Prior or spring for opener?

[PLfisherman]

I am going to stick around town for opener has anyone fished prior lake or spring lake for opener or early in the season. I don't walleye fish a lot on these two lakes. Where would be a good place to start. Should I bobber fish on the points or troll cranks. Leaches or shinners or fatheads. Any help whould be appreciated. Also should i worry about the crowds I have seen a few boats out there on opener. OH yea i am going out at midnight not during the day. thanks for any help.

[wastewaterguru]

There aren't many to be found. I have caught a lot of sardines in the spring, but a decent eater is hard to find. I may be out trying for pike or crappies, but doubt I'll target wallys on either of these lakes.

[Ole1855]

I haven't fished Prior for quite a few years, but we used to do ok and a kid that used to work for me back in the mid '80's had two he had on the wall out of Prior. He lived with his parents on the lake and he said the only time he fished for eyes was after midnite until sunrise.

Ole

[korn_fish]

I fished prior pretty hard for the eyes this winter. There are some there, but most are mere cigars. I wouldn't focus on prior if your looking for eaters or numbers. But it does have it's share of crappies and gills if you get tired of chasing Mr. Eye around.

Prior has a lot of traffic on it in the summer months and I'm sure that is why it's mostly a night bite as Ole mentioned. I grew up fishing lakes like this in southern MN and the pattern shifted only slightly in the spring and fall when there was less recreational use, but was still primarily a night bite. The best eye action on prior this winter was after 10PM for me as well.

Sorry if I can't help out with more tips since I have never fished open water on prior. But if I was going out, I would start by trolling cranks through some structure areas that I knew held eyes before, looking at the depth finder to see if I mark anything. If I get hit, or see potential hot bed of eyes, then I would stop and hit the areas with jigs or slip bobber with shiners/fatheads. But keep in mind I have not fished this lake on open water.

[This message has been edited by korn_fish (edited 05-04-2004).]

[Thomas]

i fished Spring few years ago on the opener. i told a fried of mine not to get any leaches, because the water would be too cold for them. so we got minnows, and people with leaches caught the walleye. we did catch number of n. pike.

[Guest]

How do you get to the public access on Prior.

I'm coming from the East.........

[PLfisherman]

Well i am not sure you guys are trying to keep me off the lake or not. In the fall i have caught plenty of walleyes on prior I have 9 1/2 pounder on the wall from prior and have caught one a little begger a few years after that. I just don't fish in the spring a lot for them, But I know they are in there and some big ones. AS for spring, it is a hart lake to catch wallleyes on, but A friends dad of mine catches a lot of them in there. This febuary the dnr was netting carp and didn't get a lot of carp but got ALOT of 7-9 pound walleyes. They are just hard to catch. IT reminds me of a little minni mille acs the past couple of years. they must just have so many baitfish to eat they are not hungry.

[wastewaterguru]

Yep, I do believe you that they're in there. But, the problem with Prior is that the weedline goes out to 10 or 12 feet by opener and 15 to 18 feet by mid-summer. There is so much cover and available baitfish, that the quality eyes are very hard to fish for. You gotta get into the weeds and that aint always easy.

[BMAT43]

Hey WWG

How ya been?
You gonna be on Prior during the opener?
If not would you care to fill me in on where you gonna be?
I am taking a friend of mine and have yet to put us in fish every time I take him out.. Bout the only time I don't catch fish....lol
If you don't want everyone to be on your spot send me an email
[email protected]

------------------
If it was so easy to catch fish.... they'd call it catching and not fishing

[This message has been edited by BMAT43 (edited 05-06-2004).]

[Crawlerman]

Personally I think fishing for metro eyes anywheres but the St. Croix/Mississippi is a waste of time Too rare, too pressured, or too small.

There are some decent metro pike to be had, however. Thats what I target on opener most of the time...

Also, does anyone know what condition the boat ramp is on Spring? Does it still have gaping potholes in the blocks where the idoits were blowing chunks out with their lower units last year? Or did the DNR put in new blocks allready? And/or is the water level too low to even really launch now?

[wastewaterguru]

Not too sure where I'll be for opener yet. Haven't negotiated with the boss yet. I have the LETS tournament tomorrow on Pool 4 and so next weekend is still in the air.

I might just hit the river somewhere.....less traffic.

[Teagan]

I know this isn't about northerns but last summer I guy had three pike in his livewell that were between 10 and 15 pounds. I didn't think he was aware of the only 1 pike over 30 inches.