For IDO TV When To Release a Lake Name or Not

First off I enjoy the show thoroughly. I will state right away I am from Devils Lake and Lake Irvine isn’t quite as hush hush anymore but it is “was” relatively lower traffic. You are the first to not call it Devils Lake on t.v. I watch many different fishing shows and they’re the same in as sometimes here’s the lake here’s the hump here’s spot and other lakes this is in the backwoods or it isn’t fair to the fishery to release the name. My problem is not informing people of these lakes especially panfish waters it’s like a youtube video watch me do this. I like to panfish fish as well and I would like to catch 10″+ bluegills. That seems to be the industry secret watch me catch these but I won’t tell you where. Most of time t.v. will tell you where the walleyes and pike are although not always. Your show like others gets on bites often by guides advice or service or sponsor team members however you want to put it. I do believe you do your homework and put your work in. You are sometimes able to see the swiss cheese in the background and you state that you continuously punch and punch some more. You don’t have to give me your spot, but why tell or show people to come here or there for this but on this lake I’m just going to keep this to myself just enjoy the show. I would like to giggle like a little school girl as well catching some of these fish and not just watch. Sorry for the rant but why some and not the others what are all of the factors that go into your decision?

I can’t speak for them but I think smaller lakes are kept quiet so not to put undo pressure on them. I’m all for not naming any lakes but thats not possible. Just look at the beating Upper Red Lakes took a few years ago when the Crappie bite was hot.

IDO is, and always has been since I joined not to long ago a sharing website. Not because anyone is attempting to make the most money, or promote the most products, its genuine people who have a passion for the sport and want as many people to enjoy it like them, and yeah, make a decent living while you’re at it.

Many people including myself have heard of those prairie lakes and how they’ve grown over the years. Had no idea there was mapping for those, the Dr.Sonar eluded to in episode. So while they are out fishing, why not show graphics of how beneficial that product can be, while possibly making some ching, but more importantly what could be a very helpful tool to the angler coming from out of town and may not know all the ins and outs.

Dutchie already said it, small lakes that could be easily wiped out are left nameless, bigger fish factories get called out BC they can handle the pressure a bit more. Its very helpful to pinpoint the details of a lakemap, with structure, to exactly show what they did and why they did it.

Put me on the spot within the spot on the spot!!

An additional consideration in this case due to ice conditions I’d guess. If they had said they were on Devils that would give people the wrong idea that it has safe ice, which I’m guessing it doesn’t. I’d also say that since ice conditions are improving this week it shouldn’t be a huge deal since more people will start to have opportunities closer to home. But I also understand why you’d be a little concerned if your honey hole was exposed on IDO.

Most times, a lake name is exposed, because a “sponsor” (resort or lodge) wants to fill the cabins. Other times, they are exposed because they are large bodies of water, with no identifiable background, so the chances of a shanty village popping up overnight are low. Other times, it’s just about showing different presentations or specific techniques or lures. Quite honestly, decent panfish can be had in MANY lakes, it just seems the early crappie bite and the late ice sunfish bite are all people focus on and then we tend to concentrate on walleye, tip up or spear fishing for the long winter duration. Just my opinions….

Maybe way off base here but look at the advertising that the Miss gets here just off the website. Fishing isn’t like it use to be 15 years ago or 30 years ago. Catfish (flatheads and channels) are good table fare since the walleyes and sauger have been over advertised. Panfish are going the same way. The advertising of a resource to catch and keep has change the ways of how it use to be. It’s a profit industry. Don’t be fooled. No different in the hunting industry. If you find a honey hole, hope like hell it won’t be exploited.
Shawn

Now, from the outside, it’s a tricky situation. A lot of these bites were drummed up from the pro-staff, guys from IDO, guides looking to benefit and just regular joe’s who liked the show. If somebody told you about their secret bite on a no name lake would you want it posted up and down on the internet?

