Molnau shows up Pawlenty again
BREEZY POINT - The state may want to consider changing the name of this season-opening event to the Lieutenant Governor's Fishing Opener.
As in the previous six years, Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau appeared on her way to winning the annual fishing contest with Gov.Tim Pawlenty Saturday in the Governor's Fishing Opener.
At 8:35 Saturday morning, Molnau landed a nice 19-inch walleye on the south side of Pelican Lake, just off Lincoln Point.
In the previous six years, Molnau and Pawlenty have had a friendly competition for first fish caught, longest fish and most fish caught on opening day. Molnau has been the unofficial winner each year and was well on her way again this year.
She held the fish high for photographers and no doubt the governor, who along with wife Mary, were fishing about 100 yards away. Both Pawlentys were yet to land a fish.
Bundled up in snowmobile suits and looking like determined anglers, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his wife Mary fished Saturday morning off Lincoln Point on Pelican Lake with guide Dan Eigen (center) in the Governor's Fishing Opener. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Molnau fished with guide Tom Whitehead of Brainerd and her daughter and grand-daughter. She caught the fish in 18 feet of water using a Northland Fire-Ball jig with a spottail minnow.
But on this morning, Molnau was the exception, at least on this part of the lake. Of the anglers on the dozen or so boats in the vicinity of the governor, only a few caught fish Saturday morning.
A DNR official aboard the agency's boat keeping close watch on the governor also said the going was slow.
But a light bite wasn't unexpected during this, the state's open-water fishing opener. Because of later-than-usual ice-out Pelican and other Brainerd area lakes and the walleye spawn, fish were expected to be lethargic.
All things considered, conditions were good Saturday morning on Pelican, with little or no wind, overcast skies and temperatures in the high 40s. But the dress was still more winter than spring.
Update: Governor Pawlenty, with First Lady Mary Pawlenty, caught a 17-inch walleye at 11:05 a.m. on Pelican Lake at the Governor's 60th Annual Fishing Opener.
"This is the start of summer," Pawlenty said at the short sendoff ceremony earlier Saturday. "So why am I sitting here in a snowmobile suit?"
While this year's late ice-out didn't hinder the opener on Pelican or other Brainerd area lakes, some waters to the north weren't expected to be as fortunate.
"I think if you go north of Leech Lake, bring your ice auger with you," tournament angler Gary "Mr. Walleye" Roach said just days before the opener.
That likely won't be necessary. But on the eve of the opener, ice still clung to Lake Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake as well as Lake Bemidji, Lake of the Woods, Lake Vermilion and Rainy Lake, although all had some open water. And some lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, such as Gunflint, were still covered in ice.
"Frozen lakes, particularly the bigger and deeper ones in the northern third of the state, remain a question," said Ron Payer, fisheries section chief for the DNR. "But spring weather should take care of lakes in the central and southern parts of the state."
Temperatures in the northern third of the state hovered between 40 and 50 degrees the week of the opener, according to the DNR. Fisheries managers expected some of the bigger and deeper lakes to retain at least some ice.
And if it's not the lakes, it's the lake accesses.
Most public boat accesses - including those in the Brainerd lakes area - were expected to be ready Saturday, but those on lakes with late ice-out were iffy.
"Ice is causing some major problems in the north," said Tim Browning, DNR trails and waterways regional manager. "Hundreds of concrete boat ramps have been buckled from ice movement over the winter and repairs are being hampered by the late ice-out."
The late ice-out also is delaying dock installation. According to Browning, strong winds could blow ice toward shore and damage docks.
BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.