To
make reservations please call us at 701-662-5996
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| Tim Schrack from Bellvue, Nebraska with a pair of dandy walleyes | Not to be outdone Tom Schrack from Valley, Nebraska shows of his pair of beautiful walleyes |
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| The Schrack brothers from Nebraska again. | Schrack brothers from Nebraska - Day 2 another limit of walleyes. |
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| Tim Wimer from Granite City, Missouri caught the biggest walleye of his life and is going to put her on the wall. 9 pounder | Tim just wanted to show you again! |
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| Shelly Samoaton from Jackson, Wyoming with a nice pair of walleye | Greg Friegon from Montana with a Whopper. This northern pike weighed over 10 pounds! |
Tuesday, June 23 2009
The bite is on! What an incredible week of fishing! The fishing on Devils Lake so far this season is steadily turning into one of the best seasons we have ever seen. This statement says a lot because we have seen some dandy seasons. The walleye fishing is solid for both numbers and size. Not many lakes around the country where you are throwing back 14 to 15 inch walleyes.
This past week we are still enjoying a shallow water walleye bite. On the days we have some wind or some what of a walleye chop we are pitching crank baits on wind swept shorelines on either weed line edges or around flooded timber. We have found that stained water or blooming algae is best. We are still casting number 5 shad raps, countdowns, and salmo hornets in the 1 to 6 foot range and for spots that are deeper along weed lines we have had great success pitching Rapala jointed number 4's and 5's. 3/8 oz Mimic Minnows are very tough to beat as well. The plastics seem to still work best in dead calm conditions.
The slip bobber bite is still booming as well. Some of our guides are complaining about going through a pound of leeches in a single day, so I know things are going well. We have still been very successful slip bobbering along shorelines and we have also been doing very well in the flooded timber in 8 to 10 feet of water. The fish seem to be more schooled up this week as we have a hard time keeping 4 bobbers in the water at times and then we get a well deserved 15 minute lull and then they are back again. So they do seem to come and go.
The northern pike fishing and white bass fishing is also very good. We do seem to catch as many as we want when we are targeting walleyes. If you target either species specifically you can have some pretty phenomenal action.
Fishing from shore is also very good along the highways that border Devils Lake. Early morning hours and evening hours are by far the best.
It is fun to write reports when all you have to do is talk about good news. Mitchell's Guide Service is very busy these days and we are all enjoying guiding our customers on some of the best open water fishing in the country. If you are at all considering a trip to Devils Lake this summer, please give us a call and we will do our best to help you experience it.
Good Luck Fishing Everybody.
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Tuesday, June 16 2009
This past week has been a week of change for those fishing on Devils Lake. (1) Summer is finally here! The temperature has been mostly in the 70 degree range and we did hit 80 degrees for a day or two and it has given us some warmer water to deal with. The surface temperatures are now mostly in the 60 degree range with some shallow water bay temps hitting as high as 68 degrees. (2) We have experienced a major bug hatch. The may flies or sand flies have hatched and if the wind is not blowing they can be a major nuisance. Not to mention it provides an extra food source for the fish. (3) The wind quit blowing for about four days. This made fishing very challenging and forced us to find new fish in deeper water and also forced us to spend most of our time either slip bobbering or lindy rigging with leaches and vertical jigging on top of structure. (4) Because of the calm conditions the shallow water became extremely clear. This seems to me a bad deal for fishing shallow water especially for casting crank baits. (5) The weed beds are growing daily. All the ingredients - clear water and warmer water temps have been just right for healthy weed growth in the shallow water. (6) The past 2 days the wind began to blow and it clouded up the shallow water and made for excellent fishing casting crank baits.
The life of a fishing guide. Imagine how fun it is to try and continue to catch fish with all these changes going on in 1 week's time. We did struggle some what during the calm conditions early in the week but we were able to still limit out most of our customers but it was extremely slow and a long time would pass between bites. From the middle to the end of the week the fishing drastically improved especially when the wind started to blow. We are still catching fish on slip bobbers with red hooks and leeches along shorelines but we did move out deeper to the 10 to 13 foot range. We are also still catching a lot of fish pitching crank baits and mimic minnows on windy shorelines. All in all it turned out to be a pretty good week of fishing despite all the biological changes that occurred. Again the team work executed by the Mitchell's Guide Service Team of guides pulled us through some tough fishing conditions.
We are very proud to announce that Merle Nelson of Mitchell's Guide Service won the Spirit Lake Casino Cup over the weekend. This was a two day tournament with over 100 teams rounding out the competition. Each Team could way 5 walleyes per day. Merle brought in a two day limit of 10 walleye weighing over 57 pounds! Way to go Merle! Don't spend all that money in one place!
Good luck fishing this week
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| Jacob Springer from Fargo, ND | Karl, Dan, and Jacob Springer from Fargo, ND nice limit |
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| Chris and Dave Bucholz from Anoka, MN. | Greg, Willis, and Joel Carver from Iowa nice limit of walleye |
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Greg Orth and his son from Byron, MN bagged a nice limit of walleye |
Mark Hornbuckle, Jim Hannon, and Jeff Hintze from Danport, hold up some nice walleyes |
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Kyle and Bryce Hodgeman and Dean Dudeock "Team Wisconsin" with a nice limit of walleyes and some very nice northern Pike. |
Kyle Hodgeman from Wisconsin caught a 7lb 8 oz walleye |
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| Mike Miznanskey from Palos, Illinois | Steve Lueth from Charles, Iowa |
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Joe Burgert, Steve Lueth, and Mike Roetz from Charles, Iowa limited out on walleye and caught some nice northern pike as well |
Karen Steggall from Fairbanks, Iowa makes her Dad Darell Steggall proud |
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Karen and Darrel Steggal from Fairbanks, Iowa caught their limit of walleye on slip bobbers |
Matt Bowers, Shelley Simoaton, and Wes Bowers from Sioux City, Iowa and Jackson, Wyoming caught a nice limit pitching crank baits. |
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Rick and Jay Gillman from Omaha, Nebraska caught a limit of nice walleye and some pike too |
Jay Gillman from Omaha, Nebraska with a nice northern pike! |
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James and Cynthia Onjack from Sharonville, Indiana and Mike Munskey from Illinois had a great day as the trio limited out on walleye and caught some big northerns. |
Jerry and Art Dohms from Missouri and Bertha, MN hold up some nice walleye |
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| Kurt Gallagher from Kahoka, Missouri | Lyndsey Mueller from St. Paul, Missouri |
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| Jim Russell and Bart Pierce from Springfield, Missouri and Indiana hold up some dandys |
Tuesday, June 9 2009
There are three things in life that are most enjoyable to watch. The flames of a camp fire at night, a zamboni cleaning the ice between periods of a hockey game, and a bobber sinking below the surface of the water. This past week Mitchell's Guide Service has watched a lot of bobbers sink. This past weekend, Devils Lake was hit with a major cold front and so far our temperatures have had a hard time reaching 50 degrees ever since. This did have a major impact on our fishing for a couple of days.
