# MN Opener reports



## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

*Snow and snappin' walleyes? That'll do *
The white stuff turned into the wet stuff, and still many anglers couldn't find a reason to leave a lake where the fish were biting. 
By DENNIS ANDERSON, Star Tribune 
Last update: May 11, 2008 - 12:28 AM 
For story and pictures: http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdo ... 33774.html

UPPER RED LAKE, MINN. - Nearly lost in the snowstorm that swirled across this lake Saturday morning when the state's 2008 fishing season opened was this news: The walleyes were snappin.'

Mind you, they weren't jumping into the boat. But action was fast enough to keep thousands of anglers on this giant body of water in northwest Minnesota far longer than a rational person might expect.

Sideways, that's how the snow blew, beginning at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday and extending into afternoon.

Then, warming temperatures turned the white stuff into rain.

Still, the lake remained awash in anglers, some popping umbrellas to stay dry, others swaddling themselves in Gore-Tex. Still others resigned themselves to being soaked.

And kept fishing.

Only in Minnesota.

In May.

In my group were 15 other anglers spread among six boats, a couple of 12-year-olds being the youngest. The oldest? No one offered that information.

Regardless, all who bobbed atop this lake Saturday morning instead of staying in bed deserved credit.

Among these were Henry Drewes and Gary Barnard. Drewes is the regional Department of Natural Resources fisheries manager, Barnard the DNR area fisheries manager whose specific charge is Upper Red Lake.

By 11:30 Saturday morning, they had boated 41 walleyes between them, including their individual limits of three walleyes apiece.

"The fishing was good," Drewes said.

Bob Kowalski and I didn't find walleyes with quite that ease.

Bob, of Vadnais Heights, regularly attends our group's opening day festivities, often in the company of his wife, Gina. This year he came alone, and Saturday morning he and I motored out of the harbor at West Wind Resort in Waskish Minn., braced for the worst weather Minnesota can offer.

In May.

Or any month.

Jeff Knopps of Hudson, Wis., and Steve Vilks, Paul Kreutzfeldt, John Weyrauch and Dave Kelley, all of Stillwater, captained the other vessels in our group.

Our hopes were high. Last year we were also on Upper Red on the opener, and we all departed with limits.

"Despite the weather, I think there were more people here this morning than there were in 2006 when we reopened Upper Red to fishing," Drewes said Saturday.

Drewes was referring to the nine-year period during which Upper Red was closed to walleye fishing. Chippewa netters had overharvested Lower Red Lake, which is connected to Upper Red, and sport anglers had taken too many fish, also.

In response, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and the DNR shut down the lake to walleye angling. Stocking was accelerated during the period, and the lake recovered relatively quickly.

Now Upper Red is considered once again to be among Minnesota's best walleye lakes.

It's also a pretty good crappie lake -- still.

Friday, six of our group -- Kreutzfeldt and his son, Michael; Steve Vilks and his son, Clint; and John Heroff and his son, Ryan, (the boys are each 14 years old) -- had motored onto Upper Red seeking crappies.

During the time that Upper Red's walleyes had gone missing, crappies reigned supreme here. Now, with walleyes returned, crappies are fewer.

Still, Paul, Steve, John and their boys boated nine slabs Friday evening, each measuring about 14 inches long.

"The problem was, we couldn't keep the walleyes off our crappie jigs," Paul said.

Bob and I began our efforts hoping to be similarly besieged.

We weren't, not at first.

Steve and Paul's boats fared better, probably because they angled in 3 to 5 feet of water, rather than the 7 to 8 that Bob and I fished.

Barnard, of the DNR, said the late spring has pushed the spawn back about 10 days on Upper Red. Meaning most of the lake's walleyes likely are still in shallower water than they typically would be on the season's first day.

Bob and I employed standard walleye attractants: jigs and minnows.

Others on the lake favored slip bobbers. Still others -- my son, Trevor, 14, being one -- opted for artificial baits.

Trevor boated a dozen walleyes Saturday morning casting Northland Tackle jigs baited with Slurpies, also by Northland, and retrieving them slowly.

Further evidence that artificials are fast becoming worthy substitutes for live bait? I hooked one walleye in the early going on a Berkley "Gulp!" grub.

By noon, our little flotilla had returned to the harbor at West Wind Resort. Some of us had limits (keeper walleyes here must be less than 17 inches long), some didn't.

