Ice Out Winner! April 14, 2021…

It has been declared by…

…our crack team of ice out experts that as of April 14, 2021 the ice is officially off of Vermilion Bay on Eagle Lake! That means theoretically there are two more days of open water fishing before the walleye season closes. Correction: one more day…no fishing on the 15th! I say theoretically because who wants to fish in a wind swept lake with snow and close to freezing temperatures? I see that half of you put your hands up…

The contest post game break down…

Like any competition there needs to be meaningful analysis, statistics and a gathering of large men with thick necks. I can provide the first two, but the latter will have to await the reopening of the border.

Interesting fact: Almost 10% of contestants picked May 1 as their guess!

Interesting fact: Only two people picked the right date. They both submitted their guess on the same day (March 10). Since there can be only one winner we need to go “up top” to review the photo finish…

Undisputable fact: Sally Rasmussen and Mike Morris both had the foresight to pick April 14th as the winning date. In a forensic analysis of the emails it appears Sally submitted her guess at 11:46 a.m. Mike Morris submitted his guess at 8:13 p.m. They say the early bird gets the worm….Congratulations Sally.

The agony of defeat: While there can only be one winner (Sally Rasmussen), Mike Morris was sooooo close he will forever be remembered for his split second defeat. Some may say controversial. I say, Mike, well done!

Interesting fact: Close calls…..Jim Stanzel (April 15), Bayview Tracy (April 13)

A word about the winner…Sally Rasmussen…

It appears Sally has a bit of a reputation. You may recall seeing them at the lodge over the years……..her and Bruce in their Boston Whaler. Bruce often seen skulking behind the fish house. Sally often asking “Have you seen Bruce?”. Little known fact is that Sally is part of the exclusive “VBL 52 inch club”. No, this is not a waist size, but a recognition of her biggest musky caught here at the lodge. She can now add “Ice Out Winner 2021” to her ever bulging trophy case. We look forward to her next visit when she can claim her fabulous mystery prize, and bonus pat to the back!

Thanks for taking part…good luck next year. Stay tuned for the start of “Open Water”, and fishing Eagle Lake!