Opener

[Badger_55]

Hey where are you guys plannning on going for opener? Just interested to see. I have mine narrowed down to a few, Prairie, Eagle, Minnewawa, or Big Sandy. Unsure on most of the lakes except eagle don't know how these are usually for opener but grandpa is coming up for the weekend and I plan to put him on some fish.

[Lisa]

I'll be on Big Sandy for the opener. Can't wait as it's been a long winter of no fishing. I gotta find a way to convince my husband that ice fishing is fun!

[palisade1kid]

As to openers BSL is a bit crazy for me on openers.

I have a few lake on the other side of Palisade I'll hit for those eyes.

[ole matty]

will be going to bsl for opener! cant wait to get in mess of northern pike!

[duxs_buxs]

I WILL BE GOING TO BSL FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS OPENER ANY SUGGESTINGS WOULD BE VERY HELPFULL THANKS

[palisade1kid]

Watch out for all of the boats.

[ole matty]

also lookin for eyes in shallow waters as well u might get in mess of northern pike....

crapppiekeith where ur going for opener??

[palisade1kid]

I'm hitting Round at 4 am.,then once the sun rises I'll be hitting squag.

Maybe take a little break to see if those monster gills are around in my lil honey hole then back to Round for the evening bite.

The Miss is not out of the question at midnight.

Sleep in and hit sqaug on Sun. as it's got a good day bite.

It'll depend on what happens Sat. for how I fish Sun.

So meat vs.plastics?

Growing up we always used live bait for walleyes.

My Dad would send my brother & I out to pick crawlers or catch frogs.

We had a leech trap and even went to the Ripple River to catch Redhorse chubs.

We seined minnows from our beach as well,so that's all I knew for decades was how to rig live bait.

30 years later I was introduced to plastics.

I'll never forget my 1st Mister Twister spinner with grub in tow experience.

They worked so well for walleyes and pike.

As I continued my quest to become a better fisherman my attitude towards live bait changed.

I found that having a variety of plastics which include shad style swimbaits,grubs,worms and in all different sizes and colors have helped me get more fish more often.

It's funny when I look back to see how many different ways I've caught walleyes for example.

Same fish ,but the baits have varied by a wide degree.

In selecting my bait of choice I'll 1st consider the structure I'll be working,then water temperature.The time of the year and depth of water that will be worked on that day.

Spring,summer,fall& winter will all require different presentations.

Once I've figured out the walleyes pattern for example ,catching them is as easy as pie.

If they are deep,say 15 FOW or deeper I'll be running lindy rigs with crawlers leeches or minnows.Working the gravel ,rocks or mud bottoms.

They are usually there once the weather gets hot which drives them into the deeper cooler water.

Spring time and early summer they are up shallower.

This is when I'm using a 1/4oz. jig with a sassy shad working 6-10 FOW looking for those males after the spawn.

The females are usually in their post spawn dulldrums,but the males are very active up shallow feeding .

Up in the shallows you'll also find weeds which are a problem for lindy rigs as the weights gather weeds and you continually have to reel up to remove them.

Ergo a jig tipped with a minnow or a swim-bait would be the way to go to pick off those tasty walleyes.

Casting & retrieving,verticle jigging or trolling are great ways to work a jig.

A jig works so well ,because it goes to the bottom of the lake which is where the walleyes are.

Making contact with the bottom or staying within 2 feet of the bottom of the lake is the key to boating walleyes.

Pike run up a bit higher and for the most part bass are surface feeders.

Knowing which species you are targeting,figuring out the pattern and making a plan to work any given body of water by studying topo maps

will help your success rate soar.

Good luck on openers.I hope you have fun which above all is what we all are out there for.

Bring a kid fishing and make their day.

It'll last a lifetime.

PB says"If you rely on one or even a couple methods you will be left out in the dust especially fishing different bodys of water during different conditions and times of the year..

For instance if you rely on plastics while fishing for Walleye on Mille Lacs you will be destroyed by average fishermen like me."

You do bring up a good point PB.

Every body of water is different and each seems to like a different presentation better then others.

BS & ML are 2 places I'd always start with meat.

My luck with plastics on those 2 bodies of water are terrible.

I have been up in the shallows on Mille Lacs and murdered walleyes on blue shad raps though.I've also killed the eys on BSL with the shad.

Being versatile is the ticket.

On the flip side come to Round and try your live bait.

I'd put the hurt to anyone when running a sassy shad.

Like I said earlier & you pointed PB,that live bait should not be overlooked.

What other lakes do you guy's fish & what seems to be the best presentation you've used???