*Rant – Mille Lacs Launch

I just need to rant/get advice how some might handle this situation. We were fishing the south end of Mille Lacs this weekend trolling crank baits on the rocks. We were trolling from east to west when I notice a launch drive on the driving east to west go to the north of us. They proceed to pass us and turn south as we continued trolling. The launch proceeded to drop anchor and power reverse nearly causing a collision. We stared in amazement at the rudeness when the launch captain runs to the back of the boat and starts screaming expletives at us in front of all the clients. Keep in mind we had been fishing these rock humps for over an hour when he tells us to “Get the “f” out of here.

We kept fishing the area, but kept our distance. I wanted to cut the anchor rope myself. How would you have handled the situation?

I would post the name of the Launch on here. This site and the fishing community is small enough. It’ll get back to this douche (if he is in fact a douche). Not to mention, the bad word of mouth. Got to love the power of the internet.

I would have probably gone to another spot to retain my sanity, swearing under my breath the entire time. I would then post a rant on here when I got home.

I have had similar experiences with guides before that want to fish a spot that I was on when they got there. Some feel that since they are trying to make some money, they should get first choice of spots. That will never change. Its only a small percentage of guides and tournament guys that feel that way, but they typically know everything about all topics and are just plain buttheads anyway.

First call the company / resort the launch was out of. Explain the situation and ask if it’s a common practice for their launch captains to operate this way. Be sure they understand you want their side of the story before you post the information on the web.

Many of the resorts feel it’s their lake and their clients come first. Or it maybe that it’s a rogue captain and the resort isn’t even aware of his actions. In any event let them give you their side of the story or issue an apology, whichever they deem appropriate.

Sorry you had a bad experience.

Exactly what Brian said.

Quote:

---

First call the company / resort the launch was out of. Explain the situation and ask if it’s a common practice for their launch captains to operate this way. Be sure they understand you want their side of the story before you post the information on the web.

Many of the resorts feel it’s their lake and their clients come first. Or it maybe that it’s a rogue captain and the resort isn’t even aware of his actions. In any event let them give you their side of the story or issue an apology, whichever they deem appropriate.

---

x2 Then if they still want to be naughty…

Mark

what’s a “launch”?

Should have called one of these…. probably Mike or Dan depending on SW or SE….sounds like you had plenty of witnesses…

Scott Fitzgerald 320-684-2440 Malmo
Mike Lee 320-676-1847 Isle
Greg Verkuilen 320-692-5777 Garrison
Dan Perron 320-495-3961 Onamia
Luke Croat 320-927-6453 Wealthwood

These are the five Conservation Officers on Mille Lac’s Lake Area.

big G

BTW. I would get used to getting anchored on in your troll path….. If your trolling a quarter mile, I may even some day cross your path…. especially if the fish are there…

Yeah, I heard Big G will ask you if he can climb in,,,if you’re catching fish that is.

I think you handled it correctly in not doing something you would regret.. And yes, I would find out WHO the dude is and get his side of the story.. If he’s this way on the phone and doesn’t say he was in the wrong,,I’d put the hammer down.

Quote:

---

Should have called one of these…. probably Mike or Dan depending on SW or SE….sounds like you had plenty of witnesses…

Scott Fitzgerald 320-684-2440 Malmo

Mike Lee 320-676-1847 Isle

Greg Verkuilen 320-692-5777 Garrison

Dan Perron 320-495-3961 Onamia

Luke Croat 320-927-6453 Wealthwood

These are the five Conservation Officers on Mille Lac’s Lake Area.

big G

BTW. I would get used to getting anchored on in your troll path….. If your trolling a quarter mile, I may even some day cross your path…. especially if the fish are there…

---

I don’t mind when someone anchors up on a hump that I have been fishing. If he had waited thirty seconds, or let the wind take him back versus the power back up, we would have been clear. I just don’t like taking evasive action to avoid getting hit when we were putting along at 1.8 mph. Nor do I appreciate being sweared at. This is the first time in twenty years that I have ever encountered a rude launch on Mille Lacs.

I WAS ON THE SOUTH END SATURDAY AND A RED AND WHITE LAUNCH DID A SIMILAR ACT, KINDA LIKE A SCENE FROM CADDY SHACK. WHERE RODNEY DROPS HIS ANCHOR THROUGH THE HULL OF A SMALLER BOAT. I HELD MY GROUND. IT WAS LIKE TWO PIT BULLS STARING EACH OTHER DOWN. I WAQS ON FISH AND I WASNT MOVING.

This is where if you phone takes video, when you see things like this developing start taking a video.

I would’ve called the police myself.

I also believe it’s more than appropriate to post the name of the launch, let along if I were on a launch that did this I would request they bring us in and refund all of our money. Let alone there you can always do a chargeback on you Visa.

