Northwoods Adventure: Fishing Opener

It’s known as an unofficial Minnesota holiday: the walleye fishing opener brought anglers out in full force over the weekend. Ever since 12:01 Saturday morning, a steady stream of boats filled with anglers have made their way out onto area lakes to catch their limit. Around the north country, walleye fishing is said to be excellent. Fishing guides credit early ice out, and warm weather for the opening weekends success.

Fishing guides around the area say that the walleye are scattered in area lakes, mostly because of the fluctuation in our warm and cold weather conditions. However, if you are looking to fill your limit, its recommend to stay close to shore.

But to catch your limit of walleye, you need to have the right gear and bait. Just ask Logan, who has been out fishing since early Saturday. He says a shiner and a jig is ideal in these conditions.

However, shiners are hard to come by this year because of growing regulation regarding the harvesting of the minnow from lakes with aquatic invasive species. But if you are able to get your hands on the bait, it’s considered ideal this time of year.

While many anglers fish from a boat, fishing from the shore line or dock can be just as good, especially with the current fishing conditions.

With the walleye fishing season officially underway, area guides say that just about every lake should be excellent for fishing.