Regardless, everyone wanted dry clothes and hot food.

Most of our bunch were back on the lake by midafternoon.

By then, the snow had changed to a drenching rain.

There was a bright side.

The walleyes were still snappin'.

Dennis Anderson •

----------------------

*Opener sure was wet, but fishing wasn't wild *
Only one keeper walleye got caught on a fairly dreary opener on Gull Lake. 
By BILL MARCHEL, Special to the Star Tribune 
Last update: May 11, 2008 - 12:20 AM 
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdo ... 33779.html

GULL LAKE NEAR NISSWA - When preparing for an opening-day fishing foray, it's usually a good idea to buy your live bait in advance.

There are reasons for such forethought. Sometimes, bait shops sell out early, especially during a busy weekend like this, the fishing opener. Other times, an early-rising angler might find a "closed" sign hanging on the bait shop door.

So, being a smart angler, I purchased three-dozen shiner minnows Friday afternoon, just in case.

"Will these stay alive overnight in this bag if I put them in refrigerator?" I asked the clerk.

"There is only enough oxygen for about four hours," the guy said.

Roughly 12 hours later I loaded my fishing gear -- including a pail containing three-dozen belly-up minnows -- into my truck and drove to a restaurant to meet my fishing partner.

"We'll need to stop and get some 'live' bait on the way to the lake," I said as we ate breakfast.

It was about 7:30 a.m. when we launched my friend's boat. Gull Lake is, of course, a popular fishing destination, so it was no surprise the boat landing was quite busy. The weather was tolerable: cloudy with a light breeze from the east, and the temperature was 45 degrees. Rain was in the forecast so my friend and I suited up with the appropriate garb.

Our first stop was a long underwater finger that protruded into the lake from a steep, high bank. We dragged Lindy rigs and shiner minnows along and over the point in a variety of depths. Fishless after a half hour, we moved on.

As we motored here and there, we used the latest fishing electronics to monitor likely fish-holding locations. Occasionally we would drop the trolling motor and backtroll over the most promising locations.

By 11 a.m. we had yet to boat a walleye, so we checked a sheltered bay hoping to find a few crappies. The sky had darkened, and a light rain had begun to fall. Other anglers had had the same crappie-catching idea, but apparently the bay was void of hungry fish.

At close to noon the fish-finder finally was able to detect what appeared to be a few scattered walleyes along a breakline in roughly 16 feet of water. We trolled back and forth, and presented the fish with a variety of baits and lures.

It was in this same spot one year ago that I had hauled in what I initially thought was a gob of weeds, but ultimately turned out to be a landing net. A rare catch, yes, but not the end of the story. In the net was a dead northern pike.

Ultimately we avoided being skunked when my friend caught a keeper walleye, just as the rain intensified in early afternoon. The fish hit a shiner minnow trolled in about 16 feet of water.

Bill Marchel is a wildlife photographer and outdoors columnist. He lives near Brainerd, Minn. 
_________________

* 
Fishing opener: Cold, rainy day cuts into yields *
By Chris Niskanen 
[email protected] 
Article Last Updated: 05/11/2008 10:08:03 AM CDT

For video of photos: http://www.twincities.com/outdoors/ci_9219593

Cold water, a smattering of lingering ice and rain foiled Minnesotans' hopes for a banner fishing opener Saturday. As expected, action was less than stellar on central lakes, though some limits were caught. The bright spots were Upper Red Lake and Lake of the Woods, where Four Mile Bay provided fast action while the rest of Traverse Bay was locked in ice.

Elsewhere:

BRAINERD 
Cold water hindered anglers in the Brainerd area. Gov. Tim Pawlenty caught a 17-inch walleye in the morning, and Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau caught a 19-incher, but action for the most part was slow. Water temperatures were in the low 40s; guides expected action to pick up once the water warms. It rained most of Saturday afternoon, but it was expected to clear today.

GRAND RAPIDS/WINNIBIGOSHISH 
A remnant sheet of ice on the south end of the lake didn't pose much of a problem for anglers on Lake Winnie, where lots of large walleyes were caught, but few below the slot limit. "Lots of fish in that 17- to 26-inch range, and a few groups with six keepers here, two or three keepers there,'' said Rick Leonhardt of High Banks Resort. Angler numbers were decent, considering the inclement weather and ice concerns. Many of the boats were on the north end and off Tamarack Point. Smaller fish were caught in deeper water, bigger fish in the shallows.