All the spectacular fishing we enjoyed pitching crank baits in our last fishing report came to a screeching halt. After casting our arms off pitching crank baits we did find success pitching Northland Tackle's Mimic Minnows with a slower retrieve. The action of the paddle tail swimming through the shallows was too inviting for a lot of nice walleyes to resist no matter how big of cold front we were dealing with.
The slip bobber with leaches in any where from 2 feet to 10 feet of water has also been producing a lot of nice walleyes for us recently. We have learned some valuable lessons this past week. Instead of focusing on one particular depth and continually moving trying to find new spots, we began to experiment with the different depths at the current spots we had been successful at in the past. This paid off big time! Once we found the magic depth we found ourselves tripping over one another scrambling for the net. The action was hot and heavy. Once we found the depth where active walleyes were feeding we would go from having one or two in the live well to ten or eleven in just a matter of 10 to 15 minutes. Then it would get quiet again and we would have to go back to moving the stopper not and continually trying new depths until we found them again.
Major cold fronts such as the one we have just experienced this past week, often make fishing very difficult especially walleye fishing. But this is where the team work approach of Mitchell's Guide Service really shined. The constant communication amongst the guide staff and each guide trying something new or different until discovering a pattern or method that worked, and sharing it with one another is what made us successful this past week. The white bass fishing from boat and shore remained incredible and so did the northern pike fishing.
The forecast does look better coming up. It is supposed to reach 80 degrees by this weekend. These warm temperatures and sunshine will again warm up the shallows and should ignite the bite all over the lake.
Good Luck Fishing!
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| Doug Poole from Treynor, Iowa with a nice walleye | Jason Woods from Ankemy, Iowa shows us his |
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| Day 1 of Team Iowa limited out on walleye | Day 2 of Team Iowa as they limit out again |
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| Cory Woods from Treynor, Iowa holds up a beauty. | Greg and Brian Williams from Iowa limited out. |
Tuesday, June 2 2009
Call in sick, lie to the wife, or bring her along! Do what ever it takes to get to Devils Lake and fish with Mitchell's Guide Service right now. What an incredible week of fishing! Walleyes, Northern Pike, White Bass take your pick, it's all happining on Devils Lake right now. Some of our guides are religiously slip bobbering the shallows and some of our other guides are religiously pitching crank baits. Both methods have been extremely successful this past week. The common denominator for success is shallow water back bays and follow the windy shorelines.
Slip bobbering with leaches placed 6 inches to 1 foot off the bottom in 5 to 8 feet of water along windward shorelines has been trick for bobber fishing. As far as casting crank baits, we are still pitching #5 Shad Raps and Countdowns and the No. 5 Salmo Hornets and #8F. Some of the hot colors have been bleak, fire tiger, perch, Chrome and blue with orange belly, bleeding hot olive, and hot mustard and fire minnow. Plastics have been working as well but the guys haven't needed to use them this week the way the fish have been biting so aggressively.
The water temperatures are on the rise as well. The main parts of the lake are mostly 52 to 54 degrees with the back bays in that 58 to 60 degree range. This is why we are spending so much time in the back bays because the water is sometimes as much as 6 degrees warmer.
Bruce Bonzer of Mitchell's Guide Service guided In-Fisherman Television with host Doug Stange as they shot a white bass segment. They really pounded them too. The white bass have not yet spawned but Bruce tells us they sure are schooled up and feeding heavily. Sounds like a lot of fun!
If you have ever wanted to fish Devils Lake now is the time to take advantage of this shallow water bite. You would be challenged to find another lake on the continent that is producing like Devils Lake is right now for both numbers and size. The Mitchell's Guide Service Team of Guides is ready to show you what it's all about. Gather up you family, friends, co-workers, who ever you can find, you won't be disappointed. We would love to have you!
Good luck fishing!
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| Steve Sanders from Jackson, Wyoming | Greg Toller from Louisburg, Kansas |
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| Day 1 with Roy Meyer from Winona, MN and Brian Konrad from Woodbury, Minnesota | Day 2 with Roy Meyer and Brian Konrad |
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| Jim Richards from Okemos, Michigan holds up a dandy Walleye | Team Michigan - Jim Richards from Fowlerville and his son Jim Richards from Okemos got these walleyes pitching crank baits |
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| Why not Minot? Shannon, Elaine, Spencer, and Parker Polsfut from Minot, North Dakota caught these dandys slip bobbering the shallows on day 1 | Day 2 - Spencer and Parker Polsfut from Minot, ND stand at attention behind another pile of walleyes and a couple of nice northern pike. |
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| Team Kansas - Greg Toller and Steve Sanders had a big day 1 pitching crankbaits. | James Sikorski from Atlanta, Georgia is all smiles after landing a dandy walleye |
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| Jim Sikorski from Atlanta, Georgia and his Dad John Sikorski from Suncity, Arizon limited out on Walleye |
Tuesday, May 25 2009
Fishing on Devils Lake with Mitchell's Guide Service is red hot! This past week things have drastically improved despite some tough weather conditions. Last Monday and Tuesday we had to cancel due to high winds and rain but things began to improve on Wednesday. Pitching crank baits in shallow water on windy shorelines has really been a lot of fun and the fish we are catching have been unbelievable. Things are slow in the mornings but once the sun has heated up the shallow water, the afternoons have been very good. Some of our guides have been doing well slip bobbering the shallows as well but patience levels will be tested at times.
