They Are Going To Ruin The Walleyes Just Like They Did The Perch!!
That statement is so laughable it was actually hard to type. The ludicrous attempt to compare two species that:
Species A: At one time had zero limit at all and is a mega school fish that when they go on a feeding frenzy, in a concentrated spindle, can be obliterated by a group of fishermen.
-vs-
Species B: A school fish, but not of the spindle variety, that has had a constant limit of 5; this limit has been in place for as long as I can remember.
The argument of Spring Fishing, and Coulee Fishing in particular, comes up every year at this time in North Dakota, and every year the same slurs and rants and arm chair biological experts go on rant after rant.
The ugly hypocrisy rears its head and people even come to blows over the subject. True story or stories.
More Than Just Two Sides
This whole issue is way more than a two sided coin. I know I will miss some but here goes:
- The Game and Fish/ Fish and Wildlife Biologist (not the arm chair/internet troll variety)
2. The Average Joe angler that lives here and fishes open water
3. The Tourism Industry
4. The Guide
5. The Tourist (out-of-stater)
6. The Agricultural Industry
7. The Game Violator
8. The Tournament Fishermen
All of them have an opinion on the issue, the only one that really matters in the end is that of Number 1.
They are the ones with the degree and the data, the rest are usually more vocal with their opinion but are lacking in data.
What We Think?
It doesn’t matter what we think.
Our opinion on this matter is never going to change anything. Odds are, neither are the opinions of 2 through 8, especially when voiced on social media and littered with profanity and name calling and posturing.
However, we will say this:
The best eating Walleye out of Devils Lake is a 13 incher. Heck, even a 12 incher has better texture and flavor than a 23 or 24.
That being said, who brags about the 13 incher?
Exactly!!!
Are there BIG Walleyes being kept out of the basin right now?
You better believe it.
-BUT-
Do Tournament fishermen keep big walleyes in June and July?
Yes, and most die.
Do Guides allow clients to keep big walleyes in June, July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March?
Daily!
Are the Habitual Game Violators going to care one way or the other?
Nope, and not even bat an eye about it.
Keep The Males
We partake in the Spring coulee run. It is fun fishing and different fishing. It can be boom and it can be bust. We try our darnedest to keep only males and try to allow the females to spawn. Sometimes a female makes it into our basket, sometimes a female with inert eggs gets misidentified.
We only go a couple of times and we aren’t really into ‘combat fishing’.
I personally don’t want to see the North Dakota fishing season closed. Could it be regulated a little better?
Of course!
Is there a need for additional Wardens in the area at this time?
Absolutely!
Is the Spring Fishing going to kill the Devils Lake Walleye population?
Hasn’t seemed to!
What’s The Answer?
If one is looking to make EVERYONE happy, I don’t think there is one. If we break it down group by group, they are all passionate and all have their opinion.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
1. The Game and Fish/Fish and Wildlife Agencies
They are really the only ones that have the data and are backed by science. They are also the ones that have the say. IF they keep it open, some will be happy, some will be mad and bad mouth them. They are in a no-win situation and therefore we feel for them. We just hope that they stay in line with the data and if that data shows that closing it would benefit the fishery, then they close it.
Majority would say: Keep It Open
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. The Average Joe Fisherman
Most of our readers, in some way shape or form will fall somewhat into this category. Many of us only have the opportunity to fish on the weekends and holidays and the fact that fishing is open year round in North Dakota, that increased those opportunities. Some will keep a lot of big fish at this time. Some will release the bigger ones.
Majority would say: Keep It Open
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The Tourism Industry
They see a small bump in overnight stays and their bait shops see increased business at an otherwise slow time of the year. If they lost the small amount of people they see at this time it wouldn’t kill them but it is still nice to have a few check-ins on the weekends. On the other hand, if (and that is a big speculative ‘if’) if the long term effect is damage to the fishery, some in the tourism industry are going to argue to close it to preserve the long term viability of the lake.
