The pre-spawn bite on Lake Sakakawea slowed some this past week. My best guess is that the extended period of snowy weather interrupted the nice warming trend. That said, on days where things warm up, the fish will still cooperate, and as recently as today we've still caught and released a few with eggs, so the spawn either hasn't started or isn't quite in full swing.
The best patterns are major bays with gravel/rock shorelines pitching jigs with minnows or plastic in shallower water. Finding little patches of water that is a few degrees above the average is a pretty big deal as the fish tend to follow those warm patches. On colder days, we've found more fish out deep in 20-30 feet, but they can be stubborn.
Also, the new boat has been rocking out on the water, so book your dates and take a ride in this beauty while hauling in some fish!