LAKE OF THE WOODS 
Ballard's Resort had five groups out Saturday morning, and all five returned about noon with limits. Not only were keepers caught, - 
but anglers were landing walleyes from 25 to 29 inches. Most of the fishing was done in Four Mile Bay and the Rainy River. "We're off to a good start,'' said Gary Moeller, Ballard's co-owner. Despite the good fishing, fewer anglers were out. "I counted only about 50 or 60 boats out, a pretty small crowd. In that respect, it was a quiet opener."

LEECH LAKE 
The main body of Leech Lake was about 60 percent ice-covered, and Walker Bay wasn't accessible, at least in the morning, but anglers caught plenty of walleyes, said J.C. Cochems of Reed's Sports. The best fishing was Steamboat and Kabakona bays, but Steamboat became locked in ice when winds pushed floes into the bay. Pine Point also was a good spot. Anglers were fishing very shallow with a jig and a minnow. Rain in the afternoon forced anglers off the water.

UPPER RED LAKE 
Most anglers caught their three-fish limit of walleyes on Upper Red Lake, which was treated with mild winds. "The lake is nice and calm,'' said Linda Olson at West Wind Resort. "Everybody is catching limits. People are pretty happy." The Tamarac River was closed to angling to protect concentrations of spawning walleyes, but that didn't seem to matter: the main lake was this year's hot spot.

RAINY LAKE 
Few anglers were out on the lake, which is still partially covered with ice. Most anglers were pursuing northern pike, said Steve Lindberg of Rainy Lake One Stop. The poor weather kept most anglers away, even though many bays were free of ice. One houseboat left Rainy Lake Houseboats' base and headed for Black Bay for northern pike. Lindberg said walleye action should be very good around Memorial Day.

METRO 
Despite the rainy, cold weather, anglers were eagerly buying bait all day at Blue Ribbon Bait in Oakdale. They were catching walleyes on the St. Croix River in 15 feet of water, crappies in White Bear Lake and panfish in Vadnais Lake. Leeches were the hot bait, said Tim Munoz, and minnow supplies held up well.

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*Chris Niskanen: Fishing opener slow, cold, and a blast *
Frigid waters might have kept the fish away, but for one hardy group on Lake Mille Lacs, just being out was its own reward. 
Pioneer Press

Article Last Updated: 05/10/2008 11:38:31 PM CDT 
http://www.twincities.com/outdoors/ci_9219593

GARRISON, Minn. - Just 20 minutes after the Garrison Sports launch boat left the dock on Lake Mille Lacs Saturday morning, 80-year-old Hartley Medin thought he had to fork over $1.

Michael, his son and fishing partner for a half-century, was battling a walleye and hoped to snag the first-fish wager from his feisty dad. Then his line snapped.

"Oh, boy, that saved me a buck!" Hartley crowed as Michael's shoulders slumped. The rest of our eclectic crew of anglers had drawn near to watch the battle.

"Careful now - you can't say that, Hartley," intoned Greg Erickson, our veteran Mille Lacs captain. "We have to get the skunk out of the boat."

The proverbial skunk was tossed overboard when Erickson's first mate, 17-year-old Andrew Wachsmuth, nailed a dandy 21-incher a little later, but it was camaraderie and good humor that kept our spirits afloat during a chilly opener.

Erickson, who has driven the Garrison Sports charter for 26 years, knew it would be a tough day on Minnesota's most popular lake. Cold water meant sluggish walleyes and a tough "bite."

"This is the latest ice-out since I've been here,'' said Erickson of the May 4 Mille Lacs ice-out. "The water is very cold, not much more than 40 degrees."

Perhaps that is one of the beauties of launch fishing. Fishing as a group, with Erickson as our savvy captain, meant a group of strangers quickly could become friends, swap fishing notes and commiserate over Saturday's lock-jawed walleyes.

Though launches have been part of Mille Lacs' fishing landscape since the 1920s, it was my first trip on one of the big boats. And this one was impressive. Erickson's launch was a 37-foot, steel-hulled craft powered by twin 330-horsepower Chevy engines.

Not that vast Mille Lacs posed much of problem Saturday - it was calm as a kitten.

