Walleye Opener Success!
Travis Frank
The Minnesota fishing opener has come and gone. For some, it may be one to forget. Still, others made the most of the cold water temps and hooked a few 'eyes. Fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones. When it comes to cold spring weather, I tend to grin from ear to ear. If there is one thing metro walleyes love, it is cool spring water.
My opener wasn't quite normal. For the first time in years it didn't start at midnight. In fact, it didn't even start on Saturday. The reason? I have been part of a team that was courting the Governor for the 2012 fishing opener. The details of my mission kept me off the water Saturday and will be revealed shortly. But, I will admit that there is a very happy ending!
Now, back to the walleyes. I hit the water Sunday with the sun already high in the sky. I have been working hard the past few seasons to find walleyes that I can catch during the middle of the day. I feel that its the ultimate challenge. My first spot revealed that last years honey hole was still a good bet. Walleye number 1 for the season came around 11 AM and pushed the scales somewhere over 6 pounds. Moments later a larger one broke the surface, and we were off and running. Fish after fish and smile after smile. There was just one problem. We couldn't find anything small enough to keep. All of our fish were larger than 20 inches. Ha, what a problem indeed!
After an afternoon snack and a short break, I grabbed 2 new anglers, named Mikey and Eric. We hit the water for Round 2. This being the evening bite. Again we hit Tonka and again we found action. Only this time we got sloppy. The first 3 walleyes managed to come unhooked, and the fourth made Mikey look foolish before breaking his line. I actually found it funny. He did not. The fish was a giant. A possible 10 pounder. With a chip on his shoulders, Mikey turned his frown upside down moments later with one set of his hook. After losing the walleye of a lifetime, he totally redeemed himself with the catch of the day. Another tank. A 9 pound walleye that took the crown for the day. Holding it like a precious child, he posed for a picture and we released it for another battle. His evening was complete and so was mine. A good way to start the season? Ha, I think so! Between our entire crew, we finished the day with 13 walleyes ranging from 20 and 29 inches. We were totally spoiled! For more pics, check out the walleye photo gallery. From the metro filled walleye waters, happy fishing opener 2011! May you be blessed with big walleye smiles all season long. Until the next walleye strikes, keep on livin' your dream!