“Quality time on ice,” sounds like a tourism campaign slogan. But, according to long-time Devils Lake all-seasons fishing guide Cody Roswick, it’s what all guides provide daily.

He approaches each trip with the attitude that most everybody on this spread-out lake enjoys. That is, catching a mix of perch, walleyes and northern pike. Typical days start out with walleyes. “Get on the lake at first light to take advantage of a one- to two-hour bite window,” he said. He likes cloudy, overcast days because it extends the hours that walleyes feed actively.

By mid-to-late morning, the chase is on for perch or pike. But, for those early hours, Cody’s walleye tricks have been the simplest—and most effective. With every client staring at their personal electronics (“fish finders” to the older crowd), he equips each angler with a spinning rod and ties on a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce rattle spoon tipped with a minnow head.

This could be anywhere from 5 to 35 feet deep. Interestingly, he ties his 6-pound Fireline directly to the spoon. “Walleyes here are not fussy,” he claimed. The same setup works for perch, but he also rigs up with a tungsten jig tipped with maggots. A real treat is when his hole-punching lands clients on a school of the lake’s famous giant white bass. They bite the same perch and walleye gear but refuse to come off the bottom. This bite really picks up later in the ice season.

Another popular option, and a favorite when kids are around, is chasing flags. That means tip-ups baited with smelt or minnows. Each angler is allowed four rods for pike. “Most are typical 22- to 26-inchers, but pike to 10 pounds are common,” he said. Cody rigs spinning rods with a wire leader and spoon when jigging for pike while keeping a keen eye out for flags.

His guide days are versatile; he also takes clients to other area lakes and sloughs for perch. He has a few bluegill and crappie lakes hidden in his stash of secret spots, so remind him about those. He wanted folks to know that, from all his days on the water this season, the walleye population is in great shape.

Guide John Bouvette and his crew run SnoBear “houses on tracks” that can go anywhere in any weather. “This is the Cadillac of ice machines,” he emphasized. “It’s always 72 degrees and sunny inside.” Clients move from their heated trucks to the heated SnoBears. When holes are drilled, they drop their lines from inside the comfortable setting. “On Devils Lake, you gotta be mobile,” John noted from his decade-long guiding career.

Like Cody, John begins each morning targeting walleyes. He likes basic walleye tools. First, a rattle spoon or flutter spoon with a darting action, tipped with minnow heads or tails. Second, “I always have one rod tied up with a mid-size Rapala Rip ‘N Rap. It’s loud and draws walleyes in,” he said. No matter what, his go-to colors are firetiger and gold for perch and green, pink or firetiger for walleyes.

His multi-species days start with walleyes. “We run and gun to find ‘em,” he said. After the morning walleye flurry, it’s on to the perch search. This could be shallow in December and early January, but by mid-winter, 30 to 45 feet deep is customary. Throughout the season, running and gunning may be necessary.

“Of course, some of the most fun days are when the clients want to stay with walleyes. We move and move to locate the biters,” John said. Most of his walleye water is 5 to 14 feet deep near structure like weeds or rocks. “Each day is different. Sometimes we land on them and stay; others, we drill 100 holes,” he recalls.

Most of his clients are repeat customers and some elect to spend mid-days looking for pike. Jigging with rattle spoons or flutter spoons brings pike topside. “We fish for anything that bites and are always ready to switch it up to catch fish,” he concluded.

The Devils Lake community may be the most fish-friendly town in North America. Resorts and motels have their own private cleaning facilities (and freezers). Additionally, dozens of full-service guide services, a casino, restaurants, hardware and more are open with friendly smiles. Fishermen are welcome 12 months of the year. There’s even a public fish cleaning station in town. The fishing season never closes; limits are generous.

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