It looks as if we may be paying for our nice winter weather with a chance of some snow towards the end of March. As a true Minnesotan, I believe in Karma and that we usually have to pay for anything good that happens in reference to the weather. One thing about Minnesotans, if we can’t think about anything else to say, we can always talk about the weather. Speaking about weather is a craft that Minnesotans have honed over many years of practice. Winter weather may sound like this: “it sure is cold.” “I see that it is snowing.” How much snow did you get last night? Spring: I see some farmers are in the field. We could sure use some rain. Summer: “It sure is dry. We could use some more rain. How much rain did you get?” “It is not the heat that gets to me, but the humidity.” Fall: I see that the farmers are busy picking beans. Corn is almost ready. I could go on indefinitely, but I’ll stop there.
My grandson, Trevor, has made good use of this mild winter by making a few visits to the Mississippi River fishing for walleye and sauger. I thought that I was the one in the family that loved to fish, but he puts me to shame. Maybe it has something to do with my age and wanting to stay warm rather than enduring the cold and sticking my hands in a cold minnow bucket. I have done plenty of that over the years and now I guess I tend to baby myself somewhat when it comes to certain things.
In looking back, I can remember the times when my hands were so cold that I had trouble putting a minnow on the hook. I would hold the minnow, look at my hand and wonder why my hand wasn’t doing a thing. That was when it would slip out of my grip and end up flopping around on the floor of the boat. That would make the challenge even greater, I would now have to try and pick the minnow up off of the floor of the boat with fingers that I couldn’t get to do anything. If I lost a jig to a hungry pike or a snag, it would take what seemed like an eternity to attach another jig to my line. A few times, in haste, I would shakily tie a jig on only to cut the wrong part of the line. When your fingers are numb, cold and shaking it is not a good time to hone your skills in jig tying.
Last year at the fishing opener we fished on a small lake near the city of Madison Lake. The fish were few and far between, and it rained nonstop. Fortunately, the temperatures were not too bad, so it kind of made up for the rain. Luckily, we did have some good conversation between myself, Jeff Anderson from Watertown, SD and Erik Ostrum from Ottertail County, which made up for the lack of fishing action.
I have not officially been told where the Governor’s Opener is being held this year, but I have heard it is to be held in Lake City. The last time it was held on the river was for the 50th Anniversary of the event which was held in Red Wing. If I get to attend this year’s event, it will be my 29th Governor’s Fishing Opener.
Until next time: l am looking forward to doing some spring crappie fishing. Hopefully, my grandson Trevor reads this and gets the hint. He reminds me of my much younger self, in that he likes to fish for all species of fish. Trevor has caught Sturgeon and Lake Trout, which I have never caught. I caught an Alligator Gar as a kid while fishing with my Uncle Ben on the Mississippi River at Wabasha.
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