Gov. Walz kicks off Minnesota Fishing Opener early Saturday morning

OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. (KVRR) — Anglers set out on Otter Tail Lake Saturday morning to kick off the Governor’s Fishing Opener.

Gov. Tim Walz kicked off the fishing opener early Saturday morning at Otter Tail Lake. He reportedly caught a perch. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the official opener ceremony.

“He was called away to the capital amidst the legislative negotiations, but I did want to say on his behalf he was here yesterday. He enjoyed the media row activity. He enjoyed visiting a lot of local businesses,” Minnesota DNR Commissioner, Sarah Strommen said.

The Ribbon is cut for the 73rd tradition of the Governor’s fishing opener. Now, everyone is able to enjoy the chance to fish after last year’s event being canceled due to COVID.

“They had to start this planning to put in a bid almost three years ago. Last year, I was very disappointed the event wasn’t held, but we’re here now. There’s a new sense of enthusiasm right now. This event is special to me because we’ve been dealing with the pandemic. Now we get a chance to get out. Not only is the sun rising behind me, but the sun is rising in our industry,” Explore Minnesota Tourism Executive Director, John Edman said.

Minnesota has a total of 4500 fishable lakes. Reportedly, the Twin Cities collect over two billion dollars in angler retail sales. Fergus Falls Rep. Jordan Rasmusson says this event is a great opportunity to support local businesses.

“Especially for those businesses, restaurants, big shops, and resorts, this is I think is going to be a catalyst to kick off a really good summer season for them and so we’re excited to see what this event brings and to get people from across the state up here to Otter Tail County,” Rasmusson said.

During the event, a new campaign was announced called My Minnesota Outdoor Adventure. It’s an opportunity for diverse Minnesotans to share stories about the outdoors. You can find more information here.