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.