Majority would say: It’s a Wash
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. The Guide
CLOSE IT NOW! That is the sentiment you get from most Fishing Guides in the Lake Region when the topic of the Spring Run for Walleyes comes up. Guides can be the best gauges of the health of the lake. Most are out there 3-7 days a week and are pretty in tune to the health of the fishery. They are also going to do everything to protect the bottom line, which in this case is protecting the target species for their target ‘busy time’. The busy seasons for guides on Devils Lake are June-September and December-March. There is not a lot of demand for a Shore Fishing Guide so they see no extra income from having the Spring Run open for fishing. A guide is going to tell everyone that will listen that they should close the Spring Spawn. They will do this under the guise that they want to preserve the fishery (some do actually feel this way), but all too many are just more interested in those bigger walleyes being around when they have clients in the boat so that their clients can catch them, keep them, and leave a really big tip.
Majority would say: Close It
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. The Tourist
Originally, the Spring Run was a locals ball game. 90% of the people you would see up in the channels and coulees fishing were North Dakota residents. That has changed a little over the last few years as the word has gotten out and I would say it is more like 70-30 or 60-40 now. Majority is still North Dakota residents but there are more and more Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota plates showing up at the bridges.
Majority would say: Keep It Open
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. The Agricultural Industry
Traditionally the Spring Run occurs before they are in the fields so the increased traffic doesn’t necessarily effect that part. However, the wear and tear on the roads and the massive amount of littering that is going on would swing many I believe. However, some of the farmers in the northern reaches of the basin actually use this time, the calm before the storm of springs work, to get out and get some fishing in.
Majority would say: It’s a Wash
___________________________________________________________________________________________
7. The Game Violator
This is the ugly head of the Spring Run up on the coulees. The number of people catching and keeping more than their limit of Walleyes is staggering. This group is going to do what they do regardless of what the law is. Keeping it open just makes their vehicle at the bridge less conspicuous.
Majority would say: Keep It Open
___________________________________________________________________________________________
8. The Tourney Fisherman
Some are residents, some are from out of state, they ALL want it closed though. Any big Walleye kept at this time is one less Big Walleye for them to catch and keep for money.
Majority would say: Close It
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Result
In our unscientific, impossible to prove, purely speculative, unprovable breakdown?
The ‘Keep It Open’ crowd would win 3-2-2. (The Game Violator’s opinion doesn’t count because they are criminals, plain and simple)
What Do I Think
I’m on the fence. I really am. Do we have a Waypoint Package specifically targeting this type of fishing?
Yes, we do, kind of, it includes Shore fishing for all year also.
Would it terribly hurt my feelings to lose that opportunity?
No, it wouldn’t.
Let me preface my further commentary by stating, my favorite fish to chase on Devils Lake is Perch. I am a Perch guy and will chase them at every opportunity. Big Devils Lake Walleyes love to dine on these little golden morsels just like I do. Do I want Devils Lake’s population of Big Walleyes to jump significantly?
NO! For purely selfish reasons.
I don’t see a clear cut answer. Every time I get into a discussion with someone who presents a good argument for closing it, I find myself being swayed in their favor. Every time I get into the same discussion with someone in favor of keeping it open, and they formulate a well thought out argument devoid of name calling, I see their point of view as well.
In retrospect, when I sit and listen to people who let their emotions take over either for or against closing the season, and start name calling and yelling and placing blame; I end up disagreeing with them, not over their content but the way in which they express their opinion.
If I had the final say I would probably keep the North Dakota Fishing Season open year round, with a Devils Lake Basin Stipulation.
That stipulation being:
All Walleyes caught in Ramsey, Towner, and Benson counties, North of Highways 19 West of Devils Lake and North of Highway 2 East of Devils Lake over a length of 18 inches must be released with the exception of 1 over 25 inches for the duration of the Spring Spawn season. All fishermen will be issued their ‘1 over 25’ tag upon purchase of their fishing license.
That is my solution, is it perfect?
NOPE!
Is it better than what we have?
I think so.
What is our readerships opinion?
We will give you three scenarios, pick one and give an argument why:
Scenario A: Keep it as is, the Spring Fishing on the coulees and the Main Lake hasn’t and doesn’t hurt the Walleye population one bit so why change it.
Scenario B: Close it down! The Walleye fishing on Devils Lake would get so much better if we did a better job of protecting those vulnerable spawning Walleyes.
Scenario C: www.devilslakefishingreport.com must be a bunch of geniuses, we really like their idea, Go with what their plan is and our fishing would improve exponentially
Scenario D: <Your Idea> in the comments sections!
