Lake Erie is angry, Bass vs walleye thumb, Spring Rainy River run

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I finally made the trek to Lake Erie, OH! Been on my fishing bucket-list for a long time. Came to chase around the zillions of pre-spawn walleyes…but instead we’ve been spending most of the time sitting in the cabin BECAUSE:

She’s been angry! The power behind those waves = absolutely mind blowing. Pics and videos just don’t do it justice.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see folks surfing 🏄‍♂️ if the water wasn’t a frosty 37 degrees (lol):

At least the aftermath can be purtty. 🤷‍♂️

I was totally geeking out over these crazy ice balls that formed on each blade of grass:

Then I got to scrolling thru the Facebook, and saw that same icy glaze had formed on Bigwater Fishing’s Ross Robertson too. 🤣🤣🤣

Go walleye fishing, they said…. It would be fun, they said…. 🤣

…on Monday evening and got into some fish. I’ve been blessed to fish a bunch of great walleye fisheries, but I have never seen this many fish on the graph – constantly, all the time, everywhere – like we saw on Lake Erie:

We were a few minutes in to our first pass when the inside board got buried = first fish of the trip was a dang 10-lber! 😳

I put together a little 60-second video that first evening to try and give folks a taste of the experience/feeling of finally getting on the water after multiple blow days:

Something I learned quickly is that fishing the big water is all about finding clean water. All those 20-40+ mph winds made a mess of areas, and it was the clear-water pockets where fish could actually see your baits to eat ’em.

Lake Erie charter captain Juls Walleye Fishing Adventures posted this satellite image from yesterday (3/29/22) that can explain it better than I could. We’re on the south end where the islands are – keep in mind this screenshot is aprox 65 miles across:

Yesterday was our first “calm” day to be out on the water. The area we were catching fish the evening before had muddied up, and we struggled hard. To be completely honest (like everyone should 😜) we skunked yesterday. Embarrassing, but it happens. By the time we found the new “clean” water it was just too late.

Now it’s looking like the next couple days include winds up to 58+ mph. So this 8 days trip might turn into about 1 day of fishing. Gotta risk it for the biscuit 🤷‍♂️.

We are actually staying on one of those islands – they ferry out your rig, which was super cool! And the island is just incredible. But not sure if those ferrys can even run in winds that high so we might be stuck here a couple extra days longer. Then of course the forecast looks magical when we are supposed to be leaving…so maybe this already extended trip will need to be extended even longer LOL. Keep you posted….

Would you “lip” an 8.4-lb walleye? You would if you were @austinsmith_fishing and catching Lake Erie hawgs:

That’s dedication lol.

Show this to a bassin’ buddy that can’t hang:

TW fan Scott Kellogg saw that ^ post and said this is what northern pike thumb looks like:

– That’s the caption under this post on Lund’s Insta – have you ever had to get creative on a garage “expansion” for your rig? 😂

Gotta do what you’ve gotta do!

Posted by FishUSA on Insta:

> “Who remembers their Dad’s old tackle box? Hard to forget the smell of rusted hooks, rubber worms, and old salmon eggs…good times!”

For some of you reading this, that might be your old tackle box…and your dad’s/mom’s was an aluminum one. Either way brings back some memories of the good ol’ days!

Couple random things I got to thinking after seeing that pic:

Isn’t it incredible that folks equipped with that setup were able to (supposedly 😉) catch more and bigger fish than we can today? Although we all know how fish continue to grow every single time the story is told again hahaha.

Crazy how far tackle management has progressed. It’s been 10 years since I’ve even seen a hard-sided tackle box in action.

1. MI: Detroit River NWT happening 3/31 and 4/1.

Out of Trenton and it’s on the river only = no Lake Erie runs, which looking at these dang wind forecasts, it would have been a river only thing anyway.

2. MN: 2022 Governor’s Fishing Opener will be held at…

…multiple locations, I think:

> The 2022 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener will celebrate fishing in a variety of ways, over several weeks and in multiple locations in the Chippewa National Forest region and Leech Lake Reservation.

Sounds like on the actual opener (May 14) the governor will be fishing with Hall of Fame guide Tom Neustrom “on a lake on the Leech Lake Reservation.”

3. OH: Al Lindner speaking on Apr 16.

> …guest speaker at the Resurrection Breakfast, to be held from 8:30 to 11 am Apr 16 at Mid-Ohio Conference Center.

4. MN: AIM is heading to Lake Miltona.

For the 2022 AIM Walleye Series National Championship Jun 3-4. Awesome fishery just north of Alexandria, and believe this is the first bigger tourney I’ve ever heard of going there. Has sunken islands, sand bars, deep holes, weedlines and expansive flats…the type of lake where folks can catch ’em a bunch of different ways.

5. Beauty of a burbot!

My bud Cole Pint landed a quick date with this tatted-up blonde:

Burbot are the definition of “unique.” 😍

I had the chance to sneak out burbot-ing with Cole ^ and fishing YouTuber Sobi that day. If burbot (aka eelpout) are your jam, definitely will wanna check out Sobi’s videos from the trip: Here’s part 1 and part 2.

6. MN: DNR’s looking for conservation officer applicants…

…for 2023 academy. The recruiting period runs through April 8. And:

> “…provides a pathway for people without previous law enforcement experience to become conservation officers.”

7. DC: EPA regulation of lead tackle/ammo avoided again.

Whole pile of spring Rainy River info.

Locations, landings, tips and tactics from TJ’s Guide Service if you’re looking to make a spring Rainy River run:

This tiny human (my daughter Maisie) continues to impress me every day! Final ‘send’ of the season for team no naps haha. 🙌 Big thanks to my friends Eric and Chanda Gebhardt for the magical day!

Oh, and thank goodness for FaceTime when on the road! ❤️

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH