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4608 Tower St.
Edina, MN 55424
(612) 440-7171
tcwalleyes@gmail.com
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Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited - Monthly Newsletter
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***May Club Meeting Cancelled***
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Hello club friends. Sadly, we had a little bad luck strike us all and we are canceling the meeting due to the unforeseen Coronavirus circumstances. We were hoping that we could squeeze Perry Good in to set us up for opening fishing but realized it is in all our best interests to cancel and re-schedule for next season. Thanks for understanding and we look forward to seeing you all at our summer events!
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New Words, New Season
Greetings Club friends! It’s already been over a month of the stay at home order and it feels like it’s been a lot longer. With our April meeting canceled and the continued uncertain times, it was a disappointment to have to cancel our May meeting as well. Keeping everyone safe is the best decision for all of us to continue to do for now.
During this time we have all gotten to know some new words or phrases like, social distancing, shelter in place, distance learning and Zoom meetings. Even though these are different times, we continue to meet as your TCWU Board. We have hosted Zoom meetings to stay connected and continue to plan for the future. Our annual meeting this past March marked our fourth anniversary as a club and in the spirit of “new words”, one of the topics we discussed was to refresh our Mission Statement to align with who we are as a club.
Connect. Educate. Give. These are the words that describe us as a club and how we will redesign and organize our website. With this concept in mind, Rusty has been busy making those changes, so be sure to check it out at
tcwalleyes.com
. Thanks for all your hard work Rusty it looks great!
May 9
th
is MN opener and begins a new fishing season. Although the governor has canceled his opener event, as of now the rest of us can still fish. As the weather continues to get nicer and we are excited for opening day, we brainstormed a list of things to consider helping make your opening day successful, which we featured as one of this month’s articles below.
As you know, we have scheduled our first club fishing outing for Lake Pepin on June 13
th
. Kail Lavigne and Dan Camp are really putting the work in to make it not only a successful fishing outing, but an educational river fishing experience as well. Look for additional details below. Thank you Kail and Dan for all your hard work!
We have also been working on our “new season” including next year’s speaker line up and just need to finalize the dates that work for each of them. We are certainly blessed to attract such amazing guest speakers. We thank you all for your support to help fund their expense through new memberships, membership renewals and fund raising at meetings. Our clubs success is in big part because of you!
In closing, I look forward to things getting back to normal and “old words” like fishing with a buddy and gathering with friends and family. I’m excited to get out on the open water and enjoying some fishing. When you get back to fishing, please send us any pictures you would like to share with the club; we would love to feature you in the newsletter. I hope everyone and their families continue to be safe and well. Take care of yourselves and remember to be kind to others.
Dale Meinders
President of Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited
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MN-FISH provides a strong voice for Minnesota anglers and fishing related businesses to the State Legislature and DNR regarding all things fishing.
They advocate, protect & restore aquatic fish & spawning habitat in lakes, rivers and streams
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For all the club members who haven’t registered with them, Check out their recent MN-Fish newsletter attached below. We do encourage all our club members to join our MN-Fish friends to help grow their strength in numbers.
Their main goal is to Create a stronger advocacy for all is for all of us who love to fish.
It is free to join and there are donation levels as well.
Thanks for considering!
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Fishing Tip’s for the Fishing Opener
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The Board members have been thinking about the fishing opener and how unpredictable everything is at this time. We feel that the Governor will eventually support state wide fishing and our friends at MN-Fish are voicing their support as well. They are petitioning the Governor, which bodes well for all of us.
With all the uncertainty we face, we put our discussions together to provide you some helpful tips and resources to keep you informed. We hope this will re-cap will help you prepare for and have a successful 2020 Minnesota fishing opener.
Below is a re-cap of our fishing opener discussions.
Here is what we know
You can go fishing
- Executive Order 20-33 allows people to be outdoors, and go fishing.
- Minnesota’s waters are open to fishing if you have a license.
- Normal seasons and regulations do apply.
The DNR is urging fishermen to:
- Stay close to home.
- Not congregate when outdoors.
