GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Anglers can talk about the early spring, ideal water temperatures and whether the fish have recovered from spawning, but the opening day of walleye season in Minnesota always comes down to getting out there and learning firsthand what the fish are doing.
That's Duane Peterson's approach, at least. And as a recent inductee into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame along with his brother, John, the co-founder of Bemidji's Northland Fishing Tackle Co. knows what he's talking about when it comes to walleyes and opening day.
The 2012 version of Minnesota's grand outdoors tradition gets under way Saturday.
"One thing about this fishing game is we can predict this and that and speculate what's going to happen," Peterson said. "I'm going to play it like I do every other opening day of walleye season. I will go to the best areas I know as a result of past experience and tradition, sample what's happening and adjust accordingly based on what my first few hours tell us.
"That's the beauty of opening day — we find out when we get there, and we adjust accordingly."
Pick a lake or river in Minnesota, and this year probably set a record for early ice-out. That had fishing prognosticators thinking walleye opener 2012 would be more like early June, which often serves up some of the easiest, if not the best fishing of the year.
Lawmakers in the Minnesota Legislature even went so far as to propose moving the season up a week. The measure died, and Mother Nature intervened with a mostly cool April that now has water temperatures closer to seasonal norms. Come opening day, anglers likely can expect water temperatures in the mid-50-degree range.
"I think it's going to be a pretty darn normal opener," said Henry Drewes, regional fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Bemidji. "It's not going to be like June 1 fishing, which some people were thinking. It will be more like mid-May, which is pretty good."
Drewes said walleyes, which typically spawn in 46- to 50-degree water, should have finished spawning most everywhere across the state this week. That means many walleyes likely will have recovered and backed out of the rivers where they spawn and returned to lakes where they spend most of the year.
"There's a nice size distribution on Red," Drewes said. "The abundance is high, there's lots of fish under 17 inches and lots from 17 to 22 inches. So, if fishermen are willing to spread out from the mouth of the (Tamarack) river, they should have no trouble catching legal fish and some fun-size larger fish."
As a result, Drewes said, the DNR didn't implement springtime closures on rivers such as the Tamarack, which flows into Upper Red Lake, and the Mississippi River.
"That doesn't mean rivers won't be good, but they won't have the excessive harvest that would necessitate closures," Drewes said. "We're going to avert those situations, which is good news."
Drewes said he expects large northern Minnesota lakes such as Lake of the Woods, Upper Red, Leech and Winnibigoshish all to be good bets for opening day. A recent spring survey on the Tamarack River produced numbers of 16- to 22-inch walleyes, Drewes said, along with occasional larger fish.
"There's a nice size distribution on Red," Drewes said. "The abundance is high, there's lots of fish under 17 inches and lots from 17 to 22 inches. So, if fishermen are willing to spread out from the mouth of the (Tamarack) river, they should have no trouble catching legal fish and some fun-size larger fish."
Opening day regulations on Upper Red require anglers to release all walleyes from 17 inches to 26 inches, and there's a four-fish limit. The DNR eases the size restrictions in mid-June.
Drewes said smaller lakes across northwest Minnesota also will be good options opening day. Lakes with particularly high walleye abundance, he said, include Lake Bemidji and all of the downstream lakes in the Mississippi River chain along with Otter Tail Lake closer to Fergus Falls, Minn.
"Otter Tail is just off the charts right now," Drewes said of its walleye abundance.
While current areas near river mouths might not be the walleye magnets they are some openers, they'll still be worth a try opening day. According to longtime fishing guide Brian Brosdahl of Max, Minn., anglers should explore other places if areas with current don't produce walleyes.
"Don't overlook shoreline-connected points that have shallows, rocks and weed growth," Brosdahl said. "That new generation of weeds is going to be hiding baitfish, and the walleyes are going to be in there."
He said many anglers make the mistake of fishing too deep on opening day. This spring, though, the fluctuation in both air and water temperatures likely means there's no wrong depth, he said.
"I think it's going to be a great opener," Brosdahl said. "I think we're going to find aggressive fish and not-aggressive fish. Go explore, don't just fish the classic spots. You're going to have a lot of fish all to yourself."
