Walleye Opener – This Years Thoughts?!

Hey Guys,

Wondering if you guys that are getting out Crappie fishing, if you are watching your electronics and seeing Walleye at all. Lots of speculation that fishing opener will seem like 2 weeks behind this year, with early spring warmer temps and the opener actually being late this year. Meaning they should be more in transition to their summer spots, further off of spawning beds.

I ask because I dropped my boat in a local lake this past weekend, just for a test hop before opener, and to play/learn the new Garmin with side imaging. Water temps were between 52-56 degrees. I started out just trolling around the shoreline in 3′-4′ water, looking for Crappie and watching the side imaging. Didn’t see much other than really small panfish and had handful of decent Largemouth. It was a smaller lake so every time I started a new circle, I moved out into deeper water and kept that up until I was running in 18′-20′. I was surprised to see LOTS of marks resembling Walleye on the bottom out that deep, on a nice warm, slightly overcast, light windy day, but they were stacked up in that depth. Also, oddly enough, I found 2 huge pods of what seemed like Crappie in 18′ of water that filled the water column up about 6′ off the bottom. Didn’t have my Crappie gear with me, or I would have tried to catch something to see actually what they were. Pretty cool to see that with standard imaging and down imaging at the same time, obviously a school of fish.

Anyways, my thoughts are that the Walleye may be deeper this year to start on opener than typical. Will probably still start by pitching jigs in shallow in the morning, but likely move out to deeper water quicker than normal. Typically on opener I never fish any deeper than 10′-12′. Depending on the bite, I may watch imaging all the way out to 20′ this year.

Thoughts? Anyone else see anything on their electronics this spring giving indications?

I’ve always caught shallow walleye for opener and at least 4 weeks after. I’m going to be sticking to the same tried and true tactics I use every year. But, I’ll be fishing northern M, typically 2nd weekend has been better than opener so I’m guessing opener will be right in that sweet spot this year.

I think we’re a little ahead of a normal opener simply because of the early spring overall, but it seems like we get a couple warm days followed by several days of cooler weather, so the water temps aren’t really coming up much. I went crappie fishing about 17 days ago and the water was about 50-51. Well I went again 3 days ago, and the water was the same on the main lake and only about 53 in the bay.

gimruis wrote:

I think we’re a little ahead of a normal opener simply because of the early spring overall, but it seems like we get a couple warm days followed by several days of cooler weather, so the water temps aren’t really coming up much. I went crappie fishing about 17 days ago and the water was about 50-51. Well I went again 3 days ago, and the water was the same on the main lake and only about 53 in the bay.

I was going to say the same thing. Yes the ice did go out early but after the first few days of April, it we where below the average high temps the rest of the month. Looking at the forecast we are looking like we will be right at or below average till opener now, in north central MN anyway.

I’ll be in MN for opener. Doubt we’ll fish deeper than 6 foot. No need to.

tornadochaser wrote:

I’ll be in MN for opener. Doubt we’ll fish deeper than 6 foot. No need to.

x2 and I can’t wait!

Same strategy for non-naturally reproducing lakes?

Al lindner just said the other day he is pretty much treating it like every other opener and will likely be fishing in 10′ or less

Treating this year as any other, with audibles ready. Kept track of water temps and results last year, keeping those tactics in the back of my head. Aggressive walleyes in sub 10’ is the goal.

I have always been an opener Lindy rigger, mostly because I fished Mille Lacs for opener for 15+ years. But we recently changed lakes, to a completely different style of fishing, more rocks, more river inlets/outlets. So over the past few years I have learned to fish jig/minnow combo’s, but still live bait. A buddy of mine finally got me on Pool 2 this spring, and I got a feel for jig/plastics. Then watching Walleye fishing tournaments this spring, I see a lot of jig/plastics being thrown around, rivers and lakes. So I am still going to buy some live bait, but I am going to put an effort into jig/plastics this opener. On the lake we are on, I have never seen anyone pitching jigs in shallow, mostly guys fishing rocks and transition edges. But from what I have seen, I think this lake would be prime for pitching jigs shallow, with big gradual flats near flowages. Hopefully the new side-imaging Garmin tells me where to pitch to

Opener equals dragging cranks shallow.
So far it’s been super good on the st croix. Im guessing lakes will be like wise

Toddrun, Look up Tom Boley on You tube. You will find many videos on how to use Plastics.

bigcrappie,

I have Tom Boley bookmarked, I have watched them all. Great guy, great teacher. Now if I can just put his teaching to work and actually catch fish. He makes me want to buy a place in Hayward, WI

toddrun wrote:

So I am still going to buy some live bait, but I am going to put an effort into jig/plastics this opener. On the lake we are on, I have never seen anyone pitching jigs in shallow, mostly guys fishing rocks and transition edges.

