By Steve Weisman

The 144th walleye fishing season officially opens May 2 on Big Spirit, East and West Okoboji lakes. However, it will not be with the excitement of the annual Walleye Weekend Tournament. On Monday, April 20, Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Blain Andera announced the decision to cancel the yearly tournament. In an interview with KUOO’s Steve Schwaller, Andera said, “It was a really, really hard decision and not one that we took lightly. We had originally set April 15th as the date that we were going to make a decision and you know, the board met at that time and we put it off until today and you know we’ve had a lot of conversations with the DNR and our local bait shops and the sponsors and the board of directors and again just feel like this is the right thing to do right now and in the interest of public safety for our communities.” Any people who have preregistered for the Walleye Weekend Tournament will have their money refunded.

At the same time, the extended contest will still be on and will run from Monday, May 4 until Monday August 3. A total of 10 tagged walleye will be released into the chain of the Iowa Great Lakes. The first three tagged walleye caught during the contest will receive a percentage of the entry fees: the first will receive 20 percent, the second will receive 15 percent and the third will receive 10 percent. Over the past two years, one tagged walleye was caught in 2019 and three were caught in 2018.

Along with the tournament changes, the social get-togethers, seminars and banquets have been cancelled. Bait shops will not be the usual hotbed of activity. No, COVID-19 certainly has changed all of that for this year.

Still the walleye opener goes on

Yes, the walleye season will still open on Big Spirit, East Okoboji and West Okoboji at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, May 2. However, with the COVID-19 virus, it will definitely be different than normal. Anglers can still enjoy fishing the opener, but officials are urging anglers to continue to be careful and responsible, to follow the social distancing protocols. Don’t just assume that everything is safe. Even though the numbers of people will be fewer than in other years, there will still be people coming from many different areas. Remember, you can’t see the virus or if someone has the virus or is a carrier of the virus.

This is usually a time of big get-togethers at people’s lake homes/cabins, but they should be avoided this year. Aside from immediate family, people are reminded to keep groups to fewer than 10 people.

One of the areas of concern will be the boat ramps. Under usual conditions, the ramps are crowded for the opener. Avoid physical contact with solid areas where others might have touched (railings on docks). Either use hand sanitizer or disposable plastic gloves to avoid skin touching those surfaces. Anglers are encouraged to keep their distance – at least six feet of separation. Avoid popular areas where people may congregate.

Don’t forget to wash hands regularly with hot water and soap.

If you happen to be fishing from shore at, say, the Grade, Templar Boat Ramp and the Sandbar Bridge on Big Spirit, any of the bridge areas where there is current, the Trestle or Triboji, remember to keep your distance. I have avoided fishing some of these areas myself when there are too many people fishing too close together.

Bait shops

First off, all bait shops are doing their best to prepare for opener so that they can offer their fishing customers the best service, while at the same time, providing the best in protection for both customers and employees alike.

Here is an update from Travis Harmon at Stan’s Bait and Tackle (712) 338-2586, Jake Jostand at the Hook Up at Oakhill Outdoor (712)332-2791and Tanya Johnson at Kabele’s Trading Post (712) 336-1512. All three locations are set up so that customers can call ahead with their order, tell when they will be there, and their order will be delivered to their vehicle. Even though these are unprecedented times, all three bait shops are looking forward to welcoming anglers to the 2020 walleye opener.

In other years, the bait shops were always a place to hang around, talk with other anglers, do a little shopping, look for reports coming off the lake. That won’t be the case this year. It’s about being safe, keeping a social distance and heading out.

At Stan’s Bait and Tackle, Harmon has set up the shop so there is a see-through barrier to protect the employee behind the counter and the customer. The counter is stainless steel so it can be easily wiped off. The debit/credit card machine has a clear cover that makes for easy  wipe down and sanitizing. Harmon adds that a debit/credit card is preferred. Handling cash means the possibility of previous hands having touched it. There is also a bait machine outside of the baitshop. The baitshop will open each morning at 7:30 a.m. and will stay open until 7:30 or 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday evening and 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Harmon notes that he will stay open later if there are customers still arriving.

At the Hook Up, Jostand says extra steps are being taken to make sure things are safe for both customers and employees. Jostand says, “We have hand sanitizer at the door and at every work station, along with sneeze guards at our register areas. Our employees are all wearing fishing masks, and we are working with keeping social distancing.”  The Hook Up does have an inventory of fishing masks for purchase. Depending on the number of people that arrive at one time, the Hook Up might limit the number of customers entering the building at one time. Hours for the opening weekend will be 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

At Kabele’s Trading Post, Johnson notes several modifications will be in place for the walleye opener. “We pay special attention to high touch surfaces (counters, cooler doors, door handles, freezers, bathrooms, touch screens, cash registers, pens) and are diligently cleaning and sanitizing after each customer with Microban Sanitizer and Clorox Bleach Cleaners. We have hand sanitizers available for customers and employees. Employees also wash hands after each customer and have the option to wear a mask.” Fish cleaning will be available with employees wearing gloves handling fish, but customers will not be able to stand and watch fish cleaners in order to maintain social distancing. In addition, there will be a separate kiosk for fishing licenses, two cash registers open with the option of a third. Kabele’s also has a live bait machine available during and after business hours.

Hours for walleye opener will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Keep your distance, stay safe and have fun

In this crazy time of COVID-19, the bait shop owners and employees are working their hardest to help anglers enjoy fishing while at the same time offering as safe an environment as possible. Take care this weekend, be safe and respect your fellow anglers and give them the courtesy of social distancing.