Some of lures we are using and have had the greatest success on so far have been the Salmo Perch No. 8F, the no. 5 shadraps and Countdowns, and we have caught a lot of beautiful walleyes on Mimic Minnows made by Northland Tackle. Yes, you read it right, plastics! The action and flutter of the paddle tails on these baits are unreal. They are heavy enough to cast a country mile and when reeled in at a slow and steady retrieve, hang on!
The water temperatures in the mornings are for the most part above 50 degrees and in the afternoons we have found spots to be as high as 58 degrees. Flooded back bays have warmer water than the shallows on the big lake so don't be afraid to explore a little. There are so many new areas to learn due to all the flooding, everyday is almost a Lewis and Clark expedition.
It is not too late to book a trip with Mitchell's Guide Service. Things have really cranked up for us now and we have an extremely busy schedule ahead of us but we do have some room on certain dates that we can take your party fishing with us. Take advantage of this shallow water bite while it lasts, it doesn't get much more fun than feeling that explosion of a 20 inch walleye hitting a crank bait. We are a team of guides that work together and are in constant communication through out the day sharing fishing information all to benefit you! So you can experience the hottest action Devils Lake has to offer. We would love to have you.
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| Steve and Davis Hannibal from Omaha, Nebraska had a great day on some nice northerns and beautiful walleyes |
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| Steve and Davis Hannibal from Omaha, Nebraska also had a great day 2 | Steve and Davis Hannibal show off the results of slip bobbering the shallows |
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| Gary Zeaske from Milwaukee, WI with a beautiful walleye | Mary Jo Zeaske also from Milwaukee, WI caught a nice one as well. |
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| Gary and Mary Jo had a great day 2 pitching cranks | Andrew Steidi, Tory Gareshik, and Benji Thomas from Mandan, West Fargo, and Fargo, ND limited out! |
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| The Three Amigos show off some nice fish! | Tory Gareshik from West Fargo , ND hold up a dandy. |
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| Greg Palashelski and Greg Hess from Clear Lake and Cold Spring, Minnesota with some nice ones | Greg and Greg limited out on both walleyes and northerns two days in a row pitching crank baits. |
Tuesday, May 18 2009
Is summer ever going to get here? We get hints of it every so often but this is getting ridiculous. Fishing on Devils Lake remains very good despite recent cold fronts. This past week it has been all about the water temperature. The mornings have been very difficult to catch fish as the water temps seem to hang around that 47 to 48 degree temp. But by noon, providing the sun is out, water temperature seem to break the 50 degree mark and then look out. It is amazing how one or two degrees can turn a bad day into a great day.
Earlier in the week we were catching most of our fish on slip bobbers with leeches and minnows on the shorelines and shallow on the edges of flooded trees. But over the weekend the crank bait bite really turned on. Pitching no. 5 shad raps and countdowns on windward shorelines boated some dandy walleyes and northern pike as well. We haven't found any big schools yet, we are mainly catching one here and one there. But working shorelines along flooded cattails and rocks proved to be successful. Jigging on the edged of current by some of the bridges on the main lake has also been effective as well. We have also heard many reports of shore fisherman still doing well on Mauvis Coulee but Channel A seems to have slowed up a bit.
Most of our fishing this week has been from the boats. With the water levels on Devils Lake higher than ever, it is a whole new lake to learn and explore. There does seem to be quite a few floating logs and trees out there so if you are venturing out on your own we want to warn you to keep on the look out for them.
If you are planning a summer vacation to fish on Devils Lake this summer, we would like to invite you to fish with Mitchell's Guide Service. We are one of Devils Lake's largest and longest running guide services and are by far the most experienced. We all run 18 to 21 foot boats that are not only safe but are a pleasure to fish out of. We provide all the equipment, bait, and gas and we know how to catch fish and entertain clients. You will learn seasonal fish movements and the different methods we use to find and catch fish on Devils Lake. Every guide on our staff loves to fish and has a passion for teaching others how to catch fish. We would love the opportunity to take your party fishing. No group is too big or small.
Good Luck Fishing Everybody!
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| James Ramsey and his Dad, Goerge Ramsey (not pictured) from Williston, ND caught their limit of beautiful walleyes slip bobbering the shallows with Zippy Dahl on 5/14/09. | James and Janet Robinson from Barnum, Minnesota caught a nice mess of walleyes and quite a few northerns pitching crank baits with Zippy Dahl on 5/16/09. |
Monday, May 11 2009
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| Dennis Winskowski and Paul Thorwaldsen, of Detroit Lakes MN caught a dandy limit of walleyes with Jason Mitchell last Friday. They also released some 5 to 8 pound fish that were still full of eggs. Way to go guys! |
Mitchell's Guide Service is in full swing as some of the very first customers of the season showed up this past week and some beautiful walleyes were caught from shore. The overall fishing was slow due to some pretty unseasonable cold temperatures. In fact, last Saturday we stared at bobbers through snow flakes most of the day.
Because of these cold temperatures and the cold water temperatures we are still spending most of our time fishing the currents. Channel A and the Mauvis Coulee are still producing most of the best fishing and some of the bridges on the main lake are producing some nice fish as well. Some fish have spawned, some fish are spanning, and some fish have yet to spawn. We did fish from the boats on Friday and the water temperature was only 44 degrees most places. So it is easy to see why the spawn has been slowed up a bit. Sunday and today were beautiful with temperatures reaching the high 60's and the forecast looks pretty decent as well. This will eventually warm the shallow water up and eventually coax these fish into more of a shallow shoreline bite.
