Author Topic: Trip advice needed (Read 2376 times)

swampdonkeyice · « **on:** Jan 22, 2013, 03:10 PM »

Taking a trip in mid feb, having a hard time deciding on where to go, considering Millle Lacs, Bitter, or Devils. Anyone have any recomendations on a worth while trip? We want to target perch and walleye, with the oppurtunity at a trophy walleye. I live in Ogallala, and 10 hr drive would probably be the limit. You can PM me if you want, thanks boys!

ULking · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 22, 2013, 04:00 PM »

Quote from: swampdonkeyice on Jan 22, 2013, 03:10 PM

Taking a trip in mid feb, having a hard time deciding on where to go, considering Millle Lacs, Bitter, or Devils. Anyone have any recomendations on a worth while trip? We want to target perch and walleye, with the oppurtunity at a trophy walleye. I live in Ogallala, and 10 hr drive would probably be the limit. You can PM me if you want, thanks boys!

i would say devils lake! but not till march lol feb. i hear its kinda dead up there but thats just me id go bitter!

swampdonkeyice · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 22, 2013, 05:06 PM »

thanks sir!

Eastwesterner · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 22, 2013, 05:09 PM »

Last year bitter started out hot too and tailed off late when I got there late feb. other lakes in the area though. Reetz treated us best on late ice last year and Lynn was productive but smaller fish than bitter holds.

jigtwitcher · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 23, 2013, 08:05 AM »

I heard that devil lake was red hot early and was a pretty tought bite for perch right now. I think I would try Mille lacs for your trophy walleye. Never have fished bitter. Good luck wherever you go!

EyeDoc · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 23, 2013, 10:34 AM »

Were heading to bitter in a couple weeks, seems like a good area with a ton of options to fish. I have friends fishing up there the next few weekends before we go, seems like the bite is slowing a little but has been steady. The fish are moving a little and are being caught in deeper water. Cant wait. We will likely do Devils next year, have to cross that one off the list as well!

swampdonkeyice · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 23, 2013, 01:39 PM »

Nice, thanks for the input, we have decided on Mille Lacs, Ill post pics

fowlfoolr1979 · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 23, 2013, 02:49 PM »

I would say bitter lake as well.... I am headed up there Friday to fish for 3 days and will post a report when I return.... Perch are still good on bitter as well as walleye are the reports I got yesterday from my buddies who are there right now..... The key to icing perch is to stay on em.... move... move.... move.... don't sit in one spot all day long. Lot of little walleye are being caught but also a decent amount of legal fish as well.

Layne

stinkyclam119 · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 24, 2013, 11:48 PM »

I was at bitter 3 weeks ago and it was hot...the first day we limited out with four guys on perch in 3 hours....just got a report from two buddies this weekend it was terrible and have heard many reports like that since I think its getting tough pickins but if you venture off from the pressure find a secret honey hole id bet you do fair

fowlfoolr1979 · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 30, 2013, 06:52 PM »

Fished Bitter Saturday, Sunday and the first 3 hours Monday morning and did pretty well on nice perch.... This was only my second time ever fishing Bitter and I thought my buddy and I did pretty well for not knowing that body of water well. The first morning we struggled and did not put a perch on the ice until at least 10 am and we started fishing at 630 am. lol I would not say that the perch were on fire but just as all the reports were telling.... when they come through be ready and be quick and you can pop 5 or 6 in just a matter of minutes and I'd say 95% of them are keeper sized fish. The two of us only caught 6 perch total that were small. What a great perch fishery! We ended up bringing back 45 perch between us and all were from 11-14" fish.... Only 1 was right at 14" that I caught on the last morning first thing before we left to head back to Lincoln.... Most all of our fish came in 23' of water, my buddy used a buckshot rattle spoon all weekend and I caught all my perch on a perch colored go-devil in glow tipped with minnow heads... Only a couple came on waxworms when they got finicky midday and they wanted small baits just sitting idle. Make sure to have plenty of minnows because the 4-12" walleye will not leave you alone ever.... I suspect we caught probably close to 100 between us. We didn't target the bigger walleye this trip as most of them were being caught in shallow water.... 8-14' and we were after jumbo perch this trip and they seemed to be all deeper. We also got a few nice perch in 30' of water one morning as well.... Approx. 22" of ice and pretty much from what we saw the whole lake was drivable by full size truck. Best bite for us was from 630 am to about 930 and then again from about 330 until 530. From the sounds of it Waubay was putting out some good perch as well as we saw some guys at our motel cleaning quite a few nice fish from there as well... I would say the size of their fish were about the same as ours from bitter.... maybe just a tad smaller average but not much. Neither of us ever hooked into a pike that we know of which I thought was kind of weird since it seemed everyone we talked to was running into lots of them. I would really like to get back up there 1 more time before iceout...

Layne

swampdonkeyice · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 08:06 AM »

Excellent Bitter report sir, a 14 inch perch is a tank! Glad you caught some fish, I love going to a new lake and figuring it out. Nice work!

grizzlyhackle · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 08:16 AM »

Thanks for the great report man, I would love to make it up there before the seasons over

EyeDoc · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 10:24 AM »

Agreed! Good report Layne. Were leaving in 1 week!

