Get Ready for OPENER!

Hi Folks.

The count down to the 2012 open water fishing season has begun. Saturday marks the opener and it should be an interesting one. We’ve had open water around here since mid-March. Some lakes like Trout opened earlier than I’ve ever seen. For you anglers coming up, it should be some good fishing. The spawning period ended quite some time ago; the resting period seems to be ending and fish are moving into the weeds and timber. With all the nice weather there has been some pretty good weed growth started on some of the smaller waters.

A variety of bait and lures should work well when fishing walleyes. Jig-and-minnow combos – mainly large fatheads and if available – redtails, should be working real well. Rapalas cast through the shallower weed beds in low light conditions should be effective and plastics such as gulp will also be pretty good. Fish seem to be hanging out in water depths ranging from 7 to 13 feet.

Pike have also been starting to put on a pretty good feed bag. These fish are probably where the redtails will come in handy as they’re looking for little bigger dinners. I don’t know if I’d throw spinner baits or bucktails at them just yet – water temps aren’t that warm yet, they’ve been hovering around 51 degrees for quite some time – but minnow lures should be effective.

Panfish should also provide area anglers with some good action. Perch have moved into the weed beds which is why the walleyes are in there. These little gems have been taking hook-sinker-bobber rigs tipped with small crappie minnows. Crappies will be the interesting ones of these types of fish as they have been trying to come in for awhile now on the warmest days, but the cold nights which have been down to the 20’s, drive them right back out – so an extended stretch of warm weather should trigger some activity.

So it’s time to get the gear ready. Make sure you got new line on those reels and there should be fish frys in the camps Saturday night.

Jeff Winters