We are still catching most of our fish by slip bobbering and pitching jigs from shore and a slow jigging presentation from the boats. Casting lindy rigs with a slow retrieve is productive as well. Most fish are coming on leeches and minnows and some spots it is hard to beat a twister tails on jigs with no live bait at all. Each spot seems to have their own unique methods and presentations depending on how strong the current is and how snaggy the bottom is.
We are very excited to see warm temperatures in the forecast. It will be great to get back in the boats and start exploring these newly flooded areas that the rising waters of Devils Lake have recently created. We will do what ever it takes to catch fish and this past week, shore fishing was not only more effective but with the cold temperatures it is pretty nice to be able to slip into the vehicle once and a while to warm yourself up again.
Good luck fishing everybody!
GAME ON!!!
Friday, May 1 2009
In the last ten days, the ice on Devils Lake has nearly disappeared. There is still some ice floating around on the main lake and parts of east bay but we are very near ice out at this time. There is still a tremendous amount of water coming into Devils Lake via Channel A and the Mauvis Coulee and this past week the all time high water elevation in recorded history for Devils Lake was broken and it continues to be break a new record every day. There are numerous roads that are closed, culverts washed out, brides that are flooded, and even the gates on channel A washed out a couple of days ago.
The fishing continues to be very good especially from shore along the Mauvis Coulee and Channel A. We have had numerous reports of the walleye success being very good but the pike have slowed up a bit. Some say that the northerns are busy spawning now and not very interested in eating. The key to success for most anglers fishing from shore has been mobility. In other words, trying spots here and there along the channels and coulees and keep moving until you start to catch fish. Persistence is the key to success, in other words don't give up. Pitching jigs with twister tails or with a live minnow, with a very slow retrieve seems to be the best presentation. Slip bobbers out of the current have been working very good as well. We would like to remind all anglers to release those big females and that it is illegal to keep a fish that is hooked behind the gill plate as this is considered a snagged fish.
The forecast looks very good coming up and as I write this report the sun is shinning, the birds are singing and you really get the feeling spring has sprung. Our seasonal campground residents have been busy working on their campers, raking lawn, and preparing their favorite summer retreat for another busy summer. All of our guides are getting there boats ready, spooling new line on their reels, and getting rigged up. Our first customers of the open water season check in at Woodland this coming week and Mitchell's Guide Service will be in full swing. We do still have plenty of room in May but if you are planning a June trip, the dates are filling fast, so you might want to make your reservations as soon as possible.
Good luck fishing!
Monday April 20, 2009
Welcome to the first fishing report for the 2009 open water season. Devils Lake she is a changing! With nearly 13 inches of rain from last fall and very heavy snow fall this past winter, Devils Lake is on the rise. We are expected to shatter the all time high water mark set 3 to 4 years ago and this would mean an additional rise of 3 to 4 feet of elevation. This would be the highest recorded elevation Devils Lake has ever seen.
What does all this mean? All we can do is remember the high water years of the 1990s and all the spectacular fishing that accompanied it. With all the currents flowing into many different parts of Devils Lake the northern pike and walleye fishing should be nothing short of spectacular. These newly flooded areas not only produce excellent spawning opportunities for all the species of fish but the flooded grasses provide insects and bloodworms that Devils Lake fish crave. There will be new back bays to discover and explore and these areas often produce some incredible fishing.
As for current conditions on Devils Lake, most of the lake is still ice covered except where the heavy currents are coming into the lake. Both Channel A coming into the north end of six mile bay and the Mauvis Coulee flowing into Pelican Lake are wide open and have some serious current. These two areas and highway bridges are producing the most shore fishing opportunities and the northern pike fishing and walleye fishing has been fairly decent so far, but will continue to improve as the temperature rises. We would like to remind all fishermen to be careful along these high current areas and remember to be prudent and release those 4 to 8 pound fish. These fish are in these areas for a reason to spawn and produce more fish fish for us to enjoy in the future.
With spring here and the summer right around the corner, the reservations for Woodland Resort and Mitchell's Guide Service are in full swing. Now is the perfect time to plan that summer vacation and make plans to explore these new waters on Devils Lake. We experienced a great winter of walleye fishing and the past 3 open water seasons on Devils Lake have been incredible. You will not find better fishing than Devils Lake will offer this summer and we are very excited to be your headquarters for what should be an outstanding season. Whether you are looking for lodging, a guide, a rental boat, pontoon, campsite or just a scoop of minnows, we have have everything you will need right here at Woodland Resort, Devils Lake's only on the water full service resort.
Good Luck Fishing Everybody.
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| Shore fishing on the rip rap below the highway bridges are starting to heat up! | Fishing from shore or by boat are equally productive right now. |
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| Channel A is wide open and ready to fish! | Flooded bridges that cross Mauvis Coulee |
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| Another flooded bridge that used to cross Mauvis Coulee. | Yet another flooded bridge that used to cross the Mauvis Coulee. We have never seen these bridges flood before. |
April 16, 2009
Channel A is open and running like the Colorado river! It just opened and pike are being caught. Lots of other coulees and creeks open and moving lots of water. Pike should be crazy soon with Walleye right behind them. More info to follow.
Kyle
Woodland Resort
March 20, 2009
Spring is here and ice anglers are enjoying the tail end of the season. Warmer temps have made access much better. Getting around the lake has improved considerably. We have just began the thaw, so ice conditions are still excellent. Access points are collecting water, but remain safe. Warmer forecast for the next 3 days will degrade access points, but we should remain vehicle friendly for the next week. Conditions can change rapidly, so always use extreme caution this time of the year.
Fishing has been better. Anglers are reporting fair catches in East bay, Creel bay at Military point, and the North end of Sixmile bay. Keep an eye on the Sixmile bay area. This can be a very good location at this time of the year. Lake Irvine is producing excellent pike fishing and good walleye fishing.
