By Mike Peluso

Just because I’ve been laid up in a hospital the second half of the week, doesn’t mean I can’t get you a decent walleye fishing report from the best waters in the state!

I’ve had a goofy week of fishing to say the least.  The weather was my first obstacle with lots of rain and wind early in the week.  The second half of the week was my body telling me to slow down. A ruptured colon with internal bleeding will do that to a person!

So, what has happened on the water so far this week?  Well for me the fishing got better! I fished Devils Lake on Sunday, Sakakawea on Monday, Lake Audubon on Tuesday and back to Sak on Wednesday.  That’s where things stopped, however.  The fishing trip went well, and I went to Garrison for supper and all was fine until 4:00.  

I had pains running through my stomach like I’ve never experienced before.  I tried going to the bathroom thinking it was something I ate.  After that didn’t work,  I was thinking the issue was my appendix or kidney stones. Nope, that wasn’t it either. I promise you a fishing report in this yet.  A quick trip to the Garrison hospital turned into an emergency ambulance ride to Bismarck.  I’m sorry I’m still here.

A SPECIAL NOTE FROM DAKOTA EDGE OUTDOORS:

IF YOU HAVE ENJOYED MIKE’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEO AND OUR AFFILIATES EACH WEEK, CONSIDER DONATING TO HIS GOFUNDME PROGRAM. JUST CLICK ON THE LINKED PHOTO BELOW TO GIVE WHAT YOU CAN TO AID IN HIS RECOVERY.

So, I thought Devils Lake was pretty good and better than what everyone was telling me.  We moved around a little bit but it seemed to work. I had the best luck pulling a PK small spinner lure with a crawler.  

Sakakawea really didn’t disappoint.  When I left it a week ago it was in a funk thanks to a bug hatch, but it didn’t take long to get out of it.  I was really excited to find some good walleyes in shallower water still, that 12-to-18-foot range had plenty.  I am hoping they stay that way, and slow death right with a crawler was hard to beat.

I don’t have much left for Devils Lake or Sakakawea for trips this season.  But I’m taking bookings for the Missouri River starting around October 1.  It’s going to be a great fall on the Missouri River near Bismarck!

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in walleyes on the state’s premier waters.

Featured Photo: Still Shallow.  Walleyes still remain up higher on Lake Sakakawea providing good numbers of fish that can be kept, or released without much concern of barotrauma.  Fish caught in depths greater than 25 feet should be kept, as they likely will not survive the pressure change. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso.