# Fishing heating up!



## Park (Mar 14, 2004)

Water Temps are rising and the fish are starting to come in the shallows.
The fishing should be great this weekend!
Everyone is welcome even North Dakotans!

:beer:

Park


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Why on God's green earth would north dakotans want to go to Minnesota right now when the hottest walleye fishery is located inside ND's borders.
Devils lake is ready to explode with more 3-6 feet areas than ANY lake in Minnesota.
Leave ND to fish MN: That just doesn't make sense to me.
You are right on one thing though Park, the fishing is about to explode on DL either this weekend or shortly after.
Got my cranks ready to go.

cootkiller


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Derrrr....

That and gamefish seasons aren't even open yet in MINNESOTA!

Go to MN to NOT CATCH PIKE AND WALLEYE this weekend. Sounds like a plan! :eyeroll:


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

cootkiller said:


> Why on God's green earth would north dakotans want to go to Minnesota right now when the hottest walleye fishery is located inside ND's borders.
> cootkiller


I dont know coot...
Why dont you ask the many who spend so much time here?


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Or we could ask the hundredes of Minnesota anglers I met, who were lined up on Channel A with me for the last month!

...that and my dog could beat up your dog!!!


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Sorry Bert, but I guess I thought I was asking them why. Don't worry, you will never see cootkiller there, we have plenty of sloughs on our farm that I could replicate the experience.

I do believe that alot of the North Dakotans that flock to MN lakes in the summer do so more on a recreation basis such as relaxation and jet skiing and boating. Yes, there are a lot of fishing licenses sold to people from ND but how many of those are serious outdoorsmen that are venturing over there for the sole purpose of fishing?

By the way, how many of Minnesota's 9,993 sloughs and 7 lakes are destinations for Major Fishing Tourneys, i.e. PWT, RCL, etc......

Just curious.

Not that I like the fact that these large tournaments use Devils Lake as a frequent destination as I think Pro tourneys are bad for a fishery, but usually these organization target the creme de la creme of fishing lakes.

cootkiller

Not here to make people mad or stir the pot, just asking the questions that need to asked.


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

Some good points Coot. For some people who have lake places, or relatives with lake places in Mn. it is nice to just hop in the car after work, drive 50 minutes, and your in the boat fishing. Since the boat is on the lift there is no trailering, waiting in lines etc. I don't mind giving up some of the quality of fishing for these things. Also it has a lot to do with family as my son loves to go to Nana and Papa's to jet ski, fish, etc. This summer I am hoping to make at least two trips to devils lake as the fishing is awesome, but there is also something to be said for having a lake place........


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

cootkiller, I'm a North Dakotan that goes to MN every year for fishing opportunities, and we would be a bit egotistical to say that MN fishing can't compare to that in ND. Some of these "sloughs" as you have called them have excellent fishing... Leech Lake, Red Lake, Winnie, Mille Lacs, and countless lakes in the Ottertail County area. If 9,973 of MN's lakes are "sloughs", I'd hate to see the definition of the "lakes" that are found on NDGF's stocking reports. If you like fishing for crappie or smallmouths, opportunities in MN are excellent. Plus, if they aren't biting where you are, cruise a few miles and try another lake.

ND also has excellent fishing opportunties, and few would argue about the quality of the Missouri River, Devils Lake, etc. The point is that both states have quality fishing (and hunting) opportunities, but they are different.


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## james s melson (Aug 19, 2003)

2 lakes, 1 river.....WOW!


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

james...and no ducks, no geese, no deer, no people, no problem!!! 8)

it's really no use to even drive over here anymore


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Yeah Coot, you must be right and all those people who come to Minnesota every year dont know a sparkling, treelined lake full of fish from a mud hole...
I've fished NoDak. Yeah there are a couple of bodies of water where the walleyes commit suicide. 
Pounding ones guts out on a man made (or man-screwed-up) lake with water that looks like chocolate milk most of the time in a treeless pasture... for 6 fish.
Be cheaper and more exciting to go to Morey's Fish House and buy fillets.

