Walleye Opener Plans

[Rick G]

Where is everyone spending the walleye opener? I will be on Blackduck lake with a bunch of family members and close friends.

Stay safe, and good luck to all

[eyeguy 54]

Yes indeed, good luck all and safe travels. Heading to Winny on Sunday the 10th till Wednesday. Camper will be at Pines by the Gosh Dam.

[monstermoose78]

I will be in Grand Marais with my old man.

[derbier122x]

Working and sleeping. Maybe hit the river a bit.

[Horseshoe_Don]

I will stay away from the crowd and fish for pike on the Northern opener

[gunner55]

Fishing the opener for the 1st time in a long time.We're close to GDP as well.

[Tom Sawyer]

I have always avoided the crowds that weekend, both on the roads and especially on the water. To tell you the truth my boat normally doesn't get heavy use until after Memorial Day weekend, I'm to busy with getting my garden in order. Labor Day is another one worth missing.

We'll stay home and have a nice quiet weekend grilling and then have a small bocci ball, or some yard game tournament. Then the couples kick back at night by our city approved fire and throw back a few cold ones, and shoot the breeze. If the weather sucks, which is normal for the opener, we are inside playing board games with family, or friends.

This year I may fish Sunday, 6 blocks from my house wadding the river with not a soul around. Never seen ideal wadding conditions for this time of the year on the Big Miss. I've ran into several eyes already just rigging worms for suckers, should be interesting when you can legally target them.

Good luck to all and be safe, it's always a jungle out there on opener

[Stick in Mud]

I'll be up at Mille Lacs again, as it's a family tradition. Since the night ban is on for the rest of the year, this is my only time to get out at night and pull cranks on my honey holes. Hoping to make the most of it.

[clayton08]

I will be doing the midnight run to the mn river with my wife on friday night probably fish until 2. Stay at her moms wake up drive 2 hrs to lake minnewaska hit the night bite. Celebrate mothers day then hit a some lakes somewere in between. Good luck to everyone.

[Borch]

I may hit a local lake Saturday night after most of the boats are off the lake and troll cranks for a bit. If I fish this weekend this is usually when I go but have done Sunday evening in the past as well depending on weather.

[Genofish]

Fishing Shamineau, maybe Fishtrap also

[eyeguy 54]

I went, I froze, I ate eyes for supper tonight,  :)

[Tom Sawyer]

I checked out the river, no walleye, but still had fun. LOL!

The best part of the catch was the fact she was caught by sight fishing brush piles for crappie. Usually the monsters are caught soaking a worm on bottom, waiting for a bite. Hooking this bruiser in skinny water was quite the riot, a real Battle Royal.

 

[monstermoose78]

I went to Grand Marais to the family cabin. I ended up going alone, because my dad is to busy. I fished many streams on the back roads such as the Grade Road from Highway 1 to the Gunflint Trail. If you like fishing brook trout this that area as so many little streams that have them. I caught brookies in about every stream I fished. Most were small 4-6 inchers, but I got 5 over 8 inches and had one nice one that would have been my dinner. I got it to the bank and it slipped out of my hand and back into the river. That was on Friday. On the drive on the back roads I saw a moose, grouse, pine martin, and bear.  None of them wanted to photographed. I did see some ice along some of the streams and there was snow on the ski slopes in Lutsen.

 

As for Walleyes the area up there some of the bigger lakes still have a spawn going on. I seen some sign on some streams saying closed to fishing to protect spawning walleyes. On Saturday morning I fished some of the smaller shallower lakes and caught some walleyes in 2-5 feet of water on a 1/16 oz. lead head jig with a leech. I should have used minnows, because some locals came in with minnows and showed me how to catch walleyes. The water was to cold for leeches to be moving around. 

[GeluNumber1]

I checked out the river, no walleye, but still had fun. LOL!

The best part of the catch was the fact she was caught by sight fishing brush piles for crappie. Usually the monsters are caught soaking a worm on bottom, waiting for a bite. Hooking this bruiser in skinny water was quite the riot, a real Battle Royal.

*snip*

*snip*

​Tom, that is one MASSIVE bigmouth buffalo. How big do you think she was? Congratulations on the gigantic fish, she's a beauty.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, Moose, I was up in the BWCA on a little solo trip last week.  I went out to the lake one night and shined the headlamp in the water....and saw lots and lots of glowing eyeballs in a few feet of water.   Pretty cool to see, that's for sure.  

[Tom Sawyer]

​Tom, that is one MASSIVE bigmouth buffalo. How big do you think she was? Congratulations on the gigantic fish, she's a beauty.

​38" and about 20lbs, Common Carp