A frequent volunteer guide in the Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener, angling legend. Al Lindner is used to loading his boat with a little bit of everything, just in case. But this year’s packing list looks a bit ridiculous. “Last I heard, the guides are responsible for bringing their
own ice augers!” Lindner says, only half-kidding. After a long, cold winter followed by early April snowstorms, fishing on the May 10 Opener could be a chilly challenge.
“We’ve still got a chance for a lot of things to change, but it’s got to change very fast,” Lindner says. “I think this one is going to be one for the record books. I’m quite certain we’re going to be dodging a lot of ice cubes on a lot of lakes!”
If water temperatures remain cold leading up to and during the Opener, as Lindner suspects, he will most likely target pre-spawn males with a simple, yet classic, presentation – a jig and minnow.
“I’ll have a 1/16 oz. Hot Skirt Glow Jig with a fathead minnow on,” he says. “That’s what I’ll start with.”
Featuring unique glow-in-the-dark skirts and flashabou fibers, VMC’s Hot Skirt Glow Jigs help Lindner turn early-season lookers into biters. The jigs’ high-carbon steel hooks keep fish on the line all the way back to the boat.
This year’s Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener will be held on Gull Lake in the Brainerd Lakes area – Lindner’s stomping grounds. As a volunteer guide, Lindner will pilot his VIP guests to areas in the lake that produce current, including neck-downs and shallow, rock-rubble spots. Current oxygenates water, drawing both baitfish and the walleyes that feed on them.
Because of the long, hard winter and cold spring, many northern Minnesota walleyes are likely to still be in the pre-spawn phase on the Opener. That will make fishing challenging, but not futile.
“You’ll be able to get a few walleyes, there’s no question,” Lindner says. “Even in the middle of the day. But it’s not going to be an easy one, because the walleyes are going to be right in the middle of the spawn. Most of them are going to be milting males that we’re going to get.”
Walleyes in large Minnesota lakes traditionally spawn between mid April and mid May. Longer, colder winters can postpone the spawn by several weeks. Fish in Northern Minnesota often spawn about two weeks later than fish in southern and central Minnesota. Male walleyes begin the spawn cycle by moving to shallow, rocky spots and depositing milt. About a week later, females will move in and drops eggs on the milt.
“You’re not going to see a whole lot of really big fish on the Opener,” Lindner predicts. “We’ll get a fair amount of those milting males.”
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