My favorite opening day presentation is a #4 or #1 split shot and #6 VMC octopus hook. I place the split shot about 18″ from the hook.
Anyone else care to chime in about their favorite presentation?
Keep Catchin’
Turk
six foot snell, red hook green bead in the sand at Malmo. Lindy rigging. Its not that far away.
Rattling jig and a minnow 
pound ’em 
Black and silver F11 in waders in front of a creek dumping into the lake.
My opening day is as soon as the ice is off the river. I’ll start chasing channel cats right after ice out this year. I’m going to spend a lot of time drifting and pulling 3-Ways dragging cut bait – I want to cover a lot of water to see if I can find an early season cat bite.
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Hey Steve we are dreaming of walleyes not whiskers!!
Turk
Sorry Turk but I’m after fish that eat walleyes for lunch.
Crawlers. Basic lindy rig. I snell my own hooks so its always interesting to figure out prefered hook and bead colors. I tie my snells about 3 feet but shorten as needed on the river. For weight I use slinky sinkers. I cant believe how long I have been ordering them online or having my brother in Michigan mail them to me. I dont know why nobody has a clue around here. Spending several dollars for those solid no-snag sinkers is insane and the slinky sinkers donk snag as easy.
For me on the Croix, pitching a 3″ white Mr. Twister grub on a pink jig into current breaks. Water must be high though for this to work 
1/16th oz metalic gold jig, with eyes with a purple worm and white tail. Dragging on the sand/gravel.
Fish on!
Tom
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Crawlers. Basic lindy rig. I snell my own hooks so its always interesting to figure out prefered hook and bead colors. I tie my snells about 3 feet but shorten as needed on the river. For weight I use slinky sinkers. I cant believe how long I have been ordering them online or having my brother in Michigan mail them to me. I dont know why nobody has a clue around here. Spending several dollars for those solid no-snag sinkers is insane and the slinky sinkers donk snag as easy.
hey zuki, ive bought a couple packs at cabelas in O-town, but they were pricey. are you willing to share where you find a good deal on em?
a buddy of mine has a new trick for me this year… an egg sinker (or favorite style) above a single bead above a bobber stop. that way when you snag, the sinker drops to the back of your line so you can pull it free… and you can change length of snell on the fly to best zero in your presentation.
Here’s one place I found online. I made them once with parachute cord but it wasnt worth all the trouble.
http://www.eburch.biz/magnum_slinkey_weights.htm
Hey Mike…
I’m still making the MI to WI run – couple of times per month. If you want me to pick some up, let me know where to get ’em and I’ll bring a load back with me…
G
My favorite opening day prestation is a jig & minnow followed by a nice Blade Bait on my 6.6 Limit Creek.
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a buddy of mine has a new trick for me this year… an egg sinker (or favorite style) above a single bead above a bobber stop. that way when you snag, the sinker drops to the back of your line so you can pull it free… and you can change length of snell on the fly to best zero in your presentation.
Is your buddy Gary Roach? 
Thanks for the info.
That’s what I was thinking too – Gary Roach. Ya that technique has been around probably just as long as I’ve been alive. The Old Man Roach Rig.
Long lining crank baits or rattle traps depending on water depth.
When is the MN opener on the Croix this year?
5/2/2009
Myabe this year will be pleasant. So many openers are cold and rainy.
Is that both MN and Wis opener on the river?
I am 99 percent sure that it is. I think Minny and WI got their s**t together this year and made the opener the same. May 2 is the start of WI inland waters also
Yea, it was so brutal. Crossin Eye’s and I put in at Prescott and clawed our way up stream. We caught no keepers that day. The last two rainy openers were poor fishing for me. I may sleep in this year if we have another one of those. Fingers crossed for a beautiful, sunny, windless, bird chirping, turkey gobbling, wake-filled morning.
rumor has it that us hook and line guys will be able to keep 3 walleye each on the TFF. will be heading that way for opener unless overspearing occurs and they knock the limit down. hope not. the flowage was still iced in last year for opener. that’s a yearly sojourn I look forward to making.
I just find out what Buckslayer is using and then go with something totally different. Usually works out pretty good. 
It usually consist of me getting frustrated because BZZSAW is giving me crap that he is catching all the fish.
Buchertail, usually the standard black and orange.
3 ways pulling floating raps, if you think you are going too slow you are close to the right speed. upstream works best for me. good luck be safe
It kind of goes against conventional wisdom but I have had good luck trolling leadcore with number 5 and 7 shad raps on opening day. A few years ago a lot of boats were really struggling with traditional tactics and we did really well on leadcore trolling at 2.5 mph with shad raps, including an 8.5 pound fish.
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I just find out what Buckslayer is using and then go with something totally different. Usually works out pretty good.
I’ll be driving a Titleist all day hopefully from the short grass.
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