REGIONAL—An overcast sky, chilly temperatures, and a persistent north wind did little to dampen enthusiasm from anglers during last weekend’s fishing opener, and most were rewarded with a pretty typical early season bite.

Anglers in the Ely area were ready, with most clustered around traditional opener hot spots. On White Iron, Ely area fishing guide Rob Nelson said anglers were out in force at Silver Rapids and around Beargrease Island, where the current is traditionally attractive to walleye in the early spring.

With ice-out almost two weeks early this year, Nelson said it appeared the larger spawning walleye had already scattered to other locations, leaving mostly smaller males in the current. “We caught a few of the eater-sized fish, but mostly they were on the small side,” said Nelson. “About half were between nine and eleven inches.”

It was much the same story on Lake Vermilion, where an abundant 2012 year-class is currently dominating the walleye fishery. “We boated 42 walleyes on opening day,” said Vermilion area guide Cliff Wagenbach, who was escorting three managers from Cabela’s as part of the Governor’s Fishing Opener. “There were a lot of little fish. The biggest of the day was 19 and a half inches.”

Both Nelson and Wagenbach reported the best success with Lindy rigs, although Nelson opted for shiners while Wagenbach had the most success with rainbows or fatheads. “The bigger minnows seemed to get a better bite,” said Wagenbach, “although it was a pretty tentative bite overall.”

Wagenbach, who typically fishes deep water on the opener, said he found his best luck fishing between 40 and 50 feet. “We didn’t catch anything above 26-feet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wagenbach said anglers working the shallow water on Pike Bay had the most success trolling with crankbites. “It sounds like orange rapalas were the most effective,” he said.

While Vermilion was busy with the additional traffic from the Governor’s Fishing Opener, it was a pretty average opener in the Ely area, according to Nelson. “As far as boat traffic, it was about normal,” said Nelson. “There wasn’t a ton of traffic but that’s kind of typical on opener. This weekend, we really start to get busy.”

Up at the border, low water levels hampered anglers as some docks were left high and dry. Anglers found most success in the shallows, according to Phil Hart at the Gateway Store, and most reported decent-sized walleye and northerns in the shallows.

In the deeper water, anglers found smaller walleye and sauger, as well as some large pre-spawning perch. Most had their best success with jigs and minnows, while others had success from shore with bobbers and minnows.

Guides agree that the best fishing is likely still ahead. Over the next couple weeks, they expect the larger fish to move back into the shallows to feed— and that’s when the fishing tends to hit its peak in the area. Don’t miss out!