I was introduced to the BW about 8 years ago. I was immediately hooked and went back twice a year almost every year since then.

But... last year, my daughter got married in June. That definitely eliminated my Memorial Trip. It also wound up eliminating my summer trip.

This spring, I also have commitments for Memorial Day. So I am thinking of fishing the opener.

Since it is still winter and we're all just sitting around the electronic campfire... Why do you tell me about the opener? What is it like? What are some past opener adventures like? Any other thoughts?

Every year it's different. Keep an eye out for when the ice goes out and the tempture leading up to your trip.

Fishing the opener is always a huge crapshoot. More often than not it can be excellent but you take a risk coming up so early. Last year one day it was 70 and the rest of the weekend it snowed pushing my fisherman off the lakes and shutting the bite down in its tracks.

Three years ago we had a really late ice out and we missed it entirely. But more often than not ice is clear and all is well. With the mild winter this year I would predict an early ice out and excellent fishing. As such, waters will be cool which will have all fish very shallow, walleye especially. Bass will be active and hitting the first minnows of the season (almost always perch fry).

It is a great time to come as the lakes are coming alive and the fish are seeing the first lures of the season. Have fun!

-FT

Can be feast or famine for walleye depending on the year. The exception is trout, either lakers or stream trout, they thrive in that cold water.

I have always done good on opener. Only exception was 2 years ago on snowbank... We were on the lake right after ice out (there was actually ice close to some shorelines and plenty of ice shards throughout the lake). We fished for walleye and trout and didn't catch a thing besides 2 northern and a smallmouth.

One night when I was cleaning up next to the water I flashed my headlamp into the lake and saw a 12+ walleyes swimming about 5-10ft out in <5ft of water. Tried throwing everything at them and not one bite. There was nothing I could do and it sounded like eveyone else on the lake weren't catching fish either.

quote Basspro69: "Can be feast or famine for walleye depending on the year. The exception is trout, either lakers or stream trout, they thrive in that cold water."

And it's only 3 months away...

quote brantlars: "

quote Basspro69: "Can be feast or famine for walleye depending on the year. The exception is trout, either lakers or stream trout, they thrive in that cold water."

And it's only 3 months away..."

Amen !

I am taking my two sons up on the opener in at Mudro and was also wondering about the fishing. I would really like to get them on some good fish. We will head up to Gun, Gull, and maybe Thunder and Beartrap.

I typically bring leaches and fish jigs for walleye. Can you pitch jigs up shallow for walleye that early? or maybe floating cranks in shallow water after dark?

I have had good luck on top water for bass in early June. Will the bass hit top water that early? Two years ago we were up on Crooked in Mid may and hit some great bass action in a little bay that was flooded because the water was so high. I caught about a 1/2 dozen 3 plus pound fish in about a 20' x 20' area.

I have also read about fishing bays on the north end of lake because they warm up faster.

quote FishermanTed: "Fishing the opener is always a huge crapshoot. More often than not it can be excellent but you take a risk coming up so early. Last year one day it was 70 and the rest of the weekend it snowed pushing my fisherman off the lakes and shutting the bite down in its tracks.


Three years ago we had a really late ice out and we missed it entirely. But more often than not ice is clear and all is well. With the mild winter this year I would predict an early ice out and excellent fishing. As such, waters will be cool which will have all fish very shallow, walleye especially. Bass will be active and hitting the first minnows of the season (almost always perch fry).


It is a great time to come as the lakes are coming alive and the fish are seeing the first lures of the season. Have fun!


-FT
"

@ TED - Is there any type of fry a smallmouth will shy away from in your experience? It seems like they will eat almost anything.

having done over 15 openers in the BW, as others have stated every year is different, mother nature dictates the fishing to the point of postponing your trip. lake trout fishing can be a no brainer-walleyes can be in there post spawn funk, some years we were catching them everywhere. pike can also be in a netrual state if your withing 7-10 days of true ice out, i've seen them in shallow sandy bays just sunning themselves with absolutely no interest in lures. smallies we either work rock piles or any type of structure thats in the water(downed trees) my group have had a couple of years that were 90 degrees weather while in the twin cites it was in the mid 70's. and of course other years the snow was flying sideways. but overall opener can be excellent fishing. i can only recall 1 year when fishing shut down , still caught enough for campmeat though.

One of my best openers ever was in the early 90's with the snow blowing horizontal. Having said that I prefer it to be sunny and 60!

I can't recall ever fishing deeper than 6-8' on opener (for walleyes).

Yeah its a crap shoot. In the last three years, we've had great fishing twice and been kept off the water by solid ice one time. We do only target Pike and Trout though, so I cant speak for walleye. Last year we had to stop early one day because of rain/snow and ice. The next day we met two guys and when they saw us they started laughing. We asked them what was up and they told us how they worked for an out fitter and the day before had to go into PP to extricate some men who couldn't tough out the weather... and they thought that it was funnier than heck that my 4 year old son toughed it out just fine when these men couldn't :)

I don't normally target pike. What techniques work best in very early spring?

Also, I normally troll for lake trout (Purple deep taildancers work very well). But right after ice out, what should I use? and where?

"


@ TED - Is there any type of fry a smallmouth will shy away from in your experience? It seems like they will eat almost anything."

Nope, they pretty much will eat anything which makes them a great fish to target. If they are hungry look out!

To the one response above that talked about looking at walleye that weren't interested. I would bet because they were spawning or just off of the spawn. That is the other risk you run. If ice out is close the walleye will not have spawned and therefore you are kind of hosed.

As I get up to my lodge very early I almost always encounter the walleye spawn. Its actually pretty cool as the males just sit there waiting for the females to come in. When they do we see HUGE fish. 2 years we ago we saw a 40+ inch walleye which is unreal. We see many, many 30s in like 6 feet of water. Yes, you can't catch them but its still pretty cool.

-FT

In breaking up my trip this year. I thought about coming up during the opener. Fish the week around ely area by boat...never been up there that early. Heard a story from 1 guy who stated 40 boats fishing under rapids from birch lake...into White iron.I play bumper boats on the Mississippi during march. But u have to go where the fish are. Just avoid the weekends. So with that anybody have any advise on what to expect

Umm, a 40" walleye? Do tell..

quote Mad_Angler: "I don't normally target pike. What techniques work best in very early spring?


Also, I normally troll for lake trout (Purple deep taildancers work very well). But right after ice out, what should I use? and where?"

for pike and lakers i've had very good success with spoons in may also rattlin raps and trolling j-18 blk/gold original rapala . when at camp i'm always soaking deadbait on a slip sinker set up.

quote 2old4U: "Umm, a 40" walleye? Do tell.."

We have seen several walleye pushing 40 inches on our lake. We currently have the catch and release world record at 37 inches so it is a very real possibility. 3 years ago a fisherman lost a 40+ at the boat (with witnesses) and he was crushed. I have personally seen one at least that big.

I thought it was a pike but my guide pointed the white tips out and we were both shocked. We know they are in there, just a matter of time when we get one in the boat and on camera!

I might try the opener next year. I still have a lot of questions. Any advice or information is appreciated...

When fishing the opener for trout, how are tactics different?

I normally troll deep taildancers over deep water. For the opener, should I troll a shad rap in 5-10 foot of water?