Opener

  • Charlie “Turk” Gierke
    Hudson Wisconsin
    Posts: 1020
    April 28, 2012 at 8:13 pm #1228893

    04/28/12 St. Croix River walleye season is open today! Every opener I am eager and a bit anxious to face the different water levels, temperatures, and spawn stages. Today with an east wind, cold, rain, and even some snow the bite out look for ol’ marble eye did not look good. In addition to the weather, I was a bit more anxious for the guide trip this morning based on the early spring arrival, and the belief the fish would be far removed from spawn locations.

    I was wrong on both accounts. The bite was good once I found the walleyes and these white tips were still relating to the spawn locations, just like a normal year with out the early spring.

    We caught fish trolling shad raps in 15 feet of water and rigging with bait in the same depth over sand bottoms. From 7am to noon we landed 30 walleye and sauger with 10 being keepers (eight walleyes and two saugers). Dark crankbaits with orange bellies were best today for cranks. The bite was very subtle and a medium light rod was a must!

    Water temperature was 54 degrees and the water level was 677.5. Good water clarity with little debris.

    Keep catchin’
    Turk
    Rich, Colin, and Wayne out on a wet but fun opening morning trip.

    Jack Naylor
    Apple Valley, MN
    Posts: 5668
    April 28, 2012 at 8:22 pm #1063436

    Nice looking morning

    Jack

    steveo
    W Central Sconnie
    Posts: 4102
    April 28, 2012 at 8:26 pm #1063438

    I was wondering how it was today. Looks like a good trip

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    April 28, 2012 at 8:26 pm #1063439

    good job turk!! keep it up.

    tom_gursky
    Michigan's Upper Peninsula(Iron Mountain)
    Posts: 4751
    April 28, 2012 at 8:52 pm #1063443

    Nice job Mr Gierke! Those Smoothies are dang good white tip tools for finesse eaters…

    onestout
    Hudson, WI
    Posts: 2698
    April 28, 2012 at 9:02 pm #1063448

    nice job, I chose not to brave the elements.

    steveo
    W Central Sconnie
    Posts: 4102
    April 28, 2012 at 9:56 pm #1063456

    Sure onestout. Give me crap about not going to GTG? I chose not to brave elements either
    Tomorrow looks to be better and Monday night there shouldn’t be the traffic

    onestout
    Hudson, WI
    Posts: 2698
    April 28, 2012 at 10:17 pm #1063459

    I wasn’t the only one, drove by the launch a couple times today and it wasn’t full either time. Looks like it should be a nice week out though.

    fish_any_time
    Champlin, MN
    Posts: 2097
    April 28, 2012 at 10:42 pm #1063464

    By noon most of the boats were gone and shortly after the rain stopped.

    I found the same bite as Turk. Kind of funny seeing we were beating the same water. The grey Alumacraft with me and the 11 year old, Tyler.

    The male fish we cought were milting and making a mess of the boat. Also picked up a few large sunfish.

    We will be back at it again tomorrow morning.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18537
    April 29, 2012 at 12:03 am #1063486

    I Was there at daybreak with my smoothie. Managed one keeper between two of us before calling it quits after 4 hours. If there’s ever a rock bass tournament I have the winning location….. I’m waiting for nice weather.

    Paul Heise
    River Falls, Wi
    Posts: 723
    April 29, 2012 at 12:14 am #1063489

    Good to see a few were on ’em! They definitly weren’t north where I was fishing. 0 for my dad and I. Fish any time- at least someone from the gtg had success!

    salmo_trutta
    River Falls,WI
    Posts: 661
    April 29, 2012 at 1:21 am #1063504

    atleast someone had success. where I started was crowded with boats, but few shore fishermen, imagine that. rain and snow didnt help anything, caught more rocks then fish. did hook a huge pike on a crawler before it broke my spiderline, and picked up a hammerhandle and a 26″ with a chestnut lamprey passenger on my jig. this low water doesnt help the shore spots either.

    riverdan
    Posts: 295
    April 29, 2012 at 2:41 am #1063537

    Great job my friend! down on the bottom end of the croix walleyes were also active, all our fish came riggen crawlers really gave the limit creek a work out today, a sensitive rod like a smoothie was a must, picture of Doug with a limit of St Croix gold!

    muskychaser
    Prescott, Wi
    Posts: 372
    April 29, 2012 at 2:52 am #1063543

    Had pretty good morning also, caught 9 legals and a few short fish. Live bait rigs 10-15 ft. Also caught a surprising amount of Largemouth Bass. Then the day took a CRAP Blew a cylnder. limped on in on 2. but am afraid what they will tell me at the shop. Daughter just got married so money is tight. So if you see me in a canoe dont run me over.

    steveo
    W Central Sconnie
    Posts: 4102
    April 29, 2012 at 3:51 pm #1063606

    Nice chunks of walleye gold Dan

    mlfox
    Posts: 3
    May 1, 2012 at 7:54 am #1064221

    Had a great opener on the upper St. Croix! I and a buddy fished south of Hyw. 70 from 0600 to 1800. We kept 7 fish. Lots of under 15’s went back along with one just over 27″. Jig and a minnow in 14 feet plus was the best. Caught some trolling cranks on a 3 way rig with a drop weight.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18537
    May 1, 2012 at 1:40 pm #1064295

    Nice! Upper St Croix in a boat sounds intrigueing. I have waded it a few times.

    Paul Heise
    River Falls, Wi
    Posts: 723
    May 1, 2012 at 3:09 pm #1064336

    Nice lookin batch of fish Mike! I hear its nice and peaceful up there.

    mlfox
    Posts: 3
    May 1, 2012 at 11:38 pm #1064580

    I fish out of a 14ft. Lund with a short shaft 30hp. In 15 years I’ve only gone thru 2 prop’s but you have to be carefully and lucky! It helps to know where the big rocks are and what the current water levels are. Nice and peaceful up here!

    rugs
    Hastings, MN
    Posts: 132
    May 2, 2012 at 6:37 pm #1064929

    Quote:

    I fish out of a 14ft. Lund with a short shaft 30hp. In 15 years I’ve only gone thru 2 prop’s but you have to be carefully and lucky! It helps to know where the big rocks are and what the current water levels are. Nice and peaceful up here!

    Where do you launch?

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