The angling season for walleye and sauger is now over. It was a good season, better than a year ago. The last day, however, wasn’t so good on the river by the airport. Wally, his sister Christie, and I fished from about 5:00 until I got tired and left about 7:00. Wally caught a beautiful 27″ walleye and I caught a small sauger that was released. After I left Christie caught a 36″ sturgeon and Wally caught an eater; that was it.
Wally with a season ending 27″ walleye
We may set a record for a late date that it ice goes out under the bridge in Baudette. The record is April 20th and that was in 1950. There is about 18″ of ice by the airport and it probably won’t go in the next day or so. The river opened up at Frontier, seventeen miles east of Baudette, earlier in the week and there was reported 85 outfits using the landing on Friday. Reports were that boat fishing was very good.
Some folks, like myself, prefer to stay on the ice as long as possible. Several have been walking out from the airport ramp and most get their two fish and maybe a big one to release. Friday evening I took my neighbor boy, Gabe, and went down by the airport; his dad, Emory, joined us a short time later. We caught five walleyes, four nice eaters and Emory got what he says is his biggest walleye, a beautiful 28″ one.
Emory with his 28″ walleye
If you have ever witnessed the early spring mating ritual of the Sharp-tailed Grouse you’d probably agree that it is special. Tuesday morning Diane and I had the opportunity to use the DNR blind that was set up on a traditional dancing ground about four miles southwest of Baudette. We were up at 5:00 a.m. and dressed for winter; it was about twenty degrees. It was daybreak as we arrived at the blind and about twenty birds flushed. We were told that they would come back so we crawled in the very small canvas blind, sat on a couple of cushions and waited. It was a little windy and I think that made the birds a little jittery and it was the first time this year that birds have been there with people in the blind. I thought we were lucky, that group of birds flushed and came back four times in the next hour and a half. We got a little cold and cramped up, but it was a good time.
Dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse
Three Sharp-tailed Grouse on the Dancing Ground
The walleyes have changed their feeding habits a little. The best bite the past few days has been during the middle of the day and then they shut off a couple hours before dark. Monday evening I went on the river by the airport about 7:00 and never had a bite. George S. was there and he caught a nice 26″ walleye just as I arrived. He had caught a 29″ walleye and two eaters a little earlier but nothing more after I started fishing. Tuesday I fished during the day for a short time and caught a 26″, a 21″ and two nice eaters. There sure are a lot of nice fish in the river now. George said that he has caught several the past couple of weeks in the 28″-30″ range.
Ice conditions on the river near Baudette are still good for ice fishing. It sure looks like the season will close this Saturday and we’ll still be on the ice. I don’t remember that ever happening before. Report are that the river is open just this side of Birchdale and the boat fishermen are not doing very well. Reports are that pickups are still driving on the lake (although they shouldn’t be) with over 40″of ice and fishing reports are spotty.
George with a nice 26″ walleye