With the up and down weather we’ve had for the past 4 weeks, Jig/minnow seems to produce results on days without both wind and sun. I never bought minnows once last spring, just throwing B-fishn plastics on VMC jigs or husky jerks. This spring I’ve had to buy minnows a few times, and have only had 2 good nights throwing husky jerks. The spawn has taken forever; some females were empty 3 weeks ago, while others are still full of eggs. Males have been shallow for 5 weeks.
This is in SD, wader fishing gravel shorelines mainly on our larger lakes.

The reason I point that out is, There’s a bunch of lakes in west central MN at the same lattitudes as the lakes we’ve been wader fishing here in SD that will have similar action this weekend.

Interesting, I expected that spawn would be all over with my opener this year, with the early ice out. But I have been reading the opposite, because we have not had a consistent warm up, actually below average temps, the water temp is kind of right on pace with most years, likely holding up the spawn. I have been reading the spawn has actually been extended, it may have started a bit early, but is also lasting a lot longer, less condensed time. So likely to be Walleye spread all over the place, from spawning areas to post-spawn locations, to transition areas.

toddrun wrote:

Interesting, I expected that spawn would be all over with my opener this year, with the early ice out. But I have been reading the opposite, because we have not had a consistent warm up, actually below average temps, the water temp is kind of right on pace with most years, likely holding up the spawn. I have been reading the spawn has actually been extended, it may have started a bit early, but is also lasting a lot longer, less condensed time. So likely to be Walleye spread all over the place, from spawning areas to post-spawn locations, to transition areas.

It is a general MN discussion so results can/do vary, but i DO KNOW that the spawn happened here on the Mississippi at the exact same time it did the past few years and ended the same time too. April 1 through April 16. Few stragglers up until the 19th.

So, i lobby to say that it is normal year for the fish, if normal for wherever you fish is spawn is complete by opener, I’d expect that.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

t i DO KNOW that the spawn happened here on the Mississippi at the exact same time it did the past few years and ended the same time too. April 1 through April 16. Few stragglers up until the 19th.

So, i lobby to say that it is normal year for the fish, if normal for wherever you fish is spawn is complete by opener, I’d expect that.

x2. From Jeff Sundin’s report: “It’s already been two full weeks since DNR fisheries wrapped up all of the walleye spawn take operations statewide. In most of those lakes, the majority walleyes are already done spawning and in their post spawn recovery period. Walleyes in some of the deeper, cool water lakes might still be actively spawning, but those runs should be done before the opener too.

That tells me that this year, finding feeding areas will be more important than focusing on the typical “post-spawn” habitat and locations. This will be especially true on the north central region’s large, shallow water lakes like Winnie, Leech, Upper Red and others.”

http://www.fishrapper.com/fishing-report-minnesota-may-2021.html#sundinFishingReportMay6

Unless the wind shuts us down we will catch plenty on URL like always. Missed last year so its time to get back in the saddle!

Let me Know how that goes Suzuki Ill be up the following week on URL. Ill be working opening weekend so good luck to everyone!!

orve4 wrote:

Let me Know how that goes Suzuki Ill be up the following week on URL. Ill be working opening weekend so good luck to everyone!!

Will do. Look for it in the URL forum.

For us opening day success seems to come down to Water temps and weed growth. I originally thought with the early spring and several warm days early on that the weed growth would be great this opener. With the cooler days we have had lately I don’t think the weed growth is real good. I would say probably a little behind normal actually.

Under 10ft of water. Start with a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig with a shiner or fathead. If they’re aggressive, switch to plastics. Keep a blade bait tied up or rip n rap. Once evening hits, long line husky jerks or original floaters in 4 to 6ft at 2.5 to 5mph. Something always works!