Enjoy the weather and remember the sun screen!
Kyle
Woodland Resort
Perch Patrol Guide Service
Latest Fishing Report 3/19/09
Saved by the bell! After a pretty darn slow week of fishing on Devils Lake, I was not looking forward to writing this fishing report. But today...well today was just awesome! We had numerous groups experience some pretty good walleye fishing and northern pike as well. Not everybody limited out but some did and the ones that didn't came pretty close to it. They caught some absolutely beautiful walleyes and some trophy's were released as well.
The perch action has been pretty disappointing ever since the last storm. Why? We have no idea, the weather has been absolutely beautiful with bright sun and as stable as can be. We mark a lot of fish in that 38 to 45 foot depths but getting them to bite has been a huge challenge.
The ice conditions are still very good and we still have plenty of snow covering it but the trails and accesses are definitely taking a beating. We are using extensions on our augers now and probably will continue to use them until all the snow is gone.
The weather forecast sounds a bit interesting, as we are supposed to get up to 50 degrees by the weekend and some rain next Sunday into Monday so, that may create some new challenges for our accesses on the lake. Stay tuned.
Our last scheduled clients are on March 29th and we have decided to call that our last day for guiding for the Perch Patrol for this season. We have had quite a run as we are approaching 100 consecutive days of guiding clients. It is a tough sell to get our guides to climb back on those ATV's after going through such a busy season. If you are still thinking about a last minute trip we don't have a lot of room but there is a few scattered openings between March 22 - 29th.
Good luck fishing!
Steve "Zippy" Dahl
Perch Patrol Guide Service
Reprinted by permission of KFAN RADIO. www.kfan.com
It May Be Devils Lake
but Really It's Closer to Heaven's Pond!
Wednesday 02-18-2009 11:19am CT
It started as just another Fan Outdoors remote broadcast but turned
out to be an indelible memory I can’t wait to make again!
The location was to be Devils Lake, North Dakota. I had heard about
the lake and of course the Perch Patrol and have actually talked
on the phone to Zippy Dahl with fishing reports in past years but
had absolutely no idea how unique that experience and the whole
Devils Lake area would be in person. Earlier we talked with Sue
Johnsrud, Devils Lake Tourism Director setting up the trip details
& a guide for a day on the lake. She also asked if we’d
like a guide for day 2. Thinking that I’m not a stranger to
fishing and with a day being led to fish we’d be fine on our
own days 2 & 3. Well, now in hindsight I couldn’t have
been more WRONG!
But let’s back up a bit and pick it up as we drove into town
for the first time. It was a welcome sight after miles of flatland
fields and icy roads left from the rains a couple days before. The
local Wall Mart was the visual key to finding the Tourism office.
Here we learned a lot about this small town, its’ past, some
future activities and about the history attached to the fall and
rise of Devils Lake itself. The lake, which was practically dry
at one point started out as about 43,000 acres and now 140,000 large
and predicted to rise another 5 feet this year. The town and some
surrounding areas are protected by a 20’+ dike holding the
waters back from the town. Other homes, farms and lands weren’t
so lucky. They are now lake bottom ornaments, well fish structure
I guess. Wow!
Next stop Woodland Resort to meet Kyle & Karen Blanchfield,
the owners. Three foot blower cut snow banks lined the road with
single digit temps engulfing us from truck to office door. Welcoming
warm smiles from Kyle & Karen, some tackle I’d never seen
along with the usual stuff, pictures of lucky anglers holding huge
walleyes, pike and giant perch were part of a first impression.
We’d made it! Kyle said we’d be fishing with “Zippy”
and that he’d be off the lake in a bit. I wondered about the
name, kinda funny. He must be just a little high strung guy. We
set up the radio stuff and Karen was struggling with a Hallmark
computer virus. Steve, my friend and fishing buddy jumped right
in to help since he’s an IT guy in real life. Soon the door
opened, some anglers had come off the lake. “Limits of walleyes
for all” they announced along with a few perch! A really big
Kent Hrbek type of guy wearing a big smile in red cold weather bibs
followed. Kyle introduced me to Zippy Dahl. A little guy? WRONG
again I thought and smiled to myself! The Thursday Fan Outdoors
broadcast included John Campbell, President of the Devils Lake Chamber
of Commerce, Kyle and Zippy. It was just really fun. We laughed
and again I learned a lot. (Hear it again at Fan on Demand)
After closing the bar that night with Kyle & Zippy morning came
fast. With a great breakfast in the resort restaurant Zippy announced
it was “time to head out” at 7. Jeff, with 4 anglers
also was to be his wing man that day. A “wing man?”
Well soon I’d see in person the importance of a wing man and
Saturday I’d be looking for my own.
A short drive later we got to the lake and headed out. It was like
a moonscape. Bright snow white surface drifts with highs and lows
but rough, like driving across a plowing. A ¾ ton red Chevy
Crew Cab with 2 Clam houses, 1 in back and 1 on a rack, rocking
and rolling, pitching and jerking with Zippy at the wheel in total
command of it all. He said he’d be aiming for the low spots.
Wondering again what the… Suddenly we dropped about 2 feet
down, into slush and stuck tight. Enter the “Wing Man!”
Jeff worked his way around front hooked on a tow strap and backed
away. We popped out like a cork. Now I understood the caked ice
on the front of Jason Mitchells’ Snow Bear. Jason’s
also part of Zippy’s Perch Patrol team. Turns out the low
spots are usually solid with the highs hiding water pockets filled
by the recent warm weather melt now past and below zero again.
Truck stopped and we were at our first spot. Zippy grabbed his auger
and drilled 4 holes. Two each. Electronics, minnow buckets &
rods handed out along with some instruction on the electronics,
heater fired up and flap zippered shut. We were fishin’! It
didn’t take long for me to watch that red line come onto the
flasher, come up to my bait and BANG—I missed him! Cursing,
back down went the spoon ‘n minnow head. It wasn’t long
for another to come by—got him. Bout 2 pounds and in the bucket.
