Our team members at Stern Rubber Company are planning on taking advantage of the Minnesota Walleye fishing opener, happening May 9, 2015. Even our governor, Mark Dayton, is taking advantage of this huge event in Minnesota. Last year, Mark Dayton fished on Gull Lake, which is about thirty minutes to the east of our location in Staples. This year, the governor will be fishing on Lake Vermillion, which is about an hour north of Duluth, Minnesota. This is very big business for northern Minnesota, since we have the best walleye fishing in crystal clear lakes, formed by glaciers, in our last ice age.
The walleye is Minnesota’s most desired fish, known for its pearlescent eye, which is caused by a reflective layer of pigment; which helps the walleye to see and feed at night, or in murky water. The walleye is excellent to eat; it has thick, white fillets that are served in many restaurants in our area and across the state. Minnesotans will keep about 3.5 million walleye this year, which will total almost four million pounds of fish. The ideal size to render enough meat is a walleye about one pound and measures about fourteen inches in length. Native to Minnesota, the walleye flourishes in lakes that are large, shallow, with gravel shoals, which are exactly the lakes we have in central Minnesota, and why most anglers come to our area during walleye fishing opener.
Gearing up for the walleye opener is also huge business for area retailers, including one of the largest retailers, who started in 1922 in Brainerd, MN, Mills Fleet Farm. Other retailers like Walmart, Gander Mountain and many local resorts and bait shops, stock up on fishing poles, lures and boating supplies to get anglers ready for walleye opening day. Located also in our area are many boat manufacturers. One of our customers is Lund boats, which is located just west of Staples, in New York Mills, MN. Another customer is Lift Tech Marine who manufactures boat lift drive motors in Brainerd, MN; we produce a rubber to metal bonded drive wheel.
Many hotels, campgrounds, and resorts are located around Stern Rubber Company. If you don’t have a cabin to stay at, you will need a place to recover from your hours on the water, waiting for the walleye to bite. Some of the largest and most well-known resorts are Cragun’s Resort, Maddens Resort and Grandview Lodge. The best lakes in our area to fish are Gull Lake, North Long Lake, Lake Mille lacs, Leech Lake, Whitefish Chain of lakes, Fish Trap Lake, Lake Alexander and Lake Shamineau. River fishing is also an excellent way to catch walleye’s; our local rivers include the Crow Wing River and the Mississippi River.
The record for the largest walleye caught in Minnesota was seventeen pounds, eight ounces, it was 35 ¾ inches long and had a girth of 21 ¼ inches. It was caught in the Seagull River at Saganaga Lake in Cook County, (which is in the Boundary Water Canoe Area) in northern Minnesota on May 13, 1979, which was the walleye fishing opener for that year.
Visit www.brainerd.com for more information about the Brainerd Lakes area and fishing for Minnesota Walleye opener; at this site you will find additional information about resorts, lodging, shopping, weekly fishing reports, golf, biking and much more.