Ice may limit options for fishing opener
Anglers in Wisconsin have long known they are fortunate to have a wide range of options.
From Lake Michigan on the east, Superior on the north, the Mighty Mississippi on the west and thousands of waters in between, we have a worldclass smorgasbord to choose from.
Normally we think of the variety in terms of species and types of waters.
For the 2018 Wisconsin inland fishing opener, Mother Nature has served up one more choice: soft or hard?
As of May 1, the late spring left an unusually high number of northern Wisconsin waters covered in ice.
“I’m looking at about 30 feet of open water along
my shore," said Russ Schroeder of Park Falls, phoning in a report from his cabin on Pike Lake in Price County. "The rest is ice."
Schroeder said it was looking like 2018 would be just the third-opening weekend in 45 years he won't be able to fish the lake from a boat.
"Maybe I'll cast for crappies along the shore," Schroeder said. "Maybe I'll watch the ice melt."
At the end of one of the snowiest and coldest Aprils on record, this isn't the type of choice coveted by most anglers.
But like every outing in every year, it's up to us to make the most of the conditions.
The warm weather over the last week has helped many lakes open up completely. And waters in about the southern two-thirds of the state have been icefree for more than a week, some much longer.
"I'm telling people if they are coming this far north to bring their ice auger," said Kurt Justice of Kurt's Island Sports Shop in Minocqua.
Lake Minocqua had 32 inches of ice as late as April 25.
Any angler planning to venture out on the ice this weekend should pay close attention to conditions and possess all necessary safety equipment.
The 2014 opener was the most recent season with similar early May conditions. In fact, that year it snowed on Thursday before the opener in much of northern Wisconsin.
I attended the 2014 Governor's Fishing Opener on Lake Namakagon near Cable. The lake had a slushy foot of snow over about 16 inches of solid ice.
It was the only time I've ice fished on the opener in 40-plus years of fishing in Wisconsin.
Gov. Scott Walker had transportation problems in 2014 and decided to fish the area a couple weeks later when the lake had thawed and the "optics" were better. He reportedly caught fish, too.
This year the Governor's Fishing Opener is scheduled for Lake Chetek in Barron County. The lake had some ice on it at mid-week, but the event is scheduled to go off as planned.
Gov. Walker, too, is planning to attend, his office said on Wednesday.
Event organizers are counting on plenty of open water and open boat launches to help the assembled crowds.
In Shell Lake, Dave Zeug said there was from 50 to 75 feet of open water along his shoreline. At the public boat landing, only about 40 feet of soft water separated the ramp from the ice.
“It’s gonna be tough," Zeug said. "I don’t see it gone by Saturday, personally.”
But many of the smaller lakes have lost their ice. And there are always river systems, most of which are wide open.
And another thing to keep in mind: the conditions on open lakes may be some of the most favorable for anglers.
Walleyes and northern pike may be concentrated in shallow water and offer great action for anglers.
In normal years, the fish are more dispersed by the first Saturday in May.
Whatever your choice, be safe and enjoy the opener.