indicate that the tradition is still in place. Rich had our first fish in less than 5 minutes, the direct result of an amazing amount of bait back in here. I’m not sure what it is but I am sure the walleyes just love it for breakfast. With a couple of doubles and one triple it didn’t take long to get the livewell looking like fish for supper.  90 feet back on jointed Grappler Shads would bang them off the top of the grade and plow down the sides into the ditches. Nothing precise or finesse here. Just drive till you get a fish, slow down for the net and back up to speed for the next bite. No day is complete without a fish getting caught on Old Faithful. I couldn’t go to Sakakawea without Reef Runner Rip Shads, not with any confidence any way.

My take on August fishing is we have basically two groups of walleyes on Sakakawea. Group one, being those fish chasing smelt and other deep water forage. Generally these are very healthy fish often found in deeper water, particularly in August and September. This group is normally easy to mark on electronics and very nomadic as they run down their next meal. Group two, being those fish in shallow water and in particular, back bays, where water temps often exceed 75 degrees. These fish can be far more finicky than Group one fish, even lethargic at times. I have found that wind improves this shallow bite but what really improves it is cranks and cranks at either end of the throttle. As slow as 1.4 and as fast as 3.2. I prefer the higher speeds when the walleyes will go along with the plan as it seems to trigger bigger fish with better hook ups. 75 degree back bays + bait + cranks = fish for supper. Dog Days of August.  “Myth Busters” would blow this one apart; not on Sakakawea it ain’t!

N-47-56-859
W-102-24-743

GPS is for the NW corner of Van Hook Arm
This area is know as the "Grade"

Gus the Pelican dropped in for a snack.
 

Thunderstorms all night and into the morning but finally the sun begins to break through for another new day. 4 Bears/Kmot 2008 Walleye Classic is about to take off and I’m seeing tournaments from a new angle. In the not too distant past you would find me in the lineup anxious to get into the water but today I’m a spectator. For one boat the wait is too long and the attitude is get er done, whatever it takes. I’m always pleased to see Father-Son teams but especially pleased to see Father-Daughter teams. Kay Lynn appears to be contemplating the wisdom of saying yes to fishing a tournament with Dad as they wait for the take off.

A late start due to some weather but the all clear is given and first flight is on the go. 2^nd flight is just minutes from blast off as well so I begin to get my gear and boat ready. My plan is to run the entire boundaries of the tournament. About the half way mark on the west side is Bears Den, a fishing destination for the regulars who fish the river, particularly in the fall. It’s about 12 miles from 4Bears on the west side. I have the GPS #’s on the column to the right and here is a picture of the North West mouth.

Back on plane and down the river past miles and miles of likely spots, several of which have already been picked by tournament anglers. Finally I get to the boundary on the south, Independence Point, marked by the American Flag. 27 miles of fishing water and to think that is only a fraction of the lake, we have it so good with Sakakawea as our home water. I drop down cranks in 10 feet and make a pull just outside of the boundary. I can do that since I’m not in the tournament and just have to see if what I have always believed is true. That the best fishing is just outside of the boundary. Apparently not!

Off to the other side of the lake to Pouch Point, the boundary on the North shore. I make another pull in 20 feet and pick up 3 very small fish on Bombers. Lots of tournament boats in the area and you can see why. How do you pass up a spot that looks like this above and this below.  Kind of puts you on the edge of the seat in anticipation. It sure had that effect on Brayden who is in the tournament with Grandpa.

One more stop along a flat opposite of Bears Den and I’m almost half way back to the start. 10 minutes and no fish so I pull up and make my last stop at Reunion Bay beginning on the south side in 10 feet. One small northern is all I get for the effort so off to the north side at the mouth. Less than a minute and I have first fish of the day in 12 feet. A turn around and 2 more followed by more of the same. The action is absolutely wild with a limit of small fish in less than 45 minutes. All within a 300 yard stretch. What a contrast to last Thursday when I fished here for 8 hours for a total of one keeper walleye.

The new bridge is the Northern boundary and what a bridge it is. I get my fish cleaned just as weigh in gets started. Some very good weights and some very disappointing weights, I remember all too well the highs and lows of tournament fishing. Tom and Terry have big fish at this point at just under 7 lbs. With several hundred dollars on big fish they have to be feeling the pressure. It’s not long before a contender comes in and squeezes them out with a 27 incher just over 7 lbs. That fish put Tim and Chris   into 2^nd place for day one behind the 15 lb first place team. Now the pressure is on, can Chris and Tim do it again tomorrow?

I have learned more from fishing tournaments than anything else combined and today is no different. Remember Brayden on the edge with anticipation. He and Grandpa brought in 2 fish today. Not a great day but not a bad either as several boats zeroed, which happens in every tournament. It’s not the fish caught but the attitude about life that carries you through. Brayden, age 9, happens to carry the attitude on his homemade tee shirt that will make the difference, whether he wins or loses. Something I’m still working on. Thanks Brayden.

I was unable to stay for day two.

Check out Fishing Buddy for final results

I spent the night at Brendles Bay. If your looking for civilized camping this is the place. Older I get, the more I appreciate NOT staying in a tent. I have a weakness for the finer things in life like a kitchen, complete with fridge and coffee maker. air conditioning is right up there on the finer things in life list as well. All I need to bring is my clothes and food, everything else is provided.  Give Rhinda a call before you come up and she will cool down a cabin for you. By the way, Rhinda, also know as the lady in plastic slippers, comes in a variety of colors. Go Figure, orange slippers, I guess you can always use them for deer season.

