Why come to ND when there’s lake of the woods

[SDMF]

SDMF. Do you not come to MN to hunt?

Really guys. Every single one of us just want to go where they want to enjoy a good time. Don't let a few losers cloud your judgement.

I used to buy a MN hunting and MN fishing license annually. I haven't purchased either for 5-6yrs. Part of that is having a camper on a permanent spot on Devils Lake, part of that is ruffed grouse numbers have been poor where I normally hunt them, Part of that is the ungodly number of deer ticks there seems to be, part of that is my dog got old and has now been put down. We'll see, maybe by next fall doggie 3 will be "Ruffed Grouse Ready".

I don't really fish out of state anymore but I do still hunt out of ND pretty much annually. The difference is, I follow the rules, AND I don't encroach upon someone else's hunt. With the exception of tire/boot tracks, for the most part you'd never know I was there.

Let's say there's some CRP, 1-quarter or ~160AC, surrounded by crops or harvested ground. If someone else is already hunting that parcel, I leave and go hunt somewhere else. I'm not hopping in to hunt it with them. I'm not waiting on the road for flushed birds or runners to come by, I leave. I don't care if there's 1 person hunting it or 20.

I have had people from WI as evidenced via license plate sit on the road and "post" for me. I've had people from WI jump into a quarter a few hundred yards ahead of me if they've seen runners that I've worked into a pinch point.

Fishing is just as bad for folks following a person if they see you caught fish today, they'll try to find you tomorrow. Not to mention that even WI cops that fish in ND poach extra fish. That should've been big news but ND G&F didn't get a warrant to search the cabin and the judge thew out the case:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/ne...h-bust-devils-lake-anglers-found-100-walleyes

These guys:

Michael Wirkus, Racine Wis.; Donald Klatkiewicz, Mukwonago, Wis.; Daniel Klatkiewicz, Hales Corners, Wis.; Robert Richer Jr., Hales Corners, Wis.; and Allen Lafave, Racine, Wis.

A picture of their faces should hang at every boat ramp, cleaning station, bar, restaurant, and bait shop around Devils Lake, and anywhere within say 20Mi of fishable water anywhere in ND. One of them is some sort of LEO in WI, that summbitch shoulda been fired.

'Sconi's have EARNED every ounce of disdain I have for them.

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Probably not as much as its advertised. 0.0001 survival rate to adulthood vs. 0.00001 is lost on the majority. And the difference between the two is more likely habitat than it is harvest. That's why we see "year class" of different species that fill the fishing demand. Missing year classes are certainly not due to spring harvest of egg layers, on any ND lake..

Like a lot of wildlife, habitat is #1, I don't disagree. I realize that far to the right of the decimal things start to be a rounding error, but, the number of eggs laid/fertilized is a LONG way to the left of the decimal.

Billions more eggs laid certainly isn't going to equal fewer fish in the system...........

 

[espringers]

personally, NRs don't bother me. but, i also have wondered why they come all the way here.

 

[Allen]

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Like a lot of wildlife, habitat is #1, I don't disagree. I realize that far to the right of the decimal things start to be a rounding error, but, the number of eggs laid/fertilized is a LONG way to the left of the decimal.

Billions more eggs laid certainly isn't going to equal fewer fish in the system...........

Right, but there are a great number of lakes in ND that have trillions of eggs laid in them that have, for all intents and purposes, as close to zero reproductive success as is possible. They are maintained by stocking alone. Shutting down the spring fishing during the spawning season on those lakes is a futile exercise.

As far as I know, only the Missouri R. system and Devils Lake have the ability to be self-sustaining populations with respect to walleye. Literally, all the rest are "put and take" fishing in mud puddles. Yeah, yeah, I know the G&F usually use the Put and Take term to describe the putting in of adult sized fish that are intended to be caught that year, but it's still the same concept. If they aren't put in there, they just don't exist. That's why the pike is our state fish, they do survive and thrive in those mud holes. As do perch, but not our precious walleye.




On a separate note. I think we see the sconi's and Minnetuckians out on our prairie lakes because it's a lot cheaper to stay in Napoleon/Lehr/Steele/LaMoure, etc hotels/rentals for a week than it is to stay in Bemidji/Alexandria at a resort. That and the generally safer feeling they probably get in the middle of nowhere when it comes to running across a ND warden.

 

[zoops]

And the question remains why would a MN or WI person come to ND to fish when they have 100 times more waters in their backyard?