Launches have a special appeal. They're great for anglers who don't want the trouble or expense of owning their own boat. You also get the expertise of the launch captain. All this for a cost of $35 for a four-hour trip.

Chatting on the stern, their bobbers and leeches dangling in six feet of water, Rick Larson and Kristin Bergstrom were longtime Garrison Sports customers. Larson is a retired pipe fitter who moved to Garrison last year from Minneapolis. He said he enjoyed the ease of fishing from a launch. He literally walked from his front door down to the dock.

Bergstrom is an emergency-room doctor from Rochester and an avid angler. She whipped out a picture of her holding a 9 1/2-pound walleye she caught this spring fishing off a dock in Alma, Wis., on the Mississippi River. She also has a 40-inch northern pike hanging on a wall at home.

Bergstrom said fishing is her relaxation and escape from the pressures of working in an emergency room. "I love the water," she said. "Fishing makes me very happy. There aren't very many medical emergencies out on the lake."

She had a full weekend planned.

After working a 60-hour shift this week, Bergstrom drove from Redwood Falls on Friday night and caught the midnight launch from Fisher's Resort on Mille Lacs. She fished until 5 a.m. Saturday, catching two walleyes about 25 inches each. She slept two hours at a motel and then jumped aboard the 8 a.m. Garrison Sports boat.

She was also booked on Garrison Sports' 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. boats. "I'm booked all day!" she said cheerfully. Late Saturday evening, she was headed back to Alma, where she planned to fish all day today with her two sons.

"Fishing is a lot like working in the ER," Bergstrom said while sipping a Diet Coke. "You spend hours waiting, then you get the big one. Some you get in the boat and some you lose."

She was sanguine about the slow fishing. "I just love being out here," she said, watching her bobber carefully for nibbles.

Hartley Medin, though, was turning the tables on his son.

About an hour into the trip, his bobber slipped under the water, and the angler hauled in a 25-inch walleye, which was too big to keep. Walleyes have to be under 18 inches to be kept on Lake Mille Lacs, though one trophy over 28 inches is allowed.

"It's a beauty!" Erickson said as he netted the fish.

"Yeah, but it's no good," Hartley protested.

"It's good, but you have let it go," Erickson replied.

"I should have reeled it in more slowly and stretched it out another three inches."

We got a chuckle out of that as we gathered around to admire Hartley's fish, which was soon darting back into the depths.

"Well, Michael ...," the father said to his son.

"It's not over yet," his son replied.

On a slow day of fishing, Michael still held out hope of winning $1 pots for biggest and most fish from his always-grinning dad.

-----------------------------------

*Night fishing *
Kevin Schnepf, The Fargo Forum 
http://www.in-forum.com/Outdoors/articles/200828 
Published Sunday, May 11, 2008

Otter Tail Lake, Minn. - Fishermen of all kinds were in the dark before the sun rose Saturday.

For most, it was an enlightening experience when the clock struck midnight, signaling the beginning of another Minnesota fishing season.

Among the tens of thousands of anglers who fished statewide Saturday, these fishermen came to the bridge and boat landing on the west side of Otter Tail Lake. That's where the water of one of the state's top 10 walleye fishing lakes flows into the Otter Tail River.

The late-arriving spring has kept water temperatures in the lake at 42 degrees - at least 13 degrees too cold for good walleye fishing according to many experts. But where the river flows into the lake or where it flows out in this case, the water temperature is usually warmer.

Earlier on Friday, conservation officer Gary Forsberg could see walleyes swimming around near the bridge. That night, Dana Johnson of Fergus Falls, Minn., saw them too.

"You can see their eyes glowing," Johnson said.

And many of the anglers who opted to experience night fishing caught walleyes - at least during the first 90 minutes of the opener - casting from the shore, wading in the frigid water or sitting in boats floating near the bridge. Even 13-year-old Jenna Kassahn of nearby Battle Lake, Minn., caught her first walleye at night.

"I can't believe it," Kassahn said.

And the fishermen couldn't believe the weather. Worried about rainy and cool weather that were expected to hit the lakes area during the day, the temperatures hovered in the mid 50's with no wind. According to 60 years of weather data collected by the University of Minnesota's climatology department, the average early morning temperature for fishing openers varies from the high 30s to the high 40s.

"And when you catch a fish, it always seems warmer," Johnson said

12:05 a.m.