Geremy and I headed south to Shell Village and gave the east end a try. Nothing for us but other boats were doing ok so we moved to the west end of shell. Wind is pushing in pretty hard from the SE but still no takers. Next move is over to the west shore by Pouch where we marked some small fish in 18-19 feet but again no takers. By now I have run the limit of looking in deeper water so we make the move to the north end of the lake.

First fish comes on a Firetiger Rip Shad in 13 feet pulling the grade. A quick turn around and one more for the livewell, both very good fish solidly in the 20’s. Another trip up and down the grade with no luck prompted a move to the willow lines around the islands. Two more 20 inch fish in 11 feet, one on Wonderbread Red and one on a jointed Grappler Shad. I even caught one, maybe I’m breaking the trend I set yesterday.

4 pm and wind is down to 8 mph so we make a move back to home plate and pull in 10 feet along the east shore. First one, then another, yes believe it or not a third. I think you call that a triple. Hit that school dead on! Few minutes later we had one more fish and we called it a day. I was ready too since last time we checked the temperature it was 97! I begin to melt at 85. Remember that air conditioning I mentioned at Brendles, civilized camping, yep that’s my style.

Rednecks are loose in my yard.

It started a couple of days ago when the little units decided they haven’t had enough camping this season. By now Redneck camp has moved 3 times to keep from killing my grass. The knives, hatchets, throwing knives and tomahawk stuck into the log are just in case of trouble in the dark. Last night we had a great storm complete with a light show but they stuck it out.

One look had me pulling over on the way to the lake. Don’t you just love summer sunrises? It takes  me about an hour and a half to get to the lake from my house which leaves plenty of  opportunity for scenery. I pulled into 4 Bears around 7:30 and got the boat ready to launch before going on the air with KEYZ Country Williston am 660. One done and one to go with KFYR am 550 Bismarck. By now it’s almost 8:30, bankers hours for fishermen so I head into the wind and make up for lost time. I’m determined to check out a spot on Antelope Flats in spite of the 3 foot waves that are bashing me head on. Ugh! All that wave pounding for nothing, not even a nibble. Making my way back I move into 10 feet. The west shoreline is non-stop logs lined up end to end for what seems to be miles. No fish here even though the waves are pounding into shore. Next move puts me back into a bay as far as I can motor. There must be at least 3oo acres of flooded willows in this bay. Gus is already back here and picking up fish after fish with absolutely no effort whatsoever. I’m amazed by how many fish this pelican has caught in just a few minutes. Head down, with his bill in the water tucked tight to his body. This  means another fish is just seconds away. If you look close you can actually see the shadow of the fish in his pouch just before heading down the hatch. I’ve had it with the show off so down goes the throttle for a new location.

 I give the 10 and 12 foot range another work out and finally move out deeper into 18 to 19 feet At least can mark a few small fish here. With Bomber 24a’s out at 62 feet I get the first walleye after only 4 straight hours of fishing. Too bad it’s only 10 inches long. In just minutes I get number two and it surprises me by turning into a small crappie which pleases me to no end. We don’t get many of these so every one is a treat. The Bombers just don’t have it today so I drop down the leadcore and get a few more of the same, 10 to 12 inchers. This murky water seems to bleach the color right out of the fish. Maybe the dirty water has something to do with the catch rate.

Last stop has me back up into 10 feet for the only double of the day. Yep, more of the same, except one of these is my best fish of the day so I put it on the stick. All of 13 inches! By now I’m losing interest and wake up only to find myself fishing 10 feet deep with the cranks out in 16 feet of water. The reason I wake up at all is the clicker actually fired! Biggest walleye of the day and all a result of my daydreaming. Geez, you’d think I could at least get one legitimate fish. I release Mr. Big and set up again in the 10 foot zone and that’s when the fight of the day began. Stayed straight down just like the over 7 lb walleyes always seem to do. Careful, easy on that drag, slow down , turn the boat out to deeper water. Finally I get him to the top where he decided to make a 50 foot run. That’s about as far as most Northerns get if you chinch the drag down pretty tight.

I’ll be on the water again tomorrow. Stop by and offer your condolences if you see me. 

Leeches, Worms, Minnows, Hot Dogs, I use ‘em all

First stop, Brendle’s Bay lake store for a quick good morning to the lady in plastic slippers and two bags of ice. Rhinda can set you up if you like your camping civilized style. Brendle’s has cabins and ice cream, the two essentials.

Before Levi and I left the ramp area we stopped in to say hello to a bank fisherman. “Leeches, Worms, Minnows, Hot Dogs, I use ’em all,” was Garry’s response to my question-“ What do you use for bait?” With a new acquaintance made we left Garry to bank fishing, put the throttle down and headed for the secret spot.

The day’s choice for me, unlike Garry, was cranks, cranks, cranks. The only choosing I have to do is what color and style. Today began slow as the old standard lures were not getting it done. Something said change colors to mud minnow and I did. I haven’t used this color since last season when it was killer during the summer transition. Levi, some days known as (Lucky), was on first fish today which easily made live well standards thanks to Reef Runner Rip Shad in, yep-Mud Minnow. We were trolling in 10 feet; if I got shallower it turned into grass which immediately choked the cranks with a ball of guck. It wasn’t that tuff to follow the 10 foot contour as we had a great 8-9 foot marker. A line of willows were sticking out several feet above water.

