MN Opener (Roll Call)

Michael Best wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>ganderpike wrote:</div>
Otter Tail as well. If the minnow game isn’t possible, I’ll break out the jerk baits. Hope to see that river flowin’ hard.

What size would you throw if you were to use a Husky jerk?

HJ12 or 14 for sure. Last years predominant class should be more than willing for a 14 this year. Color and profile is more important than size out there to me. Shadow Raps are my go-to out there. It’s almost 5 to 1.

The usual. Mille Lacs at midnight, fish until about 3 AM. Drive home. Give an update here and on Facebook, and eat something. Head to the Grumpy Old Man Hole, gauge the bite there, then head to the lake place and take the boat out for the morning. Not sure if and when my brother from the cities is coming up. If my brother is up, time at the GOMH will be limited.

This presumes no outboard issues, and the weather is favorable. If it is cold or raining and blowing like a sun of a gun, I won’t take the boat out.

Mille Lacs for opener (smallies), then Vermilion mid-week to practice for the City Auto Glass Walleye tourney on Sat and the MN Bass Federation tourney on Mon.

Bar stool at Lakeview Inn til midnight then head over to the culvert and cast some plastics and small stickbaits for walleyes from shore. Maybe stop and shine the trout creek on the way back to the farm to see if anything is in there. Go fish crappies late the next day.

Probably Rush Lake but I have no real plans.

crappie55369 wrote:

The last few years ive fished the horseshoe chain with a buddy who lives on it. Probably will do the same this year. Where will you be going for opener?

I’ve been told I probably don’t fish anyway, just come here to stir up trouble. This comes as a big relief to me knowing I don’t need to worry about planning trips. I can concentrate on Friday topics.

Kabetogama/Namakan as usual for me if the ice is out. I have fished there since before it was a National Park so I have seen a couple ice in openers.

Dutchboy wrote:

I’ve been told I probably don’t fish anyway, just come here to stir up trouble. This comes as a big relief to me knowing I don’t need to worry about planning trips. I can concentrate on Friday topics.

It seems you fish plenty, just never wet a line.

John Rasmussen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
I’ve been told I probably don’t fish anyway, just come here to stir up trouble. This comes as a big relief to me knowing I don’t need to worry about planning trips. I can concentrate on Friday topics.

It seems you fish plenty, just never wet a line.

The bite is generally pretty hot.

We will be on mille lacs again. Hoping to fish the ice pack again like a few years ago. It was us and the northwest outdoors boat. In the ice pack on Saturday afternoon

Sadly I’ll be traveling to one of the few counties in MN with no natural lake for Mothers day weekend. Grandma-in-law is 99 so don’t know how many more we’ll get. May take the Monday after off to hit Minnetonka or something in the metro.

Usually fish the Nisswa/Crosslake area. This year we will be trying a new lake up there that is supposed to be good for bass. Not much of a walleye guy.

I’ll be up at my place on Mille Lacs. Looking forward to playing with the new boat!

So what’s the fascination of going out at midnight?

Tradition? Can’t wait to get on the walleyes?

I could see when a guy is in his 20’s, maybe in his 30’s.

But when you’re 40, 50 years old and you still need to go out at midnight?

I don’t get it…I’d be wrecked for the next 2 days, if not more and it would totally ruin my weekend..

stout93 wrote:

So what’s the fascination of going out at midnight?

Tradition? Can’t wait to get on the walleyes?

I could see when a guy is in his 20’s, maybe in his 30’s.

But when you’re 40, 50 years old and you still need to go out at midnight?

I don’t get it…I’d be wrecked for the next 2 days, if not more and it would totally ruin my weekend..

I can tell you’ve never hit a good corking walleye bite on Mille lacs at midnight.

crappie55369 wrote:

The last few years ive fished the horseshoe chain with a buddy who lives on it. Probably will do the same this year. Where will you be going for opener?

Crappie, just got word most of the Chain should be about ice free as of today. My parents live on the east end and they are all clear as of today. Channels have been open for a bit now.

I’m likely heading to Winny again this year but lots of good options in that area. Might hit the chain during the week after opener as I haven’t fished it in a few years now.