Number one of my 5 fish limit. Zippy spent time in the Chevy drivers
seat. GPS mounted under the rear view mirror and flasher on the
dash to the left of the wheel. Door open, truck idling he fished
alongside the truck. Moving and looking for fish constantly. About
40 minutes later he said “time to move!” One of about
15 times that day. Being on the ice every day these guys have got
a pretty good idea where and when to pack up.
Just before the sun set below the horizon Zippy, still looking for
fish hollered “Billy they’re here!” Two holes
punched with Steve & I making one last move to Zip. He said
“pound it on the bottom a couple times & bring it up!”
Sure enough bang—fish! Zippy too but this one was a trophy.
We guessed 11+ pounds. A couple pics later and back into the water
squeezing through that 8” hole. A fitting ending to an absolutely
wonderful day!
The next day Steve & I headed out on our own. I promptly got
stuck but with the help of Aaron McQuoid, another area guide we
got free. Another fun day but no fish! So my recommendation to you—fish
with Zippy Dahl, his buddy Jeff, Jason Michell or Aaron McQuoid.
They keep you on fish and block the “wood ticks” too
but that’s another story. With no exception Woodland Resort
is 1st Class along with Kyle & Karen and everyone else. The
food is fabulous and the town of Devils Lake absolutely charming!
So if you haven’t been to Devils Lake, ND don’t wait
another day! It’s fabulous and I can’t wait for a return
trip! Rumor has it they’ve got some pretty good waterfowling
there too.
At least that’s how I see it! See for yourself
Capt’n
February 18, 2009
Tis the season to be stuck in a rut...... fishing here in our part of the lake has been challenging this past week. Creel bay and parts of the big lake that we cover has been pretty slow. Anglers are catching some decent walleye and some perch, but fishing in our area has been overall tough. Some places folks are reporting lots of fish on the camera and locators, but not many cooperative fish. The best bite has been in the eastern part of the lake. East bay and Black tiger bay have been really good. Nice walleye and some of the best perch of the year. The good news is last week we had a major warm up and about a 1/2 inch of rain. This shrunk the snow considerably and getting around the ice has improved to the point where anglers can get off the trails and hunt for fish. Cold temps refroze most slush area and trails. We now have about 28 to 30" of good ice.
The clients with the Perch Patrol guide service have enjoyed some amazing walleye and perch fishing.
Typically from here to ice out can be some of the best fishing of the winter season. My guess is we will see a better bite soon. Keep an eye on later February and March. With a little luck we should have a great late ice season.
Kyle
Woodland Resort
January 27, 2009
Welcome tournament anglers to the annual Devils Lake Volunteer Firemen's Ice Fishing Tournament! Tournament date is this Saturday January 31st. All tickets are sold and weather is looking good. Fishing last week was slower and we struggled with our fish houses. Guides and some of our do-it-yourself anglers did well on walleye. The fish gods helped us out on Sunday with one of our best days of the season in our house rentals, and yesterday was also good. Nice walleye and some of the best perch we have seen to date. Looks like we may have turned the corner to better fishing! Our best locations are in Creel bay in deeper water. Rocky Point, Military Point, deep water off the Dome house, and Camp Grafton shoreline produced well over the last few days. My guess with thousands of anglers coming to Devils Lake this weekend we will see more locations fire up with folks working more water. Trails are being plowed and maintained in our bay by our trucks, and the Chamber is working hard with trail bosses to keep good roads in other parts of the lake. Please check with the Chamber at their website (www.devilslakend.com) for trail updates or call us for the latest in trail and fishing info. We still have some excellent dates open this winter. Give us a call at 701-662-5996 and we will assist you in planning your next fishing outing on Devils Lake. Also, It's never too early to plan for this summer!
Kyle, Woodland Resort
1-25-09 Nice fish from a Woodland's fish house. Chad Ostby
and crew.
January 13, 2009
Winter fishing is in full swing and we've been really busy with ice fishing guests. We had a pretty good week with good catches from last weekend to late week. Walleye and pike fishing was good in our houses. Our guided anglers enjoyed some excellent walleye and pike fishing with the Perch Patrol guide crew. Finding some nice perch in deep water and even some huge white bass in deep Creel bay. We hit a speed bump over the weekend with slower fishing. Anglers were marking lots of fish, but the bite was really tough. Ice conditions continue to improve with 20 to 22 inches of ice. The biggest challenge is snow depths. We are plowing quite a few miles of trails on Creel bay and the Devils Lake Chamber has started the lake access system. Contractors are now plowing the Towers area, Casino area, and 3 locations on East Bay. 4X4 trucks are able to get around in places, but off trail driving is not easy . Please contact us at 701-662-5996 or the DL Chamber at 701-662-4903 or go to their website at www.devilslakend.com for up-to-date ice road info. Slush, or water under the snow, is a problem in a few locations, but not widespread and not a major issue. We have invested in new truck that will allow us to move fish houses anywhere we need to be. This along with our big plow truck and pick up plow trucks will keep us mobile and able to serve our customers. Give is a call if we can help you with a winter fishing trip today at 701-662-5996.
Here's our new truck with Mattracks. Unstoppable in snow!
December 31, 2008
Happy new year to all, here's to a great 2009 with lots of tight lines! Anglers are taking to the ice and finally covering some ice. Walleye anglers are reporting lots of fish, some are too small to keep, and lots are nice eaters with an occasional bragger. Perch fishing is slower with some anglers reporting a few here and a few there. Lots of folks reporting seeing them on the cameras and lot of marks on the fish locators. Pike fishing remains good and spear fishing has been fair to good. A major problem is the relentless changes in weather. We now have over 30" of snow and it seems like we get a new blast every other day. Snow depths vary on the ice and most anglers are getting around to most places yet. We are now plowing and have good roads on Creel bay. Ice conditions are good with most of the places we are drilling having at least 15" of ice. Fishing will improve with a little stable weather. Good luck to all!!