30 minutes of work and already Mud minnow was beginning to show signs of diminishing returns. Cranks, Cranks, Cranks, what is the key today? First RS-4’s then to #4 Salmo’s, nothing. How about a standard #7 Shad Rap or an RS-5 in Firetiger? Nothing doing. Make a pass, switch a crank. This continued until we found the secret answer of the day, jointed lures. #5 jointed Shad Rap put Levi into contention for big fish of the day. With the walleyes talking loud and clear I made a switch to jointed Grappler Shads on our other two rods, a move that proved to make it a 50-50 tie with the jointed Shad Raps. We continued to make short passes and were joined by Snag the pelican, trolling a bottom bouncer. How did he get caught in that thing?

No day is complete without a fish story, right? Levi was light on the drag as his heart was quite tender after losing two very big fish. One yesterday that we never saw and one today that would make the 15-20 lb mark.  I don’t think he could take another loss without grief counseling. By now I have all the lines pulled up and the boat slowly headed for deep water. No great line screaming runs, just that steady, heavy, straight down pull that says, “Walleye”! After strenuous minutes of straight down pulling the beast finally gives us a chance to slip the net under and breathe again. This is more like All-Star Wrestling than fishing. What a monster fish, it’s been over a year since the last Dakota Golden Hybrid was caught from my boat. A rare trophy.

I didn’t like the looks of the clouds building off to our west. A call to the weather service however calmed my concern. No hail, no lightning, light rain but stiff winds. I’ve seen this before. Just before the bottom drops out the fish go crazy. Perfect Storm! Four fish in 15 minutes all on the Grappler Shads, bring it on! 12:35 and I have live radio in 20 minutes. I’ll never be able to talk on the cell in this wind and rain so we head back to the launch site and tuck in behind a high bank for the noon report. Garry, who by now has slipped into the rain gear passed on the bank fishing progress report. One whiskered type tied to the stringer, I should have asked him if it was on a hot dog.

The wind let up and skies cleared so back to the game. Only problem, fishing after the front passes has no resemblance to the before side of things. The only one getting any fish was Gus the pelican who changed strategies and moved up shallow. We made a move as well into 12 feet at a new location. We were alone except for one pass made by – you’re not going to believe this. Snag flew over with the same presentation as earlier, bottom bouncer. I think we are both fishing way too shallow. All that has changed is we are on the back side of the storm. Memory says “Go Deep” so out to 20 with Bomber 24A’s. Two passes and two fish in the box, sweet success. A close up view of what worked today starts with Reef Runner Rip Shads in Mud Minnnow. Jointed 5's and Grappler Shads were #1 lures and to finish the day in deeper water, Bomber 24A's

On the way to the ramp we say goodbye to Garry who by now has invited another whiskered guest home for dinner. It was so hard to leave the lake today. I wonder if anyone else ever feels this way?

Without a doubt the biggest walleye on this year!

I was up a 5am this morning not because I’m all that eager to beat the sun to a new day. Flashes of light powered by what must have been the energizer bunny would not give it up. Rain eventually found it’s way to the ground in what turned out to be a little over an inch. I’m grateful for the rain but the lightning can mess with my fishing. 

It happened right in front of the pumphouse. Rod doubled back with the steady ratchet of the clicker. I cut power to the kicker and Levi was on deck. A slow turn out to deeper water just for safety and light on the drag. This was without a doubt the biggest walleye on this year! Straight down and holding, eventually Levi shortened the leash to 30 feet and I had the camera ready. We were almost to the end, but Mr. Walleye put his last into one slow but powerful run and it was over.UGH! Fishing can be so hard on the heart. With 5 in the livewell compliments of Levi we headed to the cleaning station and called it a day.
Listen in tomorrow morning on KFYR am 550 begining at 8:15 for another aventure in combing the deep for the ---one that got away.

We’ve never talked about changing hooks on cranks for whatever reason but here goes. I change almost every crankbait over to Triple Grips or Ultra Points. Many good cranks come with crappy hooks, a few brands come with very good hooks but not the right hooks for Fireline. Fireline is a zero stretch line and you need the extra holding power that is inherent with the inside bend on Ultra Points. The down side to these hooks is you will need a plier to unhook fish, but that is the evidence of how well these hooks hold. They are a little soft so I keep a box full of extra hooks and change them whenever I bend them out of shape unhooking a fish. The other big plus is they work on the same principle as the circle hook. Most fish will be hooked in the jaw, not deep down into the gills. This keeps your casualties of war to the very minimum. If you don’t like to see this happening with your released fish switch over to Ultra Points. I order mine from Andrew at Stamina as he has the best prices on bulk hooks I can find anywhere. You will have to call in your order (800-546-8922) as I don’t think Andrew has the Ultra Points listed on his site yet.

Big Fish Released.

With the clear skies and the freshness of the rising sun I headed out for Parshall Bay. By the time I hit the lake, fog was starting to disperse. Cody and Cyndee were all smiles of anticipation (as are most of us) when launching into a fishing adventure. We opted for fishing close to home due to the fog. This is where we were putting in just a few weeks ago. Try as we might no fish were coming our way, however that was not the case for others. The net was out as we passed the Crestliner crew. This stirred the determination and resulted in a surprise catch. No walleyes in the bay for us, I know they are here as other boats are getting them, but if I can’t put it together I may as well move on. Off to 8# flat for a quick scan of the bottom and then over to the west shore again. A welcome change came in the form of a double from 20 feet on Reef Runners. First to bat was Wonderbread Black in Little Ripper Deep followed by Spotted Frog. Picture enhancement brought to you compliments of Cyndee who reeled in the duo. Most fish were deeper than I was fishing so out to 23-25 feet. I ran Deep Divers in combo with the Little Rippers and picked up a couple more. Every fish was caught on the back hook and seldom did a clicker even fire. Maybe last night’s storm has these fish deep. One certainty is the bite is off from earlier in the week. I normally change over to either Bombers or lead when I mark fish that won’t go on Fireline. Bombers were first choice and my guess is Cody was pleased with the results. Fish  Released thank to Cody’s conservation values.

