Friday Outdoors update

here's the latest

 

 

 

 

 

Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Weather permitting, anglers still finding some walleye down river of the Missouri River tailrace. Try jigs and minnows. Some shore success. Wing walls remain fair for walleye. Lots of pike throughout the river. A few trout in the tailrace. Lake Sakakawea fair for pike for both hook-and-line and spearing. Try 30 feet for walleye. Overall angler numbers are light on both the river and lake.

 

 

-          New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Van Hook Arm producing a few walleye with the best activity around 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Try jigs and minnows.

 

We have had some pretty good days mixed in with some just OK days over the past ten days. reality is that just about everywhere we go we are marking fish, the key is triggering them to bite

or to be there for that window they are feeding in (which may last twenty minutes or a few hours).

 

So there is a bit of a guessing game as to the time and location that will produce the next flurry...Some days we wait for the bite and other days we go looking for more aggressive fish.

 
The Devils Lake area has had a fair amount of snow mixed in with lots of wind which equals tough access and travel on the lake. We recommend snowmobiles or tracked vehicles of some kind as there are some major drifts out there.

Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River

Fish are on the move and are active. Structured areas and reefs ranging from 24-32 feet of water have been best, especially near Knight and Bridges islands. A steady all day sauger bite is being reported, with walleye most active during early mornings and mid- to-late afternoon hours. Some trophy walleye are being reported. Since the bite has been light, downsizing your presentation may be helpful. Smaller baits are working better this week, and the best colors remain gold,  pink and orange. Try a live minnow on a dead stick, and minnow heads on a jigging stick for the most fish. The houses placed over the mud are spread out and doing well, although more sporadic. Electronics are showing suspended fish. At the Northwest Angle, fishing has been consistently good. The houses placed around Little Oak and Garden islands are taking lots of nice walleye and sauger. Crappies and whitefish continue to be taken from the remote areas. Large northern pike are being caught when targeted. 800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Park Rapids

Deep snow on Park Rapids lakes now requires snowshoes, skis or snowmobiles to access areas off the ice roads. But don't put away your ice fishing gear just yet since the walleye bite remains strong from around 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tie on a jigging rap to get their attention, then drop a pink #4 hook and golden shiner in a nearby hole to entice them to bite. Fishing over 18-22 feet of water will lead to the most fish. After dusk, work depths of just over 10 feet of water. For crappies, try a slug bug tipped with a waxworm at the nearest cabbage weed patch in the deeper waters. Use caution when traveling on area lakes and watch for flooding. Most lakes are still flood-free and easily accessible, but flooding is still possible, especially on the spring-fed lakes. 800-247-0054; www.parkrapids.com

Detroit Lakes

High winds earlier this week created snow drifts in many of the plowed roads leading to community fishing spots. Travel will be limited to vehicles and easiest by snowmobile due to thick snow cover and slush. Ice is averaging 26-30 inches thick. Fishing has been relatively good for all species.

 

. Crappies are coming from the shallows, as well as the deep basin areas. For the most fish, use spoons or jigs tipped with minnow heads, larva or plastic tails. Fish above them to entice the bite. Sunfish are hitting smaller jigs tipped with waxies. Walleye are cooperating for anglers working the deeper weed edges on the breaks nearest the deepest waters. Jigging spoons, buckshot rattle spoons, and Swedish pimples tipped with minnow heads continue to produce the most fish. The best colors have been gold or bright two-tone combinations. Northern pike continue to be active in the shallow water weed areas, hitting large suckers under a bobber or on tip-up rigs. The current cold front should pass by Friday night, and fishing is expected improve considerably this weekend. 800-542-3992;

 

  BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) _ NORTH DAKOTA'S SENATE HAS ENDORSED A MEASURE TO INCREASE HUNTING, FISHING ANDBOATING FEES.

 

            THE STATE GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT REQUESTED THE INCREASE TO FEES TO MAINTAIN SERVICES AND INCREASE HABITAT. THE FEES WOULD INCREASE AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 15 PERCENT.

 

            THE SENATE APPROVED THE MEASURE THURSDAY. IT NOW GOES TO THE HOUSE FOR REVIEW.

 

            AGENCY DIRECTOR TERRY STEINWAND HAS SAID LICENSE SALES AND FEES HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH INFLATION, AND SOME HAVEN'T BEEN RAISED IN MORE THAN 30 YEARS. THE PROPOSED FEE INCREASE WOULD RAISE ABOUT $5 MILLION OVER THE NEXTTWO YEARS.

 

            THE AGENCY RECEIVES NO MONEY FROM THE STATE'S GENERAL FUND. IT IS SUPPORTED BY STATE LICENSING FEES ANDFEDERAL TAX MONEY FROM THE SALE OF FIREARMS, AMMUNITION AND OTHER SPORTING EQUIPMENT.

   

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