Fishing Opportunities in the Glacial Lakes



Friends invite me to fish the Missouri River System in South Dakota, but my preference is not to fish big reservoirs.  Besides the the lakes in Kansas, the Glacial Lakes of northeast South Dakota provide a variety of waters to fish and a wide variety of available game fish.  Here is my favorite place to go. 

The town of Webster provides lodging from a variety of motels that cater to fishermen.  To the east is the town of Waubay with an excellent motel that also provides service to fishermen.  The best business in the town of Waubay is the Purple Cow Ice Cream Parlor.  Their motto is "A world without ice cream is a world in chaos and darkness."  If you are traveling up or down I-29, it is only a few miles off the interstate to the west and it is a great place to stop for a break.

It can't get any better than this.

There are more lakes than is shown on the map.  Out of those shown, I have fished on nine of them over the years.  Waubay is the lake to take on first in the early spring.  Here the walleye abound along with crappie and small mouth bass.  Fishing can be brisk, but a person needs to recognize the fact that the weather changes in eastern South Dakota compared to the forecast, and it can get windy.  The locals call it breezy. 

 My next favorite lake is Pickerel.  The deepest of the Glacial Lakes, the water is crystal clear and the crappie fishing has been excellent.  Fishing it midsummer will still produce nice catches of crappie, blue gill, some northern, small mouth bass, and small walleye.  The lake has a 15 inch minimum length on walleye, and you will catch a lot of small fish before you get to fish over the minimum.  At the north end of the lake picking up some nice size northern is highly possible. 

Swan to the south has been an excellent producer.  The walleye are quality fish, but a little on the small size.  You will have to catch a few to get to the minimum length, but the water is crystal clear.  Along the east bank is a weed bed and just off the weed bed, you will pick up some nice northern.  A little farther out into 14 to 16 feet of water lay the walleye.  Swan has a lot of boat traffic and there is plenty of competition for the good spots.

Periodically, I go to Antelope.  It is located just south of Webster and to the east right before the airport.  It is a small lake but an excellent producer of nice size northern and walleye. 

Bitter Lake, just south of Waubay, is a big body of water covering over 20,000 acres of open water.  For me wind is a factor and it does get breezy in South Dakota.  Quality walleye in the 16 to 20 inch range are common, but you really have to know the lake to be successful.  On the north end are stands of timber that provide good fishing.  The dairy farm taken over by the lake is another good spot in the northwest of the lake.  Straight west from the boat ramp and across the lake are a series of sunken islands and some old road beds.  Here is where the majority of the fisherman head.  This location seems to produce the majority of the fish.  At the fish cleaning house, some of the more experienced fishermen have displayed some really nice catches of both walleye and really big northern pike.  As of this writing, the lake has conquered me. My experience with success is nothing to brag about, but I have caught fish there.

For free advice, supplies and bait, I recommend Sportsmans Cove in Webster and Fisherman's Village just south of the town of Waubay.  At each location there will be an adequate supply of both.

One very important fact is the quality of the people.  Everyone I have met in either town, would make good neighbors.  The people in this area are the salt of the earth.  Friendly, courteous, kind, and without pretense. This is America at its finest.

My wife and I are off to Kenya and Tanzania on a Camera Safari.  Stay tuned.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

  

 

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Fall Bear Hunt in the Tetons



What an experience. The weather could not have been more perfect, cool evenings and nights, and mild days.  It was at the right temps for a jacket and maybe something underneath if you needed it.  The reservation to hunt bear with Bob Barlow, owner of Barlow Outfitting, had been made last spring and I was really looking forward to the trip.  The option is available to camp out in the mountains and enjoy the experience of a full blown campout, or you can stay at the Teton Mountain View Lodge in Tetonia, Idaho.  The Lodge was the place for me with comfortable beds and excellent service. (http://www.tetonmountainlodge.com/)

View from Teton Mountain View Lodge.  Looking east toward the back side of the Grand Tetons



I selected Bob because of his experience and knowledge of the area. He has outstanding references.  He is a Wyoming native and grew up hunting, trapping, and fishing the areas of Wyoming.  He now leads people on successful hunts. Plus Bob makes the hunt a really enjoyable experience.  In addition coming from the flatlands, the altitude at times is a struggle for me, and Bob was very patient.   http://www.barlowoutfitting.com/

The berries in the mountains were in full bloom and with the cool down of the days and nights, the bears were starting to get really active.  Foraging heavily at this time allowed them to stock up for the winter hibernation.  This activity would give us the opportunity for a successful shot.  

