The Decline of Devils Lake

[Eatsleeptrap]

True reciprocal regulations with our game and fish enforcement and any other state will never happen. We tried it with trapping regulations when muskrats were worth good money a while back and we were flooded with out of state spring muskrat trappers. For example, say Wisconsin's muskrat season closes February 15 and ND's closes May 10th. We can't trap there after Feb 15, so they shouldn't be able to trap here right? We were shot down in flames with excuses about not enough wardens, how do you keep track of 49 other state regs etc. Even something simple like a ND resident is not allowed to trap beaver, mink and muskrat in Montana at all, ever, but they can trap all three here all damn season. It makes zero sense. Guessing resident fisherman would get the same treatment trappers did.

 

[Rut2much]

Sounds about par for the course for us.

 

[Lycanthrope]

it would be a total cluster to have different limits during certain months and then switch to another limit.SHut the fishing down for March April, open up in May and give the fish a break fro the pressure. Add slot limit with one over 21 inches daily and the numbers of quality fish will increase, with a daily limit of 3 or 4 fish per angler. Problem solved

move to minnesota if you prefer their laws and regulations... Dont mess things up for everyone else.

 

[Valleywatcher]

move to minnesota if you prefer their laws and regulations... Dont mess things up for everyone else.

agreed

 

[Hunter58301]

I think especially with FFS, something needs to be done. Every guide has one, and once the word gets out about a local little slough or Lake within 45 minutes of DL, they all swarm like buzzards.

And they ruin it in a year.

 

[Eatsleeptrap]

And they ruin it in a year.

It doesn't take a year. They just turned a nice flooded slough perch bite into the dead sea in three weeks. In the middle of no where, just too damn close to Devils Lake.

 

[Lycanthrope]

And they ruin it in a year.

Or you could say a bunch of people had a ton of fun catching fish, experiencing the outdoors. Also these lakes arent 'ruined', fish populations are cyclical. They will recover and be good again in 4 or 5 years.

 

[Walleye202]

Or you could say a bunch of people had a ton of fun catching fish, experiencing the outdoors. Also these lakes arent 'ruined', fish populations are cyclical. They will recover and be good again in 4 or 5 years.

This mentality has gotten us to where we currently are on DL. No regs at all have turned it into a complete gong show. There absolutely needs to be some regs compared to what we have done for the past many years. Zero thought on the absolutely wild increase in commercial guiding year round. I can only speak to the DL area since that it what I have fished for 20+ years but things absolutely need to change.

 

[Lycanthrope]

This mentality has gotten us to where we currently are on DL. No regs at all have turned it into a complete gong show. There absolutely needs to be some regs compared to what we have done for the past many years. Zero thought on the absolutely wild increase in commercial guiding year round. I can only speak to the DL area since that it what I have fished for 20+ years but things absolutely need to change.

There are a lot of lakes besides DL to fish in, in ND. Id be fine with having a lower limit for out of state fisherpeople, just to discourage them from coming and raping our resource. I think that might be better than increasing prices for out of state licenses.

 

[1lessdog]

There are a lot of lakes besides DL to fish in, in ND. Id be fine with having a lower limit for out of state fisherpeople, just to discourage them from coming and raping our resource. I think that might be better than increasing prices for out of state licenses.

I don't know how a non-resident coming in and fishing and catching a limit of fish is raping the resource. And a resident is not raping the resource.

If you don't like the laws, get them changed. You bitch about non-resident all the time. Do something instead of bitching about it.

 

[Kurtr]

I don't know how a non-resident coming in and fishing and catching a limit of fish is raping the resource. And a resident is not raping the resource.

If you don't like the laws, get them changed. You bitch about non-resident all the time. Do something instead of bitching about it.

The reality is residents catch way more fish. Whats a nr come 3 maybe a week and residents fishes over a hundred times a year. Lowering limits for everyone would be the only logical route to go

 

[Davy Crockett]

I haven't really taken a tour a long the shoreline but are there areas of cattails, brush , tall grass in shallow water ? I remember years ago when they sank Christmas trees on lake Darling for perch habitat but didn't hear how successful it was. It depends on the lake and how much breeding habitat there already is but other states it has been successful .