Fish were certainly deep, in fact deeper than we were fishing. That, and the fact that I was driving over marks and not catching motivated the change to lead. We settled on 110 feet back at 1.7 mph with cold- front lures (RS-4’s) on all four lines.

Tell me this guy is not serious. This is what fishing is all about, keeping us right on the edge of our seat, and for good reason. Net is out and Bryce - 11 is scratching his head trying to remember, how did I do that? Apparently he remembered as just minutes later he was at it again.

Leadcore did the trick and by late in the day the enthusiasm of the fish picked up to where we got Rip Shads down for the last few fish. With 15 in the boat we headed into the cleaning station.  My compliments to Barb and Kim who manage Parshall Bay and have the best cleaning station on the lake. It is always working and clean, no small job when fish are biting.

We worked hard for our fish and all of us came in a little tired but I bet by tomorrow morning we would be all smiles and on the edge of seat if we could just get another day on the water.

These suspended fish hit like a high speed Salmon

I overnighted at Parshall Bay Campground compliments of Shell Creek Rentals. Kim has both boats and a pontoon he rents for a very reasonable price.

The bay is filling up with both water and fish. We are putting in at the high water ramp now. This is what the same bay looked like a month ago. With all this water and the flat nature of the Van Hook Arm we now have about one third more surface area for fish. No wonder it’s challenging to find the walleyes. We marked fish on 8# flat in 18-20 feet and gave them a try. No one wanted to come home with us so we left the obstinate stinkers in hopes of finding more accommodating fish. Back to yesterdays GPS location to see if the walleyes were still in the area. I love it when you happen to be in an area just as it is filling up with fish instead of when it is about over. The longer we fished the more fish I marked and the more bait that showed up. It has been a long time since I have had a suspended bite using the deep diving Reef Runners and boards. Running 40 feet back over 20-25 feet got Jim and Terry the first double. These suspended fish hit the lures like a high speed Salmon. A turn around produced our third suspended walleye for James.  Weather was perfect with light winds out of the SE and water temps in the low 70’s. More bait and more fish- the story of the day. We called it good at 2 o’clock with 3 limits of exceptional walleyes.
"YOU CANT DO THIS AT HOME".

It’s not fishing if you don’t have boat food so first stop was Cenex in New Town. I left a “Fishing Sakakawea” DVD with Karen and Snickers to give to the first person who asked for it. It can be ordered online at www.ndlive.com if you don’t have a copy yet.

Next stop this morning is 4 Bears Casino and Lodge. WOW, you can see current just off the ramp! Is this lake ever filling up. August 2^nd and 3^rd is the 2008 Walleye Cup with a $5,000 pay back for 1^st. It’s not to late to get entered. I have learned so much from tournaments when it comes to day to day fishing. Every tournament is like a 3 credit college course on fishing. Give Ronda a call before it fills.
1-800-294-5454 ext. 7538

Some days it simply comes your way. 

This was no ordinary fish! Van Hook at 5am, like anywhere else is pretty quiet, except this morning. We followed a thunderstorm all the way to Garrison which left a big swath of needed rain. A quick stop at the Garrison Cenex for gas and off to Pick City. They are celebrating their 60^th anniversary this weekend with a parade at 11 and picnic lunch at 12, plus a street dance for the evening entertainment. Any town with an ice cream shop has some things going for itself. Scott’s Bait and Tackle is the information center on fishing in the area. Scott knows what is happening with the bite, both on the Tailrace and in the lake. The rocks are going pretty good right now and if you like shore fishing at night this is the place. The secret weapon for the rocks is original floaters according to Scott.

Weather is always a concern on a lake this size and the wind is always a factor. New Town area was suppose to get winds up to 30 and sure enough my kids who tried swimming at Gull said the waves blowing in would knock you right over and wash you up on shore! That is more wind than I care to fish in. Forecast for the east end of Sakakawea was for lighter winds in the 10 to 15 category but I was skeptical. Turns out it was a great day with moderate winds just as predicted.

Rising water keeps me looking shallow so first stop was Steinke Bay on the north shore across from Pick City. Our first pull was in 10 feet and for nothing until we hit the end of the bay back at the old boat ramps, which by the way are now in operation. It seemed that every time we turned around due to shallow water at the end of the bay we got fish. There may be a pattern here in that it’s not just the back bays that are holding fish but the very end of the back bays and those fingers that extend deeper into the vegetation.

Water temps are up in the low 70’s and we marked walleyes but most were small to smaller. Firetiger Rip Shads showed a decided advantage with little to nothing coming on Salmo’s and RS-4’s. Fishing slowed by afternoon and then Shad Rap 7’s came to the rescue in a big way with Jesse in the driver’s seat. This was no ordinary fish, who said walleyes don’t fight?  Also why is it never my turn when the big one decides to bite?

Clouds were building all day and by 4 in the afternoon we were getting that little warning message that it may be time to call it quits. As we were contemplating fish or safety a couple of guys motored by and announced STORM coming with winds as high as 70. That took care of the contemplating.

