By MATT SUNDBERG
My dad, Dick Sundberg (son of the late, great Clarence "Swede" Sundberg), my brother Rick and I were fishing in Black Bay on the morning of walleye opener last week.
We had been on this spot for about an hour and were battling some fairly tough winds, and an unusual number of small northerns which of course we consistently thought would be frying pan material until they reared their heads.
I was watching when Rick set the hook on this fish, and for a moment it appeared to be a snag. We quickly realized he wasn't hung up but had a good fish on. We all anticipated a bigger northern to show itself in that dark water, but when the fish got to the boat we saw a flash of that huge tail as it went back down for a last ditch effort to spit the hook. Our excitement peaked, as this was a potential trophy.
Dick got it in the net, and hoisted it over the side. I've been fishing on Rainy for going on 30 years now, and have seen some big walleye. This fish looked prehistoric, and I was certain it was going to measure over 30 inches. All said and done, my brother squeaked an extra 1/4 inch and we settled on 28 1/4 — though the first time the fish story was told my dad had inflated to 28 1/2.
It was a windy weekend and fishing was slow, but getting a fish like this in the boat and spending quality time with my dad and brother is what early May in Minnesota is all about.
