Opening-Day Strategies -- from the Pilot-Independent

Opening day strategies
by Ron Anlauf

Published: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 in the Walker Pilot-Independent, Walker, Minnesota

Opening day isn’t all about catching fish. Getting on the water and enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer is part of the opening experience. It’s also a great opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family and maybe even start a new tradition. To that end it still wouldn’t hurt to put a few fish in the boat and can help get your program off to a good start.

One thing to keep in mind is the fact that there are always some fish biting somewhere; and if you stick with it and keep looking, sooner or later you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Last year’s opener was a good example, but the early results for my brother-in-law and I were less than spectacular. We started the season where we have for the last four or five years and where we had always done well — by slowly drifting a shallow weedbed with a light jig and minnow; that is, until now. Now our starting lead pipe cinch early season program was coming up dry, and we finally had to give up on it and look for what we were obviously missing.

What we eventually found was that shallow rocks were holding big schools of fish which were predominantly nice keeper-size males that were still milking. A rocky shoreline with a connecting rock-covered underwater shelve in the 4- to 8-foot range was the ticket to some incredible action. It didn’t take long to put together a solid catch.

Pitching light jigs in the 1/16-ounce range tipped with a spot-tail shiner up to the shallowest water was the key to catching fish without spooking them. The shallowest action held until some of the boats drifted over them and moved them out. We worked the deeper edges of the rocks by slowly drifting the same light jig and minnow.

That pattern held for the next three days that we came back. Successful drifts included casting the jig out and away from the boat and then slowly drifting (when there was enough wind) while lifting and dropping the bait. When it calmed down we used the MinnKota motor to slowly creep along, allowing us to duplicate the same productive speed and cover some water.

Last year’s colder than normal spring and late ice-out delayed the spawn. Instead of spread out on a weed-covered flat, a lot of the fish were stacked into a 100-yard stretch of rock and gravel where they were easy to find and relatively easy to catch. Who knows what this year’s opener will bring? But it wouldn’t hurt to keep an open mind. See you on the water.