Late Opener?

Why is MN opener so late this year? May 15?

I could have sworn I saw it was on May 8.

Mothers Day is May 9 and I thought that was always the same weekend.

Memorial Day isn’t until May 31 and opener is usually 2 weekends before that, which would be May 15.

This is excellent. Dumbest thing ever that opener almost always falls on Mother’s Day.

fishinfreaks wrote:

Why is MN opener so late this year? May 15?

Coronavirus. The fish need extra time due to the constraints on supply-chains.

Opener on Mothers Day is coincidence.

Opener is 2 Saturdays before the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

Matt Moen wrote:

This is excellent. Dumbest thing ever that opener almost always falls on Mother’s Day.

Opener falls on Saturday, Mother’s Day is Sunday.

Wisconsin is May 1st. Please be advised due to Corona virus you must stay in your own state

Nice try Bigpike, don’t worry I actually have never fished in your state. I’m not into bullheads.

gim wrote:

I could have sworn I saw it was on May 8.

Mothers Day is May 9 and I thought that was always the same weekend.

Memorial Day isn’t until May 31 and opener is usually 2 weekends before that, which would be May 15.

It is May 15th (see below), but there were some wrong Google results from previous years when I was looking it up. And Mothers Day is the 9th, so it’s one of the rare years when they are separate weekends.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/events/event.html?id=63174

Guaranteed we will have an early and warm spring now. Folks will be bouncing off the walls!

61orbt wrote:

Oh well, just gives me an extra week to steal some eyes from the cheeseheads

That’d be Cheesehead on Cheesehead crime tho, soooooooo I approve!

Meh, opener can be whatever weekend. I prefer to stay away from the zoo and amateur hour.

I love fishing the st croix legally in mn on the wi opener. We always do pretty well. And I get 2 weeks of warm up before our opener.

glenn57 wrote:

Meh, opener can be whatever weekend. I prefer to stay away from the zoo and amateur hour.

I agree, I used to be a loyal opener fisher and now I am just tired of it. Accesses are a crapshow with people who cannot back their boat in, are next to launch and THEN decide to take cover off and load all gear including batteries into the boat, etc etc. Its a nightmare. I havent gone on opener in like 5 years and dont miss it.

DeRangedFishinguy wrote:

Guaranteed we will have an early and warm spring now. Folks will be bouncing off the walls!

Should we start a countdown to “DNR should move opener up because of the warm weather” posts?

I thought opener was 1st weekend in March? Oh wait that’s when the SCRATCHER hits p4

Bearcat89 wrote:

I love fishing the st croix legally in mn on the wi opener. We always do pretty well. And I get 2 weeks of warm up before our opener.

Which section of the river do you usually fish?

John Rasmussen wrote:

Nice try Bigpike, don’t worry I actually have never fished in your state. I’m not into bullheads.

Just so you know the bullhead limit is only 15

My birthday is the 11th of may and my girlfriends is the 13th. We both love fishing so that timing is about as good as it gets.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
Meh, opener can be whatever weekend. I prefer to stay away from the zoo and amateur hour.

I agree, I used to be a loyal opener fisher and now I am just tired of it. Accesses are a crapshow with people who cannot back their boat in, are next to launch and THEN decide to take cover off and load all gear including batteries into the boat, etc etc. Its a nightmare. I havent gone on opener in like 5 years and dont miss it.

This isn’t so much about opener weekend, as I stay clear of the crowds as well. It is not about Sunday through Tuesday after opener. It’s just another week later. It sucks. I’m not a river fisherman. Maybe I’ll have to go crowd that.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
Meh, opener can be whatever weekend. I prefer to stay away from the zoo and amateur hour.

I agree, I used to be a loyal opener fisher and now I am just tired of it. Accesses are a crapshow with people who cannot back their boat in, are next to launch and THEN decide to take cover off and load all gear including batteries into the boat, etc etc. Its a nightmare. I havent gone on opener in like 5 years and dont miss it.

I agree and when you get a nice calm sunny day it’s even worse. A windy cloudy day keeps quite a bit of the casual anglers off the water though.

Charlie W wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I love fishing the st croix legally in mn on the wi opener. We always do pretty well. And I get 2 weeks of warm up before our opener.

Which section of the river do you usually fish?

Marine on st croix and North

May 15th is around average for opener, this year Mother’s Day is early. I fish opener but rather than chasing walleyes we’re working on panfish. Usually do very well and away from the madness on the main lake.

Brad Dimond wrote:

May 15th is around average for opener, this year Mother’s Day is early. I fish opener but rather than chasing walleyes we’re working on panfish. Usually do very well and away from the madness on the main lake.

Uhhhh….false.

Just another weekend of crappie fishing before amateur hour.

blackbay wrote:

Just another weekend of crappie fishing before amateur hour.

I wish there was a like button for this comment.
I always wanted to get a lawn chair and sit at a busy landing and watch the show.

munchy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>DeRangedFishinguy wrote:</div>
Guaranteed we will have an early and warm spring now. Folks will be bouncing off the walls!

Should we start a countdown to “DNR should move opener up because of the warm weather” posts?

For sure! Or the posts about open C&R year round, and a dedicated harvest season (which I support).

Crappies open so just fish for crappies until opener.

Matt Moen wrote:

This is excellent. Dumbest thing ever that opener almost always falls on Mother’s Day.

AND the FW’s birthday.

The SCRATCHER wrote:

I thought opener was 1st weekend in March? Oh wait that’s when the SCRATCHER hits p4

The Walleye opener is when the River Rats get their river back.