- Follow social distancing guidelines set by the Minnesota Department of Health
Closures -
We know that the following are closed or may be partially closed
- Guided fishing is not allowed at this time
- Boundary Waters canoe area is closed, DNR will hopefully to re-open by May 4th?
- State campgrounds
- State managed boat landings may not have their dock’s out
- Certain Bait shops may not be considered essential. Make sure to call ahead. We feel that any bait shop that sell’s gas, grocery items, propane will be open as they will have an essential designation.
Preparation
and self-sufficiency will be more important than ever this year. You will have to work quickly as the opener is closing in, but by taking action on the following you can set yourself up for success.
To do's
- Get your license today, do not wait. This is one piece of equipment you must have to fish, so get this one task out of the way.
- Are your boat registrations and trailer tabs up to date? Boat registration can be accomplished online at the MNDNR website. Tabs however might have to be purchased at the DMV.
- Save, print and carry your payment receipts to use in case your tabs and boat license don't arrive in time.
Live Bait
We are not sure about bait availability and won’t know for a couple of weeks.
- Leeches are not active and thus can't be trapped.
- Minnow netting hasn’t begun, bait shops are uncertain what will be available.
- There is no way to know if all bait trapping companies will be up and running, which may lead to a shortage.
- Prepare for a shortage by making sure you have artificial baits as options.
- If you really want live bait we recommend you start checking with the bait shops a week prior to to the opener. Consider purchasing easy to keep minnows in advance.
- You can buy aerators cheap at the aquarium/pet shops, which will keep your bait oxygenated until opener. Maybe pick up some fish food as well.
Traveling
out of the metro? Now is the time to check in with the local chamber of commerce, visitor information centers and bait shops in those destination areas.
General questions to ask are:
- Is your community open to having us visit and fish in your area?
- What bait shops are open
- Are the boat landings open
- Is lodging available? Many folks may not be going fishing this fishing opener and there may be openings.
- Ask if the local resorts are open and do they have vacancy and restrictions
- Are the local motels and other lodging open
- Are there any restaurants open and or offering curbside pickup?
- Will the Campground’s be open, best to reserve a spot now if possible?
We have all been tested by unusual circumstances, remember that all of us benefit by treating our local out state fishing friends with kindness, respect, and courtesy.
Preventive Maintenance
Take extra care inspecting your equipment, boats, trailers and your vehicle. This is one year that you will want to avoid a breakdown.
- Check tires for wear, cracks, tire pressure, lights, winch straps, safety chains and bearings.
- Make sure you bring all the tools needed to make the simple fixes; Tire changing equipment, tire repair kits quickly fix punctures, bearing kits, jack stands, spare tires.
- Spray down your lug nuts with a penetrating oil make sure you can crack them off, too often they are cranked on to tightly by the tire shop.
- Charge your battery’s and load test them for quality.
What is open?
- State parks. Bathrooms, vault toilets and shower buildings currently open will remain open. Other facilities are closed (see below).
- Public land. Wildlife management areas, state forests, and Scientific and Natural Areas are open for recreation. Campgrounds are closed.
- Public water accesses. Most state-managed public accesses are open, though the availability of amenities, such as docks, are contingent upon seasonal maintenance.
What else is closed?
The following DNR-managed facilities:
- Campgrounds, group camps, remote and dispersed camping on all DNR-managed lands.
- Camper cabins
- Yurts
- Overnight lodging facilities
- Group centers, trail centers and other ancillary buildings
- Visitor centers
- State park contact stations
- Grand Portage State Park
How can I do business with the DNR during the Stay At Home order?
The DNR urges the public to use the following to do business with the DNR:
State parks information
Minnesota’s state parks remain open and still require a vehicle permit. With contact stations closed, visitors can purchase permits through self-pay and information kiosks located at each facility. Visitors are encouraged to
purchase daily and annual passes online
before leaving home.
Re-cap and Tips for success
- Be careful, safe and be squeaky clean when it comes to following the regulations. There seems to be a lot of Police and Sheriffs on the road. Make sure to be responsible on the beverage intake as well.
