Outdoors

The warmer weather means the outdoor ice rink is no longer the center of activity at Kerry Park.
With the mountains of plowed snow nearly melted off the parking lot, youth now defy gravity at the skateboard park, as young adults begin to fill the softball field and the elders line both sides of the horseshoe pit.
Tim Grinsell, organizer of the horseshoes at Kerry Park, emphasizes that everyone is welcome to join in the pick-up matches at the city built park. No experience is necessary and there are plenty of seasoned players to teach the fundamentals during play.

Northwoods Y held its Ninth Annual Rainy River Sturgeon Derby on May 3, where, despite the cold temperatures, several anglers started at noon and stayed on Rainy Lake until the event ended at 4 p.m.
The competition was pretty impressive, with less thanan inch separating the first and second place sturgeons.
First place went to Elroy Jesmy, who landed a 62.5 inch sturgeon.
Jesmy’s was just a quarter inch larger than the 61.25 inch caught by Madison Foss, who had to reel in the large fish on her own to comply with contest rules.

Sailing season begins; lessons start in June
While there may some ice on the lakes, the Rendezvous Yacht Club kicked off its season with the annual spring BBQ recently and already has plans for a busy summer.
A few sailors will brave the cold this weekend on the Spring Cruise and the first race is scheduled for Wednesday.
For those who have watched from a distance but always wanted to try the sport, the club will once again be offering a special opportunity to learn to sail: the New Crew Program.

By Outdoor News

LAKE MILLE LACS
East — The best walleye bite is taking place on the rocks in six feet or less with minnows. The Grassy Island area, Hawkbill Point, and Big Point have produced the most fish during the day and evening hours. Minnows and leeches also have turned walleyes on the north-end sand breaks.

Cold rain on Saturday’s walleye fishing opener appeared to keep many people off Borderland water.
But Sunday’s sunshine seemed to do the trick as more people ventured out to the open bays of Rainy Lake and Rainy River.
On Saturday, parking lots at landings along Rainy Lake were nearly empty with just a few trucks and trailers.
Bruce Sandbeck of the Loon’s Nest said he heard that fishing was really good on Rainy River and that people fishing off shore were doing pretty good.

Due to the late and slowly evolving ice out conditions within the park, installation of rock hazard and navigational buoys has been delayed.
Voyageurs National Park staff will attempt to begin limited placement of rock and hazard markers this week in those areas within the park that are free of ice on Kabetogama and Rainy lakes. Complete installation of all buoys is expected to take up to two weeks or until the lakes are free of shifting ice.

Some lakes ice free for fishing opener
Kabetogama Lake is expected to be ice-free for the Saturday walleye season opener.
Mike Williams, of Voyageurs National Park, said he hopes to get the buoys in Kabetogama today.
Crane Lake is also free of ice, according to Williams.
The deep Namakan and Rainy lakes are still socked in by ice and are not expected to clear of ice in the middle of the lake for the fishing opener, Williams said.
However, he noted, Black Bay on Rainy Lake is open and Williams expects it to be busy with anglers this weekend.

Changes in fishing rules, correction

Studies intended to gather information about beaver have found that beaver travel great distances.
Voyageurs National Park staff have live-trapped and marked with metal ear tags more than 288 beaver since September 2006 as part of a multifaceted beaver research program in the park, according to Steve Windels, VNP biologist.
Area trappers have aided in the program by reporting information about the beaver and where they were harvested to the park.

RYC prepares for first race
Rendezvous Yacht Club is preparing for its first Wednesday Night Race of the season .
The race is planned for May 21.
For hearty sailors, a Spring Cruise will be conducted May 16-19.

World record
ATV parade planned
The All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota will attempt to break a Guinnes World Record for the world’s longest ATV Parade June 14.
The event will be held near Silver Bay.

Rainy Lake remains socked in by ice, but there is open water in Borderland for the Minnesota walleye opener Saturday.
As of Tuesday, Sand Bay, Black Bay and Jackfish Bay on Rainy Lake were open, according to Jeff Eibler, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Office in International Falls.
“The die hards that have to get out on opener will have places to fish on the lake,” he said.
Eibler recalled the long-lasting winter of 1996 when people were ice fishing on the opener. “While it’s novel, I wouldn’t want to make it a habit,” he said laughing.