Out of The Box For Opener...

 OPENER IS HERE!!!! Well almost, only a week away.  However, I guarantee every fisherman/gal is especially jacked this year!  A normal ice out pattern, that has been preceded by 2 nuclear winters, allowed the anticipation to build for weeks and are we ready! Boat is rigged, rods are rigged, cooler is packed, just one more week of work before you head to your favorite opening lake. 

Now for the potential, and I stress, potential bad news...We share this glorious world with Mother Nature and, from time to time, she likes to let us know who is in charge.  We know what weather we want, partly cloudy, Northwest wind blowing at 10-15 MPH, high 50's maybe 60's.  But, what if opening day brings a massive cold front, after a week of 60's, opening day high 42 degrees.  Or perhaps it is a blue bird, no wind, no clouds, high in the 60's, but no sign of the walleye chop that will provoke those finicky walleyes to be in a feeding mood.  No matter, there are fish to be caught and you will be out there.

Springtime is finally here and the ice fishing season is over for me.  My Clam fish shack is packed away until next year and my Vexilar is getting ready to be mounted on the boat.   Yes, the ice is still fishable and fish can still be caught, but I couldn’t get the visions of hooking up with a Lake Superior steelhead out of my mind. 

This occasion was special, because I had put the annual journey with my father aside for a few years.  Working many jobs, earning a new graduate degree, and helping my amazing wife raise our young family has taken priority. 

Dad with a steelhead around 28 inches

However, this year I was lucky enough to sneak away for the 2015 Wisconsin inland trout opener with my old man.  This year was important because he had some health issues in the spring of 2014 that limited his passion for these chrome missiles.  Needless to say, it was more about the father son outing than just going out to catch fish! 

Early Season River Strategies

Early Season River Strategies

By Dusty Minke and Leisure Outdoor Adventures

Tis the season for open water, especially on our border water rivers where the laws allow walleye fishing throughout the year and extended periods into the spring! While mother nature is loosening her grip on the North, most lakes are still covered with many inches of ice.  Looking for an open water fix, take time to check out the river options that exist in Minnesota.  From the Rainy River that separates us from Canada to the Mississippi and St Croix rivers, that prevent Packers fans from invading, there are plenty of options.  Read on to get some great advice from Kruger Farms Pro Dusty Minke for some timely early season tactics.

My favorite tactic for early river fishing is vertical jigging live bait and plastics from Rainy River to St. Croix / Mississippi  and also the St. Louis River in Duluth.