Good Luck out there!
(NOTE: Profanity, name calling, and counter productive comments will not be tolerated. This subject needs to be dealt with in a mature and sensible manner.)
Hold On To Your Rod…
And…
CATCH MORE FISH!!
As a local resident my whole life I can definitely agree with Travis that it is a touchy issue, an issue where you can see points from all sides. I personally just fished there last weekend and was very successful. I personally feel there are a couple of points that people need to keep in mind. #1 is that with a fishery the size of the devils lake basin, we all need to realize that there is reproduction happening out on the lakes themselves. #2 once these fish return to the lakes, first of which is Lake Alice, those fish are protected until ice up if they stay inside the refuge. So if they do stay there, they honestly only see fishing pressure for roughly 4 month of the year. Overall as a life long local who fishes the area religiously, I personally haven’t seen the fishing get anything but better each year and I’ve seen these coulee runs for probably 15 years now. I just hope everyone uses common sense and good ethics when venturing out.
I will start off by saying that I am a tourist to the Devils Lake area. I come twice per year with a handful of friends/family. We come in April and fish pre-spawn walleye for the pictures and then return in June for our open water boat trip. Each trip has an average duration of 3-5 days depending on how it works out. For our April trip, we are very aware, and have come to expect, an unwarranted vibe of not being welcome coming from some of the locals. For the most part, no one says anything, but you can feel the tension. This has always been a point of confusion to me because, for my group, we treat the area with the highest standards of respect and see it as a privilege to fish North Dakota during a time when most states choose to close down. We want to be able to enjoy this trip for years to come and realize that if we abuse it, it will either be taken away by Game and Fish via a season closure or the fishing quality will deteriorate due to being fished out. We are very careful to only keep only our share of 16-20 inch males but then just take a picture & release all of the females, as we understand the importance of these fish being allowed to “do their thing” for the benefit of future years. What is really funny to me, in my opinion and from years of observation, is that the locals who put out the unwelcome vibe are also some of the worst offenders of abusing the fishery. I consistently see fish, that shouldn’t have been kept, loaded into a truck with North Dakota plates! Sometimes I will even see the truck leave with a limit and then return a few hours later to do the same thing all over again! These people will also often leave trash which over time ruins it for everyone else because the land owner closes the access due to frustration. When you think about the fact that these locals due this day in and day out for the entire month of April, its far more detrimental to the fishery than a few out-of-towners who come to DL for a few days, spend money and enjoy the fishery as is legally allowed. I do not want to see the fishery closed since I don’t abuse the fishery but do agree with a protected slot during this time of the season. In closing, I would love to see Devils Lake increase its regulation during April/May but also want everyone to be aware that some of the people complaining about closing the season are also the same people who abuse it most. When they say “closed”, they really mean closed to everyone else. The residents who are respectful of the fishery (the majority) are also the same people who are respectful of me and my group, which leads me to believe that many of the complainers are often times the worst offenders.
I will go with “C”, it sounds like a plan that would keep the most fish and people happy.
If you think guides want it closed so our clients can catch the bigger fish and take them home in the summer you are wrong. My guide service along with two other ones I know of practice if there over 20 inches we are putting them back in the lake. In fact we want to see the females reproduce so we have numbers for the future. If you think are larger fish are abundant I dare you to compair weights of the chamber tourney from 2000 to 2016. I feel the game and fish is not proactive. They seem to try and fix things after they are broke. I feel that there fall netting servers don’t tell the whole story and we need more data. All I say is don’t put words in to the GUIDES mouth when you don’t know how we operate. Thanks
Thank you for your honest response Jason, that is why we wrote in parenthesis that some guides are concerned about the long term health of our fishery, and we truly believe you when you say that you practice conservation of the bigger fish. We have also been around long enough to know that ALL guide services aren’t as noble. This is a very touchy subject and a touchy time in the Lake Region as it is every spring. We are not attempting to start huge controversy or further split what should be a united front. We also, as the commentator on the subject, want to be diligent, for the sake of the conversation and really getting something accomplished, must remove ourselves (and emotion) and look at every angle. You didn’t comment on what option you would choose. As the owner and operator of one of the more respected Guide Services on the Lake, would you select A, B, C, or D (and elaborate).
