"Go crappie fishing," said Leigh Reiner, manager of the Crosslake Holiday store, which sells bait. "I think it's going to be very tough to catch a walleye."

Others were a bit more optimistic.

"This will be one of the best fishing openers we've had in a while," said Bruce Lovald, owner of Hot Spot Bait and Tackle in Nisswa. "They won't get many big ones, but they will get smaller males."

Walleyes will be feeding heavily, and already are biting on crappie jigs at the Bar Harbor bridge in Lake Shore, Lovald said.

Look for areas of the lake where it warms up quickly, like the flats in the north end, and fish shallow, Lovald and others said.

"I would say, obviously, with the ice just going out, the bait fish are going to be seeking the warmest water, which will more than likely be on the north portion of the lake and up in shallow water," said Dan Eigen, better known as Walleyedan of Walleyedan's Guide Service in Nisswa.

"I would say male walleye should be up shallow and hungry, anywhere from, say, four to 14 feet of water."

Eigen will host Gov. Tim Pawlenty and his wife, Mary, on Saturday on Pelican Lake for the Governor's Fishing Opener.

"Ideal weather for Pelican would be a cloudy, overcast day with a slight chop," Eigen said. "That would be ideal. Temperature wise, we can dress for whatever."

Tom Whitehead, a bass tournament fisherman and a former guide with the Nisswa Guides League, agreed.

"The forecast looks favorable because the temperature will warm up, yet it'll be cloudy on the opener, which is wonderful because the water is at its clearest this time of year," said Whitehead, who will host Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau on Pelican Lake.

Anglers are advised to stay shallow because of the late ice-out and cold water.

"A lot of people don't go shallow enough. Go four to 10 feet," Whitehead said.

He said rather than fishing right under the boat, anglers should let their lines out. As the boat moves over the fish they'll scatter, but they'll come back, he said.

"Northland Fireball Jigs and shiners are what I would go with," he said.

Lovald said to bring crappie minnows.

"Those are going to be biting like crazy this weekend," he said, noting bait shops likely won't get spottails and redtails until Friday or Saturday.

Reiner advised anglers to use a slow presentation.

"Warm weather is what we need," he said. "It's going to be awfully quiet."

Or take Eigen's advice.

"The old ace in the hole might be some Berkely Gulp Alive, anywhere from a quarter- to a 16th-ounce jighead flipped up in the shallows," Eigen said.

Weekend Forecast
Following is the weekend forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

Friday: Mostly sunny with a high near 57.

Friday night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy with a low around 37.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy with a high near 57.

Saturday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy with a low around 38.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy with a high near 60.