Unlike hunting elk, you don't have to start out so early in the morning.  It is more leisurely, but just as stealthy when you enter the mountains.  Bob's horses were corralled right at the lodge, and were saddled up and trailored to the trail head.  Here we began to scout the hills and valleys slowly moving, stopping to glass the distant areas looking for bears.  There were several berry patches that Bob knew about, and we slowly made our way toward them.  One was in a valley. The horses were ridden up the back side of the mountain to a plateau area.  Here they were tethered in a grassey area.  We walked very, very quietly toward the overlook into the valley.  The foliage was in full bloom and the berry patch was thick.  Bear signs were everywhere.  It was here we sat down and positioned ourselves looking down into the valley.

Looking down hill to the berry patches

After an hour, Bob checked with me to make sure I was comfortable hunting by myself.  It was ok with me.  He then quietly walked back to the horses and to check on some other patches in the area for signs of bear. 



Even when hunting turkey by myself in Iowa or Nebraska, my back is always up against a tree and a 40 cal. pistol is laid by my side.  We have mountain lions in some areas.  A little nervous, but not afraid, the wind was right in my face and anything behind me would pick up my scent.  Precaution was a good idea.

Nothing happened, and we moved to another area.  Here the timber was more dense and the patches of berries were not as thick, but there had been a lot of activity.  Someone had made a nice pile of timber to hide behind.  A good tree was standing for me to lean against.  The sun just barely provided minimal light.  Bob sat with me for about an hour and then went  to check another site or two.  The balmy day, cool and crisp, made me very sleepy.  Fighting off a nap was really hard.  My head and eyes dropped more than once.  The wind was right in my face and anything behind me would have picked up the human scent.  A bear did not appear.

A second spot.  The berry patches are on either side of the tall tree.  Good signs were everywhere, but the bear did not show up.

During the day we checked other places and by evening came back to the lodge.  

The altitude was taking its toll on me, but a headache was avoided by hydrating really well.  I drank a liter of Gatorade every morning and I hydrated constantly during the day.  My biggest problem on this type of hunt was getting winded when climbing and walking around in the mountains.  Bob could walk up a mountain, never break stride, and was hardly winded.  I stopped and rested a lot. 

The next day was a repeat of the first.  There is nothing better than hunting with a person you enjoy and I was having a really great time.  Horseback riding in the Tetons was spectacular.

We started out late on the third day.  With bear hunting, there is no hurry, and we took our time.  We went back to the first site and the bear signs were everywhere.  We moved into the same spot where we had hidden.  I stood up right next to and a little behind a tree.  The sun really lit up the valley.  The concern was there was too much light.  The wind was light and variable, but generally right in my face.  Bob rode over to check a couple of other sights.

After standing there for about an hour, I pulled out the cell and called my wife.  This was amazing.  Reception in those mountains was excellent and better than at home.  I have no idea why.  We both talked in whispers. This was no time for noise.  All of a sudden a bear stuck its head out from behind a large bush about 75 yards down the mountain.   It was looking straight at me.  Bob had told me to make very slow moves if need be, and I needed to now.  I whispered to my wife, "There is a bear."  I slowly placed the phone into my pocket, not even waiting for her response.   The bear stood there and stared straight up the hill.  The gun leaned on the tree, and my hand slid down to the barrell and gripped.