 

[Lycanthrope]

I don't know how a non-resident coming in and fishing and catching a limit of fish is raping the resource. And a resident is not raping the resource.

If you don't like the laws, get them changed. You bitch about non-resident all the time. Do something instead of bitching about it.

actually I pretty rarely complain about it. I guess the way I look at it is if you are a resident you are entitled to resources like fishing and hunting, where if you are from another state, especially if you are taking advantage of it by hiring a guide, you arent pursuing fairly, you are essentially taking with an unfair advantage, from those who would be more entitled. Honestly Id rather people fish out lakes vs having them winterkill with a bunch of nice fish going to waste, regardless if they are residents or non.

 

[Maddog]

actually I pretty rarely complain about it. I guess the way I look at it is if you are a resident you are entitled to resources like fishing and hunting, where if you are from another state, especially if you are taking advantage of it by hiring a guide, you arent pursuing fairly, you are essentially taking with an unfair advantage, from those who would be more entitled. Honestly Id rather people fish out lakes vs having them winterkill with a bunch of nice fish going to waste, regardless if they are residents or non.

@Lycanthrope
If a resident hires a guide, would you frown upon them because they "aren't pursuing fairly" with an unfair advantage? If one doesn't use a guide "you" are more entitled?

What about handicapped people that need assistance for hunting/fishing? It is okay in your mind only if they don't pay for it?

Interesting. Entitlement.

 

[Rut2much]

Or you could say a bunch of people had a ton of fun catching fish, experiencing the outdoors. Also these lakes arent 'ruined', fish populations are cyclical. They will recover and be good again in 4 or 5 years.

Same mindset with the deer 20 years ago. I'll take how not to manage a resource for 1000 Alex.
0 tags available in units is pretty fawking neat today!
(Fix that before issuing out any nr bow tags period.)

 

[Jiffy]

Something has to be done with mule deer and pronghorn “hunting” in this state. If it takes that freaking long to draw, shut it down indefinitely!

Here’s the scoop gents…they don’t WANT more mule deer and pronghorn. Whatever their reasons are. Maybe they’re valid, I don’t know.

I can hear it already. “The habit can only not sustain X amount….ect., ect, blah blah blah

 

[Lycanthrope]

Same mindset with the deer 20 years ago. I'll take how not to manage a resource for 1000 Alex.
0 tags available in units is pretty fawking neat today!
(Fix that before issuing out any nr bow tags period.)

Deer and fish have totally different reproductive strategies, they aren't even comparable

 

[RyanN]

actually I pretty rarely complain about it. I guess the way I look at it is if you are a resident you are entitled to resources like fishing and hunting, where if you are from another state, especially if you are taking advantage of it by hiring a guide, you arent pursuing fairly, you are essentially taking with an unfair advantage, from those who would be more entitled. Honestly Id rather people fish out lakes vs having them winterkill with a bunch of nice fish going to waste, regardless if they are residents or non.

I don't understand this at all. There are PLENTY of North Dakota residents using guides. Does that make the ND guide who is also a resident, a terrible person because he's "taking advantage" of his ND right to ND waters? An "unfair advantage"? Guides aren't the problem at Devils Lake - it's low water levels and predation. Biology

 

[Rowdie]

The reality is residents catch way more fish. Whats a nr come 3 maybe a week and residents fishes over a hundred times a year. Lowering limits for everyone would be the only logical route to go

And the local GUIDES go out day after day after day, and if anyone is limiting they are. How much you wanna bet the guides and deckhands' limit is counted everyday also. Once a guide in Mobridge had the nerve to say something to my brother, who lauched a 12 am boat from shore and tied to a pillar. It was up the Grand in the fall, and limits were easy. Now you tell me, who's harder on the resource, ONE guy catching less than 10 limits in the fall or a FKN guide who takes multiple people out daily!

 

[Obi-Wan]

I don't understand this at all. There are PLENTY of North Dakota residents using guides. Does that make the ND guide who is also a resident, a terrible person because he's "taking advantage" of his ND right to ND waters? An "unfair advantage"? Guides aren't the problem at Devils Lake - it's low water levels and predation. Biology

What other public resource can an average ND citizen profit off of ? provide list