As Dutch said, lakes like LOTW, Devils, Mille Lacs (too soon?) can handle the pressure. A lot of people stick their necks out to share bites with the IDO guys, and it’s the best way to burn bridges, sharing it with everybody. It’s something James, and IDO, have prided themselves about, if you share a bite you don’t want to be named, it doesn’t get named. It’s just good sense.

Jason Mitchell had it on a show this year too.

A lake that big (connected to Devils) is no honey hole. I fished there plenty of time and the fish, especially walleye and pike are plenty. That being said, every lake is someone sweet spot, doesn’t mean that it their private lake.

Also, I like to think that average Joe from MN are not going to venture all the way to Devils just for more than a trip or so a year. Fishing is good but not always great and a lake that big, can always throw you a curve ball.

Best thing for forum like these are to give accurate information to not mislead people to the wrong area but also to keep them safe. Also, from my knowledge, Devils Lake city area is thriving bc of fisherman and women who comes from other area. If it wasn’t for the great fishing, it will just be another small town in the Midwest.

If a news reporter walked up to me, put a gun to my head, and asked me for my 10 best fishing locations; and their intention was to do a press release within the day; id tell them to pull the trigger.

A fishing show isn’t much different.

To many people require someone to spoon feed them fishing locations.

Dammit success feels great when you accomplish it on your own… That seems lost these days.

Kinda hard to fish em with a bullet in your head…. Nobody drives 6 hours to Devils Lake area, without some kind of tip…

Call me weird, but I do that all the time. Go somewhere that no one is telling me about and figure it out for myself.

There’s thousands of articles and books on how to catch fish….

The road map is there, you just need to apply yourself to piece it together each day.

Something about giving a man a fish vs teaching them to fish.

I’m that guy who rarely is found by a crowd, out in ‘no report’ land; doing just fine.

Since we’re talking about guns to the head over fishing spots I’ve got a story. We own land on a lake that has no public access and only 3 people own land around it. So I guess you could call it a private lake. Last year ran out there to catch some crappies and sunnies and ended up just slaying the hogs. Halfway to our limits and we hear a shot ring off on the ridge next to us just off the lake. Didn’t think much of it, probably the neighbor squirrel hunting. Then we hear more. Then all of a sudden we hear another and this one whizzes right over our heads, dang that was scary, that was followed by 9 or 10 more shots all close to us, some hit ice by our feet, at his 6 or 7th shot I yelled up the ridge some things I can’t say on here and the shooting stopped. At first I thought it was someone squirrel hunting but I guess someone thought it was their lake and their spot. Tough being that my grandpa owned the land for 40+ years and we’ve owned it for roughly 10 now and someone thinks were fishing their spot and go on to shooting at us. I was pretty pissed off and I will admit a little nervous with how close some of those bullets were coming… I’ve only 1 time ever seen anyone but my family out there fishing and he said it was his first time, otherwise never seen a person out there besides us!

Loose lips sink ships.

big_g wrote:

Kinda hard to fish em with a bullet in your head…. Nobody drives 6 hours to Devils Lake area, without some kind of tip…

LOL, normally I’d agree with this if you had said it to any other person on this forum besides Fish blood(or maybe Ben Putnam).

Thanks for everyone’s replies. This is not a honey hole protection post. You go with a guide you call a bait shop you go to Irvine right now 8+ inches of ice. You come to Devils Lake you find road beds, rock piles, humps, flats and etc. just like any other lake. I was simply asking the IDO’s team opinion on it. I’m not saying don’t come to Devils Lake. Perch fishing is still a couple weeks away. 2-4″ on the big water as of today You may be able to find them shallower no guarantees of safe ice snows moving in today. I was just stating the trend in television shows discrepancies or naming lakes and not naming lakes.

philtickelson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>big_g wrote:</div>
Kinda hard to fish em with a bullet in your head…. Nobody drives 6 hours to Devils Lake area, without some kind of tip…

LOL, normally I’d agree with this if you had said it to any other person on this forum besides Fish blood(or maybe Ben Putnam).

