Smallmouth Bass Trip

I have had many great canoe trips in the BWCWA and caught some great fish. My wife is a fair weather fisher person and has come with me to the Brainerd area many times to stay and fish. I would love to put her on some awesome smallmouth fishing. I have a 16′ Alumacraft Lunker with a 45 tiller. Just wondering where you all would recommend to take her. She does not need a super fancy resort, but a nice cabin and maybe some other things to do on off weather days. Not sure if hiring a guide is in the budget right now, so we would be on our own. Any suggestions???

Mille Lacs Lake.

Might be the best Smallmouth fishery in the country right now.

Try the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, Mercer, Wisconsin for smallmouth fishing.

See http://www.turtleflambeauflowage.com for more information.

2nd millelacs

also have had my best experiences on the mississippi not far from the metro don’t know if thats what your really looking for though without resorts and what not.

The flambeau does have some great smallie action. They smack just about everything to throw that them. Grindstone near Hayward also has some good smallie action.

Go to Mille Lacs and stay at Appeldoorn’s. That puts you in the center of good smallie action, places to eat and shops to see.

Mille Lacs or Lake Vermilion

I’ll second Lake Vermillion

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Mille Lacs or Lake Vermilion

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These are both great fisheries but I have yet to find a bite that is more consistent on big fish than the Mississippi

Mississippi Fall Smallmouth

I would say Mille Lacs, but with the 16 footer, better have some calm days or plan on trailering to the upwind side, if your gonna have the wife with on the pond

Last year during spawning time I fished 2 days on Mille lacs and caught a ton of both nice smallmouth as well as some great largemouth. You can pick a bay on the south end of the lake and not even need to venture out on the main lake unless you want to. I rigged a slip bobber with some jumbo leeches for the wife and she caught the !ell out of of both largemouth and smallmouth. We also did real well on both spinnerbaits and weightless senko’s.

iacanoeguy….do your self a favor and take your wife on a guided smallmouth bass trip with Joe Scegura. In the past 3 years I have taken my daughter, my son, my dad and my best friend for a day with Joe. Joe is not only an outstanding guide but he treats your family like his own. Very patient, good at teaching and a nice comfortable boat to boot!

I would go to Clearwater lake which is just North of Garrison and about 6 miles west of Bay lake. Good smallie, lg Mouth and Pike. Plenty of lodging in the area. Visit Crosby MN with your wife, the town is packed with antique shops. Crosby is right on Serpent lake which has decent smallmouth fishing. You would also be toward the north end of Mille lac’s and could run down there if the wind is down. Fish Indian Point right in front of the casino (another place to stay). Clearwater has a large rock (well marked) formation in the center of the lake, loaded with Smallies. Doubt you would get one over 19 but you could catch quite a few around 16-17. Go to Mille Lacs and try for a lunker. But Mille Lac has days that it is reluctant to give up a fish.

Thats youre daughter, huh?

Thanks for all the great tips. Mille Lacs might be a bit scary in my little boat, but maybe the small bays are the ticker. I will look up the guide services you all recommended. Thanks for your help and keep the ideas coming.

You could look at the Marcel area north of Grand Rapids. Lakes like North Star and Turtle have great smallies in them and you get the “noth woods” feel to boot.