The bear slowly walked out onto a large flat rock, stopped and looked up the hill straight at me.  The wind was still in my face, so I could not be winded, and I was in the shadows. The bear put its head down and started to take a couple of steps.  At this time it was quartering to me with its back end pointing up the hill at a 45 degree angle.  Slowly I pulled the rifle up and laid it across a tree limb that had been sighted through before.  As the bear stopped, it looked back up the hill.  The cross hairs were placed on the right front shoulder. I held my breath and squeezed the trigger.

The bear just leaped off the rock and into the brush below as the bullet found it's mark.  I pulled out my phone and tried to call Bob, but got his voice mail.  I left a message and slowly moved down the hill to the rock where he was shot.  I saw nothing and cycled another round  into the chamber.



It wasn't 10 minutes later until  Bob came down the hill.  Wow!  Can the locals of the area move quickly up and down these mountains on foot.  He heard the shot, saw the page from my cell phone, and was almost instantly back to where the shot was taken.

Pointing to the area where the bear had leaped off the rock, he moved cautiously and then announced, "Congratulations! You are now officially a bear hunter."  After just one shot the bear laid 10 feet down from the rock.

One shot. One Bear.  The Rifle is a Model 70 my Dad gave me as a gift in 1968.  I have added a Nikon 550 Scope.  Federal shell 180 grain with a Nossler Partition bullet

The shot was taken at the top of the mountain where the tall pines are standing.  It is a steep climb out and when I stare at this picture it almost makes me winded.



Bob skinned him out, and we checked the hide into the Wyoming Fish and Wildlife Offices in Jackson the next day. Then it was off for home.  The people with the state said it was probably 300 to 350 pounds and eight to ten years old.  A really nice bear.

Bob Barlow packing the hide out of the valley.



The taxidermist will soon make the bear into a rug for the floor. This has to be one of the best hunting trips of my life and it was all made possible by Bob Barlow owner of Barlow Outfitting.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck  Hank. 

 

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Wind Wind and More Wind

The next day the wind moved from the northeast to the east southeast.  In  South Dakota, a heavy wind is referred to by the locals as a "little breezy."  A little breezy, good grief flags were sticking straight out like they were made of metal.  Trees were not just waving in the wind, the smaller ones were bent over and the big one look they were going to be up rooted.  The tall grass was almost laying down.  This is wind, not a breeze.

Kick'n Walleye Scent Fish Attractant - Terminal Tackle

This is the product I used on this trip with outstanding success for all the fish I caught.

Click on the link above or the picture to buy from Bass Pro.  This is the stuff to use.

Anyway, having driven 300+ miles, a "little breeze," was not going to stop me from at least finding a location on the lake that might be somewhat out of the wind.  The boat ramp as still protected from the wind as I arrived at the lake at 5:15 AM.  It was just getting light, and there were no other trailors in the parking lot.

Out on the lake, boat control for me was down right miserable.  Fishing for two hours produced not one hit, and it was time to get off the lake.  Hunger had set in, and a quick trip to Perebom's resturant was made for a giant breakfast.  That is an attitude changer. 

Next stop was Sportsman Cove for recomendations.  The first was Swan, south of Webster and the second was Pickerell just north of Waubay.  Swan was closer, and upon arrival there was no place to park a trailor.  Plus the east shore was almost boat to boat.  No, to that idea, and it up was up to Pickerell.

Small island where the drift began

Here is a beautiful smaller lake formed by the glaciers.  Surrounded by summer homes and some permanent. The lake is clear and deep.  The state operates a really nice park and boat ramp, and there is a fee of $5.00 to enter the park for the day.  It is worth it.  The lake runs north and south and the ramp is somewhat sheltered, but managable in the high winds.  Remember the locals call this a little breezy. 

Plowing straight across the lake in the the wind (should be called a gale) put the boat somewhat out of the main blow.  The locals would call this spot light breeze.  When you see three foot swells that is a gale, not a breeze.

Where there is Pelicans, there is bait fish.  Where there is bait fish, there is game fish.