Did you know there’s a Putnam Lake in Ely? Truth be told it doesn’t have any fish at all, but it’s still my favorite lake!

Ben Putnam wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>philtickelson wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>big_g wrote:</div>
Kinda hard to fish em with a bullet in your head…. Nobody drives 6 hours to Devils Lake area, without some kind of tip…

LOL, normally I’d agree with this if you had said it to any other person on this forum besides Fish blood(or maybe Ben Putnam).

Did you know there’s a Putnam Lake in Ely? Truth be told it doesn’t have any fish at all, but it’s still my favorite lake!

Taking fish from other lakes to stock Putnam lake is like only partly illegal right?

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

If a news reporter walked up to me, put a gun to my head, and asked me for my 10 best fishing locations; and their intention was to do a press release within the day; id tell them to pull the trigger.

A fishing show isn’t much different.

To many people require someone to spoon feed them fishing locations.

Dammit success feels great when you accomplish it on your own… That seems lost these days.

Me, I’d rattle off ten of the most fishless lakes I could think of, and fast!
Believe me, I know a lot of lakes with poor fishing-ask my friends.

One thing I would like to add,,,

Ever since I met up with the IDO crew back in the Fish The River days and EFN… There has been huge emphasis on the resource no matter what body of water you/we fish..

I can not say enough about the teaching of respecting the resource for a better bite tomorrow…

IDO Productions still to this day tries to instill this in every show into every angler to pass on this his or her buddies and family members…

If we all would take another step toward managing the resource we will all have a fantastic future ahead of us !!!

See You On The Ice
The Tug is the Drug !!!

I’ve gotten hundreds of great tips over the years. And 99% of the time when I get there they tell me that I should have been there yesterday

With all that has been said. Did they do an injustice to the lake? Did they over fish it? Did they trash it? Did they do anything in any way to harm it? Nice to know that the correct answer to all is NO. Nice show. They can come out this way and do the same to our lakes.

Just witnessed a convoy of 100 or so minivans full of fisherman on their way to Irvine, hope ‘duh bite is still hot

Jesse Krook wrote:

Just witnessed a convoy of 100 or so minivans full of fisherman on their way to Irvine, hope ‘duh bite is still hot

…and all Hwy 94 West bound with Wisconsin plates…

Let me know the next time you load up a camera crew with thousands of dollars in equipment, spend a couple hundo in gas, get 3 or 4 people to take off from their normal schedule to drive 6 hours… not knowing if there is even ice or any bite going on…. riiiiiiiiight. I am not talking about an individual seeking out a new lake or just going fishing here…. I am talking about a “production”

tedroost wrote:

You are the first to not call it Devils Lake on t.v.

I highly value my credibility and the safety of others. Devils Lake was wide open – no ice. For me to call it “Devil’s Lake” would have been extremely dishonest and misleading. While there’s many other reasons why we mentioned the lake by name including support from ND Tourism to do that show and the vast nature of the lake…I think that’s reason enough…

bee wrote:

They can come out this way and do the same to our lakes.

I would love to see a show in your neck of the woods! I can see the title now, “Bee-utiful Giant Slabs on Lake X”

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tedroost wrote:</div>
You are the first to not call it Devils Lake on t.v.

I highly value my credibility and the safety of others. Devils Lake was wide open – no ice. For me to call it “Devil’s Lake” would have been extremely dishonest and misleading. While there’s many other reasons why we mentioned the lake by name including support from ND Tourism to do that show and the vast nature of the lake…I think that’s reason enough…

Well put James
Enough said and thanks for the great and fun watching show!

Ben Putnam wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bee wrote:</div>
They can come out this way and do the same to our lakes.

I would love to see a show in your neck of the woods! I can see the title now, “Bee-utiful Giant Slabs on Lake X”

Ben we broke the ice today. At the launch.