The Decline of Devils Lake

[camper]

When I was up there about a month ago our guide was blaming the huge number of guides for the downturn in perch fishing. It seemed like an odd take however true it was. How do you limit the number of guides? He also said there should have been be a lower limit.

 

[zoops]

 

[Rut2much]

Man, us 80s babies were super spoiled growing up in the nodak outdoor world. Deer hunting, waterfowl hunting, fishing have all been on a super downward spiral since a little after the turn of the century. Hard to even compare the times.

 

[Rut2much]

https://gf.nd.gov/magazine/2021/oct/my-2-cents
Uncanny correlation

Money money money and knee bending ever since. To hell with the actual nd citizen outdoorsmen.

 

[Jiffy]

Man, us 80s babies were super spoiled growing up in the nodak outdoor world. Deer hunting, waterfowl hunting, fishing have all been on a super downward spiral since a little after the turn of the century. Hard to even compare the times.

So much so it’s just a shell of itself.

Pretty sad gents, pretty sad.

 

[Traxion]

Man, us 80s babies were super spoiled growing up in the nodak outdoor world. Deer hunting, waterfowl hunting, fishing have all been on a super downward spiral since a little after the turn of the century. Hard to even compare the times.

Anyone else find it harder to be motivated given the current status of things? I’ve struggled to enjoy the current without thinking back to the good old days. It’s not with every activity, some things are better (Sak for example). But some of the ice fishing and hunting in general sure had changed a lot.

 

[tdismydog]

Anyone else find it harder to be motivated given the current status of things? I’ve struggled to enjoy the current without thinking back to the good old days. It’s not with every activity, some things are better (Sak for example). But some of the ice fishing and hunting in general sure had changed a lot.

I have very much found it harder to enjoy ice fishing. This may be because the decline of fishable lakes, decline in "secret spots", or more than likely because the older I get the less I like the cold and the work associated with ice fishing.


......don't tell my kid this........

 

[Jiffy]

I think the game and fish has done an outstanding job with some of our pothole lakes …aka sloughs. More specifically with walleyes. I don’t remember having as many “lakes” with such quality fish, or walleye at all, towards the turn of the century.

 

[Jiffy]

Hunting is done in this state and I mean that.

IMO!!

 

[Vollmer]

I think the game and fish has done an outstanding job with some of our pothole lakes …aka sloughs. More specifically with walleyes. I don’t remember having as many “lakes” with such quality fish, or walleye at all, towards the turn of the century.

I would agree with this, about walleye. In the North-Central area, however, I feel like the perch/bluegill fishing has not been as good, in the past 5+ years. In the winter, I prefer to fish for those species, as it tends to be more consistent in the winter.

 

[Maddog]

You don't realize how good you have it until you don't have it.

 

[Reprobait]

Can we at least drop the Perch limit to 10 like it is for other panfish? This is the year that new regulations come out.

 

[thriller1]

Can we at least drop the Perch limit to 10 like it is for other panfish? This is the year that new regulations come out.

I agree 100% The older I get, the more fish I release. Too many people think they GOTTA keep every fish the catch only to throw them away when they get freezer burned. I cringe when people I know are keeping fish I know they'll never consume...

 

[Rowdie]

You don't realize how good you have it until you don't have it.

For some, but I knew when it was lights out that It was the good ole days, hunting and fishing.

 

[Jiffy]

I remember talking about that too. There were a bunch that agreed we WERE in the good old days back then.

 

[Tikka280ai]

Can we at least drop the Perch limit to 10 like it is for other panfish? This is the year that new regulations come out.

Let's make the non resident limit half of the resident limit while we're at it

 

[Obi-Wan]

In the early 90's when the lake started filling up my grandfather was bragging to me how he was pounding the large walleye from shore as the water was coming in, I believe he called it channel A, he would have been in his upper 70's at the time. what goes up must come down and DL is in decline

 

[Rut2much]

Let's make the non resident limit half of the resident limit while we're at it

Ding ding ding

 

[Davy Crockett]

The start of the end was when our state sold out to tourism and invented the term " Devils lake, perch capitol of the world" .

 

[Rowdie]

I remember talking about that too. There were a bunch that agreed we WERE in the good old days back then.

When OAHE was at it's record lows in the 00's the habitat from the acres and acres of riverbottom produced the best pheasant hunting I ever had or ever will have. I was young enough to go out after work and had a stepson in HS that kept me going too. The fishing was also ver very good. In the spring we could go out after work and troll cranks upstream in the current and limit on all males from 22 to 16 inches. The summer we had to go to Mobridge but they upped the limit to 14 and it was easy to limit with 28, 42, or even 56 fish. I know they were all under 15 but still. I wore out 2 fillet knives in the 2000's