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5th Annual City Auto Glass Walleye Classic-Lake Vermilion


Walleye Magnet

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It is that time of year again. We will be holding the 5th annual tournamnet May 22,2010 of of Fortune Bay. Please mark your calendars.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have received a few calls about rooms at Fortune Bay for our event. We currently have a block of 25 rooms until 4/15/10. If the block fills they will open a few more rooms for us, so please make your reservations soon if you plan on staying here. Last year we had a couple teams that needed to scramble for accomodations because Fortune Bay was full.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One minor change to report. I just got word from Fortune Bay that our rules meting and dinner will be moved to the Banquet hall this year. Those who fished with us in years 1-3 will be back in familiar territory.

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As of Monday we are at 27 boats. I should get a report again before the end of the week. Are you already signed up?

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you thought our door prizes were good last year, you will be impressed with this year. Marine General is on board to make this event bigger and better.

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Sounds great, Jamie! I noticed that this has now become an AIM sanctioned event. How many teams would receive the invite to the championship at Winnie? Looks like just another reason for others to join on in the fun!

Seriously, folks, if you have never fished this tourney, you SHOULD! It's VERY well run, and the banquet on Friday night at Fortune Bay is a no-miss event, lots of great prizes and good food/drink.

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i've only been on there for bout 5 hrs

i'll enter if i can follow this slovene guy around

whats the entry

AIM is catch and release isnt it ???

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gregg- entry is $400 for the tourney, but I don't know what it is for the AIM Championship. And, yes, AIM is Catch, Photo, Release. You may follow me around, but I have long trolling rods, and I might have to flick ya if you get too close!! grin

Seriously, though, you should enter. Spend some time the week before the tourney, and I think you'd find enough fish to feel confident in your chances.

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Slovene

I dont know that i will get a chance to pre-fish much I'm starting a new business

so I'll be kinda busy specially that time of year...prime selling time

But if you happem across someone needin a partner I'll be availalbe

I have a new gf so i'll see you at bowen in august for sure

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Sounds good...actually bought a new 30' travel trailer and pulled it home Friday. Putting it up at Becker's in their RV park for the season, so I'll be up there every weekend this summer. I'm sure I'll see you on the lake, but will for sure be fishing the couples tourney in August at Bowen's. Keep in touch.

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Slovene-

Yes, we are now an AIM santioned event. This is a HUGE opportunity for the folks fishing our event. I am waiting for clarification as to how many entries we will receive, but I will pass that information along as it becomes available.

I see your boat is the 1st out in the second flight. I look forward to seeing you again at Vermilion, and good luck!

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i'm lookin up there for a new place i kinda prefer the north end area

beckers is on the miss flowage area isnt

never been there i'll have to check it out on here

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Thanks, Jamie! Hopefully we can have as good of a day as we've had in the past 3 tourneys and also hope for a little luck with a big one. Either way, I'm sure we'll have fun. Make sure to keep the bar stocked with the black labeled square bottle for me and I'll be a happy camper! wink

Gregg- Yes, it's the furthest one up the Miss. River where it comes in the lake. Heated pool for the kids, too. We'll see how we like it and hopefully something opens up at Bowen's if we don't.

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I just received an update from Fortune Bay. They have a handful of rooms available for our event. If you haven't made a reservation yet I encourage you to do so.

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I am getting several calls to inquire if we still have openings. Yes, we do. The entries are coming in nicely, but we still have availability.

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Jamie-just to let you know we called on Sat. (almost too late!) and it sounded like they only had 4 rooms left that were available.We grudgingly had to settle for a jacuzzi suite. Looks like Sat. A.M. will be a tough one again this year!! wink

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  • 2 weeks later...