Kyle
Woodland Resort
12-29-08
Nice one caught in a Woodland house
December 19, 2008
Ice is growing and the fish are biting! Recent cold temps have blessed us with up to 14" of good ice on Creel bay in front of the resort. We now have fish houses on Beer can island, Walford's bay, and in front of the country club. Our anglers caught some beautiful walleye on our walleye houses and the pike anglers are slamming pike in our Pike houses. Spear fishing has been great and water clairity has improved. Not much for perch reports yet, but with recent storms and cold temps anglers have yet to be real mobile. We should be in excellent shape for the holidays. As ice grows we will continue to place our larger fish houses. Bait shop is well stocked and ready to go. Good dates are still open for winter, so give us a call and we will help you plan your next fishing trip.
Kyle
Woodland Resort
12-17-08
Walleye from our fish house rental
Latest Ice Fishing Report 12/15/08
BRRR!!! She's cold outside! We are making lots of ice and the even better news is the first Alberta Clipper that swept through our area came and went and forgot to dump much snow. The lake currently has patches of snow and ice so this is perfect ice making conditions.
There is not a lot of anglers that have been out with the obvious snow storm that happened over this past weekend but the fishing before this storm produced some very encouraging results. Lots of good reports on all species of fish being caught.
The best perch fishing has been in 24 to 36 feet of water on the old shorelines just outside the trees. There is also some good reports of perch in shallow water in the flooded timber. Minnow heads and maggots tipped on a gold Genz worm or the small forage minnow spoons, and halis are still working very good as well.
Walleye fishing has been very good especially on some flooded points, humps and sunken islands. Rapala Rap Shads, Rattle spoons, and the old Swedish Vingala tipped with a minnow head have been very successful.
Northern Pike have been biting on anything from hot dogs to hearing to frozen smelt. Some of the best bike fishing has been happening on shallow water back bays, shorelines along weed beds, and shallow areas with flooded brush piles.
Winter is here and it's time to celebrate! Our first clients arrive right after Christmas and we have a busy season ahead of us. We still have plenty of room to book your group and we certainly want to invite you to come and fish with us. We'd love to have you! (701) 351-3474
Good Luck Fishing
Zippy,
Perch Patrol
December 9, 2008
Cold temps are helping us build ice! Devils Lake now has 6 to 10" of good ice and growing. The main lake froze just a few days ago, so be careful near the main bay. Not many anglers testing the waters yet. Good pike traffic over the weekend on Wolford's bay south of the resort. Good pike are being caught and we now have our spear houses on the ice and cut in. Forecast looks good with cold temps, so ice conditions will continue to improve. The Devils Lake area has received some snow, but windy conditions have blown most of the snow off the ice. Still good dates open for lodging and ice fishing packages. Give us a call and we will help you plan your next fishing trip.
Kyle
Woodland Resort
12-08-08 15.54 Lb. Pike
November 26, 2008
Sounds like we have most of the lake now frozen over. Creel was 1/2 open, but now is totally covered. Main bay is also now frozen. Few brave souls are trying Pelican lake and the Minnewaukan Flats. Limited reports so far, but it sounds like anglers are getting walleyes and Northerns. Woodland Resort and the Perch Patrol Guide Service will be heading the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show next week. Show dates are December 5, 6, and 7. If you are in the Cities stop in and say hi. We will be in booth 553 near the Ice Team square. Hope to see you there.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Kyle
Woodland Resort
November 20, 2008
Just wrapped up the guided fall waterfowl season. Special thank you to all of our fall guests that choose Woodland Resort for their fall get away. Overall the season was above average with good bird numbers for most of our guests. Late October and the first 10 days of November was the best with some huge days in the field.
We are now gearing up for Ice Fishing season. Devils Lake is still ice free, but expect total ice over in the next 10 to 15 days. We have completed a new 6 man fish house and are working on getting the rest of the fleet in tip-top shape. Woodland now has 20 fish house for your next ice fishing trip. We are the largest fish house rental company on the lake and look forward to drilling holes soon. Perch Patrol Guide Service is also gearing up for the season. We are now taking reservations for Perch Express packages and Perch Patrol guide day trips.
Fishing trips make great Christmas presents and we can send you custom built gift certificates for the angler on your list. Get your ice gear ready!
Kyle
Woodland Resort
Top hunt of 2008. 156 bird total
2nd
best 2008 hunt. 151 bird total
September 1, 2008
Well September is here and fall is near. Or is it here already? It sure feels like it. We have had our share of wind these days. We have had some interesting conditions blow our way. We have had several two to three day spells of 30 plus mph wind days and although we were still able to get out and fish, we were pretty confined to where we could go. But we were still able to preserver and catch our limits of walleyes.
The bite has pretty much remained the same. Still either trolling crank baits or pulling spinners and bottom bouncers in 10 to 25 feet of water. We have also had some success jigging with leeches as well.
We are still catching good numbers of walleyes and the size that we keep are anywhere from 14 to 23 inches.
Now that summer is over, this doesn't mean the awesome fishing we have enjoyed all summer is over by any means. Fall fishing on Devils Lake is usually pretty awesome. While the fish remain fairly deep for now they will eventually go shallow again and we should be back to pitching crank baits again. There are usually several patterns that happen in the fall as the water cools back down. Again this is why fishing with Mitchell's Guide Service can really pay off. It takes a team of guides with good communication and the willingness to share information that becomes really important when it comes to finding these fish and discovering their patterns.
We have lots of room to accommodate your group this fall and we would love to take you and your party fishing!
- Zippy, Mitchell's Guide Service
Thursday - August 14th
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.
