I predict Friday will be the worst day of fishing on Mille Lacs in decades

Because I hired a guide to go chase some football brown bass.

If you’re planning on going, reconsider. Do yourself a favor and find another lake to wet your line. You can thank me later.

I’m about to bring a black cloud of lockjaw for all finned creatures in Mille Lacs. Talked to the guide today (Brad Hawthorne) and he said it’s been up and down with the stalled water temps. Sometimes only 20 fish in the boat in a day, others much more. I feel bad for Brad. His self esteem is about to take a big kick in the seeds. I wonder how long it’s been since he’s been skunked with a client in the boat? I can hear it now “I’ve never seen anything like this, yesterday was one of the best days ever.”

I talked with Brad today. Great size no matter what the numbers are. 21” bronze back in the boat today that went over 6 lbs.

You know what though? I don’t care. Get me in the boat for a day, someone else’s boat that shouldn’t break down, at least until BHM steps foot in it. I expect some good company from Brad. From my few conversations I’ve had and the videos I’ve seen, he looks like a straight up guy and should take getting skunked with me like a man.

Boats hate me, too. Luck. That trip sounds like fun.

I promise you won’t get skunked. Looking forward to hearing how it went and giving up all the spots he took you…..

Fished all day this tuesday. We boated 104 for the 4 of us. It will be the easiest fishing you have ever had. Have fun!

The nice thing now is that you have no expectations…
Anything better than that is only icing on the cake!
I like your attitude

Joe Scegura wrote:

Fished all day this tuesday. We boated 104 for the 4 of us. It will be the easiest fishing you have ever had. Have fun!

Was that on Mille Lacs and was live bait used?

I’m sure with a guide that you will have a good day and a fun time. Be sure to get lots of good pictures. Without pictures it never happened. Fishing was really tough for us on Tuesday. We don’t fish the lake much so I’m sure more us than the lake.

BoatsHateMe wrote:

Sometimes only 20 fish in the boat in a day, others much more.

20 smallmouth in a day of fishing on Mille Lacs is a great day in my book. There’s very few dinks in there when it comes to smallies, they’re all quality fish.

Good fishing guides even know how to make a slow day of fishing fun.

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Joe Scegura wrote:</div>
Fished all day this tuesday. We boated 104 for the 4 of us. It will be the easiest fishing you have ever had. Have fun!

Was that on Mille Lacs and was live bait used?

Yes it was on Mille Lacs. We caught a mix of walleye and Smallmouth. We used Rippin Raps, Jig & Plastics and Jigs & Minnows. Everything seemed to work.

great news for me! I’m usually off by a day myself but since you are going to curse the lake Friday, it should mean the lake will be hopping on Saturday…when I show up!

Joe Scegura wrote:

Yes it was on Mille Lacs. We caught a mix of walleye and Smallmouth. We used Rippin Raps, Jig & Plastics and Jigs & Minnows. Everything seemed to work.

Joe’s a guide so his success are not a representative of the common angler! Haha

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Joe Scegura wrote:</div>
Yes it was on Mille Lacs. We caught a mix of <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye and Smallmouth. We used Rippin Raps, Jig & Plastics and Jigs & Minnows. Everything seemed to work.

Joe’s a guide so his success are not a representative of the common angler! Haha

That is often a true statement. Most Guides spend a lot of time on the water and take great pride in putting their clients on fish. I’ve heard of others also having Great days with really high #’s but lately most of those reports have been coming from people using live bait or at least using live bait till they ran out.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Joe Scegura wrote:</div>
Yes it was on Mille Lacs. We caught a mix of <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye and Smallmouth. We used Rippin Raps, Jig & Plastics and Jigs & Minnows. Everything seemed to work.

Joe’s a guide so his success are not a representative of the common angler! Haha

3 fish per person per hour is pretty Average for the lake. With 4 guys and an 8 hour day that’s about 100 fish. Good steady action. With a mixed bag I call 50 fish per guy a good day.

