Got out on devils lake this evening for about 35 minutes. I drove about about 2 miles with the Polaris ranger, checking ice depth every couple hundred feet. In the area I traveled, I found 8-12” with a couple slushy pockets to avoid. Overall ice quality looked great though-good, solid, black ice.
Of course I had to bring a line to test my luck on one of my early season spots. In the 15 minutes I fished, I lost one but landed 2 walleyes. 18” on the first and 16.5” on the second. The one I lost was in the 18-19” range. Not one fish was ever marked on the Vexilar, as they came from the side and just crushed it.
All fish were caught on a pink tingler spoon, with the dead stick not ever receiving a bite. I’d look for walleyes in the low light period, in 3-12 ft, around trees or old roads.
Please remember, no ice is safe ice! Check as you go as the snow on the ice are definitely hiding potential hazards.
Tight lines!
Varilek's Guide Service 