What a hoot. I am 5 minutes from 6 (and 5 seconds from one) lakes where I can catch a limit about any time I want. I can do it from a 14 foot boat with a 15 horse motor and look at something other than a herd of angus on the hillside.

Walleye tourny's? Gee I dunno... LOW Mille Lacs Winnie Leech Red Wing... bet they tournament the hell out of Upper Red come 06. Wish they would all stick to NoDak too.

Yup, Minnesota is crappy fishing and hunting. Doesnt pay to come here.
Take yer jet skis to Devils Lake or Sak and knock yourself out... literally.


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

C'mon guys, let's focus on our common interests instead of taking jabs. These MN vs ND exchanges, although some might be in jest, divide sportsmen. I have never faulted freelancing MN residents coming to ND to hunt or fish, nor ND residents from heading east for some outdoor enjoyment.

I am against the increasing commercialization of hunting, not the freelancers. The battle here should not be between residents and non-residents, but between freelancers and G/Os.

Let's be honest, both states have great outdoor opportunities. ND has incredible waterfowl, pheasant, and sharptail hunting. ND also has elk, pronghorn, and mule deer. For river fishing, the Mighty MO is hard to beat, as is Devils Lake for those monster perch. On the flipside, I'll head to MN if I want a monser whitetail, ruffed grouse, Hungarian partridge, or to catch those big crappie on Lida or Red.

The reason I love this area of the country is the ability to go back and forth across the border for these activities depending on my interests and the weather. The reason I moved to ND instead of MN is because I love to hunt ducks, and ND is where the ducks are.

Many folks continue to support further restrictions on non-resident hunters to ND, and MN threatens to follow suit with some of its own. If this happens, and an ND resident from myself finds it difficult or impossible to hunt or fish in MN, I will need to really enjoy duck hunting, river walleye fishing (or any of those other activities that ND excels in) to stay here. What if I we go through a dry cycle the next decade or so and the potholes dry up. What keeps people in ND then?

There are lots of places besides ND that have clean air, quiet, low crime and good public education. What separates ND from the rest are the freelancing hunting and fishing opportunities. These interstate hunting and fishing restrictions frankly limit the freelance hunting and fishing opportunities.

Limit the licenses for G/Os all you want, regardless if the customer is from Minot or Minneapolis. I'd rather hunt next to a freelancer from MN than a paying customer from ND.

I'd suggest that we get over this us vs them, ND vs MN exchanges and focus our common disdain for guides and outfitters. If we do, we will likely find allies in our fight east of the Red River.


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## maple lake duck slayer (Sep 25, 2003)

Ladies, ladies:
You sound like a couple of two year olds fighting over toys. Every state, no matter what it's name is or where it is located, has something to offer everyone. It is blatently lying if you say ND has no good opportunities for fishing and other activities. It is also blatently lying to say Minnesota has 7 lakes and however many sloughs. In fact, isn't that one of MN's problems, that we are destroying all our sloughs. If we had that many sloughs, our duck populations would be a lot higher I would think. Anyway, the point is that every place has something to offer, don't verbally attack a place that you may not have been to very often or even fished. I love going to my cabin in the spring and catching the northerns out of the shallows and around sunset catching tons of 1/2 lb to 1 lb bluegills. And I would like to fish a slough in ND for northerns and walleyes, but never have. It is the outdoors, that is what us outdoorsmen are supposed to like to do. Not sit on the internet and bash people for where they fish. Come on.


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

I'd be really curious to see sampling data from G&F and MDNR on fishing-days or fishing-hours, which is really the ultimate measure of use. Licenses tell something, but only a part of the story.

Lots of Eastern ND people with generational cabins in NW MN. I know lots of these people, who, as others have suggested, buy fishing licenses but spend very little or no time fishing. For many, fishing doesn't hit the top ten activities that happen at the cabin, but they buy a license every year for the occasional outing or more likely fishing off the dock with jr. or grand jr. I wonder how many fishing-hours the 27,000 ND resident fisherpersons actually lay on the MN waters?

