Mille Lacs Smallmouth

My wife, Brother and his wife are heading to Mille Lacs next Friday-Sunday to fish for smallmouth. We are staying at Hunter Winfields on the SE corner. I have not fished this part of the lake and have never fished for smallmouth here. My brother and I have caught a lot of big smallmouth on our BWCWA trips, but want to get the ladies to catch some big ones. Any advice you can give in advance would be helpful. I have a 17′ Lund with 90HP Yamaha on the back. I really don’t want to go running around the big lake and would prefer to stay close to the area we are staying at. If the wind gets too bad, we will just pull out and go fish some smaller lake in the area. Thanks in advance.

Head straight north to Macs twin bay/ hawkbill point. Look for rocks, BIG rocks in 4-8′ of water and throw tubes near the biggest boulders you can find. A bobber with a leech works well if the ladies don’t want to be constantly casting or if you just like fishing with a bobber. Good luck

Thanks much – that bobber idea might work out well. Like you said, they might get tired of casting and bobber fishing is what my wife loves best. Of course she will have to get over her leech phobia.

Rick Janssen wrote:

Of course she will have to get over her leech phobia.

Well if you’re not going for husband of the year and you plan to make your wife hook her own leeches I have a little tip.

Most people can’t hold them because they are too slimy and wiggly, right…?

So, bring along some worm bedding (ground up news paper). She can scoop a leech into the bedding and then she can grab the leech to hook it. It seems to work well for those with a leech phobia! Good luck out there! Stickers advice should treat you well.

I saw you 2013 post in Depth Outdoors. Tried your email but did not work.
June 18 my brother and i are doing our first fishing tip to Saganaga
And were wondering if you would like to share any fishing spots?
Our main focus will be spawning small mouth followed by some walleye fishing in the evenings. maybe some lake-trout during the day.

I hope you are still in good health , and found someone to take you up to the BWCA .
Outward Bound is another place you could go for an adventure. I went 30 years ago and we had a elderly gentlemen on our tip to the Bear Tooth Mountains in Montana. Builds team work
Thanks…

“Rebel Pop R tiny”
for some fun topwater action.
This is our favorite bwca top water lure.
cast it. just let it sit after 6 seconds give it a little twitch. let it sit again. In the bwca the beds were right next to shore. even in the bushes if the water was high.

two years ago i was at a really clear lake. I could see the spawning beds for 60 ft away. 8ft depth. When the lure Hit the water. i could see the swmallmouth slowly rise and either suck it in or pop it away. They would not come back for a second look. These same fish would not even look at a crank bait swimming by. With a worm or jig, i would have to set it in the middle of their nest before they would pick it up to move it out of their nest.

Thanks all for your replies. Joe – I don’t think my wife will get excited about putting leeches on at all. I like your idea, but what freaks her out is when then curl up and suck your thumb. I will just do it for her and make everyone happy.

Tim – I have not been to Sag for many years, so my memory is not good on any tips I can give. Last years trip at this time of year was so COLD, (32 degrees at night) that we struggled to find fish. Mostly, like always, is just looking for the best cover close to deeper water. You can normally spot the best rocky areas by looking at the rocks on shore.

I have top waters packed, I hope Mille Lacs will give the ladies at least 1 top waster small mouth.