The fishing opener was officially five minutes old when Dana Johnson caught his first walleye. Using one of the fathead minnows he trapped on Lake Alice where he lives in Fergus Falls, Johnson reeled in a 14-incher.

"It's going to be a good year," said the 42-year-old Johnson.

Johnson has been a night fisherman for the last 15 years, usually sitting in his boat on the lake side of the bridge - where as many as a half dozen boaters crowd in to cast for walleye. But on this night, Johnson decided to fish from shore. He came equipped with a head lamp strapped around his cap to shine a light when baiting his hook.

"I heard it was going to rain, so I decided to fish from here," said Johnson, who showed up at the bridge at 10:30 p.m. to claim his spot.

At this hour of the night, there were nearly a dozen other fisherman on the shore and four boats on the lake side of the bridge.

"I'm surprised it's not completely packed here," Johnson said.

1:10 a.m.

After one hour of fishing from the wooden deck near the bridge, longtime buddies Chad Rehm, Jake Seelhammer and Mike Kurzman had reeled in nine walleyes - half of their combined legal limit.

"Not bad for a bunch of hillbillies," said the 32-year-old Kurzman.

The trio from Deer Creek, Minn., was using lake shiners - a popular bait that has been in short supply so far this spring. Seelhammer managed to net some of the shiners in what he called his "secret spot."

Rehm and Seelhammer, both 31, have been fishing together since they were kids. The three of them, who fish together in a Monday-night league on Otter Tail Lake, have been night fishing almost annually.

"This is a very late spring, that's why we are here," Rehm said, referring in part to the lake's 42-degree temperature that makes walleye fishing tough. "Any other year, we would be out on the lake. But this is more relaxing."

They admit fishing at night on a boat is a lot more difficult. Why? Because it's darker. At the west Otter Tail bridge, they could rely on the yard light. To make it even better, the air temperatures were in the 50s with no wind.

"It's a beautiful night," said Seelhammer, well aware of Saturday's rainy and cool forecast. "Tomorrow we'll be out in a boat probably with our rain gear on."

2:25 a.m.

Matt Seufert, Kyle Olson and Casey Love drove by the bridge earlier. But there were too many boats for their liking.

That's because the threesome from Battle Lake like to put on their waders and stand in the water to fish. They returned after 2 a.m. with only two boats to contend with.

"You're standing where other people are casting," said the 22-year-old Seufert. "You hit the holes better. You've got to be out there to catch them."

But not on this night.

While the action was hot and heavy during the first 90 minutes of the fishing opener on the west side of the bridge, Seufert, Olson and Love were unable to catch any walleye. They were using Shad Raps - artificial shiners.

"It's pretty tough with all these boats out here," said Seufert, who, with his fishing partners have been night fishing since they were six years old. "This is when the walleyes usually bite this time of year."

At 2:45 a.m., the threesome packed up their gear and headed upstream to try another spot.

3:07 a.m.

Brian Morris of Isanti, Minn., backed his pickup down the boat ramp and loaded up his boat. After more than two hours of fishing near the bridge, he and Dominic Damiano of **** Rapids, Minn., and Ryan Carlisle of Big Lake, Minn., were unable to reel in a walleye.

"This is the first year I've been skunked in a long time," said Morris, who has been night fishing near this Otter Tail bridge since 1994. "There's fish in here, we just couldn't catch them tonight."

His friend, Jeff Eiden of Bloomington, Minn., had a little better luck in his boat that was floating an arms length away. Eiden reeled in a 22-inch walleye trolling with a crank bait.

4:10 a.m.

A beaver ignores two lit lanterns placed on the shore by a trio of anglers and slithers out of the river water and into the nearby woods.

"Well, we haven't had that happen before," said Brad Buck of Fergus Falls, who for the last 10 years has been night fishing at this spot.

The beaver must have sensed there were fewer anglers at this hour.

In addition to 52-year-old Buck and his fishing partners Gerald Benson, an 80-year-old from Erhard, Minn., and his 45-year-old son Steve of Brainerd, Minn., there were only 10 other anglers - five on the pier, two in a boat, two on the westside shore and two more on the eastside shore.

"That's why we wait and come out here now," Buck said of his group's 3 a.m. arrival. "You avoid the crowds."

Buck and his fishing pals have made it a tradition to night fish here - usually from about 3 a.m. until sunrise. They have fished in wind, rain, hail, snow and thunder and lightening.

