Ashley, ND Info Needed

I’m going to be visiting friends in Ashley ND mid January. I’d like to sneak out for a half day of ice fishing and I’m wondering if any IDO members can recommend a lake to fish. Anything that bites is my target species. Btw, any bait shops in the area? Thanks.

Hoskins and Dry are the known and promoted lakes in the area. Perch lakes are often unnamed or secret much like NE SD. These lakes are 10-minute drive or less from downtown Ashley. I have not been there for 10 years so not sure about bait availability.

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Place in Ashley should have spikes but if you want minnows you’ll likely need to get them elsewhere. Small shop in Lehr may have some.

Spiritwood Lake and Zander fishing.

Spiritwood is over 100 miles from Ashley … longs ways on a half-day trip. Driving by a whole bunch of fish at that point.

On a half day ice trip I would probably focus on perch with a bonus walleye or northern …

Grubs/larva are easily transported and legal.

Growing up in ND … we used perch eyes as a primary bait once we started catching them.

Minnows were never easy to find and many ND fisherman used dead / preserved baits because of this. Not sure everyone is aware, but ND is very conservative on live bait (such as minnows) use across the state. Go to the NDG&F site for all the rules.

All legal live aquatic bait used by anglers, including legal baitfish, must have been purchased or trapped in North Dakota. No live aquatic bait may be imported into the state by anglers. This includes live baitfish, live amphibians and leeches.

Anglers may not transport water, including that used for bait (e.g., bait buckets, etc.), away from waters of the state designated as infested with Class 1: Prohibited Aquatic Nuisance Species. See the Department’s website for a current list of lakes. All water must be drained from bait buckets as anglers leave the shore or remove their boat from the water. Anglers must properly dispose of unused bait away from the water they were fishing, as dumping bait in the water or on shore is illegal.

In all other waters of the state, legal live baitfish and other legal live aquatic bait may be transported in water but only in containers of 5 gallons or less.

Brittman wrote:

Grubs/larva are easily transported and legal.

Growing up in ND … we used <em class=”ido-tag-em”>perch eyes as a primary bait once we started catching them.

Minnows were never easy to find and many ND fisherman used dead / preserved baits because of this. Not sure everyone is aware, but ND is very conservative on live bait (such as minnows) use across the state. Go to the NDG&F site for all the rules.

All legal live aquatic bait used by anglers, including legal baitfish, must have been purchased or trapped in North Dakota. No live aquatic bait may be imported into the state by anglers. This includes live baitfish, live amphibians and leeches.

Anglers may not transport water, including that used for bait (e.g., bait buckets, etc.), away from waters of the state designated as infested with Class 1: Prohibited Aquatic Nuisance Species. See the Department’s website for a current list of lakes. All water must be drained from bait buckets as anglers leave the shore or remove their boat from the water. Anglers must properly dispose of unused bait away from the water they were fishing, as dumping bait in the water or on shore is illegal.

In all other waters of the state, legal live baitfish and other legal live aquatic bait may be transported in water but only in containers of 5 gallons or less.

This is great information. My plan was to leave Red Lake and head over to Ashley. Guess I won’t be bringing my live bait with.

I’m not sure if perch eyes are legal in ND…I seem to remember Jason Mitchell getting in a little trouble for promoting them as a bait. But maybe they have changed that regulation.

You could easily pick up minnows in Fargo or Jamestown along the way.

The gas station right off 94 in Valley City has good minnows (fatheads). Used to be a Tesoro, but I think it is a Love’s now.

slough wrote:

I seem to remember Jason Mitchell getting in a little trouble for promoting them as a bait.

I recently saw Ted Takasaki promote chumming with spikes if the panfish bite slows down.

Netguy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>slough wrote:</div>
I seem to remember Jason Mitchell getting in a little trouble for promoting them as a bait.

I recently saw Ted Takasaki promote chumming with spikes if the panfish bite slows down.

Perch eyes are legal in ND. There are states/provinces where chumming is legal as well. No surprise that Jason Mitchell was getting beat up online for a legal activity though

I recently saw Ted Takasaki promote chumming with spikes if the panfish bite slows down. shock doah

Perfectly legal in Sodak where he was fishing. Frankly I see no harm in dropping a few spikes in the water while fishing anywhere. It’s not like he dumped a container.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Perfectly legal in Sodak where he was fishing.

I just assumed he was in MN. My bad. Sometimes I’ve spilled a few into the hole.

All good yeah they get wiggly. Would rather lose a few down the hole than in my bibs.

Jason Mitchell got some heat almost 20 years ago for recommending and apparently using small live Perch as bait.

You could chase Pike. Use dead smelt, Herring, or even cheap hot dogs on a tip up. Jigging can also be productive and fun in shallow water. You may get a little better info on where to go than if you are after walleyes or perch.

MD Game and Fish has info on lakes in regards to stocking and test netting on their website. They also have lake maps.