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Sakakawea

by , Posted to on 10/10/2009 7:35 PM | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 01/12/2008
Location: ND
Anyone have any theories on why this year was such a tough one? I realize it may take a few years to see the benefits of all the high water but this year had to be the worst that I ever remember. Was it maybe a record hatch of baitfish that had the walleyes bellies full that they were that hard to catch?

I remember this spring on Oahe there was bait fish like I have never seen in a body of water before this year. It didn't matter where you were, two feet from shore or two hundred yards from shore you could look in the water and see baitfish everywhere and walleyes were still biting like crazy. Did anyone notice baitfish like this on Sak?

It would be nice to hear from the G&F on why the fishing is so tough and if they are expecting good things for the future. How was the smelt spawn? Pike spawn? Walleye spawn? Anyone hear or know anything on the future outlook of Ole' Sak?
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/10/2009 7:46 PM | Reply #1 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 01/09/2002
Location: ND
Ehh, I didn't really have a tough time boating fish the few times I was up there.


Maybe you just suck at lake fishing, kinda like how I suck at river fishing. 
“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” ~ Mark Twain
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/11/2009 09:46 AM | Reply #2 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 08/24/2005
Location: ND
The fishing was pretty bad on the east end of the lake until about July 4th, it seemed like it fired up for about a month, and then shut off for the month of August. It seems like now since septemember, the fishing has been really good. I know a bunch of guys that have been going out on some of these crappy nights lately and doing VERY well. Its not that the fishing has been bad, its just not following the normal timelines. With the east end of the lake, it seems like we fish well from ice off until after the Governors Cup, then it really slows down, and areas like Indian hills and van hook and deepwater really turn on. Now here it is october all ready, and were just finally getting into our may/june bite.
 
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/11/2009 8:56 PM | Reply #3 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND
If anyone teed off on the fish on Sakakawea they are did better than 97% of the fishermen on the lake or they just fished during June when fishing is good (actually, it sucked bad for many during June too).  Don't get me wrong, someone is always catching fish but what I mean by teed off is consistently coming in with quality limits or even near quality limits of fish during the entire season.

It was a very unpredicatable year.  Cool water.  Not many fish left in the lake.  Etc.

Look for better years to come.  She'll need a few  years to make a rebound but even so, what fish are left in the lake should be a little easier to catch next year.  Or maybe not, still a pile of water out there and not as many fish.  That will make fishing still fishing, versus catching.

For me, this was the worst year of fishing I can remember.




 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/11/2009 9:07 PM | Reply #4 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND
By the way, I expect the spawn was good for every species.  I still wish they would have stocked though.  It was a missed opportunity in my opinion.  The walleye spawn was good but good based only off the fact that what fish were left, did get a good spawn.

Also, I wanted to let you know the NDGF has a web cast on their front page.  Or you can access it by clicking on the quick link found just below the article section on the home page of this website.




 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/12/2009 08:06 AM | Reply #5 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 06/09/2003
Location: ND
I fished Van Hook, Pouch Bay area, & Reunion.  Van Hook was the worst IMO, but the other two spots were not to far behind.  Fish were caught but limits were not the norm.  Fish seemed to move much deeper much earlier in the year.  Very rare that a limit was caught in 8 ft or less.  Lots of small fish too.
Can only figure that the baitfish moved deeper, thus the fish moved deeper.  I'm talking 25 ft to 70 ft..
Also think that the huge rise in water this spring changed fish patterns.  Have a feeling that next season the fish will resume their patterns of yesteryear.
Was all good though.
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/12/2009 09:16 AM | Reply #6 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 10/27/2004
Location: ND
Did anyone have luck fishing the flooded cottonwoods this year?   Seems to me there should have been fish in the flooded timber but I never had any luck.
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Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/12/2009 09:20 AM | Reply #7 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 05/08/2007
Location: ND
Toughest year I have ever had up there also , I think 2010 will be a carbon copy  , but
its worth it to have the money , Tim you are right it should have been stocked this year .
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/12/2009 09:29 AM | Reply #8 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 07/14/2003
Location: ND
No, I played in the weeds and flooded junk and had very little success.  I know others that played with the bobbers etc and it was definitely a deep pattern.