"One year, I had to show them how to fish," said Benson, who will turn 80 in July. "I had my limit and they didn't."

"I just think it was so dark and you didn't know what you were doing," quipped his son Steve.

5:15 a.m.

About the time the birds start chirping, sensing the sunrise, 50-year-old Chad Weber, and his son 23-year-old son Adam, try their luck.

Adam, unsuccessful earlier in the night at nearby Walker Lake, landed a 20-inch walleye off the same pier where the three anglers from Deer Creek finally reached their combined limit of 18 walleyes.

"I think there's plenty of fish out there," Chad Weber said. "It's good some people get a few."

The Webers live in St. Cloud, where they have night fished on the Mississippi River, near the Sartell Dam. It only made sense they would start night fishing at this bridge, after purchasing a cabin on nearby Round Lake two years ago.

"This place is a lot nicer than most because of this yard light," Chad said. "It gets pretty dark at most other places."

6:06 a.m.

It was no longer dark.

Perhaps that meant better fishing.

Buck and the Bensons finally caught three walleyes. On the other side of the river, Rick Bleichner who lives up the road on Otter Tail Lake landed a 23-inch, 3 ½-pound walleye. Adam Weber caught another walleye from the pier.

But for the night anglers, their shift was coming to a close.

"They're starting to roll in now," said the 80-year-old Benson, eyeing the boats being pulled into the boat landing. "Time for some lake fishing."

_________________

*Minnesota fishing opener: Happy days, again *
Sam Cook Duluth News Tribune 
Published Sunday, May 11, 2008

ON LAKE VERMILION, NEAR COOK - Fishing guide Dave Schaeffer tossed a chartreuse and pink jig into the water of Lake Vermilion early Saturday morning on Minnesota's fishing opener. He liked the feel of his first cast of the season.

"Baby," he muttered, "it's been a while."

And for a while, it looked as if the opener might not come at all, as ice clung to the surface of many lakes. Elsewhere on Lake Vermilion, down on Big Bay, ice stretched almost shore to shore on Saturday. Many anglers were compelled to trailer their boats to the west end of the lake, where Schaeffer, 62, and his friend and fellow guide Denny Van de Linde, 64, of Cook were spending their 33rd annual opener together. Both men guide on Lake Vermilion all summer and into the fall, but not on the opener.

"We met in '75, and we've fished every opener together since then," Van de Linde said.

They had planned to fish Schaeffer's end of the lake, but the ice changed that. So they took Van de Linde's new 18½-foot Alumacraft into the shallows of Black Bay at the west end. The water temperature was 50 degrees here, as opposed to a frigid 40 in the main bays. No wonder. They had been ice-covered just 24 hours before.

"The fish are going to be in the warmer water," Van de Linde said.

We had passed a flotilla of Lunds and Alumacrafts and Sylvans in the narrows, where most anglers were trolling Shad Raps and other minnow imitations. The three of us threw jigs from 1/16th to 1/4-ounce tipped with minnows, and Van de Linde tried trolling a slip-sinker rig, too.

The day was cool - 41 degrees at 6 a.m. with a fresh wind from the east. Bodies propped in boats were topped with stocking caps. Some hoods were up. Some anglers wore gloves. The sky spit snow pellets for about five minutes.

"It's better than rain," Van de Linde said.

GOOD TIMES

Despite the cool conditions, nearly everyone seemed happy to be fishing on liquid water again. Trolling or drifting in close quarters, anglers chatted boat to boat. Schaeffer hooked our first walleye sometime after 8 a.m. on a jig and minnow in about 7 feet of water. It looked like it had been in the walleye tanning booth, its thick body a deep golden green. But at 18 inches, it had to go back to the lake.

A protected 17- to 26-inch slot limit on Lake Vermilion means all walleyes in that category must be released. Slot limits, aimed at preserving spawning fish, are common on the state's larger walleye lakes.

"This is the third year of the slot," Van de Linde said. "Overall, it's been accepted by the public. No one's complaining."

"Caught a few. All too big," one angler in another boat told us, shrugging.

"We got seven. All in the slot," another reported.

But catching nice walleyes is a problem everyone on Vermilion seemed happy about on Saturday.

Schaeffer continued to school Van de Linde and the other angler on board. Schaeffer caught fish through the morning, only one of which was small enough to keep - and just barely. Jigs and minnows in 7 to 10 feet did the trick. And we boated one 22-incher, too.

