White Bear Lake is also loaded with sunken islands and inside turns. These spots are best when the walleyes are well out of the spawn and into their early-summer patterns. If the walleyes are on the midlake structure, you can bet some of these fish will be big.

For more information, call Little Bear Bait at (651) 653-1326.

LAKE ALEXANDER
Morrison County
Just south of Motley there are three gorgeous lakes that make up the bulk of the quality fishing holes in Morrison County, which just goes to prove that quality can often offset quantity. Of the three lakes, Alexander is going to be a good bet on the opener.

Lake Alexander is not exceptionally deep overall but the water clarity is good and the lake has a reputation for fishing better at night when it comes to walleyes. Keep this in mind when planning your opening trip to this lake. Start early when it's still dark.

There's a lot of midlake structure on Alexander, and this will be productive if the walleyes have finished their post-spawn transition. If the water is still cold, don't rule out the bulrush beds or the shallow sand shoreline sandflats.

A live-bait rig is a great presentation on the midlake structure. On the shallow sand you can't beat a spinner on a 1/2-ounce bottom-bouncer. If you're going to attack the bulrushes, do it with a slip-bobber and a leech. This technique has been gaining popularity in a rapid fashion since anglers discovered how often the walleyes use this cover right after the spawn.

For more information, call Charlie Brown Bait at (218) 352-6112.

LAKE VERMILION
St. Louis County
Lake Vermilion is where I will be on opening day in 2005. That's where the Governor's Fishing Opener is this year. It's not a lake that I might choose to be on during the opening weekend, but I can tell you that Vermilion is a phenomenal walleye, bass and muskie lake from early June through October.

Since I will be fishing Vermilion on the opener -- and yes, I will be in the boat with Magnuson again -- we'll need to come up with some way to put some walleyes in the boat. Here's my plan.

Magnuson will want to get out on the water very early. He's always chomping on the bit to wet a line. I'll go along with this since I know that opening weekend on Vermilion will likely favor a night bite.

We'll be chasing the small males on the spawning flats. This means slowly backtrolling a live-bait rig and a leech on the sand in 8 to 10 feet looking for those 1 1/2-pounders that are spread out all over.

If we don't find walleyes there, then there are plenty of reefs, sunken islands, dropoffs and rockpiles where we can drag a spinner rig on a bottom-bouncer in 12 to 16 feet of water. And if it really gets tough I'll bet that Magnuson will be digging in his bag of goodies for some obscure lure setup that will miraculously produce bites when no one else can figure out the program. Didn't I mention earlier that it's not only a good idea to be on a lake that is loaded with walleyes, but it also pays to be with someone who has a great attitude and luck on their side.

For more information on Lake Vermilion, visit www.lakevermilion.com

The opener in Minnesota is as much about traditions as it is about catching fish. Big groups of anglers head to their cabins and fill resorts, and catching fish is secondary to the fun that is generated when a there's a big gathering of friends and family. The opener for many is the beginning of a long and hopefully productive season where not every outing will be fruitful in the catching sense. But it is the start of another period in Minnesota where we who live here realize why we love it so. Beautiful summer weather, bountiful lakes and rivers, and with some luck, the time to enjoy it all.