41 boats as of Tuesday. We typically have around 30 boats by the end of April, and get most of our entries in May. So we are a little ahead of schedule. The phone has been ringing off the hook which is a good thing. I am heading up to Fortune Bay Monday to finalize all our facilities for the event. Only 4 weeks to go smile

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Hey Walleye Magnet, I didn't even know you knew how to fish, lol. Sure didn't learn how in Bemidji I don't think. Too bad I'm committed for the Eagles Tournament here that day, maybe one of these years my brother and I will have to sign up and take everyone's money over there!! Awesome job getting set up with AIM also, great format.

Have a great time and hope the tourney goes great, can't have much worse weather than the last couple years so thats something to look forward too, looking awfully nice so far and I hear the crappies are biting like crazy up there too already!

If you happen to see that Anderson guy around hit em for me and tell him he's just a Big Lug!!

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Thrax- Good to hear from you. I think the last time I saw you was at the North landing on Lake Bemidji. As you know prior to putting this on I fished the Eagles. We would love to have you come over and 'try' to take the big money one of these years. This event has grown beyond what any of us imagined at the start. You won't regret it if/when you decide to come over and fish smile

I just spoke with Anderson yesterday. I will give him a slap for you.

Are you fishing the Kraus? I will be out there for that one.

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Tossing the Kraus around, my partner is a little low on funding, doesn't know if he can swing it yet, lots going on with this tough economy. If we can place ok for the Eagles then we'll likely lock in for the Kraus. Hope your tourney does great, fish should be hot hot by then (I hope).

Anderson always needs a slap, any good man should always give him one at every opportunity.

If not fishing the Kraus I usually swing by for the weigh in, will look you up either way.

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I have been receiving several calls to inquire if we have openings. Yes, we do still have room left. If you would like a crack at the $10,000 guaranteed 1st place prize, and haven't entered yet please do so.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you are planning to fish with us this year, and you haven't sent your entry in yet please do so before Wednesday, May 19th. After that date I would appreciate if you just brought your entry to the registration/rules meeting Friday, May 21st. We will be setting up Friday the 21st and will have no access to our mail.

Things are shaping up nicely!

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7 days and counting until the meeting/social hour/dinner. Can't wait and looks like nice weather for a change this year...won't know how to fish the tourney without 2 hats on and 3 pairs of gloves in the boat!! See you next Friday, Jamie. We'll buy the first round!! grin