LIGHT TRAFFIC

Much of the time, we fished in loose pods of 13 to 15 boats, but Schaeffer and Van de Linde said this was light turnout for an opener on Vermilion.

"Way down," Van de Linde said. "I'd have to say we're below 50 percent [of normal]."

That was to be expected, with the partial ice-out on Vermilion and ice-out of any kind remaining in doubt until Friday.

Between bites, we watched bald eagles and buffleheads and looked at modest cabins tucked among the old pines. We told stories of timber wolves and caribou and big walleyes of yesteryear. Schaeffer and Van de Linde have an easy friendship rooted in a lot of history together. They seem to share the same brain when it comes to finding walleyes.

"Denny," Schaeffer would say, "I want you to take me out to that reef where those boats are."

"Let's do it," Van de Linde would answer.

And off we'd go.

"Got any more of those jigs?" Van de Linde asked.

"They're in my jig box," Schaeffer answered.

"Tell him the story about&#8230;" Van de Linde would say.

And Schaeffer would tell the stories.

They had both dreamed of retiring to the Lake Vermilion area, and both made the move in 2002. Schaeffer came up from Forest Lake, Minn., and Van de Linde from Mendota Heights, Minn. They eased into guiding after that.

But never on opening day.

Each of them sets that one aside for an old friend.

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*Governor's catch is second place again *
Associated Press 
Published Sunday, May 11, 2008

BREEZY POINT, Minn. - Gov. Tim Pawlenty landed a 17-inch walleye Saturday during the Governor's 60th annual Fishing Opener at Breezy Point, Minn., on Pelican Lake.

But Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau reeled in a 19-inch walleye about two-and-a-half hours earlier.

In the past six years, Molnau and Pawlenty have had a friendly competition for first fish caught, longest fish and most fish caught on opening day. Molnau has been the unofficial winner each year - and this year looks to be no different.

First Lady Mary Pawlenty was fishing with her husband. She says she got a few bites, but nothing in the boat.

Of the anglers near the governor, only a few caught fish Saturday morning. But a slow day was expected because of a late ice-out on Pelican Lake. While parts of northern Minnesota saw snow, the Brainerd area saw little or no wind, overcast skies, and temperatures that were a bit chilly - in the high 40s.

On the eve of the opener, ice still clung to Lake Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake as well as Lake Bemidji, Lake of the Woods, Lake Vermilion and Rainy Lake, although all had some open water.

Gunflint Lake north of Grand Marais was still covered in ice.

_________________

Published May 11, 2008 01:18 am - 
... The temperature on German Lake was in the mid-50s compared to a normal opening day temperature in the mid-60s. 
It was a similar story on most area lakes and local tackle and bait dealers blamed the mediocre bite on the extended cool conditions that have kept water temperatures lower than normal.

*Low temps slow up fishing opener *
Cold water takes bite out of walleye

By John Cross 
Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO - 
This is the first Minnesota opener that Ed Bisek has been able to fish in more than three decades.

For the previous 35 years, he was tending to the opening day needs of angling guests at his Beaver Dam Resort on German Lake.

But earlier this year, Bisek reached a decision to permanently close the doors of the south-central Minnesota recreational institution. Finally, he could do some fishing himself. "It was slow out there," he said of his first opener in years.

He wasn't alone. "I talked to several anglers who fished area lakes and except for a crappie or perch here and there, I haven't heard of a person who caught a walleye or northern," he said, blaming the poor bite on cold water.

Bisek said the temperature on German Lake was in the mid-50s compared to a normal opening day temperature in the mid-60s.

It was a similar story on most area lakes and local tackle and bait dealers blamed the mediocre bite on the extended cool conditions that have kept water temperatures lower than normal.

At Reel Fishing and Tackle at Madison Lake, Katy Winkler said that as of Saturday afternoon, she had seen only one walleye - a 4-pound, 11-ounce fish caught by Gary Strung in Madison Lake.

"Part of it is the water is cooler than normal - you really have to slow things down," she said. If the walleyes seemed to have developed lockjaw on Madison Lake, the panfish bite continues. "The crappies - they're always biting."