Is the same true of the 11,000 MN fisherpersons on ND waters? Do they come here for other reasons and buy a license incidental to other purposes? How many MN's have cabins in ND where fishing is just one of the activities that goes on there? Or, do they come here to fish and fish they do.

What are the comparable resources? The birds, the fish and/or the lakeshore? Even if every front foot of MN lakeshore was owned by an ND, every MN would still have access to the fish and the fish would not get chased to IA.

And, if you want to make MN lakeshore a resource to compare with ND birds, you need to talk to some bankers and realtors in MN Lake Country to see where the migration into and pricing pressure for Lakes Country has been coming from the past 10 years or so. Not from the West, at least not the immediate West. Many ND's would not be in the MN Lakes Country today but for the fact dad or grandpa bought when prices were affordable relative to income.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Here is one of my old sayings...where there are people there are problems...where there are problems there is progress.


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## Park (Mar 14, 2004)

Biggdaddy

I want you to run for Govoner of both States!

When I posted this it wasn't to stir the pot (I shouldn't have put in the even ND comment) But it was because I am fired up that winter is over and this is a great time to enoy our part of the country with the fish in the shallows and cricks and no mosqitos in site.

What area in MN do you fish?

Park


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Well Bert,
At least we agree on something, you stay there and I will stay here. I have no reason to leave. My outdoorsman heart is content in gods country here in ND. From the valley to the prairie to the foothills of the rocky mountains. We have everything. Hell even the bears and the cougars are coming back and if headhunter succeeds in his quest we will soon have bear and cougar hunting.

A little Joke among friends----
When god made the earth he wanted balance in all things.
In order to make a balance of the greatness and beauty of ND he had to create Minnesota. :lol:

cootkiller


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

Park, I mostly fish in the Pelican Rapids area on Lida, Lizzie, Crystal, and Melissa. I also make it to the Alexandria area from time to time to try my luck on Miltona and Vermont.


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## Park (Mar 14, 2004)

Dan,

You don't need info fro the G&F or the DNR you just need to go and sit on HWY 10 out of Moorehead any Friday afternoon to get your answer.

Last year in rough #s there were about 28,000 non-res lic's sold to ND for fishing.

There were about 15,000 MN coming to ND to Hunt.

Hunting season is about 2 months long. I can,t beleive that most non res MN hunters spend more than 10 days a year hunting there.

Fishing in MN is all year long. You can't hardly ever go to a boat access in the Detroit lakes area without seeing ND lic. plates. In the winter its even easier to see theAars and trucks on the lakes and were there from.

Tight lines 
Park

People at acesses are generaly serious fisherpeople


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## Park (Mar 14, 2004)

Bigdaddy

I use to live in Fargo and I loved fishing that area they are some great lakes. Now in Park Rapids. The only complaint I have is that there are to many lakes to choose from. Too many lakes and not enough time.
Tight Lines
Park


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## james s melson (Aug 19, 2003)

Why does "Gods country" struggle to maintain the same population it had in 1900. Don't get me wrong, I love to come to ND for my 10 days each fall.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Would someone please say something worth while instead of beating your heads against the wall with ND has this MN has this why don't you stay home blah blah blah. Its always the same people doing it too. For god sakes stop the insanity. :******:


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

Geeze,

JSM, Cootkiller, and Bert on the same thread? You guys just aren't happy unless you're bashing the other side. Kind of like my grandmother telling my grandfather, "you'd argue that the sky was falling if someone told you it wasn't.

MANY of us from ND fish MN EVERY weekend in the SPRING and SUMMER and we APPRECIATE IT very much. We pay more but it's not even a thought! I've lived in ND my entire life and only fished the Missouri once. Yah the walleyes kind of jumped in the boat. MN has the scenery, an abundance of many more species and it's where I chose to have a vacation home and pay TAXES which by the way DOESN'T give me anything extra....and I'd never think that it would!

I was trying to stay away from the threads for a while but I see things are NEVER going to change! I've read for the last year how some are more into MN and some are more into ND.....GREAT.....fish and hunt where you choose....I'm just sick and tired of hearing how some of you would never fish in the other's state.


