Otter Tail Country Tourism

We're getting antsy for the reopening of walleye fishing season in Minnesota - and the ice hasn't been off most lakes for very long!

We'd just like to put out a quick post letting you guys know when you can get back on the lake and start fishing again. A while back, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources decided to have the walleye opener two Saturdays before Memorial Day - which makes Minnesota's 2011 fishing opener Saturday, May 14.

We hope you get out there for opener, and we really hope the walleyes are hungry! Good luck, anglers!

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: fishing, fishing opener, Minnesota, opener 2011, walleyes

Well this Spring has been something else for those of us in Otter Tail Country. We've had tons of rain and unseasonably chilly weather, extending the wintry season a little longer than we'd have liked. There are always things to do in lake country, and luckily for us Spring isn't prime vacation time for most people.

The last couple days have been showing us that there is warmer weather in our future. Temperatures in the upper 40s to mid 60s are feeling like 75-80 lately, especially considering we're used to Winter jacket weather. It's amazing how much warmer 40 degrees feels in the Spring than it does in the Fall.

We're hoping that we'll be rewarded with a beautiful summer, ready for your lake resort vacation. It's the least mother nature could do for us considering we've been so patient with the chilly weather this Spring. Even if we aren't lucky enough to feel the warmth in the near future, we know the fish will still bite and relaxation will still be easy.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

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Labels: optimism, seasons, spring, vacation, weather

Most of us were taught to be very deliberate when we're fishing - get to "the spot", work it over, and if you aren't catching fish, just try harder.

Some pro fishing tournament anglers think more of us "weekend warriors" should try fishing like they do - fast and furious - in an effort to catch more fish.

An article we found at Wired2Fish.com isn't saying to drive around aimlessly, throwing your line in the water briefly and moving if you don't get an instant bite - you still have to be thorough. But if your'e in an area that isn't likely to hold fish, it doesn't matter how thorough you are. If you're going to slow down your fishing, do it after you've pulled a few fish into the boat.

Some of the best advice I found in the article:

"There is a philosophy in fishing called fish everything," Iaconelli said. "That just means when you get to a section of the lake, you hit everything in that section quickly to see if you can get a bite. Most of the time your first bite is not a fluke. It's that key piece of the puzzle that helps you see where all the other pieces fit. Maybe 10 percent of the time a bite is misleading, but 9 times out of 10 that first bite helps you figure out the fishing that day."

The article tells you the other key ingredients to fishing fast - including planning ahead, knowing what to look for as far as water temperature, and reading maps to save time.

See the full article and pictures of excited anglers with big bass at Wired2Fish.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: fishing, fishing tips, techniques

As Easter nears everyone is wondering what to make for Sunday dinner. Well I don’t have the entire menu but I do have an awesome recipe for carrot cake. Dessert is all anyone ever cares about right? Well maybe that’s just me.

This carrot cake was found at allrecipes.com and is pretty much to die for.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 ¼ cups of vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

½ cups butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots.
Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in
the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then
turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese,
confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth
and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

This is a recipe sure to please. But make sure the Easter Bunny doesn’t get his hands on it! He might eat it all before dessert comes around!

-Tiffany, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: dessert, easter, holiday, recipes

Let's say you enjoy a glass of wine now and then. Let's also say you like to catch largemouth bass in your spare time. What if you could use one of these hobbies to help the other?

Field and Stream has a nice tutorial on making a unique bass popper from a plastic wine cork. It seems fairly straightforward and low cost.

Here's the list of materials needed:
Plastic wine cork
6-inch wire spinner shaft
Small plastic beads
Large propeller blade
Rubber skirt
No. 8 treble hook
Lacquer paint
Stick-on eyes

All but the wine cork will be available at most tackle supply manufacturers' websites.

See full instructions at Field & Stream

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: DIY, fishing, lures, otter tail country

You can find us on social media - and we'd love to connect with you!

You can find fishing tips, weather updates, and see blog posts on our Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/OtterTailCountry.

We're also on Twitter, where we'd love to have a conversation with you in 140 characters or less - www.twitter.com/OtterTailCounty (notice it's County not Country - darn character limitations!)

Are you on a social network we should be checking out? Let us know if you have a YouTube channel or a fan page for your business - we'll check it out!

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: connections, social media, Social network

Mike Frisch, a Minnesota fishing guide, tournament fisherman, writer, and radio personality wrote a quick post about his best tips for early season crappie fishing with his daughter, and they sound solid.

Labels: crappie, crappies, fishing, fishing tips, otter tail country

I'm not sure how thick the ice is on most lakes in Otter Tail Country, and I'm sure there are still a few people walking out and ice fishing on them, but I'm not one of them.

Labels: activities, fishing, otter tail country, spring

Spring is a great time to decide on a Minnesota lake resort to spend some time at this Summer - and we think Otter Tail Country is a great place to start your search!

Labels: cabin, planning, resorts, summer, vacation

You can build your choice of either a full length or ice fishing rod at a class teaching you how to make your own pole.

Labels: classes, DIY, education, fishing, fishing rods, fishing tips

We're urging our readers to stay safe and be cautious during the flooding that occurs anywhere from Fargo, ND to central Minnesota.

Labels: flooding, spring, volunteerism, weather