Well I know this is off topic and should get out there. One guide service that should not be in business is Perch Patrol. They are as rude as they come. They sit on the lake with binoculars see someone catching a few fish next thing you know they swarm in within 10ft of you. Multiple houses. You catch your limit and leave, come back the next day to see even more houses, you try get within a 1/2 mile of them and they. Come knock on your door curse you out and make you leave. The lake is big enough for everyone but this them guys they feel they OWN the whole damn lake.
I stay in a camp ground on Devils lake every weekend all summer. I am a North Dakota resident I see a lot of 10-12″ walleyes cleaned on weekends along with a few big ones by non residents. I have no problem with non resident people fishing. My problem is we need a slot limit year around 14″ to 18″ and 1 trophy over 26″ would be great. The game and fish claim they do not have enough wardens to enforce this but I disagree most people would follow the laws as we always do. You will still have violations as we do now And we would still have plenty of fish Just my opinion. Thanks
In my opinion , I think during the spawning season there should be a slot size along with reduced daily bag limits… Its nice to get out and catch fish after the ice is out but there needs to be some regulations during the spawning season. Personally i would hate to see it closed but to maintain the quality of fish and the numbers, that might be the right choice. Im on both sides of the fence…
C. Solves the provlem. What my friends and I have practiced since the 90s. We even squeeze the bellies and make sure they are makes before we keep em. With that said no one is perfect. Kept 20 on Friday, 3 turned out to be females.
I would go with answer D
not to close spring fishing , but to make walleye and perch catch (photo) release , but during the spawn up pike limit to 10 .
You still get the long rods wet and get to take fish , and cut down on pike population
As a resident of Iowa we make the trip every June. I have fished the lake during the early 1990’s for a span of 6-7 years and then again from 2010 and on. Walleye fishing has been very respectable, and we have always thrown back walleyes 20 inches and over. Pike fishing is insane at times. What I have noticed is very few people are keeping pike. We love catching and more so eating pike. I would like to see the daily limit of pike raised to say 8-10 with a possession limit of 20 for pike. Keep walleye and perch limits as they are. No need to close season.
I find slot/closure limits a interesting topic. Are they in place for a specific issue on a specific lake??? Usually these are done too late and the lake balance is way out of wack, MN lakes(Mill Lacs, Red) come to mind here. Another would be the slots used to encourage a specific type of behavior. I think Ontario where you can catch and release all day, eat your fill a shore lunch, but only really bring back a trophy. It’s hard to compare the two, as MN would have mainly “local” fishing pressure and Ontario would have almost nil “local” pressure. 15 years ago only Creel really had the “local” pressure, looking like a MN lake….now its all over the lake. This new pressure has to effect the fishery.
So my long way of answering the question is B. Unfortunately we are not going to know if there is an issue until it’s out of wack(Is there an issue now with the amount of dinks(10-12 inchers”) being caught??? IMHO, the rest of the lake is what Creel was 15 years ago. In another 10 are the flats going to be like Creel is today??? 6-7 inchers???) Are we beginning to see downturns in specific classes of fish??? If these are yes, then we need to look at closures
Or manage it as no significant natural reproduction is taking place and stock it accordingly, leaving it as is????
Just a question as an out of towner that keeps in touch with Devils as much as possible, and has a degree in fisheries management. What is driving the slot limit talk? In WI we don’t see them working very well IMHO. Lakes seem to end up with tons of fish inside the slot. Small sandwich walleyes and 20″+ fish are kept and your left with 15-20″ fish you can’t keep. Of course the slot numbers change depending on lake but the size structure remains the same. It would make a ton of sense to me to drop the limit to 1 fish until later in the season and keep the season open. This maintains the access to a unique fishery while limiting controversy. It also makes it harder for violators. If you have to run home after every fish that’s a pain in the backside. Ultimately I’m ok with the DLFR solution (c I think), taking males under the size limit has shifted the sex ratio in some fisheries. That’s why I would only allow one fish over 20 maybe 25. Allows a single trophy so people still come. Also I’d like to say taking a few predpawn trophies shouldn’t hurt. 5 female walleyes could produce enough young to replace every fish in the system in a perfect senario.