Remember guys if the catch rates keep being reported like this, the DNR will come in and close the lake down for the season! Loose lips sink ships.

How many fish did you catch today? None! Dead sea out there.

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Remember guys if the catch rates keep being reported like this, the DNR will come in and close the lake down for the season! Loose lips sink ships.

How many fish did you catch today? None! Dead sea out there.

-J.

I don’t need to even Fib – It was a dead sea out there on my last outing – At least dead to us.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Remember guys if the catch rates keep being reported like this, the DNR will come in and close the lake down for the season! Loose lips sink ships.

How many fish did you catch today? None! Dead sea out there.

-J.

Right now the hot Smallmouth bite on the lake is bringing in a fair amount of fishermen and they are spending money in the area. I’m sure the local business are happy for any business they can get.

Good chuckle from the OP.

Joe Scegura wrote:

Fished all day this tuesday. We boated 104 for the 4 of us. It will be the easiest fishing you have ever had. Have fun!

That’s it? We had 204 with just 2 of us

Jon Jordan wrote:

Remember guys if the catch rates keep being reported like this, the DNR will come in and close the lake down for the season! Loose lips sink ships.

How many fish did you catch today? None! Dead sea out there.

-J.

The lake won’t get shutdown period. They may close the walleye fishing but that’s it.

MnPat1 wrote:

The lake won’t get shutdown period. They may close the walleye fishing but that’s it.

I was referring to walleye catch rates. If people keep reporting 100 walleye days, the season will not re-open after the planned July closure.

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MnPat1 wrote:</div>
The lake won’t get shutdown period. They may close the walleye fishing but that’s it.

I was referring to walleye catch rates. If people keep reporting 100 walleye days, the season will not re-open after the planned July closure.

-J.

He’s right. Although I doubt the DNR is conducting a survey based on an online forum. Its based on in person surveys and counts.

They are hammering bronzebacks right off the docks I heard….

big_g wrote:

They are hammering bronzebacks right off the docks I heard….

Which docks are those

Boats you inspired me to post my PB smallie I caught yesterday on ML without a guide, hopefully this thread is a reverse jinx for ya!

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MnPat1 wrote:</div>
The lake won’t get shutdown period. They may close the walleye fishing but that’s it.

I was referring to walleye catch rates. If people keep reporting 100 walleye days, the season will not re-open after the planned July closure.

-J.

You’re probably right. Didn’t think about that. I actually meant to type 14 not 104. Sorry for the typo.

BigWerm wrote:

Boats you inspired me to post my PB smallie I caught yesterday on ML without a guide, hopefully this thread is a reverse jinx for ya!

That was a beaut. Did you weigh her?

I talked to Brad yesterday and his customer put a fat 21 1/2”er in the boat that weighed in at a fat 6 1/2 lbs

BoatsHateMe wrote:

That was a beaut. Did you weigh her?

I talked to Brad yesterday and his customer put a fat 21 1/2”er in the boat that weighed in at a fat 6 1/2 lbs

No, but I figured around 6-7 lbs, it was pretty fat, so Brad sounds about right. Good luck!!!

I was out there today for about 5 hours. Caught 5 smallmouth and 5 walters. The bass fishing is getting tougher, no doubt about it. Tons of pressure on those fish. The 2 biggest brownies were 19 inchers I caught about 15 minutes apart. Definitely still pre spawn by the look of their bellies.

Buddy and I had a grinder of a day for eyes. Slow most of the day picking up one here and there on jig and minnows but couldn’t get a pattern going until late in the day. Last hour and half we fished we put 12 in the boat trolling scatter raps all in the same location. One being a skinnu 27.5 and a fatty smallie that went 18″. During the day, the eyes we did catch were around the 15fow, In the evening we caught them in the 10ft range. Ended the day around the 20 fish mark. Deffinetely a lot of bass boats out there yesterday.

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