- Prepare for and perform preventative maintenance to eliminate vehicle and trailer breakdowns.
- Many folks may not be going fishing on opener, there may be open lodging.
- People are a little edgy due to containment and other factors. Be helpful, courteous and help create a positive outcomes for all. Make someone’s day by sharing where the fish are biting. We can all use a nice fish picture to share.
- Check the MNDNR Website frequently for updates
- Join fishing social media sites such as Target Walleye, MNDNR or other sites found on Facebook for current real-time information.
Let’s all hope we can have a fun, traditional, and somewhat normally fishing opener.
Best of luck to all!
TCWU Board Members
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Summer Club Outing Saturday, June 13
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Twin city walleyes unlimited June outing is quickly approaching, Saturday June 13
th, 2020 at 7:00 am, mark your calendars!
We all get together one night a month to talk about fishing and learn about fishing, after unfortunately having to cancel the April and May meetings let’s meet up and put that knowledge to work.
We are very fortunate to have so many lakes and rivers with great fishing in the state and metro area its hard to choose from. After discussing with other board members, Dan Camp and Kail Lavigne have decided on two lakes that will provide a fun day on the water and put a few fish in the boat.
The spring outing on Lake Pepin and the summer-fall outing on lake Mille Lacs (information coming later this summer).
Once again, the coveted Twin Cities Walleye Unlimited Trophy will be passed to the newly crowned walleye champion!
Can the current TCWU Trophy Holder Doc Wood be up seeded?
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Doc Wood hoists the coveted TW-CUP at the Cedar Lake summer outing. The challenge is on to unseat the Champ at Lake Pepin in June
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Sign up information - please let us know:
- if you plan to attend let us know how many fishing buddy’s you are bringing. Son's daughter's grandchildren and their friends are all welcome.
- Are bringing a boat and if you have room for another club member if needed?
- If you don’t have a boat, let us know so we can try to partner you up with someone.
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Fun Facts
- Lake Pepin is the birth place of water skiing, lake city native Ralph Samuelson invented the sport in 1922
- At 21 miles long and roughly 25.000 acres in size, Lake Pepin has 100-plus miles of shoreline, the average depth is 21 feet and the max depth is 60 feet, punctuated by fish-holding points, rip-rap and steep break lines. Moreover, the lake’s diverse and abundant forage base, consisting of various minnows, shiners, chubs, shad, crustaceans and insects, supports a variety of panfish, predators and bottom-dwellers. Don’t forget about the smallmouth fishing!
- Both the 2013 and 2014 year classes of Walleye are near the third quartile for the Large Lake Program history (1986-present) and therefore borderline "strong" year classes, and the 2015 year class is above the third quartile and considered "strong".
- The 2015 Walleye year class was the first standout year class since 2009, and the 2013-2015 year classes represent the only time in the 60 year history of recorded year classes that three strong or nearly strong year classes have been strung together
- There is one bait shop: US Gas, 1609 N Lakeshore Dr, Lake City, MN 55041
- Walleye and Sauger limit is combined to a limit of 4.
- 15 inch minimum size for walleye and only one walleye or sauger over 20 inches. 0’
- Minnesota or Wisconsin License required to legally fish
- Page 7 of the Minnesota regulations book highlights changes for 2020 throughout the state.
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Event details
Date: Saturday June 13
Time and Schedule
- 7:00 am – Arrive at the landing, feel free to come early.
- 7:15-7:30 am - Fishing strategy breakfast meeting, TCWU will provide Breakfast snacks.
- 12:00 pm – lunch provided by the club, feel free to bring a favorite side dish.