Lake Vermilion, west end as well!! Might be just days after ice out!!

michael keehr wrote:

We will be on mille lacs again. Hoping to fish the ice pack again like a few years ago. It was us and the northwest outdoors boat. In the ice pack on Saturday afternoon

Opener is over two weeks away I don’t think there will be any ice on Mille Lacs.

2 of you are going to Sandy-in the summer at least it is very difficult to get more than a couple in the slot-Is opener any better?

Roosie.
I’ll have the new rig out for the first time. I have Back to Back weekends in NC and haven’t secured the dock yet as the timing and weather aren’t working well for me. Crossing my fingers it will still be there when I get up.
I’m not a midnight guy anymore, probably start cork watching bright and early Saturday morning around noon.

stout93 wrote:

So what’s the fascination of going out at midnight?

Tradition? Can’t wait to get on the walleyes?

I could see when a guy is in his 20’s, maybe in his 30’s.

But when you’re 40, 50 years old and you still need to go out at midnight?

I don’t get it…I’d be wrecked for the next 2 days, if not more and it would totally ruin my weekend..

Nothing better then going out and catching 100 eyes behind a husky jerk 14 in 5 ft of water. Doesn’t ruin me so I keep doing it. Haven’t had a year it hasn’t been worth it. A 2 hour nap at noon and I’m back to normal.

stout93 wrote:

So what’s the fascination of going out at midnight?

Tradition? Can’t wait to get on the walleyes?

I could see when a guy is in his 20’s, maybe in his 30’s.

But when you’re 40, 50 years old and you still need to go out at midnight?

I don’t get it…I’d be wrecked for the next 2 days, if not more and it would totally ruin my weekend..

I have never done it but no one tells stories about nights they got a full nights sleep.

tim hurley wrote:

2 of you are going to Sandy-in the summer at least it is very difficult to get more than a couple in the slot-Is opener any better?

I haven’t fished it a whole lot the last couple years, but I think keepers are still challenging to come by. I did catch a healthy 17″ last summer while I was going after the smallies. They do say the average size of walleyes is slowly improving since the 14″ minimum was put into place close to 10 years ago. If I make it out, I may focus less on the eyes and more on trying to find the slab crappies.

I avoid the opening weekend circus and have been opening the Monday after at Namakan for several years. My campsite is reserved, but ice-out might be iffy. If that fails, option is Minnetonka but I won’t be happy.

I’ll be up at the duck shack in Itasca county. We’ll probably hit some of the smaller lakes and rivers on the weekend then hit red and Winnie early in the week once the crowds are gone.

I’ll have buddies on Mille lacs doing our traditional mid-night opener and I’ll be slightly jealous because I am sure they’ll be crushing em.

I’ll be at the cabin on Leech on the 10th. Will I get the cabin opened up and the boat in by Saturday …. I don’t know. I’ll see what the weather and the lake says

Bearcat89 wrote:

Nothing better then going out and catching 100 eyes behind a husky jerk 14 in 5 ft of water.

x2 some of my best opener memories are from Mille Lacs crushing em all night long. Come in for a big breakfast and a nap and I’m ready to go for the afternoon/evening bite.

My 5 year old has flag football Sunday morning, that I coach so I’m still TBD. Because of that I won’t be going to the cabin or Leech this year. Might run to the pond Saturday or somewhere in the metro.

My good buddy invited us to stay in his castle at red door. So it’s hard to pass up that easy launch and stay. Both him and I and our lady friends. It’ll be nice with 2 boats and just troll around. It’s one of the times that fishing seems way to easy. Hopefully this year will be a good bite. Last year it was OK not super but not terrible.
The year before my girlfriend got her biggest walleye of 27 inches followed by her biggest smallie at 22.5. So that’s hard to beat.

FinickyFish wrote:

Sadly I’ll be traveling to one of the few counties in MN with no natural lake for Mothers day weekend. Grandma-in-law is 99 so don’t know how many more we’ll get. May take the Monday after off to hit Minnetonka or something in the metro.

Kittson County?

Waterville Area. Heard all the bass down there are small