We are back, and it feels so good! Leech Lake and the surrounding area are once again bustling with activity. The air is full with familiar sounds – the soft crackle of a campfire, the rumble of a Mercury outboard firing up in the harbor, and the laughs of guests relaxing on the decks. Spring and the Walleye fishing opener is always a great time of year. Watching cabins that have sat empty for upwards of six months come back to life with lights and activity is very comforting. This winter, seemingly like every year before us, flew by in a blink of an eye, albeit a little different than years past. Our previous two winters we spent more time plowing and shoveling snow than anything else. This year, we plowed snow once and that was in March. Winter business was a little lighter than usual for us. With zero snow and above-average temperatures, it was hard to get out on the trails or the lake.
We were met with beautiful weather and conditions for the Walleye Fishing Opener, 2024. Familiar faces flooded into the resort and put us at near capacity. Our harbor went from empty to overflowing over the course of a few hours.
Pictured below from L to R: The Hanson/Schneider party from Bemidji and Minneapolis showcasing spring Black Crappie and wonderful night trolled Walleye.
Anglers ventured out in droves, hitting weed edges, rock piles, brake lines, and sandbars. Walleye were plentiful and willing to bite. Shiner minnows were the bait of choice tipped on a leadhead jig. Leeches tied to slip bobber rigs, which are gaining massive popularity, were a close second. With the clarity of the lake and temperatures rising quickly, some anglers have already started pulling crankbaits on reefs. This technique is paying huge dividends to those willing to fish at night.
Pictured below from L to R: Joe and Luke Schmidt from Shakopee, MN and Jan Beniak of Eden Prairie, MN – Russ Havlik from Cedar Rapids, IA – Loren and Dan Becker from Shellsburg, IA – Mike Burnside from Cedar Rapids, IA
The upcoming Memorial Weekend is one of our busiest of the year. Fishing is historically some of the best of the year. All species of fish litter our tank and our dock staff spends many hours per day cleaning our guest’s fish, free of charge by the way! Our outdoor pool also starts its season this coming weekend and our Annual Memorial Weekend Get-Together Potluck is scheduled for Sunday the 26th!
We are as excited as ever for this season, we cannot wait to see all of our old friends and all the new friendships to be made. We appreciate every single one of you, we could not be here without your continued support and patronage.
Featured image up top is of Mike Kreutzfeldt and Ryan Heroff of Stillwater, MN
Thanks for reading
Come see us at Big Rock Resort
Ray@bigrockresort.com
(800)827-7106
Ray