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Published December 08, 2007 06:10 pm -

MANKATO AREA 
Look for crappies in 10 to 14 feet in Baker's Bay on Lake Washington. The west side of Lake Francis is kicking out sunfish and crappies

Minnesota Fishing Report: Updated May 10

By Outdoor News

MANKATO AREA

Look for crappies in 10 to 14 feet in Baker's Bay on Lake Washington. The west side of Lake Francis is kicking out sunfish and crappies in six feet or less. Work the south end of German Lake for panfish in 10 to 12 feet. Buckmaster Bridge on Madison Lake is giving up crappies.

ALEXANDRIA AREA

The shallow bays on most small lakes started producing crappies. The afternoon hours have been best once the water warms. Look for small jigs tipped with minnows or waxworms to work best. The bigger lakes have yet to produce much for panfish.

ANNANDALE AREA

Sunfish and crappies have shown up in good numbers throughout the shallow bays and channel areas. Waxworms, minnows, and Berkley Gulp are all turning fish at Clearwater Lake, Cedar Lake, Lake Sylvia, and Pleasant Lake in less than six feet.

BATTLE LAKE

The ice is out and the crappies have started to hit in the bays and shoreline areas of East Battle Lake, Ten Mile Lake, and West Battle Lake. The best sunfish reports are coming off Deer Lake and Mollie Stark Lake in two to six feet of water.

BEMIDJI AREA

There was some ice floating on the big lakes early this week, but it was going fast. Most small lakes now have opened, but panfish reports have been limited. Look for this to improve by the weekend.

BLACKDUCK AREA

The small lakes are open and the ice is going out quickly on the bigger bodies of water. Lakes such as Rabideau and Gilstead should be the first spots to check for crappies in very shallow water with minnows.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA

Crappie fishing has picked up this week in the bays, channels, and harbor areas of Gull Lake. The smaller lakes also have started producing panfish, most of which are coming from less than five feet of water. Nisswa, Margaret, North Long, and Round are all worth noting.

CASS LAKE AREA

On Tuesday morning, Allen's Bay was about half open. The big lake still had a lot of ice on it, but it had started to shift with the wind. With a few more days of warm weather, wind, or rain, much of the main lake is expected to be open by this weekend.

CHISAGO AREA

Sunfish and crappies continue to bite at a good pace with minnows or waxworms working the best. The best reports are coming from three to six feet of water at North Lindstrom Lake, Chisago Lake, South Lindstrom Lake and South Center Lake.

CROSBY AREA

Shore fishermen have been catching panfish at Milford Lake, portions of the Rabbit River, and on many small lakes in the Recreation Area. Plastics have been very productive as are FluFlu's tipped with minnows. Look for the best action to take place during the evening hours in less than six feet.

DETROIT LAKES

Look to the "Long Bridge" area of Big Detroit Lake for crappies. The "Bowling Alley" area of Little Detroit Lake is kicking out panfish during the afternoon hours. Work the inlet and outlet areas at Height of Land Lake for panfish and the shallow bays of lakes Melissa and Sallie as well.

DULUTH AREA

The ice is gone from all inland lakes, but the panfish have yet to start biting in the shallows. On Lake Superior, trolling stickbaits near the surface down to 30 feet of water has produced coho salmon and lake trout. Kamloops action has been best in the Lester River and Sucker River with spawn sacs.

EAST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA

Crappie action has been very consistent in two to six feet of water on Green Lake, Briggs Lake, Elk Lake, and Blue Lake. The afternoon and evening hours have been best. Some sunfish have been mixed in, but most continue to be small.

FAIRMONT AREA

Small jigs tipped with minnows or waxworms are producing numbers of crappies in shallow water on lakes such as Amber, George, Hall, and Budd. Walleye and northern pike reports have been decent off the Minnesota and Iowa border lakes. A jig and minnow has worked best at Iowa Lake and Okamanpedan Lake.

FARIBAULT AREA

Sunfish action really has picked up in the shallows of Hunts Lake, Shields Lake, Lake Mazaska, and Roberds Lake. Look for crappies to be hitting minnows and waxworms at the creek mouths of Shields and Mazaska. Minnows also have turned some good-sized white bass at Mazaska Lake.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

And the longest post in Nodak history award goes to.....drum roll....... :lol:


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## Bustin Lips (Mar 16, 2008)

dblkluk said:


> And the longest post in Nodak history award goes to.....drum roll....... :lol:


 now that's funny right there! :toofunny:


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