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I'll be up there with a couple friends on the chain. Never have any confidence for walleyes on opener, so we'll go after whatever bites (with an emphasis on eyes). 😀  

On the south end...  On the lake, the focus is on the May 15, 2021 Fishing Opener for walleyes.  There is much optimism as fishing in the Rainy River this spring was excellent and reports of good fishing from the spring season on the lake was also good. The limit for walleyes and saugers during the open season is a combined limit of six fish, up to four of the six can be walleyes.  There is a slot limit in which all walleyes 19.5 - 28.0 inches must be released.  One can be kept over 28 inches.   Pike anglers are still catching fish in back bays. The pike season is open year-round on LOW and the Rainy River.     On the Rainy River...   Sturgeon anglers are enjoying catch and release through 5/15/21.  Closed 5/16/21 - 6/30/21.  Harvest season opens up again on 7/1/21 - 9/30/21. Good numbers of sturgeon have been running in the Rapid River near Clementson just east of Baudette this past week.  These fish are incredible to see up close, but are also very much protected and respected. Anglers looking to this weekend and the opener.  Typically, there is some good walleye fishing in the river early in the season, such as this weekend. Up at the NW Angle...  A few anglers fishing pike in back bays but most looking forward to the May 15th fishing opener.  The go to walleye spots come the opener will be shoreline and island structure and underwater points.  The technique, a jig and a minnow! With the Canada border still closed, there are many ways to get up to the Angle.  The LOW Passenger Service, charter boat shuttle service from the south end, is open and running.  If you have the right boat and expertise, boating across is an option.  And finally, Lake Country Air flying service, a float plane service out of Baudette and other locations.  

i will be up in the area but not sure i will hit the chain.  the history with me and opener on the chain has not been productive so this year I am finding a smaller shallow lake in the area and going to hit it for walleyes.  I have not asked my father in law what the temps were but he has hit south cross and clamshell a few times and when fish are caught they have been on the smaller side.  Good Luck to you!

If I snagged an anchor line I am pretty sure i would not ask the anchored angler to lift so I can get my jig back, but I am sure I would warn them that there is a hook now in there anchor line!  I am that way fishing around docks...if I get caught on a dock I will always butt up to it and carefully remove my hook so they do not stick themselves or have a little kid get stuck from it.  Amazingly I have had confrontations with people in this regard!  And it is not like i am pitching bass jigs as I am usually crappie fishing around docks so i am using light line, small hook and cork bobber so I am not hurting a dock if i accidentally cast into it.  Oh well...Good luck to all you Vermillion fisherman on opener and in the rest of the season!

No one's been out on the chain?

Twin City Outboard in Shakopee only works on old motors.  They do great work and the pricing is reasonable.

My 1960 Johnson Seahorse is on the fritz. I did an overhaul the over the winter rebuilding the carb, replacing dry fuel hoses, fixing two stripped bolts (helicoils) on the powerhead, etc... This spring she only wants to run on one cylinder. I am assuming that it's the coil or something similar but suck at the electrical side.    Great American Marine in Bloomington won't touch old motors anymore. Neither will Boat Motor Recyclers in Burnsville (1990 and up!).    Does anyone up near Vermilion still work on older motors? I'll take a recommendation for somewhere near the lake or in the Twin Cities. Any input is appreciated.

It all depends. My go-to opener presentation is dragging a #7 perch rap when closer to the spawn. With the water temps as they are, I think that I'll be jigging and slip-bobbering with whatever works, but I usually start out with rainbows.

I'm only 5'8 so it's swimming for me.

thanks for the heads up!  I think most, if not all of us are aware that the border is closed since it has caused a lot of trip cancellations!  Hopefully they will find a way to let us fishing fools up into their country sooner than later, as I am sure their tourism industry is hurting and could use the money the foreign vacationers spend!