Probably just thinks you were a fish rapist….

well, if its a pontoon style launch, you could always break out the snorkel gear, and drill holes in the toons after dark.

Red and White huh ?????????

big G

Some nights out on the rocks, it looks like the Red Neck Yacht Club

G, could not have described it any better.

it was not a toon either just RED AND WHITE LAUNCHES ON THE SOUTH END, MAYBE A LITTLE SOUTH WEST.

AT NIGHT THEY HAD THESE BIG SPOT LIGHTS IT WAS KINDA NICE WORE MY SUNGLASSES TIL ABOUT 10pm.

His side of the story??

Just wondering what part of “get the F%$# out of here” are we missing?

Ya, mention who it is, imho that kind of behavior is child like and probably dangerous.
Also if it happens enough times maybe the DNR can do something about it.

Al

Quote:

---

well, if its a pontoon style launch, you could always break out the snorkel gear, and drill holes in the toons after dark.

---

Here we go…

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

well, if its a pontoon style launch, you could always break out the snorkel gear, and drill holes in the toons after dark.

---

Here we go…

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

well, if its a pontoon style launch, you could always break out the snorkel gear, and drill holes in the toons after dark.

---

Here we go…

---

---

on a more serious note, if it is something that is still bugging you that much, and you will be fishing in that area again in the near future, i would just contact the resort, and let them know what happened, and give them the choice for recourse first. if they blow you off, i would sing and dance their name into the dirt every chance i got.

or, just be an adult and forget about it, and if you run into that launch and captain again, give him that “super secret wave” each and every time with a ear to ear grin on your face…

The launch was Hunter Winfield’s. Funny this is my 82 old Grandpa was in the boat, and said “If I was fifty years younger I would swim over to the launch and teach that young man some manners.”

I don’t get a chance to fish the lake much anymore since I moved to NE. If I was up there every weekend like in all my previous years I would go visit the owner in person and tell them what happened.

What did this captain look like? Stocky, real dark short hair? 5’10 ish?

What you describe as taking place is down right unacceptable. If this had happened to my boat this guy would have gotten an chewing his customers and his employers would be talking about for a long time.

Most times you can spot a guy like this a mile away. Their noses all seem to be crooked or have this special glow that makes people want to make them crooked.

If you want the captains side, here it is.
The guy who yelled at you off the end of the boat was not the captain. I was the captain of that boat Saturday night, and as I came to anchor up on the spot, a boat was trolling down the reef, far enough away for me to not know exactly which way he was going. As the anchor was dropped, I put the boat into neutral as soon as I could to wait for the other boat to go by, instead of them proceeding to keep going, they stalled behind us almost causing a collision. . As a large launch boat, we use a lot of anchor rope, we can not read anyones mind who is trolling those reefs, so next time you get cut off, instead of driving staight at the other boat who accidentally cuts you off, go around them.
I appoligize for this situation. I have spent many hours on Mille Lacs on that boat and have never come across anyone who acted in the way that you did. As soon as I noticed you coming at our boat, I went into neutral to prevent a collision, it would have been nice if you could have done something to prevent it as well.

-Randee Walters

2 sides for every story… who was the A hole with the potty mouth ???

big G

typical walleye fishermen; old, arogant, and crabby at the world

Quote:

---

typical walleye fishermen; old, arogant, and crabby at the world

---

That’s being a little general don’t you think? I’m coming up with a new term for you bass and muskie guys. FISHIST! I’m sure no walleye fisherman has ever has a bass or muskie guy fly past them at 55 only 20 feet away either.

From what you [Randee] are saying, you are appear to be in the wrong. Unless I misread your comments, you did not yield the right of way to a slower moving, lower powered boat but instead moved into their path, under power and put your boat into neutral and dropped anchor, expecting them to move around you.

I am missing something here or are you basically admitting guilt? Also, the original post said that you put the boat into reverse, are you saying this never happened?

This comment is laughable: “so next time you get cut off, instead of driving staight at the other boat who accidentally cuts you off, go around them”, I understand you are a larger boat, but you still have an obligation to do your part too.

Randee,
Welcome to IDO and thanks for providing your side of what happened. Based on your post, it sounds like you didn’t intend to (what my friends and I refer to as corking – get ahead of someone and either start fishing or drop anchor) cut off Goldpig. Whether you intended to or not, it sounds like you did cut him off. It’s not the end of the world.. it actually happens darn near every time I’m out fishing. You may want to put a leash on your co-pilot if that is how he is going to react. You won’t be doing HW any favors with behavior like that.

I’ve ice fished out of HW in the past and have commented to several different people on this site about what top noch wheel houses they have and what a great experience we had.