- 1:00 pm back out fishing
Gathering Location - Roschen Park
Lake Pepin
Hwy 61
Lake City, Minnesota
Located on the South end of town
- Latitude 44° 26' 24.9" north
- Longitude 92° 15' 23.7" west
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Roschen Park amenities include:
- Free public boat launch
- Fish cleaning station
- Public restrooms
- South end access to river
Directions from Minneapolis St. Paul
- Take 494 east to 52 south
- Take MN - 50 east to Hwy 61 south
- Take Hwy 61 to Roschen Park
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Fishing links and videos on Lake Pepin
NORTHLAND TACKLE
IN-DEPTH OUTDOORS
NATIONAL WALLEYE TOUR 2015
Dan Camp and Kail Lavigne
TCWU Board Members
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Board Member Spotlight
Luther Overholt, Vice President
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Vice President Luther Overholt answers a few of our questions and shares some fun insights.
When did you join TCWU?
I’ve been a member since December 2017 and recently joined the board as Vice President in March 2020.
Where do you live and with whom?
I live in Edina with my fiance Isabelle.
What are your favorite things to do?
Fishing (of course), I'm especially fond of the evening bite with a beautiful sunset in the background.
Do you have a favorite fishing tradition?
Any time I can get back to Pelican lake and relive all of those awesome childhood memories. My Grandparents had a cabin up at Breezy Point and I loved fishing with them. I remember that fishing dock seemed like it was a mile long. I would fish up and down it all day when we weren't in the boat. I loved Grandpa's "Fishin Buddy" hat and I would always wear when ever I could.
What is your favorite thing about TCWU?
I really enjoy learning from all of the great speakers we host and the sharing of their story and experience. Their back stories are intriguing and their fish catching tips are awesome!
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Support Better Walleye Fishing
Buy a Minnesota Walleye Stamp
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We received this release from our club friends at MN-FISH - Steve Pennaz
Dated April 22, 2020.
It provides a good informative message about Walleye Stamps, and what they support. Please take a read and consider a purchase to help continue a strong walleye population in all our walleye lakes. Also check out the DNR news release, which follows for more details on 2020 walleye stocking.
Support Better Walleye Fishing - Buy a Minnesota Walleye Stamp
With fishing opener just weeks away, now is the time to buy a Walleye Stamp or two and support better walleye fishing in Minnesota.
The $5 Walleye Stamp is not required to fish or keep walleye in Minnesota. However, it raises money to supplement the state’s walleye stocking efforts, and that’s especially important this year.
On April 14, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced it canceled its 2020 egg taking operations for walleye and other species due to COVID-19 and established social distancing guidelines.
The result: fish stocking efforts in the state will be greatly reduced this year.
Stocking helps the state maintain fish populations over time, particularly with species like walleye that are generally harvested by anglers.
Monies raised through Walleye Stamp sales are used by the DNR to purchase young walleye from private fish farms for stocking in state waters.
Last year, Walleye Stamp sales raised less than $90,000. The DNR spent an additional $800,000 to purchase private stock to supplement their own supply of walleye.
“Purchasing a Walleye Stamp this year will help maintain walleye numbers in high priority lakes at a time when that help is needed,” said MN-FISH Sportfishing Foundation president Ron Schara. “It also offers anglers a
chance to go beyond simply buying a fishing license to improve their own luck.”
The Minnesota Walleye Stamp endorsement is available year-round from the DNR website and outlets across the state that sell Minnesota fishing licenses. Ordering one when you purchase your fishing license is easy.
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2020 egg take operations suspended. Canceled due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols
April 14, 2020
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources canceled its 2020 egg take operations for walleye, northern pike, muskellunge and steelhead.
The work cannot be done safely under COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.
Collecting eggs and sperm from spawning fish in the wild is a labor intensive effort that requires teams of 6-8 people working in close proximity. After a careful examination of whether the egg take process could be re-engineered, the DNR determined that is was not possible to safely handle fish during the egg take and practice appropriate social distancing to protect staff from COVID-19.
While this stocking is important to maintain fish populations and angling opportunities over time, missing one year will not cause long-term harm to the fish population of any water body.
Canceling egg take activities means walleye eggs and fry will not be available for the DNR’s cooperative fish management programs with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and White Earth Nation.
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In addition, the DNR will not be able to fulfill requests from private sector hatcheries to purchase eggs and fry in 2020.
