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I'm thinking of trying Vermilion for Opener this year. In looking at resort availability I'm amazed at how many cabins are open.

Is the walleye fishing that bad at this time of year or do people just wait to book until after January?

I am a little spooked as to the reasaon why. I even looked back to last year in this forum and not much talk about the eyes for opener.

I love Vermilion I just love catching fish more.

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HI D

Can't speak for eveyone but we do well on opener each year.

Most people I run into or know on the lake do well also.

Might take a bit of work to find them in large numbers in some areas.

Some openers a bit toug to start out...as each season is very different.

For the most part it is always fun an pretty darn productive well into June if you know how to follow the food.

No food, less fish but always something biting some place on the lake.

I find them, get two or three....then me an the hounds watch Bonnie bring up 40...she has the touch fer dem eyes.

\:\)

Big lake...lots of places to work an things to try...all good fun.

No time to type about it when your on an isalnd an always out doing it.

I'm pretty sure if ya ask Cliff W. he will help ya in your search...best dam walleye hunter I ever met...bar none.

\:\)

Keep on rocken.

Musky Tom Wehler

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Another reason for the availability might be because instead of taking a guys trip on opener, and a family trip later in the year, the guys are going waiting and only taking one trip up because of the higher expenses these days. I never argue about spending the end of the day sitting on the dock watchin the slip bobbers.

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Thanks Tommy!

As Tom said there are plenty of walleyes biting on the opener!

Usually we manage to boat at least 50 walleyes on opening day in an average opener.

I would guess that many people wait a little later in the year to start booking their vacations at the resorts, same as they do for booking guides. My bookings uaualy really pick up in March and April.

If you wait to long to book at a resort you will probably not be able to get lodging on the opener!

Cliff

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I would agree with you Cliff...the opener is usually great. Last year was in the amazing category. But it didn't seem as busy on the west end as other years...could be the economy...but certainly not the fish.

Don't wait too long to get booked for a place...most of the resort folks are at shows filling their open dates...

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Thanks for the info gentlemen. I have booked a few days at White Eagle for the opener.

I appreciate the help. Any suggestions on how to attack the opener?

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Find a spot away from the crowds that's producing and stick with it...

seriously, though.. we generally do a lot of jig/minnow fishing early in the season. Leeches on occasion, but the weather has to have been pretty nice and the water temps a little higher than normal on opener for me to use leeches. The big thing we've found is that color will make a big difference in the numbers and size of eye's you find. If you have 4 guys, try 4 colors and see what's working. THere are some colors that work great in Pike Bay, but not as well the further West you go... water clarity is big in that one.

And to make a really good suggestion... hire Cliff (or another guide if need be). One day of fishing with him has the chance to fish with a true expert. I know I've learned more from fishing for 1/2 a day with him than I could've in a month on my own.

You got responses from 2 of the best on Lake Vermilion in Tom & Cliff... both legends of the lake, in my opinion!

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Minnows should be your #1 choice the first few weeks of the season.

Jigs/minnows or Lindy Rigs/minnows are my two favorite presentations early in the season.

Trolling Rapalas in shallow bays will also produce a lot of walleyes the first couple of weeks of the season.

Cliff

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certainly old enough to know to not argue with a legend...but on the west end, make sure you have a few leeches in your bag. We have huge success with leeches on lindy's...leader length and hook color can make a difference...some of our group have strong religious views on hook and bead color...

leeches or minnows; jigs or lindy's...ask your resort host or hire a guide...Lake V is a great place to spend Mother's Day weekend...

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I can't argue about the leech bite, especially on the West end! That certainly is one of the differences between the East and West ends!

Some fishermen also do well with crawler on both ends on the opener! \:o I talked to a fellow a few days ago that did very well trolling spinners and crawlers last October on the East end! Go figure! crazy.gif

Cliff

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We make our annual trip to the big V the weekend after the opener. We have found that when fishing deep water during the day minnows almost always out produce leeches. However when we anchor on our favorite shallow water, soft bottom, evening, bobber spot, about 50% of the time leeches will great outfish minnows. The weird thing is when the leeches are not the preferred slip bobber bait, minnows greatly outfish the leeches. I would recommend bringing both. The bite can vary from day to day and spot to speot.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
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    • Brianf.
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    • SkunkedAgain
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    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
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