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## Mr. B (Mar 16, 2004)

Like I said in another thread fish and hunt where you like as long as you respect the laws of where you are hunting and fishing.

There is a tremendous amount of outdoor oppurtunities across the country not just in MN or ND. For an example just pick up this months Field & Stream it lists the top 50 fishing destinations in North America. Parts of MN and ND are on that list.

If you are happy to stay at home and never try something new or differant, I am happy for you but please do not bash those that want to try and expierence many of the differant outdoor oppurtunities as possible.


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## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

WOW,
some of you need to quit taking yourselves so seriously.
Friendly jabbing about state pride is good.
Filed Hunter,
Maybe if you had a little pride in your state and stuck around to fish and hunt you would realize what you were missing.
I for one will NOT apologize for what I feel and the pride I have in ND and how I have personally fought to keep ND outdoors as great as it is.

cootkiller

And oh yeah, BUY A SENSE OF HUMOR


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## FLOYD (Oct 3, 2003)

A sense of humor? Do you really think you guys are amusing anyone with your BS? Is there a chance we can delete this thread all together? It started out as having nothing to do with whose state is better and just like 68% of threads the same few guys ruin it.


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## james s melson (Aug 19, 2003)

I can be as civil as the next guy, but when the MN bashing starts I will chime-in especially when its from people who admittedly do not ever leave the state and don't know anything first hand. I can also take a good natured sucker punch as well as the next guy. I didn't start the bashing but will be in the mix until lock.


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

Well said Field Hunter......


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

cootkiller said:


> A little Joke among friends----
> When god made the earth he wanted balance in all things.
> In order to make a balance of the greatness and beauty of ND he had to create Minnesota. :lol:
> 
> cootkiller


You're a daisy coot. 8) Gotta admit you have a sense of humor, and you're absolutely right. God balances things out quite nicely. Started to get a little hilly around these parts so I guess he figured he needed to flatten things out a bit over that way. :wink:

:beer:


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

If sense of humor is what you have, I'd rather not.


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## nilsmaster (Sep 26, 2003)

Oh nelly, MN with scenery over the Missouri? People say they drive through Iowa and claim it's the most boring drive ever. Know why? Flat and nothing but trees.

The resevoir over in western Nodak. Now there's scenery while fishing. My, oh my, oh my...

Hee hee just kidding folks but I had to defend the scenery of the big lake (yes, man made) and the "watch the angus on the shoreline" comment...actually I watch buffalo and mule deer on the shore while fishing. Quite relaxing...

Anywho, I fished Minnesota a few times this winter. Had a good time and plan to go back again. Was a little suprised I had to buy a license for my portable fish house but hey, that's just the way it is.

Good fishing folks. Spawn is done (if not very close) and the fish will be recovered shortly! Can't wait to pitch them jigs shallow!


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Nilsmaster, that license for the fish house is a joke. A guy almost has to have a license for cutting grass in Minn. What do they do with all this money?? Glad you came, what did you fish for?? Tip up fishing for monster Northern Pike is my game here. Great for pickeling!!

Park, It's sort of a shame that a simple topic that you started gets taken the way it does. :eyeroll:


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

You want fishing scenery try the the beautiful Ontario Island Paridise of Lake of the Woods from the North West Angle :beer: Anything less is like the girl you take home at closing time. Sorry cootie Devils Lake may produce but scenic it is NOT. oke:


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## Rangers (Dec 13, 2003)

Coot, you should fire up the motor and get ready, as good as you sound you could make some seriously easy money fishing some T's up there on DL this summer. If they ever have a bass T up there on DL give me a call, cause everybody knows they are easier to catch than walleyes. Think I'll go catch some slab crappie this weekend.


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## Rangers (Dec 13, 2003)

Hey Coot, Better yet, why don't you come over here to one of our sloughs and take some of the local money, after fishing on that big old DL one of MN little 2-3 thousand acre lakes (slough) should be a walk in the park for ya. See ya on the water


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