I get the feeling that whenever it starts to feel like spring is finally here, winter reminds us that we still have a ways to go. It is probably a pretty normal spring but, for some reason, it seems to be dragging out longer than usual. In thinking back to the many Governors’ Fishing Openers that I have attended; the weather has always been a little suspect.
About the second or third year of my going to this event it was held in Bemidji. On my Friday drive north, I drove past Leech Lake and I remember looking out over Walker Bay and seeing ice still covering the lake. The bay that was alongside the highway was open and out into the main lake there was some open water. In looking out towards the ice I spotted a guy in a small fishing boat cruising alongside the floating ice. It was at that point that I decided that, although I love to fish, I was and still am, fonder of breathing than swimming in ice cold water.
I have attended the opener over the last 27 years and have had some very good fishing experiences, met a lot of good folks and fished with many good hosts. We once referred to the hosts as guides, but most are just average guys who enjoy fishing. I could never pick a favorite but the 2013 opener in Park Rapids is one of my favorites. That opener was cold and there was ice on many of the area lakes.
On Friday evening we met our fishing host at the pairing event. Myself and Jeff Anderson, whom I have fished the opener with for many years, met our host that night. He was Brett Kent who along with his wife, Brenda, were there to greet us. Brett was a true outdoors person, who trapped minnows and leeches for local bait shops, did fur trapping, both ice and open water fishing, and also hunted waterfowl and deer. He told us that his day job was as a State Trooper. He was also a storyteller who could spin a yarn like very few folks that I know. After fishing he took us out to his place in the country for coffee. We found that Brett and Brenda also raised Bees, where they produced and packaged their own honey. Meeting and spending a little time with folks like Brett and Brenda made the whole weekend a very memorable experience and one that I will always remember.
Once we had finished visiting, Brett asked if we would like to try Fish Hook Lake, the one that we had visited in the morning. At that time, it was still iced over but when we arrived at the landing, after shore lunch, we found that the lake was now partially open. We decided to give it a shot. Brett thought that we should try the mouth of the Fish Hook River which was open but there was still ice about 50 yards away. I did manage to catch a nice 23-inch walleye in that spot but that was all we could muster and with the wind and the cold we decided to call it a day.
Memories like this are what make me want to keep going to another Governor’s Fishing Opener. It is not about fishing, or the politics, it is about the people that you meet who want to share their communities with us. These people are proud of their community and it is a chance for them to do a little bragging about what makes their community a great place to live or visit.
Until next time: I still haven’t gotten to inventory my fishing tackle, but I have a few weeks left. Once we are in more sunny and warmer weather I will be getting ‘er done! I do have my ’23 fishing license and my fishing poles are prepared for action as soon as the lakes are ice-free.
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