The Decline of Devils Lake

[Jiffy]

Guides and outfitters are wildlife pimps!!

Save your breath trying to change my mind.

It won’t happen.

 

[Kurtr]

Damn should have busted my pimp walk out while guiding pheasant hunters

 

[Jiffy]

Big gold chains and all!!

 

[Obi-Wan]

State school land rental and state owned minerals come to mind.

They are paying to rent the land by the acre and limited to the number of cattle allowed. those removing the minerals from State Land are paying for the extraction fees in paying the state a % of the revenue from all minerals sold

 

[KDM]

I suspect if the NDGF put a warden with a scale at every launch and put a requirement to weigh all walleyes removed from DL for one week, the tonnage of walleyes coming out of that lake in 7 days would stun a fair number of folks.

Of course all double dippers, sconis, minnetuckians, and our own local fish pirates would stop fishing the lake after the first day.

 

[savage270]

They are paying to rent the land by the acre and limited to the number of cattle allowed. those removing the minerals from State Land are paying for the extraction fees in paying the state a % of the revenue from all minerals sold

Yes, and every client is buying a nd fishing license and the guides are buying their guide license. In all three situations the state is making money and the businessman is making a profit from the state's natural resources.

 

[xFishSlayerx]

What are the numbers? Total daily recreational fisherman compared to guides with clients per day? Gotta be more recs no? I don't get the whole blaming guides shtick i guess.

 

[CatDaddy]

Yep see alot of ND plates in Ne sodak and i wonder the same thing why they drive and pay for a nr license

Let's remember fishing isn't always about harvesting, it can be about the adventure. New lakes are a challenge, and a road trip helps give a break from this crazy world we call home these days. Might just be worth the price of a NR license!

 

[Davy Crockett]

A few years ago we rented a cabin at Grahams Island and there was a plain clothes warden watching the cleaning station like a hawk. The first day we got a mid morning start and I noticed he looked out of place just hanging out doing nothing , It was so hot that we came back in early and he was still there . we were short of a limit so we went back out in the evening and he was still there. Two days later , same thing. That was around the time when they made that big walleye bust.

Also at Sakakawea they used to hire college kids to sit at the boat ramps and survey how many fish people had caught. I haven't saw that since but I think the college kids kept a lot of people honest , the warden was flying under the radar and pretty sure he made a few busts and once word got out I bet he made a few honest people . Other than that Iv'e hardly saw a warden except for Metigoshe checking for life jackets and the required devices

 

[bigv]

You and your buddy get on a decent bite. You go out there day after day after day until they quit biting. What's the difference if a guide gets on a bite and goes out there day after day after day until they quit biting ? He goes looking for a different spot, why can't you do the same.? Some of the logic on here just doesn't make sense.
Don't get me wrong, I've never been a huge fan of guides, but if that is their passion and can make a living at it, give' r he'll Not sure what the proper way to regulate them is to make sure they are reporting proper income and paying their fair share ? ? ?

Theres a big difference to me. I saw 5 snow bears on a small body earlier this winter. So as you said...you and your buddy catch fish for a week. Good....a snow bear packs people in, so 4 guys in one?? Now you have 20 guys on said body of water each day till bite ends. Just from the guides. So a ball park number of perch may potentially be 400-500 perch taken just that week. Just from 5 bears. Now add it up for the season. And there are about a million bears around here. This scenario isn't far off. And actually I am not against guides either. But I wish gov would find way to weed out the guys who are serious about it and do it for a hard core living vs the wanna bes that do it for youtube. If any of that makes sense.

 

[Kurtr]

Let's remember fishing isn't always about harvesting, it can be about the adventure. New lakes are a challenge, and a road trip helps give a break from this crazy world we call home these days. Might just be worth the price of a NR license!

Yep i agree why i went to Sak to fish with my brother this winter. Just pointing out to the other guy people from ND also go to other states

 

[wslayer]

Theres a big difference to me. I saw 5 snow bears on a small body earlier this winter. So as you said...you and your buddy catch fish for a week. Good....a snow bear packs people in, so 4 guys in one?? Now you have 20 guys on said body of water each day till bite ends. Just from the guides. So a ball park number of perch may potentially be 400-500 perch taken just that week. Just from 5 bears. Now add it up for the season. And there are about a million bears around here. This scenario isn't far off. And actually I am not against guides either. But I wish gov would find way to weed out the guys who are serious about it and do it for a hard core living vs the wanna bes that do it for youtube. If any of that makes sense.

You have to find more buddies to even it up

 

[Griz]

I’ve witnessed guides taking clients to antelope lake from Devils Lake to wipe out that lake a few years ago. And watched them cut through Lake Alice to get into Lake Irvine in their boats. Lake Alice is closed to boats , but that doesn’t stop them. Also they can’t guide on Lake Alice for ice fishing but I’ve seen them leave clients on Lake Irvine and go scout Lake Alice. Come back and give them coordinates to go fish there, that way they’re not guiding them by taking them directly.
So yes I don’t like guides !

 

[Kurtr]

I’ve witnessed guides taking clients to antelope lake from Devils Lake to wipe out that lake a few years ago. And watched them cut through Lake Alice to get into Lake Irvine in their boats. Lake Alice is closed to boats , but that doesn’t stop them. Also they can’t guide on Lake Alice for ice fishing but I’ve seen them leave clients on Lake Irvine and go scout Lake Alice. Come back and give them coordinates to go fish there, that way they’re not guiding them by taking them directly.
So yes I don’t like guides !

When they were crossing the lake closed to boats did you call the warden?

 

[1lessdog]

I’ve witnessed guides taking clients to antelope lake from Devils Lake to wipe out that lake a few years ago. And watched them cut through Lake Alice to get into Lake Irvine in their boats. Lake Alice is closed to boats , but that doesn’t stop them. Also they can’t guide on Lake Alice for ice fishing but I’ve seen them leave clients on Lake Irvine and go scout Lake Alice. Come back and give them coordinates to go fish there, that way they’re not guiding them by taking them directly.
So yes I don’t like guides !

Dropping them off and going to find fish. Then coming back and giving them coordinates to go fish that is guiding. If your getting paid for coordinates or location, Look it up.

Did you call the warden and turn them in?

 

[Griz]

When they were crossing the lake closed to boats did you call the warden?

Yes I called and talked to 2 wardens. Unfortunately they can’t do anything about it, because it’s federal not state. They have called the feds and told them but nothing. There isn’t a federal warden stationed close to watch the area.

 

[Griz]

Dropping them off and going to find fish. Then coming back and giving them coordinates to go fish that is guiding. If your getting paid for coordinates or location, Look it up.

Did you call the warden and turn them in?

Again it’s federal not state. They know there’s no federal warden around.

 

[CrankB8]

Again it’s federal not state. They know there’s no federal warden around.

I've heard the exact same thing from buddy's up there that actively watch guiding on Alice. One of my good buddies has personally called state game warden and is told, by them, that it's federal and nothing is done about it.

 

[Kurtr]

Yes I called and talked to 2 wardens. Unfortunately they can’t do anything about it, because it’s federal not state. They have called the feds and told them but nothing. There isn’t a federal warden stationed close to watch the area.

Take pictures and send them. Seems there are plenty of federal wardens around during waterfowl season. They are out of Bismark give that office a call

or go to this page

https://www.fws.gov/program/office-of-law-enforcement/contact-us