Long before the fishing opener had arrived, local anglers were out testing their equipment and skills on Lake Waconia. The water between In Towne Marina and Coney Island has been a hotbed in recent weeks. For the rest of this story, pick up a copy of this week's print edition of the Waconia Patriot

Why fisherman keeps coming back for more

Spring’s gentle arrival has finally enticed Old Man Winter to retreat to the dead zone for another year, releasing his icy grip on the water of Lake Waconia.

The transition is a rebirth, new life exposed.

The gentle waves that wash ashore embody the spirit of the ancient lake, like a young bride standing at the altar, waiting for someone to join her in a lifetime commitment.

From the sure footing of a sand-packed shore, the water seems mystical, reflecting years of life that can be felt by anyone who studies the early morning fog or the shimmering lake horizon.

In the days before the Fishing Opener, the calm water of the expansive lake is disturbed only by the momentary print of a spring breeze as it skips off the water. It is the calm before the storm of another busy season.

For Chuck Corey it’s a time when life begins anew as well. He will settle into a familiar stool at the counter of the In Towne Marina this Friday night, comfortable with the reality that he won’t be fishing the local lake on the eve of the opener, but that he’ll be spending a lot of time talking about it.

The 77-year-old Blaine resident has made Waconia his second home for good chunks of the year, mostly so he can fish.

“As I’ve gotten older I don’t get out as much as I’d like, or at least as much as I did when I first started fishing out here some 25 or 30 years ago, but I’ll still be at the counter with the guys, shooting the breeze and taking it all in,” he said.

Corey is among hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who will spend this weekend tethered to a fishing pole or marina for the opener, which signals the beginning of the walleye season.

For the rest of this story, pick up a copy of this week's print edition of the Waconia Patriot

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