Anyway making my way to the southeast end of the lake, a bay was found with an island in the middle.  Motoring up to the island in about 4 feet of water, the plan was to drift back with the wind to 30 feet or until water started coming over the side.  I put on my life jacket.  Out to 10 to 20 feet, the hits started and they were soft.  Instead of setting the hook right away, line was fed thinking that they may be striking short and working their way up the bait.  Crawlers was the bait with a spinner.  I pulled up nothing.

Small mouth bass are warriors and he was nice size.

Motoring back up to about 5 feet and starting the drift, a really big fish whacked the bait and took it.  The ultra-light bent over and back and forth it went.  Out and then trying to get under the boat, it was slow pulling it up.  It had to be either northern or smallmouth.  Getting it boated it was a small mouth bass.

Working the area three more of similar size were picked up. 

Northland Live Forage Spinner Blades

A move was made around the island toward a weed bed and in 10 to 15 feet of water the walleye were picked up.  Not big at all, and it took the rest of the day to get the limit.  I must have caught 100 fish all just below the minimum length.  Working up toward the weedbed and letting the boat drift with the wind to 20 feet of water then repeating the process made for an exciting day. 

That is a white bass and very good eating.  I caught several of them.

After the limit was nailed, the catching and pitching continued until all the crawlers were gone, and then the leeches were used up.  It was almost 7 PM when the boat was steered back to the landing and then it was time to clean fish.  This was a great day with a lot of fish.  Catching and pitching them back is the way to fish.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck. Hank

Great sales at each of these fine outdoor suppliers.

 

Don't forget your Nyloxin.  http://www.nyloxin.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=T4FIS1FnOQg

Copy and paste into your browser.  This is real wind.
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Beautiful Bitter Lake



Wind was from the Northeast arriving on the lake by 3 PM.  It was really whipped up and the discouragement was starting to set in.  The owner of the motel Circle Pines Motel in Waubay had marked out on a map the spots he has fished.  The plan was to stay on the east side of the lake to avoid most of the wind.  To the west was a series of sunken islands that was his favorite place, but with the wind blowing straight across 20+ thousand acres of water, staying on the east side was safe.

A quick stop at Fisherman Village to purchase bait and get some good advice was the first stop after checking in at the motel. Besides bait the store stocks fishing equipment and a supply of things to eat.  Most important was water, and with the heat plenty of water was a must.

A quick stop at Fisherman's Village will get you stocked up for the lake.  In addition the owner also has a camp ground with plug ins and water hook up for most of the sites.  Several have sewer hook up also, and there is a dump station.

The boat ramp is in a small cove facing straight west, and that made it really easy to get the boat on and off the trailor.  When you fish by yourself, you have to plan accordingly.  Most people need lead time, but I go on the spur of the moment. The ramp is on the southeast corner of the lake.

The first spot recommended was just up the shoreline from the ramp.  A point, and an island almost sunken but still not covered was recommended.  In addition right to the north about 75 yards was a series of boulders sticking up.  The bottom here was very irregular and on both sides of the island it dropped fairly quickly to 20 feet.  Underground structure extended from the west end of the island west about 100 yards.  I picked up fish in this area.  First were some small northern, that was followed by walleye.  They were keepers, but not real big.

This is the island right north of the boat ramp.  I fished both sides and to the west.  Small northern were picked up close to the island.  Out farther in ten to twenty feet of water the walleye appeared.

Just north of the island you can see the rocks.  To the east and the north side of the island, it can get very shallow.

A small northern that was thrown back.  I caught a couple of more that were a little bigger.  The smaller ones filet out and once the Y bones are removed, make an excellent filet.  My wife and I both like Northern Pike, and I will take all I can get.

Moving up to the north end of the lake is a dairy farm that was taken by the lake.  Several generations of people were raised on that piece of ground and now it is gone taken by mother nature.  To my knowledge, the farmer got nothing. 

