Sitting in the West Wind Resort bar, Jeff Lund’s reeling wrist itched. In a state where fishing the annual mid-May walleye opener is practically a religious holiday, Lund is a true disciple.
“I didn’t sleep last night,” said Lund, 40, a concrete worker from Hibbing, Minn. “You start getting jacked up. It’s that time of year.”
That would be when Minnesota walleye aficionados put the rest of their lives on hold and tradition supersedes all supposed conflicts.
“I missed playing in the state softball championships two years in a row,” said Lund, who began observing walleye openers with his grandfather as a kid. “I’ve missed weddings.”
At 12:01 a.m., as Friday slipped into Saturday on walleye weekend, the fish became eligible. Slender, enthusiastic, with a big smile, Lund possessed many of the same characteristics as the region’s favorite fish. From the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to the Iron Range to the northeast and northwest corners of this outdoors-oriented state, frolicking walleye lined up for the taking in many of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau led a squadron of politicians onto Leech Lake for the annual executive office fishing hoedown, which included pomp, ceremony and festivities, and she outfished him for the second straight year.
About 100 miles to the north in tiny Waskish, Upper Red Lake enjoyed its second year of favored lake status with anglers giddy over a conservation success story.
Once classified as a dead lake by fisheries officials, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Upper Red Lake Chippewa Band and the Bureau of Indian Affairs shut down the body of water for sport angling and commercial fishing, rejuvenated it by stocking 100 million walleye fry and then reopened it in grand fashion for the 2006 walleye season.
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There are strict rules about keepers, but fishermen who investigated Upper Red Lake were boggled by the action and returned for more in 2007.
“You can catch walleye any time of the day,” said Scott Erickson, 36, a mine worker from Hibbing. “I’ve been watching the forecast for 10 days, but I’d be out there if it were snowing.”
Reports of 100 walleye hooked last year were common.
Walleye are regarded as excellent dinner table fare. They fight nobly when hooked. Upper Red Lake’s 48,000 acres are essentially an all-you-can-catch fishery, but not an all-you-can-eat fishery. The bag limit is two walleye, either both less than 17 inches long or one less than 17 inches plus one more than 26 inches long.
“I don’t care if you can only keep two,” Erickson said. “I’d rather come here and catch 100 of them than go somewhere else and catch six.”
West Wind Resort is walleye central for the town that had 116 people in the last census. The restaurant offered a “you hook ’em, we’ll cook ’em” deal. For $7.95, fishermen could order a special in which the main course was two walleye fillets they caught and delivered to the chef. Still hungry? Throw in another fillet for 99 cents more.
In a way, Tim Waldo and wife Barb built the resort in 2000 on faith. They lived off winter ice-fishing harvests of crappie. Now with the return of walleye fishing they are reaping the payoff of patience.
“It did work,” Tim Waldo said. “I never really felt the walleyes wouldn’t come back.”
Guide Spider Johnson banked on that, too, settling in Waskish on the gamble walleye would rally.
“In May and June, this is a walleye factory we’re dealing with right now,” he said.
Night bites
Because the season opens one minute after midnight on a Friday-Saturday, no school is missed for this “state” holiday. While Johnson calls Upper Red Lake a “10-to-4” body of water, some appreciate the night bite.
With lanterns hanging on their small boat and glowing bobbers in the water, Dwight Hubers and his wife Brenda of Willmar, Minn., and daughter Bobbi Keeley and son-in-law Michael Keeley of Fridley glided into the slow current of the Tamarac River, an Upper Red Lake tributary near their campground.
Cloud cover blocked stars, but there was no wind and the temperature was 50 degrees. Rods hit the water at precisely 12:01. Why now?
“Because I’m here,” Dwight Hubers announced.
“It’s a blast,” Brenda Hubers added. “He even got me out here to fish.”
The first walleye came up in 10 minutes, captured by Michael Keeley, who won $5 for first fish caught when it measured out at 16 7/8 inches.
“It’s a keeper!” Dwight Hubers shouted.
Two years into the family gathering at Upper Red Lake, Brenda Hubers noted, “It’s starting to become a tradition with us.”
To those monitoring the lake in recent years, such a statement is both remarkable and pleasing to hear. A dwindling walleye population led to a commercial fishing closure in 1998 and a sport fishing closure in 1999, according to Minnesota DNR region fisheries manager Henry Drewes.
“Broodstock was precariously low,” Drewes said.
The BIA, the state, and the Native-American Upper Red Lake Chippewa Band, agreed on a fishing moratorium. In 1999, 2001 and 2003, roughly 100 million walleye fry were stocked, Drewes said.
“The very exciting thing was that beginning in 2003 we saw significant natural reproduction,” he said. “The stocking achieved the recovery. The lake is flourishing. Walleye are abundant.”
The DNR estimates that Upper Red Lake experienced 900,000 hours of fishing with a take of 134,000 pounds of walleye last year, Drewes said.
“If we manage the harvest, we can have fishing in perpetuity,” Drewes said. “We saved it once. We fixed it. It’s a special lake.”
Action aplenty
Boats clustered in two areas, south and north of the resort for postdaylight opener starts on a sunny, calm day. There was enough room between boats to send out jigs with minnows, but boats were close enough to see fish pulled in.
“I got one! I got one! I got one!” a young woman yelled, setting off a scramble for a net and whoops from her four fishing partners.
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In one area, a man wearing waders stood in water about 4 feet deep fishing to a different drummer. No boat, no worries for him, except perhaps drowning.
Usually, Jim Ernster, 60, of St. Charles, Ill., fishes the Chain O’ Lakes near home, where walleyes are harder to harvest. At Upper Red Lake he caught about 15 walleye, including a 21-incher. Ernster was wistful about having to throw it back because it exceeded 17 inches.
“That slot is a killer, but the fishing was great,” Ernster said.
Hearing Minnesotans say it was slow, Ernster shook his head.
“The people up here are spoiled,” he said. “They don’t know how lucky they have it.”
Actually, they do. Erickson said the anglers on his boat, including Lund, caught about two dozen walleye, including a 22-incher. Limits were claimed easily.
Upper Red Lake is strong again, producing crappie in winter and walleye in summer.
“I suppose we could stock a little bass in there,” Tim Waldo said with a gleam in his eye.
Maybe he should take it up with the fishing governor. Or better yet, the lieutenant governor, since she seems to be the fishing pro in the executive branch.
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