By Steve Weisman
What a roller coaster ride the year 2020 was. COVID-19 totally changed how we do things. So many things were put on hold, and for many families, it became months of masks, social distancing and isolation to protect older members of the family. Now, we sit at a point where vaccines are available to adults. I so hope in 2021 that we can finally put this pandemic behind us.
One thing that I noticed during the past year is how much people have turned to the outdoors. More people have turned to gardening, backyard bird feeding, taking walks, riding bikes and going to the lakes. They’ve found a safe haven in these outdoor activities, and my hope is that we continue to embrace the wonderful outdoors that we have. I hope that as we get back to “normal” that we don’t throw it away and go back to a more sedentary lifestyle.
Being an outdoorsman, I am especially encouraged by the increase in fishing and hunting license sales. In 2020, a total of 439,760 fishing licenses were sold, which is 82,219 more than in 2019. As a matter of fact, it’s over 37,000 more than the previous high of 2016. A total of 55,496 trout stamps were sold, significantly more than the previous high in 2017.
It’s common knowledge that hunting license numbers have been dropping for years. However, in 2020, there was an increase of over 10,000 compared to 2019. All areas of hunting displayed significant increases.
These increases mean more dollars can go back to investing in our game, fish and parks budgets. The more we pay, the more we will receive. One of the things I really enjoyed was watching the families out enjoying our wonderful resources.
Walleye Opener
It is quickly approaching, and the enthusiasm I see for the 2021 Iowa Great Lakes Area Walleye Weekend tournament is outstanding. This will be the 39th annual tournament, and I think we’re going to see a lot of anglers enjoying our area lakes.
Ten walleyes are tagged and released into the chain of Iowa Great Lakes with the contest starting at midnight on Saturday, May 1 with the chance of catching one of 10 tagged walleye worth $39,000! The weekend’s tournament ends at 11:59 a.m. on Sunday, May 2. Anglers can also sign up for the extended contest giving them a chance to catch one of the remaining tagged walleyes from 12:00 p.m. Sunday, May 2 to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31.
All contestants, regardless of age, must register and have paid their entry fee prior to the beginning of the contest. Cost for contestants aged 15 years and younger is $15, while the cost for contestants aged 16 years and older is $25. Anglers can make checks payable to the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce or register online at www.okobojichamber.com.
Additional prizes include Heaviest Stringer of (3) walleye (Under 17 Inches); heaviest northern pike; heaviest stringer (5) panfish (perch, crappie, bluegill, yellow bass); bullheads heaviest stringer (10). Official weigh stations include Kabele’s Trading Post, Oak Hill Outdoor/The Hook Up and Stan’s Bait and Tackle.
Funds raised for the tournament will go to the lake protective associations: Okoboji Protective Association, Spirit Lake Protective Association, East Okoboji Lakes Improvement Corporation and the Center Lake Protective and Improvement Association.
A Happening
That’s what I consider the Opener. It’s a happening. It’s a time where anglers young and old congregate! People travel great distances to make it “home” for the Opener. When things commence at midnight, the lakes come alive with boat lights and dock lights. A group of us have gotten together at a friend’s lake cabin on the east side of Big Spirit for over 20 years. However, we’re all at least 70 years old now, so we sit around Friday evening, make plans for Saturday, and then around 10:30 or so, we head to bed.
Saturday becomes a full day of fishing, a relaxed meal at the cabin and then as the sun sets, we head out on the dock for a night of fishing with lighted slip bobbers. Hopefully, if it’s a relatively mild and calm evening, it’s cool to just look out over the lake and see all of the dock lights and boat navigation lights.
I am sure all of you have your own stories of the Opener and the memories you have made over the years. Let’s have a fun and safe Opener on the way to making more memories.
Fishing Forecast
Mother Nature is the driving force when it comes to a fishing forecast. In a recent interview, DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins noted, “Walleye populations on the Iowa Great Lakes are in great shape. If the weather cooperates, anglers should have some good success.”
This past Sunday’s morning snowfall is a reminder that just because it’s the last weekend in April, cold temperatures and moisture can lead to some pretty heavy snow. Weather for the Opener looks to be upper 70s during the day with partly to mostly cloudy skies. It won’t be calm with winds 10-20 mph out of the southwest. On Friday night, look for lows to be in the upper 40s. Much better than last Sunday morning’s snowfall!
Hawkins continued, “Several strong year classes of walleye are present. Spirit Lake has very good numbers of walleyes around 14-inches in addition to continued good numbers of larger fish.”
At this point, I can definitely say that our Iowa Great Lakes have very sound fisheries. Walleye, northern pike, musky, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, yellow bass, bullhead and catfish can be found in excellent numbers. That’s what makes the Iowa Great Lakes Area Walleye Weekend tournament such a fantastic weekend.
