Mid March report from Sodak

With Winter holding its grip pretty tight on the western fringe of the ice belt we have plenty of ice as well as snow to go with it out in South Dakota. Currently we have over 2 feet of ice as well as anywhere from 4-12 inches of snow to go with it. Travel varies from tracked machines to sleds as well as 4 wheeler. I have gotten by lately with 4wheeler with the recent cold snap really firming things up. Warms temps in the future will have everything turning into slush making 4wheeler traffic as well as sled the way to go. The perch have not dissapointed with some sumos coming topside to our offerings. We have seen numbers as well as size increase. I love march for this simple reason. Warm temps and hungry jumbos.

I have been targeting points and shallow flats during the the morning and evening hours, with deeper basins and flats producing midday. Finding fish has not been a problem lately finding the right size has been. We are seeing alot of small fish in between the big ones. Bigger fish are traveling in packs as well as dispersed in schools of smaller fish. Slender spoons, jigging raps, as well as bigger do-jiggers are all producing in gold as well as silver and green. Slender spoons with green on are working well during daylight hours. Alof of the fish are on the CHEW and have now problem coming up to even 8 feet off bottom to smack a bait when hungry. Most school will concentrate on the bottom two feet of the water column. A few aggressive rips of the lure 2 feet above them has them chasing the bait. Keep the reel collecting line and get them to come up to 5-6 feet off bottom. This is when the biggest and most aggressive fish hit.

We have caught some fish upwards of 15 inches in the past week and half. With alot of fish in that 12-13 inch class. We are having some great fish frys as well as sending non residents home with a few meals. Please practice selective harvest on these toads. Tight lines slimey hands and be safe, – Q