Opening week of fishing in Minnesota and I could not be less excited to catch a fish. I don’t even have a motor on my boat. Like many other folks I am already behind schedule and the worst part is that I still cannot even get started.
The lakes are still too frozen to start up sprinkler systems and the temperatures are dangerously close to freezing at night, making it too early to prime any waterlines for the summer folks. Usually there is plenty of time to get everything done before the guiding season takes off but this year is going to be a challenge.
Saturday produced some very strong winds that were capable of destroying every dock on a lake. Fortunately, the ice had a hard time moving around since it is still so close to the shore. I have not heard of any damage up here yet, but some Mille Lacs Lake homeowners took a beating on Saturday with the ice taking out shrubs and breaking through sliding glass doors.
It would be nice to have a calm meltdown this week since docks and waterlines that are left in the lake are vulnerable when there is a giant iceberg sailing around at the mercy of the wind. The video being shown on Mille Lacs showed the ice crawling up the shore like lava. It moves slow yet is powerful enough to take out everything in its path. Let’s not forget that the glaciers once cut a path through the North Shore leaving us the Sawtooth Mountains.
The ambitious anglers might have had a hard time finding any quality bait this week since the leeches are very small and the rainbow chubs are hard to find. Nightcrawlers are available but the walleyes seem to favor eating leeches and minnows early in the season. The late ice is going to have a “trickle down” effect on a lot of Minnesota’s different industries, especially tourism and bait. The bait dealers are saying that it is only a temporary setback but it could also be an excuse to raise prices in an effort to recoup some early season losses.
May 18 marks the Canadian fishing opener and with a little luck the big lakes on the Gunflint Trail will be blue. The dreaded I-68 is again required by the United States to re-enter the country, and I have been told by a Customs and Border Patrol officer that they will indeed be enforcing them. The Grand Marais Customs offices will be closed this summer and all Customs business will be handled from Pigeon River, however the Grand Marais office will be issuing I-68 documents on May 23 and 30 only.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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