Hammer That Shoreline Ledge
Devil’s Lake fishing, season long, is a game of transitions. The fish transition to different areas and different depths at certain times of the year. There are many factors involved, but it is inevitable that they are going to be in transition spots at roughly the same time, every year.
The transition we are in right now for perch is 28-35 feet. The old shoreline ledge from before the water rise of ’93 seems to be where it is at right now for Perch.
Are there Perch in other areas, of course, but for active schools right now, that is where you should be concentrating your search. We have some favorite spots in this depth range that we will make available to you and we got on some good Perch action on that ledge.
Anything gold with minnow heads, waxes, or spikes right now is what we are finding is getting the Perch going.
Speaking of Transitions
I said there are several reasons for this transition cycle on Devils Lake. In the summer, the reasoning is a little different, a lot of the summer transition has to do with water temperature and alga growth.
Winter time is a little different. A lot has to do with oxygen level and forage. Where the oxygen levels remain high, the fish are more active and hence the bite increase in different transitional areas.
Also, those shallower water perch that have been scattered by roaming pike schools have done one of two things. Fled to the cover of timber or schooled up in deeper water, and that is where we are right now. The Perch seem to be staging in that 28-35 foot zone. That tells us there is oxygen and forage on that depth level and obviously, not as many pike.
The next transition we are going to see is a lot of those schools will join up, slip the ledge out to the basin, and form up into Mega Perch schools that just roam the basin. I would say this ledge bite should be good for the next couple weeks though, before we go basin searching, which by the way might be the most thrilling time I have had on the lake ice fishing, my biggest Perch ever and some of my best days have come at that time. Usually Late January and into the first part of February.
Walleyes and Structure
For Walleyes right now, unless you are up on the Northern Feeder Lakes (Lake Alice, Lake Irvine, Mike’s Lake, Dry Lake) it is 100% about structure right now. Humps, drop-offs, points, flooded timber, big rocks, anything that supplies those eyes with an ambush point is going to produce fish in the early and late hours of the day. We call it the Golden Hour for a reason and if you are Walleye fishing, it is imperative that you be on the water before sunrise to get set up on the structure before they become active and stay well after the sun is down, as usually the big boys don’t come out to play until there is a definite light change.
Good Luck Out There,
Hold On To Your Rod…
and…
CATCH MORE FISH!
Love the report. How much snow is up there fight now? I’m from Wisconsin and planning a trip there late February.
Anywhere from a foot to drifts of two and a half to three feet. We are recommending nothing but tracked travel at this time. Expecting a worm up here over the next 3-4 days and hopefully the above freezing temperatures settle the snow a little and we can get back to using trucks. A lot can change both for the good and the bad over the next couple weeks. Stay tuned to our Wednesday ice reports for conditions.
We are coming up this Thursday fishing on our own then Friday and Saturday fishing out of woodlands houses. Any help for our Thursday would be great
Drill, drill, drill, until you mark em and then grind on em! The weather is coming around so there should be fish biting. Concentrate on any 28-33 foot old shoreline ledges where there is a shelf or those deeper flats. Also, there are always fish in the flooded timber and on structure. Set up on humps or pronounced points in the early morning and late evening (sunrise to an hour and a half after and about 330 until half an hour after sunset, what we call the golden hours) for Walleyes. Use the middle of the day for the Perch Search. Anything Gold usually works on Devils lake, especially the Gold Varmint from JBLures.
What kind of bait for the perch? Minnows, minnow heads, or worms?
Quite honestly I would have both with, I always start with minnow heads and go from there.