Fishing Close to Home
By Erik Osberg, Chair of the 2021 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener
Before everything changed, I was immersed in helping plan the 2020 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener. This was going to be the year the spotlight turned to Otter Tail County. Unfortunately, those plans changed. Like many other things, the event was postponed. The good news is we will be hosting the 2021 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener.
The other good news is I found myself with more time on my hands over the past couple of weeks. No more meetings to run to or groups to present to. Since fishing is my passion, and a great way to relieve stress, I’ve been making time to be out on the water. One of the advantages about living where I do is opportunities abound, all year long. Here is a list of things to consider if you are heading out for some recreating this weekend.
Panfish
I haven’t checked all the lakes in Otter Tail County, but i’m guessing we are pretty close to 100% ice free. Surface water temp is the first thing I check when looking for panfish. Crappies are my main target right now. Over the last week, we’ve seen surface temps climb from the mid 40’s into the mid 50’s. We were on a lake Monday evening and the water temperature ranged from 53ºF to 55ºF. There is no ideal temperature, but you are looking for the warmest water.
Shallow bays, preferably on the north side of a lake tend to warm up first. And that warmth brings lakes to life. If the lake is clear enough, you can quietly cruise the shallow water looking for activity. You might just see some bait fish and turtles, but if you are lucky, you can see the crappies congregating. On Sunday evening, we found them on a subtle break where the depth went from 3 feet of water to 5 feet of water. The crappies weren’t in a tight school, but they were congregating in 5-6 feet of water. An old school clip on bobber above a plain hair jig or plastic can be just as productive as minnows and they are a lot less labor intensive.
Suckers
One of the less celebrated “openers” in Minnesota is the sucker spearing opener. As of April 25th, licensed anglers are allowed to harvest suckers and carp with a spear. It might sound a bit barbaric, but the practice has a long standing history in these parts. My grandmother even passed on a recipe for sucker head soup. I haven’t had the courage to try that yet. I prefer to smoke the rough fish I harvest. One of our spring rituals is to check rivers and streams next to roadways for fish. Again, your best piece of equipment here might be a good pair of polarized sunglasses. With so many rivers in Otter Tail County, spots away from the crowd aren’t in short supply. And with some many lakes open, lots of folks will prefer to be on the water, rather than standing next to it. The art of spearing isn’t that complicated. If you see a sucker, you spear it. You have to be 100% certain that it is a sucker though, because walleyes and pike are likely to be making the same migration as the suckers. When in doubt DON’T THROW!
Opener Preps
If crappies and sucker spearing aren’t your thing, now is a good time to make sure you are ready for the opener. Make sure you have all the licenses you will need. Make sure all your batteries are charged. Make sure your boat runs. Put new line on your reels. Go through your tackle box and take inventory of what lures you have and don’t have. Most of us have some extra time on our hands now. Take advantage of that time to prepare for opening weekend. There should be no reason to show up at the boat landing on Saturday, May 9th and find out your battery is dead, or discover you don’t have the appropriate number and types of life jackets. Stay safe, stay close to home and remember it’s not about having time, it’s about making time.