Steve “Zippy” Dahl

Steve began guiding ice fisherman in 1995 and is one of the founding members of the Perch Patrol. He is the captain of this famous guide team and does most of the behind the scenes work with marketing, scheduling, and organizing the reservations. Zippy has been one of the familiar faces representing the Perch Patrol on numerous outdoor television shows such as Tony Dean, Midwest Outdoors, ESPN’s Backroads, and North American Fisherman.

Steve also farms during the summer months raising wheat, barley, pinto beans, and sunflowers. Steve also guides summer fisherman during the last half of June through the middle of August.

Zippy is one of the founding fathers of the famous “Perch Express”, which has become the most popular ice fishing trip in the industry. His favorite species to fish is definately jumbo perch but he also loves to target walleyes and northern pike. Zippy enjoys teaching and watching his clients catch fish and is a firm believer that a successful guided trip is about more than just catching fish; its about having a good time and becoming a better fisherman along the way.

Dave Tronson

A true fishing phenomenon, Dave Tronson has achieved legendary status as an ice fisherman. One of the founding fathers of the Perch Patrol, Dave has caught more fish through an eight inch hole than anybody we know. Every fish Dave catches is treated like the very first fish he ever caught. His guide career began in 1995 and he has a knack for not only finding perch but is a master at enticing them to bite no matter what the conditions. It is often rumored that the schools of perch follow Dave Tronson.

Dave is a retired farmer but still puts in an eighty hour week on the farm during the summer months. Dave loves to work with kids and enjoys teaching clients all his little tricks and secret presentations he has mastered over his 60 + years of fishing. You won’t see Dave on television too often, he tends to hide when media is around and it is nearly impossible to take his picture but we assure you everything you will ever hear about Dave Tronson is true. He is the most geniune person you will ever meet.

Jim Legacie

Jim proudly possess the longest guiding tenure on Devils Lake as his guiding career dates back to 1989. Jim has seen more change than anyone, as Devils Lake has nearly tripled in size from when he started guiding. Jim is also one of the founding fathers of the Perch Patrol and takes great pride in showing each and every one of his clients not only an excellent fishing trip but a good time as well. Jim is a master at getting fish to bite and isn’t afraid to put on a clinic with the 1/12th oz Castmaster tipped with a perch eye.

Jim farms small grains, beans, and sunflowers during the summer months. You will probably reconize his face from his involvement during numerous Tony Dean and Midwest Outdoors fishing episodes. Jim also enjoys catching walleyes and is a master of the blade bait, namely Sonars sprayed with a shot of WD-40. Jim also enjoys deer hunting and curling.

Jason “Bubba” Hodous

Bubba as we call him, comes to us from the Offensive line from the University of North Dakota where he was a “Magna Cum Laude” earning a degree in kinseology. We didn’t know we required such prerequisites to be a member of the Perch Patrol!

Jason is only entering his 4th year of guiding ice fisherman but he has worked with as many clients as anyone on our staff as he guides year round as a waterfowl hunting and fishing guide. Born in the Lake Region, Jason grew up hunting, fishing, and ice fishing and is one of our best scouts for finding that new aggressive school of perch when the bite gets tough.

Jason loves to follow his GPS to some of his favorite summer walleye spots and he enjoys watching his clients yank them through the ice in the winter. Bubba, is not a bashful person and isn’t afraid to sing as long as his clients will listen. A day spent with Jason can often make your stomach muscles hurt from laughter!

Jason Mitchell

Jason began guiding with the Perch Patrol in 2001. He operates Mitchell’s guide service during the open water season and also guides waterfowl hunting in the fall. Jason is also an outdoor writer. You may have seen some of his articles in Dakota Country, Midwest Outdoors Magazine, or the Fish and Game Finder.

Jason loves to fish all kinds of species of fish but lately he has taken pike fishing to the next level. Whenever the perch bite gets on the finicky side, Jason enjoys putting his clients on some of the best pike fishing on the North American continent. We often call him the “Snake Charmer!” He even has his own pike song and has coreographed the “Snake Dance” to accompany it. A day spent with Jason is more than an adventure.

Gary Behm

Gary is entering his 3rd season with the Perch Patrol Guide Service. Gary enjoys fishing not only perch, but walleyes and pike too. Gary is an avid outdoorsmen who really enjoys stalking mule deer in the Badlands of western North Dakota. We call him “Tonto” from the old Lone Ranger episodes and after seeing him in action you will understand why.

Gary also is an excellent teacher when it comes to explaining how to read electronics and what kind of jigging presentations are working the best. Gary enjoys seeing all the smiles on clients faces after a successful day of fishing Devils Lake and will do almost anything he can to put his clients on the best bite posssible.

Thomas Hodous

Thomas is the newest member of the Perch Patrol as he just completed his 4th year of serving as one of the chief scouts in the double top secret P.P.S.P.P. (Perch Patrol Scouting Protection Program). This man can find fish! Thomas also enjoys catching walleyes and Pike too. Thomas is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He loves to hunt ducks and geese and also enjoys deer hunting as well.

Thomas is a recent graduate of North Dakota State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Agronomy. During the summer months Thomas farms near Edmore, North Dakota, and enjoys trolling cranks in his new Lund 2025.