Ten in the boat, lets call it good.

It’s the day after a cold front that makes fishing challenging and guess what today was? Yep, the day after. We started out with Dad getting a great keeper out of 13 feet and then we picked up another in 11 or so. There you have it, how the day went I mean. One here, two there but no great spot for us to talk about. We did manage a catfish, crappie and northern to round out the multi-species list. Most fish were caught on the Wonderbread Red in Rip Shad. Your probably thinking that is all I use but not so. I do try other lures but I always let the walleyes tell me what to put down. If they insist why should I force the issue. Is this lake ever changing. I had high hopes for this pull but all we got was White Bass. Who was that numbskull who just yesterday made the comment “I’d far rather catch a White Bass than catch nothing.” It was no surprise that we had to work for our fish toady. By mixing up cranks and changing speeds we did manage to get off the water safe and with two very nice limits. Deb put last fish in the livewell on a – well I let you look for yourself. With ten in the boat we called it good, and it was!

Certainly in the top 2 or 3 for super fish this season!

I have no idea where to start. That was what was going through my head with my first look at the lake. I was just here (Van Hook Arm) 12 days ago and in that short time the lake no longer is a familiar place to me. My second thought is we are all on an even playing field now. Even though I’m privileged to fish here a lot I don’t feel I have any advantage over the person just arriving for the first time. Navionics mapping has been a great help in the last few years however with the new high water, I’m now fishing where no contours exist. I guess it’s one of those good problems associated with high water.

My Mom, Dad and sister from CO are here so I hoped to find fish and salvage my reputation as a guide. We started pulling cranks right from the ramp mostly due to 10-15 mph predicted winds that were now close to 20 out of the NW. Skip jacks and a small walleye prompted the move further into the NW corner of the Hook. We pulled the grade for one White Bass so we moved North and by now we had winds clocked at 23. A very stiff breeze to say the least. Into 8-9 feet and voi`la, first fish on a #5 Salmo. Fish were absolutely killing the plastic today. Many fish came in with no crank showing out of their mouth it was so deep. We even picked up a small crappie that went back to grow up. It was a Reef Runner Rip Shad day with 22 feet out. The Salmo’s just didn’t keep pace. White Bass were almost a nuisance but I will admit I’d far rather unhook a White Bass than catch nothing. Water temps are up to 72 in the back bays. Combined with high water those two factors will keep me looking shallow for several more weeks. We didn’t find fish everywhere but where we did find them they were some dandies. Dad who I’m told is 81, unbelievable, managed to reel in his share of the fun.

How do you fish a brand new lake? Just go fishing. Today was certainly in the top 2 or 3 for super fish this season!

What lakefront business thrives in a town of only 74 families?
Hint: There are over 38 of these in NW ND.
Karrie said sort of quietly- "We try to keep our gas about 5 cents lower than the big cities."
Answer: Max ND Cenex

What a front porch view. How is a man supposed to get any sleep this close to the fish? Julie, my wife and I overnighted at Hazen Bay in one of the very comfortable cabins. If you forget something on your trip here don’t worry, the store has everything including bait. As for boat gas, this you will have to see for yourself to believe. Same price as downtown! I’m not kidding.  

It takes a ton of work to make a campground shine and Hazen Bay is a class act from the new lake store to the freshly mowed grass. Kent said it takes about 12 hours to mow the campground. It wouldn’t pay for me to apply for work this close to the lake. To help settle in Julie and I went for a walk around the loop and took time to smell the roses. Made one stop to visit with some folks cleaning fish and signed off for the day.

I’m a central time person so 5 am is not that early. Is it ever still at that hour. I slipped out the front door and instantly caught a glimpse of deer. Smoothly I snuck back in and grabbed the camera. Slipping out I moved to the other side of the cabin just in time to get a shot. Deer season is so far away, thank God for fishing to keep me occupied till then. A few minutes later we had a mule deer doe bounce by out front and 3 more whitetails off to the west. Later in the morning across from Hazen Bay we watched a whitetail and her fawn move through the ask coulee draws.

With the morning report out of the way we hit the water and shot straight across to the north shore. We set up for a pull in 9 feet with some pretty strong waves blowing in out of the SW. I scouted this area just before we quit yesterday and marked fish in 22 feet so I didn’t need any more convincing. Out to the 20’s and down with the leadcore.

I live for days like this! Watching the X-25 I see a nice mark, you know the ones with some yellow in them just up from the bottom that have walleye written all over them. That’s when it happened! The clicker fires off with that sweet sound of “Fish On”. Quickly I get the chart stopped so I can get a picture of the screen. I have done this before, get a picture of the both the walleye hook and the walleye. Real time-real life, it’s how I learn best.