DEM said approximately 80,000 hatchery-raised brook, brown and rainbow trout with an average individual weight of 1.5 pounds have been stocked by division staff in more than 100 ponds and streams for opening day. A complete list of stocked ponds and other information of interest to anglers can be found on DEM’s website, www.dem.ri.gov.Freshwater fishing licensesYou need a freshwater fishing license to fish in Rhode Island. According to DEM regulations, “A fishing license is required of any person 15 years of age or older wishing to catch or take fish in any freshwater stream or pond in the state.” Exceptions include blind persons, landowners and their family members fishing from their property. Residents over 65 can obtain a special permanent license for free. This year resident licenses are $18 and non-resident licenses are $35; a non-resident, three-day license is $16.If you’re interested in fishing for trout, you’ll need a trout conservation stamp as well; that costs $5.50.Freshwater fishing licenses and trout stamps can be purchased from city and town clerk offices, authorized agents such as bait and tackle shops and other retail stores that sell tackle. For a list of license vendors, visit the DEM website, where you may also purchase a license online.Anglers to host fluke seminarYours truly will talk about what fluke experts have to say on summer flounder fishing tactics, gear and ideal fishing locations at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at the Warwick FOP Lounge, 95 Tanner Ave., Warwick. The event is free and open to all, although attendance is limited to 100 people on fist-come, first-served basis. Call 401/463-7532 for more information. Bluefin tuna quota specsComments are due by Monday, April 16, on proposed 2012 quota specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery. Go to www.nmfs.noaa.gov to view the proposed 2012 quota specifications. You may submit comments through April 16 at www.regulations.gov; by faxing Sarah McLaughlin at 978/281-9340; or by mailing her at: Sarah McLaughlin, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Saltwater fishing regs now officialBlack sea bass, summer flounder and scup all have liberalized regulations for the 2012 season. In the case of summer flounder and scup, this is due to good stock status and under-harvest by the recreational fishery in 2011. The black sea bass fishery, while currently constrained at a low quota level, was also under-harvested last year. All of the other important recreational species are meeting their current rebuilding targets or have a stable stock status, and therefore regulations will remain at status quo for 2012. No species is being restricted from its 2011 recreational harvest regulations.All nonexempt fishers and spear-fishers must have a R.I. recreational saltwater license (or equivalent license or registration issued by another state or federal government) in order to fish legally in marine waters. Fishing licenses are required, but free, for Rhode Island residents over 65 and for active military personnel stationed in the state. For all others, the fee is $7 for residents and $10 for non-residents. Visit www.saltwater.ri.gov for more information or to purchase and print a license online.Where’s the bite?Freshwater fishing is heating up with bass being caught at many local ponds. John Littlefield of Archie’s Bait & Tackle in East Providence said opening day Saturday promises to be a good one with area residents gearing up to fish Willett Avenue Pond and a host of others. “Bass fishing at Echo Lake, Barrington has been good,” said Mr. Littlefield.“Customers are catching bass at Gorton Pond in Warwick and Worden Pond, Wakefield,” said Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle in Warwick.Striped bass fishing is starting to heat up. Last week, Matthew Boliver reported catching his first half-dozen school bass off Middletown, and Mike Shepard caught his first school bass off Newport. Mr. Littlefield at Archie’s Bait & Tackle said customer Dave Paterson caught his first bass in the 14-16-inch range using light-colored plastic shad lures. Blog reports from New Jersey related an excellent striped bass bite last week; let’s hope they’re coming our way. Reports of striped bass in Greenwich Bay have been spotty but consistent. “Anglers are catching striped bass in Greenwich Bay with soft plastics, but they are working for them,” said Mr. Castro or Erickson’s Bait & Tackle. Capt. Dave Monti has been fishing and shellfishing on Narragansett Bay for more than 40 years. He holds a captain’s master license and a charter fishing license. Your fishing photos in jpeg form, stories, comments and questions are welcome. Visit Capt. Dave’s No Fluke website at www.noflukefishing.com or e-mail him at dmontifish@verizon.net.