Not sure I can wait until then! Im shaking like a puppy trying to pass a peach seed! Ha. We plan on fishing Bitter and Waubay.

fowlfoolr1979 · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 03:20 PM »

Thanks for the kind words guys.... and you are right... figuring out a lake and getting some nice fish makes a person feel really good!

I put that 14" fish in the freezer as it is probably going to go on the wall.... Just need one more of that size or bigger to go with it. It is really tough to find perch that size... and just to think that there are 15" perch swimming around in Bitter as well. I would really like to make another run up there before ice out... from the sounds of things March has a very good bite usually happening, but with work it looks like the only time I can get a day off during the week is Friday Feb. 8th and if I don't make it up that weekend it looks as if I would have to swing just a Saturday and Sunday fishing trip up there. Even with fish like that most of my fishing buds still don't wanna take the trip up there....

bunch of wusses. lol. Eyedoc I was the same way.... it was tough to sleep those last few nights before heading up there last Friday.

Layne

grizzlyhackle · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 03:24 PM »

Quote from: fowlfoolr1979 on Jan 31, 2013, 03:20 PM

Thanks for the kind words guys.... and you are right... figuring out a lake and getting some nice fish makes a person feel really good! I put that 14" fish in the freezer as it is probably going to go on the wall.... Just need one more of that size or bigger to go with it. It is really tough to find perch that size... and just to think that there are 15" perch swimming around in Bitter as well. I would really like to make another run up there before ice out... but with work it looks like the only time I can get a day off during the week is Friday Feb. 8th and if I don't make it up that weekend it looks as if I would have to swing just a Saturday and Sunday fishing trip up there. Even with fish like that most of my fishing buds still don't wanna take the trip up there.... bunch of wusses. lol. Eyedoc I was the same way.... it was tough to sleep those last few nights before heading up there last Friday.

Layne

Where do you usually stay when you head up there?

fowlfoolr1979 · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 03:34 PM »

Quote from: grizzlyhackle on Jan 31, 2013, 03:24 PM

Where do you usually stay when you head up there?

This trip was planned last minute... about a week out so most all the motels in Webster were already booked so we had to stay at the Day County Inn and Suites.... not the greatest place but for $50 a night for a room with 2 beds it got the job done.... I have heard great things about Circle of Pines motel as well as The Galley motel. There are quite a few places to stay nearby there but most I talked to last week were all booked up until the end of Feb.

Layne

EyeDoc · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 03:35 PM »

Layne,
We are going to be fishing next week if you can talk someone else in to going. Any other time I would be more then happy to have you jump in the truck with us but we have a full boat on the way up. Good luck on your quest for a 15" jumbo! Look us up if you can swing it!

fowlfoolr1979 · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 04:31 PM »

I will see if I can find anyone else who wants to head up next week.... What dates will you guys be fishing? Thanks for the invite if only you had more room.... If it doesnt work out this season maybe next winter we can go up together or meet up and ice some fish....

Layne

EyeDoc · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 08:57 PM »

Quote from: fowlfoolr1979 on Jan 31, 2013, 04:31 PM

I will see if I can find anyone else who wants to head up next week.... What dates will you guys be fishing? Thanks for the invite if only you had more room.... If it doesnt work out this season maybe next winter we can go up together or meet up and ice some fish....

Layne

Heck yes! We are fishing friday sat sunday so the 8-10

ULking · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 09:05 PM »

Quote from: EyeDoc on Jan 31, 2013, 08:57 PM

Heck yes! We are fishing friday sat sunday so the 8-10

if they had less ice id love to go!! late ice i hear bite gets pretty good!

masonfromMO · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 31, 2013, 09:45 PM »

man, glad I checked the Nebraska forum!!! great posts and info sharing about bitter/Waubay...mo group heading up to Webster 7th-10th staying at the galley...would love to exchange info with you eyedoc, or anyone on here, that might be up there the same time...and maybe we can help each other out if one of us gets on a good bite? we will be fishing bitter, Waubay, and maybe enemy swim..pm me if you are interested..

fowlfoolr1979 · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 01, 2013, 03:46 PM »

Quote from: ULking on Jan 31, 2013, 09:05 PM

if they had less ice id love to go!! late ice i hear bite gets pretty good!

Less ice I'd go?

Seriously.... lol.... No need to wait for less ice the bite can be and is just as good now! The bite will be good later on into Feb. and even into March but there will be no driving out then.... only sleds and wheelers then. It just makes things so much easier and less work when you can drive your full size truck and trailer right out to wherever you wanna fish... not to mention it is alot warmer driving across the lake in the truck than on a 4 wheeler.

Layne

EyeDoc · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 01, 2013, 03:59 PM »

Quote from: masonfromMO on Jan 31, 2013, 09:45 PM

man, glad I checked the Nebraska forum!!! great posts and info sharing about bitter/Waubay...mo group heading up to Webster 7th-10th staying at the galley...would love to exchange info with you eyedoc, or anyone on here, that might be up there the same time...and maybe we can help each other out if one of us gets on a good bite? we will be fishing bitter, Waubay, and maybe enemy swim..pm me if you are interested..

Pm sent out this morning. Im game. I think we will fish Waubay to start but I am intrigued by Enemy, got some good spots marked. Lets give it a try! See ya up there!

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Author Topic: Trip advice needed (Read 2376 times)