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Monday, May 12, 2008
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'Those who stayed out did well' It was ugly weather, but a beautiful day to catch fish for those who persevered Outdoors editor The forecast called for rain, wind and cold. And, surprisingly, it didn't disappoint.
Nor did the bite that likely was the result of those sometimes nasty conditions. At least on Lake Mille Lacs.
Ugly weather continued to be the norm in the Brainerd lakes area Saturday for the state fishing opener. But it proved to be a beautiful day to catch fish. At least for those who endured it.
"Yesterday (Saturday) morning the fishing was slow. Then when the wind picked up and it started raining they hammered the walleyes," said Terry Thurmer, owner of Terry's Boat Harbor on Mille Lacs. "Unfortunately, most of the people were off the water when that started, but those who stayed out did well."
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Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau (left), Gov. Tim Pawlenty, guide Dan "Walleyedan" Eigen and first lady Mary Pawlenty talked fishing Saturday off Pelican Lake at Breezy Point Resort during the Governor's Fishing Opener. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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Sunday's weather - sunny and warmer with a light breeze - may have been nice for Mother's Day, but Saturday was the rage, although results were mixed in the Brainerd lakes area.
Maxine Schultz, resort manager at the Quarterdeck Resort on Gull Lake, said "The guests I've talked to have had minimal luck. A dad, mom and their adult son went out and the dad caught a 3- to 4-pound walleye and a 17-incher. And for others it's been slim pickings. Nothing. It hasn't been very good. And the regulars have been having a tough time because of the late ice-out."
Conrad Peterson, owner of Gopher Tackle in Cuyuna and a guide/host for the Governor's Fishing Opener on Saturday at Breezy Point Resort and Pelican Lake, had some luck - when he abandoned fishing for walleyes.
"The walleyes didn't want to cooperate," he said. "We fished for walleyes, then I asked (Laurie Martinson, deputy commissioner of the DNR and a guest on Peterson's boat), 'Do you want to catch fish?' So I took her to a crappie hole and we caught about four limits in the next two hours. After lunch we worked walleyes again and caught a nice 28-inch northern. Then the rain and cold came."
As did the fish on Mille Lacs.
"Little to medium to large," Thurmer said of the nice take of walleyes on the lake when the rain hit.
"Twenty-nine inches was the biggest I heard," he said of a big walleye caught Saturday on Mille Lacs, which converts to about 9 pounds. "The ones that were caught, most (anglers) were using a jig with a shiner minnow. And a few big northern pike were caught - the biggest I saw was 18 to 19 pounds.
"St Albans Bay, Brown's Point, Pike Point," he added of where the fish were biting on Mille Lacs. "Last night was real good. Everyone who stayed out in that (the rain) got their limit."
The conditions weren't necessarily a plus on other area lakes, however. Loni and Gary Hiles, who also served as guides/hosts for the GFO, and their guests fished Upper Whitefish Lake near Crosslake throughout the day and didn't catch a fish.
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While the bite was slow on Pelican Lake during Saturday's Governor's Fishing Opener, a few walleye were taken. As a whole, results were mixed on Brainerd area lakes during the opening weekend of the state's open-water fishing season. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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"It was cold, wet and raining," Loni Hiles said. "My husband had one on, but didn't get it. We were on Whitefish, up by the river. They were stacked in there - there had to be 30 boats in there - but there were no nets out (to land fish). There were no good reports coming out of there. We knew quite a few of the guides out (for the GFO) and only two got fish on Pelican. Other than that it was pretty slow. Even people who knew the lake (Pelican) well got nothing. We tried minnows, nightcrawlers, leeches. We tried everything. We threw everything at them."
Because of a later-than-usual ice-out on area lakes and the walleye spawn, a slower bite was expected for the opener. And about a half-hour drive from the Pequot Lakes/Breezy Point area - the two communities served as co-hosts for the GFO - in Walker, Leech Lake still was partially covered in ice. But again, adverse conditions proved to be good for the walleye bite.
"It has been great," said Cory Brock of Reed's Sports in Walker. "Yesterday (Saturday) was very good. It was the opposite of what we were thinking. We were thinking the smaller lakes would be good, but Leech was good.
"There's still some ice and the bay is still frozen up. But only Walker Bay (was unfishable because of the ice), and that's supposed to go out in the next couple days."
Anglers reportedly had success on Leech's Steamboat Bay before it became locked in ice when winds pushed floes into the bay.
Like many anglers Saturday, Brock said many of those on Leech Lake were using a jig and shiner minnow combination. He said reports had water temperatures on Leech at 42 to 45 degrees, and most of the fish were being caught in 5 to 10 feet of water.
"The walleye (fishing) was good," he said. "Someone caught a 30-incher and there were quite a few in the 25- to 27-inch range. There was one stringer with six over 24 inches. They're still spawning. They're in the middle of it.
"I talked to some people that were at Federal Dam and they said there were 100-plus boats. As far as numbers, there were a lot of people. And we saw a lot of people in town with the weather conditions, too."
Leech Lake hosted last year's GFO. Next year's event will be held at White Bear Lake.
While the bite was good Saturday, traffic was slow at Mille Lacs, which had Thurmer scratching his head.
"This was the least amount of traffic I've ever seen on (U.S. Highway) 169 going north on the opener," he said. "Normally it's bumper to bumper from noon until 8 or 9. But the water is so cold (for fishing). It will probably be around Memorial Day when it should be good for fishing."
BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.
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