Waiting for springs return

[Lee Borgersen]

The region appears to be on standby, waiting for spring to return. Two weeks ago it looked like an early spring, and then it started snowing and turned cold again.
 

 




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This weekend the forecast is also cold and windy for the Bemidji area. Temperatures are expected to drop back into the teens overnight, with strong winds making outside activities uncomfortable at best.

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The turnaround in the weather pattern has also had a negative effect on the walleye fishing in the Rainy River, with most of the walleyes still in Lake of the Woods. 

The timing of the walleye spawning run is based on several factors, which helps prevent the walleyes from entering the river prematurely during an early spring.

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The combination of the amount of sunlight and the water temperatures in the Rainy River both help determine when the time is right for the walleyes to begin their spawning migrations.

Water temperatures in Lake of the Woods are between 39 and 40 degrees, while water temperatures in the Rainy River were in the 35 degree range this past week. The colder water in the Rainy River has shut down the walleye migrations into the Rainy River until the water temperatures in the river rise above the “warmer” water temperatures in Lake of the Woods.

The longer the delay in the spring warm-up continues, the walleyes will become increasingly more anxious to get their annual spring spawning migrations started.


According to the calendar, walleyes waiting to migrate into the Rainy River out of Lake of the Woods are still right on schedule even after the weather delay. Warmer temperatures are not expected to return to the Bemidji area for at least another week, if the extended forecast proves to be accurate.

The peak spawning runs and the peak prespawn walleye fishing in the Rainy River should begin as soon as the water temperatures in the Rainy River surpass 40 degrees.

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The delay in the spring warm-up usually means the walleye runs are stronger once they do happen. The peak fishing of the spring walleye season in the Rainy River could still be at least a week away, depending on when the temperatures finally warm up.


Most anglers on the Rainy River have been for sturgeon rather than walleyes because of the slow walleye fishing. Mature lake sturgeon spawn only once every four years, so the spawning run each year depends on how many fish are ready to spawn.


The fishing for sturgeon on the Rainy River is “catch and release only” through April 23. This prevents the harvesting of sturgeon during the spring walleye season, which has helped increase the numbers and size of the sturgeon.

Anglers fishing for sturgeon usually anchor along the edges of the deep channels in the Rainy River. Sturgeon usually travel in the deeper parts of the river close to the bottom, so they can suck things off the bottom with their telescoping mouths located on the bottom of their heads.

The tiny barbells on the nose of sturgeon help the sturgeon taste and smell things before eating them, which can feel like a tiny wiggle on the line.

Anglers may feel a little bump after the wiggle if the sturgeon feels the anglers bait is worth eating. The bite of a sturgeon is surprisingly light considering the size of the fish.

Anglers usually use heavy bass rods or muskie rods to fish for sturgeon. Anglers can use heavier line on the reels, with most anglers using fluorocarbon leaders between 10 and 14 pound test for sturgeon.

A two ounce sinker is usually the standard weight for sturgeon, but anglers can get by with less weight in light current, but it might take more weight in heavier current.

Anglers want to use short leaders for sturgeon, usually between 8 inches and one foot. This keeps the bait close to the bottom instead of the bait flopping in the current several feet off of the bottom. Most sturgeon anglers like to use a big blob of night crawlers threaded onto a 2/0 or 3/0 hook.