Here's a news release on Sakakawea.  My assumptions were incorrect.  Sakakawea didn't have that great of a reproduction year.  Why?  Not sure, probably lack of spawning populations of fish, especially walleye?

Reproduction Survey Shows Excellent Numbers of Young Fish
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual fall survey shows exceptional numbers statewide of young-of-the-year walleye, perch and northern pike, according to Scott Gangl, fisheries management section leader.

“The end result is a combination of our stocking efforts and excellent natural reproduction,” Gangl said, noting that a record number of lakes were stocked this year.

The Missouri River from Garrison Dam to Lake Oahe led the way with outstanding natural walleye reproduction. “This stretch was phenomenal, and this is noteworthy because it is all natural,” Gangl said. “Nothing is stocked in the Missouri River.”
Lake Oahe and Devils Lake also showed excellent numbers of young fish during the survey. “This was one of the best years ever for Lake Oahe, definitely a top five year,” Gangl said. “Devils Lake was off the charts, with numbers six times greater than the long term average.”

Game and Fish did not stock walleye in Lake Oahe or Devils Lake in 2009.

Lake Sakakawea wasn’t nearly as good as the other larger systems, but it was better than the last few years. “There was some natural reproduction, and numbers were similar to the end of the last drought in the early 1990s,” Gangl said.

Many of the smaller lakes had good numbers of young fish as well. “Whether it was because of stocking efforts or on lakes with natural reproduction, it was pretty standard across the state with a really good take of fish this year,” Gangl said. “Flooding across much of the state provided excellent fish habitat conditions.”
In general, fisheries crews saw good numbers of early spawning species, such as walleye, pike and perch, Gangl said. “Pike and perch take advantage of flooded vegetation and with the large amount of water this year we saw good natural reproduction,” he said.

Statewide, Gangl said forage species did really well. “Fathead minnows in smaller lakes were very abundant,” he added. “On some of the bigger systems, there was really good reproduction of white bass, crappies, and other minnow and sucker species.”

Gangl said a disappointment from this fall’s sampling was the lack of gizzard shad in the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. “Shad can’t tolerate cold water for long periods, and the severity of last winter appears to have depleted much of the adult population, as few young-of-the-year shad were collected this year,” he said.

Fall reproduction sampling provides biologists with an index that measures natural reproduction and stocking success. It allows biologists to see if fish did spawn, and how fingerlings survived the summer. All large and mid-sized reservoirs are sampled every year, and many small lakes are targeted as well. Survey nets are designed for small, young fish, which allows biologists to assess reproduction and status of both game and forage fish species.

“Good reproduction or stocking success is certainly the first step to good fishing, but those little fish have to survive their first couple of winters before they get to a size that anglers can catch,” Gangl said.





 
Kirsch's Outdoor Products | Fargo, ND | 701-261-9017 koutdoorproducts.com
Risovi Taxidermy Studio | New Rockford, ND | 701-947-2048 risovitaxidermystudio.com
Jig-em-Up Guide Service | Grand Forks, ND | 701-739-9198 jig-em-up-guide-service.com

 
Re: Sakakawea
by on 10/12/2009 09:32 AM | Reply #9 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |

Joined: 01/06/2007
Location: ND
I know the east end of sak was bad this summer but we had good fishing all summer long west of White Earth.  Best fishing I have seen in probably 10 years I bet.  The fish just stayed on our end of the lake I guess..
9 Replies | Page 1 of 11 | Top of Page | Bottom of Page
Posted By:
Posted On: 10/10/2009 7:35 PM
835 Views, 9 Comments

Tags: sakakawea, year, anyone, water, remember, tough, years, theories, worst, benefits
More Tags: Human Interest
Region: North Dakota

Categories: Fishing
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