Author Topic: New to North Dakota. (Read 7005 times)

IllNsickly · « **on:** Sep 02, 2014, 12:49 AM »

I've been in Minot for 2 months or so, and I figure its a good time to light things back up, especially considering my unfamiliarity with ND. I have yet to meet what I am sure are some DIE HARD Hardwater Fishermen. Looking for some fishing buddies for weekend outings relatively close to town. Just want to see if anyone else is as impatient as I am.

RustyWaterDogs · « **Reply #1 on:** Sep 07, 2014, 09:43 AM »

I've been ready since the ice came off in spring. There are some great ice fishing opportunities around here. What would you consider close to town?

OldSailor · « **Reply #2 on:** Sep 07, 2014, 11:06 AM »

Quote from: IllNsickly on Sep 02, 2014, 12:49 AM

I've been in Minot for 2 months or so, and I figure its a good time to light things back up, especially considering my unfamiliarity with ND. I have yet to meet what I am sure are some DIE HARD Hardwater Fishermen. Looking for some fishing buddies for weekend outings relatively close to town. Just want to see if anyone else is as impatient as I am.

Time to update your location to reflect where you live now!!!

nbaker · « **Reply #3 on:** Sep 07, 2014, 11:19 PM »

I'll be fishing the bays on the south side of Sakakawea once the ice is thick enough. First ice though I will be on Audubon.

thorson · « **Reply #4 on:** Sep 27, 2014, 09:44 AM »

Lake Darling is a winner in my books. I would be spending time there too!

IllNsickly · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 06, 2014, 11:27 PM »

Alright.. Profile is updated to reflect new location.

Audubon/ Eastern half of Sakakawea would about my limit (that distance in any direction). If it were a planned trip, Devils Lake would be doable.

I like to tear out on a random Saturday/Sunday, but having limited gear and experience tends to hamper that.

SeisMec · « **Reply #6 on:** Oct 07, 2014, 02:15 PM »

@ IllNsickly, Welcome to the madness, sorry for not saying so sooner! If you don't have it yet get Navionics app on you smartphone. Any lake that North Dakota Game and Fish has a bathymetric (topo) map on will be in that app. There have been some very nice people out there that didn't make private a few choice waypoints of some structure and places that they may have been catching fish. First something about me; I use to lived around Minot from 1971 until 2001 when I moved to Louisiana for 13 yrs, the back to Minot area for 6 more yrs then out to Montana for 5 yrs. Now living in Bismarck.

A lot of people will get PO'ed at me for putting this info out there but that is what these websites are for and I'm not giving away any secrets here just not so common knowledge. First off read the regs, Twice. They give you a lot of info on where to fish. Check the North Dakota Game and Fish website. http://www.gf.nd.gov They have all the latest info, plus as a bonus they have lists of every lake managed by them with what fish is in it, current sizes and directions on how to get there. http://www.gf.nd.gov/magazines/march-april-2014/fishing-waters-report JawJacker, Automatic Fisherman and automatic hook setting tip ups ARE legal to use in ND so you can use something like these to help your caught rate.

Vetter, Janice L. <[email protected]>
Oct 6 (1 day ago)

to me
Hi Clifford,

It is indeed true, the devices are legal in North Dakota. Thank you for contacting the Department for clarification.

Good luck fishing!

Janice Vetter
North Dakota Game and Fish Dept.
Fisheries Division
[email protected]

From: -Info-Game & Fish Dept.
Sent: Monday, October 6, 2014 8:33 AM
To: Vetter, Janice L.
Subject: FW: Automatic hook setting device, JawJacker, Automatic Fisferman

As for spots to fish!!!!!!! Use the Navionics App, some of the spots I'm talking about below on on there!

There are several spots on the northeast side of Sakakawea off of the Stankie Bay boat ramp, Sportsman boat ram, old highway 83 road bed and the Wolf creek boat ramp. There are also a few by Fort Stevens State Park that you can drive to. I've fished a lot of those areas over the last few years and have caught fish on and around those drop offs and humps.

As for the Audubon side, those secrets are held a little tighter and may be more dangerous to get to. Audubon has a lot of springs in it so you need to follow a track that someone else has made. If you see tree branches sticking out of the ice, keep clear of them. People throw branches into holes over the springs as the ice freezes up to mark them. There are a few waypoints marked on the Audubon side but not many. From the Totten Trails boat ramp there are several areas that are good and the people in the know will have their perms sitting on the best spots in short order. The same can be said for the south side down by the Refuge headquarters. If you have a GPS handheld or the Navionics app on your phone you can mark these perms on it then try to beat them there next year. At the Garrison turn off on 83 you can head east until you hit the cabins on the north side of the lake. There is a boat ramp up there that gives access to the lake and people spread out all over up there to fish, you just need to watch out for the springs while out there.