Since hatchery rearing ponds will not be in use, the DNR will lower the water levels in many of these ponds to improve long-term productivity and future fish-rearing capacity. Other hatchery repairs, such as dike and pond improvements, also can be done when water levels drop.
Because this winter was relatively mild in southern Minnesota, there should be good numbers of walleye in natural rearing ponds that were not harvested last fall. Those fish will help replace some fingerlings for the 2020 season.
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MN DNR COVID-19 Response
Will Governor Walz lift the Stay-at-Home Executive Order? We all hope so, well as long as its safe.
Can I still go outside?
Executive Order 20-20 allows people to be outdoors, engaging in activities such as walking, running, and fishing and hunting. Minnesotans can continue to enjoy parks and other public recreation lands. We urge outdoor enthusiasts to:
What is open?
- Minnesota’s waters: you can fish if you have a license. Normal seasons and fishing regulations apply.
- Public water accesses: state-managed public accesses are open, though the availability of amenities, such as docks, are contingent upon seasonal maintenance.
- State parks: bathrooms, vault toilets and shower buildings currently open will remain open.
What is closed?
The following DNR-managed facilities:
- Campgrounds, group camps, and remote campsites at all state parks, state forests, and state recreation areas.
- Camper cabins
- Yurts
- Overnight lodging facilities
- Group centers, trail centers and other ancillary buildings
- Visitor centers
- State park contact stations
How can I do business with the DNR during the Stay-At-Home order?
We urge the public to use the following to do business with the DNR:
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DNR issues new open water regulations to
protect Lake Mille Lacs walleye
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Walleye angling on Mille Lacs Lake will be catch-and-release only for this year’s open water season, with the exception of the month of July, when walleye fishing will be closed.
Additionally, you are not allowed to use live bait for any species in July, except sucker minnows greater than 8 inches in length for targeting northern pike and muskellunge.
The new walleye rule is among several regulations changes this year. Bass and northern pike also have new regulations.
During the July live bait ban, anglers targeting northern pike & muskellunge can use sucker minnows greater than 8 inches in length.
New regulations to maintain and improve fishing for bass and northern pike include:
Immediate release of all smallmouth and largemouth bass greater than 17 inches during the harvest season that begins Saturday, May 23.
Limit of largemouth and smallmouth bass reduced to three.
Release all northern pike greater than 30 inches.
Limit of three northern pike from Saturday May 9, through Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
More information about fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, is available on the
DNR website.
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2020 fishing regulation changes for Mississippi River border waters
Anglers will find a variety of changes in the 2020 Minnesota fishing regulations booklet, including new possession and length limits on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters of the Mississippi River.
This is the first comprehensive update of regulations on the Mississippi River border waters in nearly 70 years.
The new regulations for the Mississippi River border waters and Lake Pepin include lower possession limits, and changes to some length limits, for walleye and sauger, northern pike, shovel nose sturgeon, crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, catfish, white and yellow bass.
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The new border waters possession and length limits for most game fish species went into effect March 1, 2020.
The changes are proactive measures that will help both states manage the effects that changing river conditions, invasive species and increased angling effectiveness have on fish.
Wisconsin has approved identical regulations that will go into effect April 1, 2020. Some examples include:
Walleye & sauger limit has decreased from 6 to 4.
Crappie, sunfish, and yellow perch limit has decreased from 25 to 15 each.The White & yellow bass limit has decreased from 25 to 10.
Page 7 of the Minnesota
regulations book
highlights changes for 2020 throughout the state.
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Special Thanks TROPHY Level Sponsors
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Thank You LUNKER Sponsors!
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MN-FISH
“Leading the Way to Minnesota’s Fishing Future”
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Did you know there is a
Take a Kid Fishing weekend, and its FREE!
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Minnesotans 16 or older!
who take a child fishing who is 15 years or younger do not need a fishing license of any kind on this special weekend.
Click on the Take A Kid Fishing logo for more information and helpful tips.
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Thank You KEEPER Sponsors!
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Thank you VALUED Club Donors
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TC Walleyes Unlimited, Inc.
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