Any deeper and we will be swimming!  Sakakawea is still on the rise and is it sweet. Best problem we have had in several years.  Water is pushing past our last year high which means thousands of acres of nursery habitat. It also will mean thousands of lost fishing rigs. Again, good problem. Low water ramps at Parshall  went under last night. You now have to go for the morning wade to launch.  If there is one thing predictable in weather and fishing it’s the day after a major cold front. The atmosphere gets crystal clear and the horizon is in sharp focus. You think fish are going to go crazy –BUT- not normally. The predictable flat, no wind lake conditions are a mirror of flat no energy walleyes. You still get fish but it’s not the 100 fish days you may have been experiencing. For me cranks have to change from the frantic, erratic high speed vibrating lures to a more subtle wobble. In my boat that means Bomber 24A’s which I did not use enough of today. Later in talking with a buddy I found out why I stick with the Bombers on the day after as he did very well on them. The other reminder for me was fish always seem to be deeper the day after a cold front than the day of. It has been non-stop in 6-7 feet. Today 12-14 feet was where the action was best. Kate put best of two in with a Spotted Frog in Reef Runner Little Ripper Deep. Not long after Pete (Dad) tied for 1^st running a Firetiger Rip Shad. No shortage of fish to mark particularly since we were in 12 feet or more.  They just don’t have the fire to latch on and go for it. Every fish today was caught on the back hook and several dropped off as I tried to lift them from the water. It’s just the way the day after a cold front typically shapes up for me. I had great folks out and all they wanted was supper, after 7 we called it good. More boats out than I have seen all season. Many were on my favorite side of the lake fishing the flat on east Shell Village. We got back to the wading pool (ramp) and with a phone call I had a friend back in the trailer so we didn’t have to carry the sandals. Parshall has another good two lane ramp already in use so don’t worry about access. If it keeps up the next good problem we will face is how to fish willows, I can’t wait!

start at the ramps

  ND Live host
Greg Schoneck

 Bears 2008 Walleye Cup will only host 100 teams. Get registered soon by calling Ronda for an application. August 2^nd and 3^rd - $5,000 1^st place!

I have this thing about what I consider good stuff to eat in the boat. Food in this category is affectingly called “Boat Food” and it often comes fresh out of the local bakery. Those tasty little bite sized cinnamon rolls are perfect boat food. Only problem is they only get packed about 6 in a container. I guess I just need to double up on those bite sized morsels drenched in cream cheese frosting.

We traveled from 4 Bears to the Van Hook Arm. As we were driving to the ramp I pointed out to Mark that the area on our right was a dry mud bottom on May 26^th. By June 19^th we had water and walleyes and by June 26, (today) we had more of the same. I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to driving by some of the best fishing in order to get to the secret spot but today we didn’t even get the boat up on plane. Once away from the traffic at the ramp I dropped the kicker in and just as fast, we were into fish. Mark landed the first keeper which was as chunky a fish as can be caught.  Water temps are up which means fishing is on the go. Within minutes we had released several small fish and felt like a pattern was established. Reef Runner Rip Shads in Wonderbread Red and Firetiger were the first to kick in and the #4 Salmo’s were not far behind. Wind was a mite on the strong side out of the E-NE but finally settled down to the SE by late morning. We made one move to the grade for a Whitebass and decided to go back where we started and get serious. I was taking a picture of the ugly weather building to the NW and if I aint lucky. Just as I shot the picture a fish hit the crank.  

Never overlook the mudflats even though they may not seem appealing and look more like carp habitat than walleye structure they produce tremendous catches. We caught all of our fish on the flats as they concentrated on two very indistinct humps not more than 1 or 2 feet high. I don’t normally punch in icons when I crank shallow but today it was a definite asset as these fish concentrated on these locations. Every time I pulled through the icons fish hit our lures.

I got a call at 2:20 about the approaching weather so we pulled the plug with 10 in the livewell. Yours truly got big fish award today as well as last fish in the box.  Looks like wind for the next couple of days so if you have plans to be on the big water please be safe.

One week between pictures

East Shore
South of Parshall Bay

Secret Location

The pressure is on! Just after 1pm the meeting closed and Walt, Orlan and myself were off to Ft. Stevenson. We launched out of the new ramp and headed east with only 2 hours of fishing before the all important steak fry in the park. First stop got us into a keeper walleye and “Best of the Year Sauger” by Walt. With no time to waste trying to get them to bite we made another move east and back into a bay for the 6-7 foot routine. RS-4’s in firetiger were hot again today but lure crazy fish get the credit for a bite this good. Just before 4pm the guys were down to the last beer and right on cue Walt put #15 in the boat. Orlan gets big fish of the day award. My thanks to Dennis and Irene, my Garrison area fish finder. If you need info, and who don’t, check in at the Garrison Motel and Dennis will spill the beans on how and where to fill the livewell. 5:23 – (on schedule to the minute) north on the lake road to the Garrison city park with 15 walleyes cleaned and packaged. I can smell the steaks from here. If high pressure continues expect the fantastic walleye bite to get even better. Get your priorities straight, forget what needs to be done and take advantage of this window of opportunity.

Garrison, ND

If you want it all and fish besides join me at 4 Bears. Food, lodging and marina set dead center in walleye country. I should mention the 2008 Walleye Cup held this Aug 2-3 out of 4 Bears. I have learned more fishing tournaments than I will learn in my lifetime from seminars! If you don’t sign up to win sign up to learn. To register call Ronda at 1-800-294-5454 Ext 7538 for an application.

Water is up 6 feet since the 1^st of June. This area was a mud flat on May 26^th of this spring. Here is the June 19^th view and here is the real June 19^th difference! With rising temps on a high pressure run of 4 days straight the fish just could not take it anymore. They had to bite. We blew out the dust on the equipment and gave them all we had.  Some days there is a magic depth and today’s magic depth was 6 to 7 feet. Shallower or deeper and we did not do as well. Fishing 6 to7 puts you on what was dry ground this spring and I think that may be the key for right now. With 6 lines out you can run a lot of different lures to see what works. Jointed 4’s ran at 70 and were hot early this morning. #4 Hornets were a consistent producer all day at 40 feet back. Rip Shads had a bad day which in my memory does not happen often so back to the box and out came the RS4’s at 28 back. I’m often asked which lures I would recommend so here is a sneak preview of my All Star Lineup which produced 3 easy limits of excellent sized walleyes. It’s not my fantastic fishing ability; the walleyes should be given the credit for a bite this hot. If you held a bare hook over the water walleyes would jump up and grab it today.