Staying with the plan, the boat was moved up the shoreline.  Whenever there was a point that stuck out into the lake, the area was worked with a spinner and worm.  If some hits were felt, the boat was kept in that location to see if something could be pick up.

The lake was crossed to the northwest corner where a former dairy farm used to be.  To the west is a line of trees, and it was suggested to work this area.  A lot of nice hits were felt, no northern were caught, but a couple of keeper walleyes were picked up. 

It was 9 PM and while plenty of light was available, it was time to get off the lake.  Not a bad afternoon considering the conditions.  Not having an idea of what conditions would be the next day, the plan was to be on the lake at mornings first light. 



Free shipping available or direct to the store. 

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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Fishing a New Lake

Its a new lake east of Webster, SD and right on the edge of Waubay, SD. It is new for me, and it was fished years ago.  The impression formed by the glacial activity, the lake itself has been formed by rainfall and snow melt over the years and it is growing. The lake was originally a duck slough, but the floods in the 90s started filling it in.  Fifteen years ago, I fished the lake but there are so many within a 30 mile radius going back was never considered.  The lake is 20+ thousand acres and it is wide open.  This is a significant fact because South Dakota can get windy.  The locals say breezy.  When this happens, the lake can really rock and roll and from my perspective, it is not a good idea. Although, many fisherman brave this condition and they are justly rewarded with fine catches of fish. Plus, my preference is not to fish big reservoirs or great big lakes. 

Bitter is known for quality fish.  Big Northern Pike and really nice size Walleye. In addition the lake holds a lot of really big perch.  Perch are a member of the walleye family, and are excellent fare.  The name Bitter comes from the high amount of salt in the water.  This salinity is good for freshwater shrimp, and the walleye, perch and northern pike feed on this bait.  This helps to contribute to the quanity and quality of fish in the lake.

South Dakota has put in an excellent boat ramp, and in addition on the west side of the lake they are adding an additional ramp.  This will improve boat access expecially when there are wind conditions out of the east or west.  On this trip, unfortunately, the wind was out of the northeast moving to southeast.  Fishing on this lake could have been better for me, but putting the boat in and out was never a problem.

You can stay in Webster or there is an excellent motel in Wauby, the Circle Pines Motel.  Having stayed there a couple of times before, the people are some of the nicest you will ever meet, and very helpful in making your stay as pleasant as possible.  http://circlepines-motel.com/  Phone 877-324-5161.  I had the pleasure of meeting the owner.  He fishes the lake and knows it like the back of his hand and was most helpful in pointing out places to go.  Another feature that is important for fisherman is they have an excellent fish cleaning house with plenty of tables and big freezers.  Plus, you have a key to into the house regardless of the hour.  If you fish late in the evening, you can get in and get your fish cleaned and stored in the freezer.  The fish house is cleaned daily, and it was bug free.  How many times have you had to clean fish on a table outside swatting mosquitos?  The presence of the fish cleaning house was really appreciated.

Here it is, The Purple Cow Ice Cream Parlor.  Here is the best ice cream in the country.

This is rural South Dakota, and resturants are not in abundance.  In fact, not at all.  However, there is one place that if you do not go there, you have made on of life's major mistakes.  The Purple Cow Ice Cream Parlor.  It is in walking distance from the motel. They also sell some sandwiches, but the ice cream is key and out of this world, and there is multiple flavors.  The motel has a small refigerator and a micro wave.  They sell breakfast sandwiches and other items you can heat up in the micro wave.  I saw people cooking fish outside their rooms on portable grills and there are picknik tables on the grounds.  Going to Webster for a break, and get a big hot meal is a good choice if you do not want the work of cooking. 

Heading out of Council Bluffs, there was a major discovery made.  My Nyloxin was not in my suitcase.  This is the best topical product for arthritis discovered.  Go to their website and learn all about it.  http://www.nyloxin.com/  Fortunately, only five miles out of town had been traveled so it was easy to back and pick it up.  Don't leave town without it.



 

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