Rice Lake, North and South Carlson are places that I haven't fished in years. They all hold pike, South Carlson is supposed to have perch as does Rice.

Darling is closest to you and has some good fish in it. Just down the hill from the Refuge headquarters is a parking lot. There is a nice spot that I use to fish about 100 to 150 yard up to the northeast where the channel comes close to the bank with some deeper flats there. Good for walleye, pike and perch. Off of boat ramp 3 on the west side you will see a bunch of perms over there once there is good ice. That's a big flats area and you can get pike, perch and walleye there.

Further north you have Greene and Grano, also good places to fish. I think it's at Greene boat ramp, as you are heading out to the lake there is a spring in the channel. Last year a pickup pulling a icehouse went through the ice there.

Buffalo Lodge east of Granville can get fun at times, a lot of nice pike and perch have been caught there with a sprinkling of walleye thrown in.

Hope this gives you a start.

Cliff

BowHunter1527 · « **Reply #7 on:** Oct 07, 2014, 08:41 PM »

Seismec its Grano not Green that has the big issues, seems every yr someone goes in up there. Its the northern boat ramp at Grano where it gets really narrow as you hit the lake. IMO the fishing is great S of Grano so no reason to really even head up there. Last yr I started by landing 3 and just kept heading N as more people would be taking up certain spots. Fishing is good just about anywhere in that channel so there is no reason to sit in a group of fisherman that keep following the crowds. I finished 7 mi N of ramp 3 and was getting my limits every day in 2-3 hrs or less.

IllNsickly · « **Reply #8 on:** Oct 08, 2014, 10:43 AM »

Wow. That a ton of great info. Thank you.

I will be horribly limited on gear this year.. no Shanty or Augur, just a bucket, jiggin rod or 2 and cold weather gear.. I had luck last year in Montana just showing up and finding holes open or someone nearby willing to pop a few holes for me. But I don't think I want to push it like that here..

SeisMec · « **Reply #9 on:** Oct 12, 2014, 09:42 AM »

If you don't want to buy new, check out the bismanonline.com. It's a free local classifieds that serves central ND mostly. There were several used ice fishing items in there the others day for a reasonable price.

nbaker · « **Reply #10 on:** Oct 12, 2014, 02:05 PM »

At least save up and find a used gas auger. Hand augers are no fun and will make for a long day unless you have the high dollar ones.

IllNsickly · « **Reply #11 on:** Oct 15, 2014, 10:59 PM »

Alas, family expenses preclude spending on an augur and shanty this year. A hand augur, however, would be producitve twice, physical fitness and a hole to fish from!!

GOOSE_EGG · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 22, 2014, 07:34 PM »

Im also new to the area but Im in Watford City. Of course Im here for work in the oil field. But i wanna fish as much as i can. Ive mapped out lake Sakakawea on navionics. Was wondering if there are any other small lakes in the area worth fishing. Also would love for someone to take me out and show me the ropes on lake Sakakawea...

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 23, 2014, 10:17 PM »

First post, nice site! I also am fairly new here in Nd. Was able to get out last winter on Sak at Skunk Bay. Living in Watford City as well. Tons to learn and I look forward to fishing Tobacco Garden and want to hit some other lakes and get the kids out. You guys want to get together and go, I'm in. Have auger, will have a shelter soon and have several rods and tip ups. Hope a Vexilar is under the Christmas tree....

SeisMec · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 09:28 AM »

Welcome to the ND thread guys.

dirtymike · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 04:15 PM »

Quote from: GOOSE_EGG on Nov 22, 2014, 07:34 PM

Im also new to the area but Im in Watford City. Of course Im here for work in the oil field. But i wanna fish as much as i can. Ive mapped out lake Sakakawea on navionics. Was wondering if there are any other small lakes in the area worth fishing. Also would love for someone to take me out and show me the ropes on lake Sakakawea...

I've fished sakakawea since I was in diapers...I still don't completely understand that lake. Sometimes, that's the best part about fishing. Welcome to north dakota. As long as you stay west of 83, your options are pretty limited. Smaller lakes/sloughs with good amounts of fish are towards the east side of the state.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 04:28 PM »

Quote from: IllNsickly on Oct 15, 2014, 10:59 PM

Alas, family expenses preclude spending on an augur and shanty this year. A hand augur, however, would be producitve twice, physical fitness and a hole to fish from!!

Yeah, it will give you a workout for sure. Nothing like going through 20 some inches several times in a row. My 7 year old found my struggles hilarious. We sat on buckets, just had to pick a decent day. Weren't too many last winter.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 07:38 PM »

Goose_egg- I got your PM but can't respond or leave pm's yet. Happy to answer your questions if you want to send me a number and will send a text back.