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    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   The big open water, otherwise known as Big Traverse Bay, is ice free.  The bays and tributaries of LOW such as Zippel Bay, Bostic Bay and Four Mile Bay are ice free as well.  The lake is in good shape for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th. The many bays and backwaters of the lake have been receiving attention from spring pike anglers.  Some pike have already entered the bays, spawned and gone back out to the lake, but there are still a pile of fish to be had.   The pike season on LOW is open year round. The limit is 3 pike per day with one fish allowed more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. On the Rainy River...  Another great week sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River.  The bite has been very good and lots of fish of all sizes are being boated.     Sturgeon are being caught from Four Mile Bay at the mouth of the Rainy River all the way to Birchdale, about 42 miles.  There are many boat ramps along the river to make life easy.  Starting from the east going west...   -Nelson Park at Birchdale (About 30 miles east of Baudette) -Frontier (9 miles west of Birchdale) -Vidas (Near Clementson Rapids) -Timbermill Park (East Baudette) -Peace Park (International Drive, Baudette) -Wheeler's Point (mouth of Rainy River)  The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Up at the NW Angle...  The Angle is ice free.  Resorts are gearing up for the fishing opener which is expected to be excellent.  The late ice bite was very good and the walleyes are in good numbers amongst the islands area of the NW Angle.  
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    • SkunkedAgain
      This was posted in the Timberjay this week, and should be in the upcoming LVA publication. Great news for those of us on the west end.      https://www.timberjay.com/stories/west-end-is-suddenly-hot,21403   LAKE VERMILION— How things have changed on Lake Vermilion’s west end. Not that many years ago, resort owners on the lake’s western half were bemoaning low numbers of walleye, particularly fish smaller than the protective slot limit. Those complaints aren’t likely to be heard this year, at least based on the results of the DNR’s fall fish survey, the results of which were released last week, averaged 22.1 walleye per net, the highest number of walleye ever recorded in the western basin. Those strong numbers helped keep the lakewide average walleye catch rate at 16.7 fish per net, according to the report issued by Matt Hennen, large lake specialist with the DNR’s Tower area fisheries office. It was the fourth year in a row of above-average walleye numbers and was virtually unchanged from last year. The eastern basin, which has long been the go-to for walleye anglers, walleye numbers averaged somewhat below the long-term mean, at 13.1 fish per net. That’s in the bottom 25th percentile historically for that basin. As usual, the populations continue to be driven by recent moderate to strong year-classes in 2018 and 2021. But a weak year class in 2022 appears to be responsible for the decline in total walleye numbers, particularly in the eastern basin. But that decline is unlikely to be noticeable to anglers this summer, as the prospects for angler success remain high. “Overall, decent numbers of fish can be found from 13 to 20 inches, which is generally the size range anglers prefer to harvest,” notes Hennen in his report. “Additionally, above average numbers of small fish from 10 to 13 inches were present in the population last fall. These fish will grow throughout the 2024 fishing season and provide ample catch and harvest opportunities in 2024 and beyond. High numbers of fish 20 inches and larger will continue to provide memorable catch opportunities throughout the lake.” While the average walleye count on the eastern basin was relatively low for Vermilion, it was still exceptionally high for most lakes in Minnesota, reflecting the remarkably productive fishery that Lake Vermilion represents. According to Hennen, Vermilion’s walleye population is heavily dependent on the strength of individual year-classes, which have tended toward boom and bust in recent years. The lake experienced strong year-classes in 2016 and 2018, while preliminary estimates point to 2021 as another strong year-class. By contrast, the 2017 and 2020 year-classes were weak, and 2022 appears to also be weak. The outlook for the 2023 year-class, however, looks hopeful. As part of the DNR’s annual survey on Lake Vermilion, fisheries staff conduct electrofishing to detect young fish too small to capture in nets and the results from that effort offer the first glimpse at the strength of that year’s reproduction. According to the report, the electrofishing tallied 118.3 fish per hour, which was on track with the long-term average, suggesting that 2023 will, at least, be a moderate year-class. The fish samples averaged 5.6 inches in length, which was slightly above normal. That can bode well for the percentage of young walleye that survive the winter. 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Bluegills captured averaged six inches in length, with fish over nine inches found on both ends of the lake. Muskie The DNR did not conduct an assessment of the lake’s muskie population in 2023. The muskie population was established via a stocking program that began in the late 1980s with the goal of providing a low-density, high-quality fishery. During the most recent targeted assessment conducted in 2019, muskies averaged 44.7 inches with over 40 percent of fish measuring 45 inches or larger. Additionally, about 11 percent of the fish sampled were 50 inches or larger. Assessment options for obtaining adult population estimates along with evaluating recent stocking strategies and natural reproduction are being considered for the future. Fisheries management As one of the state’s largest lakes and a popular fishery, the DNR conducts fish surveys annually as part of the agency’s management efforts. In addition to fish surveys, the DNR conducts regular creel surveys, water quality monitoring on Vermilion along with fish contaminant and disease inspections, zooplankton surveys, and aquatic invasive species surveillance. The DNR is reminding anglers that special regulations exists for walleyes where all fish from 20 to 26 inches must be immediately released. There is a possession limit of four walleyes with only one fish over 26 inches allowed. Anglers are also reminded that since 2019, northern pike have been managed under the Northeast Zone regulations requiring immediate release of all angled fish between 30 and 40 inches with only one over 40 inches allowed in a two fish possession limit. Separate regulations exist for dark house spearing which allows spearers to have two pike in possession but only one may be over 26 inches. All other fish species are managed under current statewide fishing regulations.
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