I had two repeat customers out today and they were all smiles until reeling fatigue set in this afternoon. Levi weighed in the two big fish of the day and Sarah came in a close second.  Put in for vacation, get the flue, go to a funeral whatever excuse you need just get up here before someone else catches them all.

Please, practice catch and release and remember 5 is the limit when it comes to walleyes.

Click picture - #'s are lower left

#'s are for east shore of Van Hook

Seminar Instructor
Advanced Shore Fishing

Daves-Van Hook Arm

Parshall Bay and Brendles Bay snuggle in next to each other on the NE corner of the Van Hook Arm. From furnished cabins to primitive camp sites they have everything you can possibly forget at home and desperately need at the lake. They even have boat rentals at Shell Creek Rentals. We launched at Parshall Bay with the docks underwater. Sometimes that can be a good thing. Water is coming up fast! Wind 16.1 out of the SW and water set at 55. We are actually losing ground on water temps! When is spring going to arrive? We messed around in the bay for 20 minutes and then headed south into the arm along the east shore. Down went the cranks into 12 and then into 9 and then into 7. Well that’s not working so out to 20 with Bombers and Little Ripper Deeps. First fish came on a Bomber 24a. I like to keep my rod very high and reel slow with fireline. A high rod will act as a shock absorber if it has a soft action. Especially important if the weather is rough. We were able to mark some walleyes in 20 feet but no more fish for us. I moved closer to Casey’s Flats and gave the 12 ft zone one more pull. By now the wind and rain was getting out of hand so we headed back to Parshall Bay in front of the ramps. I put down #5 jointed raps in Firetiger and bingo, our second and last walleye. More unrewarded effort and wind helped me call it good around 3. I will be back on the water Saturday in hopes of better fishing. With rising water keep a close eye on floating trees, logs and stuff that bangs the boat up. We saw plenty of it today. Be safe.

It is my opinion that the east shoreline from Parshall Bay to Shell Village is just a few good days of weather away.

Click picture - #'s are lower left

GPS #'s from in inside Beaver Bay

We launched out of Hazen Bay on windless morning with a flat calm lake at 50.4 degrees. Off to the flats NW of Hazen Bay for our first stop. I marked some fish but didn’t care for the red color. I like to see a bit of yellow in the marks. It seems they are a little bigger walleye. We caught our first fish, a 13 incher in 13 feet on a Firetiger Rip Shad. Back to the lake for a few more inches of growth and off to east Nishu  for a short pull in 16 feet. Mighty slow for us. We crossed over and tried the west shore of Beaver in 8 feet with Rip Shads and RS-4's for more of the same, nothing. Where the heck are these fish today. Over to the east mouth of Beaver and into 6-7 feet and our first keeper of the day on a Rip Shad Firetiger 25 feet back at 2 mph. More effort in the same place got us no reward so the brain kicked in and out came the jigs. We slipped inside Beaver Bay along the east shoreline to a magic looking point. First cast I missed a fish but it did sharpen my senses as I picked up 3 good walleyes in 9 feet and missed several bites. It shut off as fast as it began. My brain told me to go west and so we did. More missed bites on the jigs. Minnows coming back with just the head attached or skinned normally tells me the walleyes are off just a little. Out of frustration we switched to cranks and glad we did! First action was a double on Reef Runner Rip Shads in Firetiger and Wonderbread Red going a slow 1.8 in 10 feet. We made another pass and wouldn’t you know it, another fish in the exact same spot. Action was hot for a couple of passes but it didn't last long. We moved one last time to the fence on east Beaver and picked up our last walleye in 6 feet on a #5 Firetiger Shad Rap. We worked hard for 8 walleyes but when I smell them cooking I wont remember the work, just the fun. That’s the great thing about memories. They always seem to be better than life.

GPS #'s from in inside Beaver Bay

The kids wanted adventure, you know action, something exciting to do. I not opposed to excitement but it’s Sunday. My idea of adventure was mixed in the peaceful fog of dreams. My vote didn’t count so off to the local river. Nets for scooping up treasures in the water are grabbed on the way out the door. I got hold of a jigging rod. Sarah went on a search and rescue for lost bobbers. Jesse discovered some worms in a spring running into the river. I managed to hook a bullhead but it got off in the transfer of the pole to one of the kids. Before long we had a couple of bobber watchers show up and in no time at all, first fish. It takes some serious operating skill if you’re a catch and release bullhead fisherman. The excitement stirred up interest and soon my kids had found some broken line with hooks still attached and got it attached to a couple of cave man G-Loomis poles. We’ve done this before and I will admit to having as much fun as the little units when it comes to a fishing adventure. Even Bullhead adventures!