ND Live Wet & Wild
Greg Schoneck
1515 7th ST NW
Minot ND 58703
701-720-0447
www.ndlive.com
To view pictures and listen to audio reports go to: www.ndlive.com
Devils
Lake Fishing Report
120 miles to Paradise
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?Â
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.Â
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.â€
Well, can’t do yesterday, but - God willing, I will
do tomorrow. See ya on the water.
ND Live Wet & Wild
Greg Schoneck
1515 7th ST NW
Minot ND 58703
701-720-0447
www.ndlive.com
Monday, August 11 2008
Do want the good news first or the great news first. We'll give you the "Great" news first. The Great news is that the walleye fishing on Devils Lake absolutely couldn't get any better. We are literally having 70 to 100 fish days on walleyes. Granted we throw back a lot of little ones but we are catching some dandy walleyes as well. Infact limits of them. The only way to get a break and not catch a fish on Devils Lake right now is bait your hook while hiding behind a tree!
Trolling crank baits, pulling spinners with bottom bouncers, pulling lindy rigs, and slip bobbering are all very effective methods right now in anywhere from 10 to 25 feet of water. Windy shorelines are still best but when it is flat calm head for some structure. Flooded points, reefs, humps, and flooded roads are all producing some nice walleyes at times.
Now for the "Good" news...the northern pike are also in these depths. There have been some big northerns cought trolling crank baits. Big enough where we have to put the boat in neutral and reel the other lines in to avoid the potential of a tangled mess.
Summer is still in full swing and the fishing could not get much better. It is not too late to take advantage of some of this awesome fishing, you won't regret it for 1minute. We would love to take you and your party fishing and help you experience a fishing trip of a lifetime on Devils Lake.
- Zipppy, Mitchell's Guide Service
It's not too late for some late summer getaways. Woodland Resort has some nice short stay options in our cabins, lodge units, and motel rooms through August into September. Fishing is outstanding, some of the best we have seen this season. Lodging options still available for Labor day. Give us a call at 701-662-5996 for help booking your trip.
Kyle
Woodland Resort
Monday, July 28 2008
The fishing remains "Hot" on Devils Lake! We are still catching an overabundant amount of small walleyes but we do pop the occasional nice one. It is just a matter of sorting through a lot of 10 to 13 inchers until we get our limits of the nice 14 to 20 inchers. These walleyes we are catching are scattered in that 10 to 25 feet of water. Our best presentations lately have been trolling crank baits (namely Salmos) along wind blown shorelines. For the deeper depths of 18 to 25 feet we have been using lead core line to get these No. 5 crank baits down to these depths.
Other methods of fishing these depths would be either pulling spinners with night crawlers or leaches behind bottom bouncers. The slip bobber timber bite is still proving successful as well. Again the fish are deeper in the timber as well. The outside trees along shorelines seem to produce more that the shallow trees. We are finding most of our success in the 10 to 16 foot range. Again we have to weed through a lot of small walleyes to get our nice fish.
The northern fishing still remains hot as well. Pitching crank baits along weed beds or in between the patches of weeds seems to be most successful. We do catch the occasional nice northerns trolling as well just not as many as if we target them in the shallows.
We haven't had any huge catches of white bass to speak of in the last 10 days but I am sure they are still out there and still hungry as ever. We do hit occasional schools of them trolling crank baits but we are generally trying to avoid them to catch more walleyes.
We are enjoying one of best open water fishing seasons ever and it is definitely not too late to come and enjoy the hot bite on Devils Lake. We still have plenty of room to take you and your party fishing and as always we would love to have you!
Good luck Fishing!
Zippy, Mitchell's Guide Service
Friday, July 18 2008
Walleye Fishing on Devils Lake is unconscious right now. We are experiencing days of 60 to 80 walleyes per day. The problem is keeping the small walleyes off our lines. You can't beat the action but we find ourselves catching and releasing a lot of 12 to 14 inchers before we catch a keeper. We have been doing a lot of trolling crank baits this past week in anywhere from 10 to 25 feet of water.
The slip bobber bite in the flooded timber is still going strong as well but the same seems to be happening there too. A lot of small fish with the occasional nice one. It is common for a guide to go through a pound of leeches in a single day.
The shallow water pitching crank bait bite still exists but the weeds have really grown the past two weeks and it gets frustrating always cleaning the weeds off your hooks. The pike fishing remains strong and we are getting some nice northern pike while trolling crank baits as well.
Sorry no pictures this time. I think all the guides have dropped their cameras in the lake by now. No, I'm kidding, it is just hard to take pictures of 16 to 18 inch fish when everyone has been used to taking pictures of 20 plus inchers most of the year.
The month of July is half over and we have had a great summer of fishing so far, but it is by no means over with. We still have plenty of room to take your group fishing and as always we would love to have you. Don't miss out some of the hottest action of the summer!
Zippy, Mitchell's Guide Service
* Plenty of midweek openings for the rest of July. If you are looking for a last minute get-away give us a call at 701-662-5996 and we will assist in getting you on the water catching fish.
Kyle, Woodland Resort
Friday, June 20 2008
We are terribly sorry for the delayed report, we have had some web site issues that needed to be resolved. Walleye fishing has been fairly consistent despite the changing weather patterns this week. We have had about every kind of weather this past week from cold and rainy to flat calm to severe thunderstorms to finally warm and sunny. Yes folks summer has finally hit the Lake Region and we couldn't be happier. Water temperatures have heated up and so has the fishing.
The windy days we have had great success pitching crank baits on windy shorelines - same as last weeks report. The calm days we have enjoyed some pretty incredible slip bobber fishing. With the stormy weather the walleyes seemed to go a little deeper on us and we made the adjustment. We had great success slip bobbering structure namely humps and ridges anywhere from 8 to 14 feet deep.
Pike fishing remains hotter than ever. We are still catching most of them by pitching crank baits in shallow water. We had a few days where the water was real clear and you could see the northerns following your crank bait for 30 feet. Pretty cool to see the action of your lure and swimming behind ready to chomp is a 3 to 4 foot long brown log!
White bass fishing is also very good. Again pitching