The Decline of Devils Lake

[Rut2much]

It's getting the same treatment as the deer herd did, wait til the damage is all done then say "Oops" while placing the blame on mother nature and the farmers trying to make a living. Incompetence and money hungry fools come to mind.

 

[wslayer]

Too little and too late from NDGF , It's not that long ago that perch in ND were non game fish no limit at all. Another thing is most out of state fishermen I'v been close to needed a kick in the nuts and sent back home to fish the waters that they ruined there. One time a guy in a MN boat that was crowding us for shoreline caught a dink walleye and rather than take the hook out and release he yanked the hook out and threw it hard straight down,trying to kill it . One guy in our boat said something and his reply was

" The Northerns gotta eat too" No respect .

Saw that shit going on with perch down at Hehn Schaeffer. Minn tags on the boat and they were catching small 7" perch hand over fist, slamming them back down in the water.. I got close enough so I could get the license, and told them so. I said if you don't like catching the small ones have you thought about moving? Said mind your own "f*cking." business. I said it was my business. 3 in they're boat so I was kinda out numbered so I moved on. Did not see them redneck tossing any more back.

 

[3Roosters]

I really don't think it's nonresident that fishing and taking their limits home that is causing the down fall of the fish population. I have family members on Devils Lake that I call the meat fisherman. They go to the lake Thurs afternoon and fish till Sunday afternoon. Friday, and Saturday they go out in the morning and catch there limit. Then go back in the afternoon and do the samething. They are up at Devils Lake every weekend all summer and falls. Catching 100's of fish over there limit. Because no one checks them. And there not the only ones doing it. I'm sure there are nonresident that abuse the limits. Look at all the campers along D.L. and watch how many times they hit the water everyday.

The meat fisherman are the worst kind.

There is the TIP program for this, family members or not. Might be a good lesson learned, no?

 

[huntemup]

The G&F Dept is giving the sportsmen of ND the middle finger to their concerns all for the sake of the money. Shut the season down and open in May. Let the MN boys find somewhere else. When you see all the trailers on the middle and east end of Sak there are a lot of both over and undersized fish being taken. They are alway there to check ANS but not on the water checking boats FFS in my opinion will ruin fishing. Those that use it say it doesn't help that much but you always see 2 or 3 guys in the front of the boat pitching to the fish. If it doesn't help that much why are they all using them. My 2 cents

 

[Davy Crockett]

Not to mention blue platers most likely brought aquatic nuisance with them from MN.

 

[Kurtr]

Not to mention blue platers most likely brought aquatic nuisance with them from MN.

What about sconis can’t let them off the hook.

 

[Davy Crockett]

right, they can stay home too.

 

[lunkerslayer]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...ult-yellow-perch-into-devils-lake-next-spring
https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...-fishing-hotbed-dates-back-to-the-early-1980s
No doubt when the devils was super low in the late 80s the perch bite was outstanding

 

[lunkerslayer]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sp...r-why-high-grading-isnt-legal-in-north-dakota

 

[shorthairsrus]

Perch so overrated. Go to hobart

 

[camper]

Perch so overrated. Go to hobart

Hobart is the Dead Sea.

 

[Eatsleeptrap]

Perch so overrated. Go to hobart

You are not wrong. I agree 100%, but they are a tasty, sleep in and get home at a decent time fish. They bite during the day, not just until sunrise, then not again until 5 minutes after sunset.

 

[Rut2much]

What I see is lack of preventative maintence. Just waiting until the motors shot and then reacting isn't the way to manage the reason many choose to stay and live here.
Listening to the resident sportsmen who reside here while they're seeing the effects happen early wouldn't get you into these situations GNF.
Managing resources 101=constant level of good, not short term pillaging when it's great and suffering long term after it's poor.

 

[walleyeman_1875]

Wouldn’t the easy thing be to keep the season open year round just like it is. This lets people do what they love do all year round.

Change daily limits so it is 100% catch and release from March 15 - May 15.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Wouldn’t the easy thing be to keep the season open year round just like it is. This lets people do what they love do all year round.

Change daily limits so it is 100% catch and release from March 15 - May 15.

why would you want catch and release for a few months? The better solutions if you want the fishery to recover would be only to allow people to keep perch every other year, or every 3rd year probably...

 

[Rut2much]

10 perch limit, stock perch in the meantime. 3 walleye limit in spring. 10 limit daily pike year round. Do this for 3-5 years and reassess.
That's without getting into higher fees and higher restrictions for nr's. Residents first, just how it should be in every state.