IllNsickly · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 08:30 PM »

Hey, Fellas. I don't have any problem with a couple hour drive to meet up. Stay in touch, and let me know when you want to meet up. I am going to start a nickel and dime fund to start collecting gear and am looking forward to the Hard Water.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 11:01 PM »

Will do for sure. Really chomping at the bit now.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 03:09 PM »

Quote from: dirtymike on Nov 24, 2014, 04:15 PM

I've fished sakakawea since I was in diapers...I still don't completely understand that lake. Sometimes, that's the best part about fishing. Welcome to north dakota. As long as you stay west of 83, your options are pretty limited. Smaller lakes/sloughs with good amounts of fish are towards the east side of the state.

Prior to last year all my walleye fishing had been the occasional trip to Lake Erie and saugeye fishing small Ohio lakes. Sak has been humbling me since I got here; both on the ice and my boat. It is a whole different ball game and part of the fun is the challenge for sure but I look forward to heading east a few times to find some more forgiving water and hopefully get the kids a better chance for catching more often.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 08:31 AM »

Christmas came early. Have a Lowrance Elite 4x Hdi Ice Machine coming today and a Eskimo 949i pop up due in from Reeds Sports sometime later this week. Have a sled from last year and bought a Jiffy propane auger in July. At least if I catch next to nothing like last year I will look a little classier doing it....

SeisMec · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 09:18 AM »

That's funny NodakBuckeye! Wish you luck out there.

Tobacco Gardens area is good from ice out into late spring, eye's stage up there before they spawn. After spawn they start back down river, Van hook is generally a pretty good place. Late spring time, all the way into early summer fishing around 8 lbs Island, Shell Island can be a blast. I've done pretty good in a lot of the cuts and flats going out from the boat ramp at Van Hook in the winter. At Indian Hills, Pepsi flats is a good place for summer/winter fishing and there are a hundreds of places along the bluffs there to jig and trolling. I've heard that the Little Missouri can be a real hot spot from ice out through the winter too but I can't confirm that as I've never fished that area much.

I use to have a bunch of way points on my GPS in the boat, I'll try to remember to get it out of the boat and see if I can get them for you new guys living up on that end of the lake. They're not any special/secret places, just places that I've hooked into fish while trolling or jigging. One of those way points is where I was drift fishing and got a birds nest on my baitcaster, got it straightened out and felt a heavy constant pull and thought I had hooked into a chuck of wood. Well that chuck of wood gave a head shake and when it came on board the boat turned out to be a 9+ lbs walleye that got weighed and put back in.

Cliff

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 11:31 AM »

Thanks for the info Cliff, I appreciate it. I've seen guys take heat for less, lol. Have kids to take to hockey and scouts tonight then work the next 7 nights so my intent is to hit Tobacco Garden a week from tomorrow. Anybody free and wants to come with; let me know. There are about a dozen or so permanent houses in the usual spot out there as of this morning. No vehicles but width of tracks suggest trucks have been driven out. I guy was pulling in with a side by side when I left.

Eric

SeisMec · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 05:51 PM »

That okay Eric, bring on the flaming; I got the hotdogs and marshmallows. I believe that is exactly what this website is for. Passing on the knowledge (??questionable) that I have that may help someone else enjoy this addiction we call fishing. I took plenty of heat on a ND site because I put up current fish reports and told people they were crazy if they thought that they owned a patch of ice on public water a hour after they left it, let alone the next day like a lot of them claimed.

Enjoy
Cliff

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 02, 2014, 08:03 PM »

Good to hear that, I will help as much as I can. Hard to do on other sites It seems. For a newbie like me with kids and limits on time, it is appreciated.

GOOSE_EGG · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 10, 2014, 02:06 AM »

Just bumping to wake it up... Just got to town...in stanley for a few weeks. I'm working nights so I'll be hitting up the sunrise bite.....I hope.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 20, 2015, 04:03 PM »

Heading out in the morning. Think I am going to skip the big lake as it has been giving me fits. Thinking of making the drive up to Powers Lake area or Turtle Lake. Anyone wanting to learn new ways to not catch fish is welcome. Haha

Looking at Lake Breken, Northgate Dam, Smishek or Hiddenwood Lake and Makoti Lakes as possibles. Really more of a scouting trip to find a lake to take the kids to, 5 to 9 year olds.

Disco Bobber · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 21, 2015, 05:29 AM »

Crooked Lake just North of Turtle lake is reportedly producing large numbers of small Perch although very few keepers.

NodakBuckeye · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 21, 2015, 08:44 PM »

Thanks for the tip! Ended up going to Hiddenwood; marked fish but only a couple bites: one keeper perch and a 9" kamakaze northern and missed a couple of perch. Ice was close to thick enough that an extension would have been helpful.

News:

Author Topic: New to North Dakota. (Read 7005 times)