We got to New Town and drove into the New Town Marina and checked out the just poured ramp. It looks like a week and it is ready to go. Back in gear and across the bridge to Four Bears.  The strategy was to head south and later in the day move north if south didn’t produce. We stopped at the Grain Bins and made one pull with cranks with no results. We dug out the jigging rods and pitched shallow for a very respectable Smallmouth and some Whitebass. Next move was to Hunts Along. We settled in on the main point and pitched and tried vertical jigging. Nothing! Water temps are 55-56 and with stable weather, plus a light south wind I was expecting much more. Off to Diamond Head for a pass with the jigs. Where are these fish? Next move was across the lake to Reunion. A switch to cranks and up into 6-7 feet got us into a couple of Northerns but still no walleyes. It’s getting close to noon so we headed back to the Grain Bins and pitched up a few more Whitebass before making the move North. Antelope flats was first stop followed by yet another move to Outhouse point. The shoreline just begs walleyes to stop here. Next we slipped down to Wedding Dress. If nothing else this area is one of the more scenic areas in all of Sakakawea. Finally, I picked up a Sauger in 20 feet. Back across the lake and North of Antelope Flats is one of the most productive looking shorelines north of the bridge. You can get the GPS #s off of the pictures in the lower left. We got back to the ramp and met some guys coming back from down south. The worst part of a tuff day is knowing someone always finds the fish. They did! Reunion Bay in 18 feet. They fished and moved all day just as we did except right at the end of the day they got into the fish. Way to go guys! Nice fish too!

Nothing to report however I would give the river in the New Town Area some serious looking over as very good reports are coming out from that area.

After 6 days of extremely high winds I was at least relieved to be fishing in light winds no matter what the overnight low temp. We put the leadcore down again in 15 feet and in no time Tim had his first walleye of the day on a RS-4 - Glass Perch. I think we got up to 8 strikes and not a single hook up before making a change. Up came the lead and out goes the jigs. We drifted the same water with the same results. Zero. I decided to try the early pattern again and this time fish had changed their attitude. 6  walleyes and a few Whitebass came pretty fast and then it slowed down again. Winds had moved to the south by now and that normally signals a change in fishing. We made a move to Gull Island where we pulled fireline in 12-13 feet. Water temp was up to 54 with the south wind blowing into shore. The big plus was intermittent sunshine. First in several days! A move into 6 feet got John a husky walleye and in no time Bill was into another. Both fish came on RS-4’s –fireline 10-4 – 6 feet. Keep the area just west of the Gull Island ramp in mind this time of year as it never fails to produce some great catches. You don’t even have to start your big motor to get to the fishing.

2 walleyes
for
4 fishermen
UGH!!

Wow! 4 days of 30+ out of the east and now the rebound. 20+ mph out of the west with rain. Sounds like fishing. We were at the dock at 6am ready for action. Air temp is not going to get much higher than the water temp today, 54 degrees. First stop was a hump east of Fox in the Van Hook arm. Lot of boats showed up here later in the day. I started in shallow and moved around until it was obvious the shallow plan was not going to work. After beating my head against the wall I stopped to think. Now what is the major cold front strategy that has worked in the past? Out came the Bomber 24A’s into 15 feet and presto, first fish. As Jesse and I were talking about the cold front I explained that I only have two lures when fishing is this tuff. Bomber 24a’s and Shad Rap rs-4’s. I had no sooner put the first fish into the livewell and another plan was in the making. Out came the leadcore! 70 feet back at 1.7 to 1.8 seemed to be the sweet spot. RS-4’s all around with Firetiger being the best color.  We were marking plenty of walleyes but they were extremely tight to the bottom - normal for cold front fish. So what better than small and slow? It worked this time anyway as we quickly put two limits together. I will admit I felt a little lucky. While pulling the lead we found a new road I didn’t know was there but only got one of the fish from it. We are off to the cleaning station and then clean up and get the equipment ready for another day.

GPS location is on the humps just east of Fox Island in Van Hook Arm

Even if you never fish Sakakawea you will learn valuable info that will put more fish in the boat.

"Fishing Sakakawea"
with Greg Schoneck

Water temps are still being affected by overnight low temps. If it's a cold night water is in the bottom 40's. Warmer nights and I'm seeing upper 40's in mid-lake section. Winds were predicted for 15-25 and we had it all today out of the NW. We started the day pulling cranks in 6 and picked up a Northern. Made the switch to jigs and picked up a walleye. That was the way the day went. I would pitch jigs till my arms fell off and then crank a while. We did get our biggest fish on an RS-4 Firetiger in 12 feet. Our other 4 walleyes all came on jigs in 3-4 feet. I stayed inside Beaver Bay all day moving from one likely looking spot the the next. We hit something like 12-15 points. It turns out all but one fish came from the same location. Last season at this time Beaver was hot. I felt like I was a week early for the bite this year.

N 47-29-227
W 101-56-338

Camping in a tent should be reserved for those under 35. I happen to be well past that. The two boys, Levi and Jesse however consider camping an opportunity of a lifetime. I will admit to enjoying myself once the work of setting up camp was done. After a marshmallow roast we wormed into the sleeping bags. Morning was noisy with every bird on Earth trying to out do the other with their singing. Wind at 6.6 out of the NW and air temp at 42. We launched out on day two of the White Earth adventure. Water temp this morning is 49 and I headed to my favorite rocky point on the east side of the mouth of White Earth Bay. Nothing going again on jigs so I did the same switch as yesterday, cranks. First fish in was a 6.2 lb walleye followed by a 24 inch male caught by Levi. Levi also managed to wrestle a sizeable Northern into the boat. Same pattern as yesterday. 7 feet down on RS-4's  at 1.8 mph. With lower water we spotted several old stone and cement foundations along shore. One of these pioneer homes turned out to be our GPS Hot Spot shown in the left column. Wind stayed down all day for a picture perfect day.

N 48-06-380
W 102-42-798

Several old foundations
in the White Earth Bay area

Shoreline both east and west

Pumphouse Area
N 48-04 289
W 103-43-082