We are very spoiled in ND. I’ve fished in MN a lot over the years due to having a lot of family/friends there. There is certainly some good fishing there but in general most of their lakes are not that good for walleye. To go out and catch 10 eater walleyes on most of their lakes is a fantastic day, one that most average anglers would struggle to replicate very often. We spend a week at a cabin there on one of their better walleye lakes and last year didn’t catch enough all week to have a fish fry to feed 8 people. Not saying I’m a great fisherman but that would be unheard of here. Most people I know out here think it’s a slow day if they don’t catch their limit. You can see why they come here.

 

[Rowdie]

I have mixed emotions when it comes to out of staters. I grew up in Mobridge. In the early 80's the influx of tourist fishermen started. It's been good for the local economy, but it didn't stop the town from shrinking from around 5000 residents to 3500 now. I've had to put up with them on the water and snagging my lines while shore fishing. I've never let it ruin my day. Back in the 80's and 90's we had an old slow pontoon that forced us to fish not too far from the dock. Now that I can make some tracks, it doesn't bother me. That old pontoon seemed to draw in tourists like ducks to decoys.

 

[Downrigger]

I though MN sucked???

 

[bucksnbears]

I though MN sucked???

No , ( political wize maybe).
I encounter guys every year from nodak here bear hunting. Unless they are rude ( but seldom are), I will give them advice and actually HELP them get a bear.
I think the word "Sconies" started in the Lher area years ago and just manifested into a statewide " dogpile"

 

[Rowdie]

I though MN sucked???

It does, Why? I'm talking about putting up with the tourists that flock to my hometown every year, which isn't in MN. Were you talking to me?

 

[Downrigger]

No, going with what appears the majority on bashing every other state. I am a MN guy that moved to ND to pillage the resources at a cheaper rate is the perception I read about.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Since I’m only 150 miles away I bought a place on the Rainy near the mouth. I’ve had multiple days like this article. When you are on the big ones, it’s amazing. Sconis come to ND to fill their freezer.

 

[Laker3588]

I have been coming to North Dakota for 30 years from Iowa for a 4 day fishing trip. Keeping fish is way down the list of why we come. We always catch our limit(cpr) but rarely take home our limit. In 30 years I have never been checked by game and fish which strikes me as odd. We usually visit at least 1 other time every year and never put a line in the water. We go to visit the friends we have made over the years.

As far as out of state go. Iowa changed its panfish limits because of out of state fishermen, specifically from Wisconsin. They would come during ice fishing season and keep thousands of crappies and bluegills out of the Iowa Great Lakes. Enough local fishermen watched as they would bring in bucket after bucket and put enough pressure on the Iowa DNR and got a 25 aggregate limit.

 

[Kurtr]

When I was a kid we met a group of guys from Iowa who drove up here to fish bullheads. They were encouraged to fish every thing they had haha

 

[Laker3588]

When I was a kid we met a group of guys from Iowa who drove up here to fish bullheads. They were encouraged to fish every thing they had haha

That's funny because my best buddy in ND loves bullheads and I used to bring him a pile. I only fished for them as a little kid. Anyhow, one morning at cenex, a stranger ask me and my buddy I come up with if we were the guys who brought bullheads. I was laughing so hard that a complete stranger ask if I would bring him some. He gave his number, so for a few years I would go catch some for him also. Pretty sure the old boy passed away a few years ago.

 

[Allen]

Sheesh, we have plenty of bullhead waters up here. What is it about the Iowa bullheads that are so special?

 

[Laker3588]

Sheesh, we have plenty of bullhead waters up here. What is it about the Iowa bullheads that are so special?

I couldn't tell you because I'm pretty sure I have never eaten one. At least since I was a kid. The ones I caught and brought up to the guys were caught early in the spring and out of cold creek water.

 

[SDMF]

Sheesh, we have plenty of bullhead waters up here. What is it about the Iowa bullheads that are so special?

#Ashtray

 

[Allen]

I couldn't tell you because I'm pretty sure I have never eaten one. At least since I was a kid. The ones I caught and brought up to the guys were caught early in the spring and out of cold creek water.

Right there is the answer. I've not eaten one in many years, but early spring (cold water) bullheads are quite edible. As are catfish.

From warm water, ehh...not so much.

 

[MathewsZman]

12 cats in 45 minutes in the West Bend area in central South Dakota. They did not suck !