The pilings averaged around 15′ deep on the lakeside and came up sharply to around 6′ on the shore side. The far right side as you are facing shore had a hole that if I remember right was right around 23′ and that is where we got most of our walleyes during the day, but only a few dink smallies were in that area when I was there. The area screams CRAPPIE, but we didn’t catch any around the pilings. All the crappies we caught were up in the loon [censored] bay I mentioned earlier.

I’m looking forward to staying at Melgeorges again. The food was great and their specials were a heck of a deal! We have the cabin called MAPLE reserved for this september. I hope the smallies are mad that week!

I fished Elephant about a month ago and the fishing was extremely slow. Did well on walleyes, but the crappie and smallie bite was next to non-existant. The few smallies we did catch were on tubes or Rattltraps. Someone obviously did better than we did on smallies as I found three carcasses in the cleaning shack that were obviously all too big to keep. Anyhow, other than the far north bay most of the bays are your typical rocky/boulder substrate, a few with good weed growth mixed in. The far north bay had a nice classic boulder pile in it, but other than that was nothing more than a shallow bay full of loon [censored] and small stunted sunnies. We also worked the piling area and did well on walleyes…using 1/8 oz mimic minnow heads and paddletails.

We stayed in the old log cabin at Melgeorges and I must say the place was nice, good and reasonably priced food, and great waitstaff. I was a little disappointed in the number of cabins and homes on the lake, however, as I thought it would be more of a getaway than it actually was.

I’ve heard Elephant can be a great lake, but our first trip didn’t reveal that. We are booked for a family vacation again this fall at Melgeorges for a week and hopefully fishing will be better then.

Oh, one other thing, be careful if you anchor off the major point on the south end of the lake as I managed to catch my anchor twice (what are the chances of that?) on what I assume was an underwater electrical line in conduit. I was able to get my anchor back both times but just barely as that conduit gets extremely heavy when you pull it up from 20+ feet of water!

I just bought a new Humminbird there this week so it’ll probably be next week when they send out the voucher…that’s usually how it works for me.

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Go find a 3rd grader and hand them a box of crayons. Tell them it’s OK to use the Red, Black, Yellow but not any other colors.

Blame Dayton all you want. You either shut the state down or you don’t. Half a$$ is not a option.

ALL the parties work for themselves and the public is not a consideration. Anybody thinking otherwise is being foolish.

Shut it down and keep it down until you balance the budget WITHOUT raising more income. CUTS, CUTS and more CUTS.

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I disagree. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Remember back a few years ago when Pawlenty passed a lights on bill that kept the state parks open over the holiday even though he had misgivings over other areas of the budget? It can be done, as has already been proven. And for the record, I blame every legislator that can’t do their job, not just Dayton! It’s just that regardless of how hard some of the others try to meet that man in the middle he has TAX THE RICH TUNNEL VISION (name patent pending) so bad that he is the main hurdle in this fiasco…not to mention he is the top dog and should justly get the bulk of the blame.

The part that really irks me is we don’t have to be enduring a complete shutdown. Governor Dayton has been offered several budgets that could keep the lights on in certain areas, while continuing to debate the others. The DNR and licensing is one area that could still be open if he wasn’t acting like a little baby. He’s wants it all his way and will not call in a special session. The GOP has offered budgets that fund many of the areas that are now shut down, but Dayton wants it all or nothing. IF you want to be mad at someone be mad at Dayton for failing to call a special session and sign a “lights on” bill. Of course he’s immune to all this because he still has his mansion, and his staff (skeleton crew my butt!), and his limo, and his private plane, and his guards, and his job.

As for your guests I don’t really know what I’d say. I know what I would do. But, I’m sure none of them want to drive back to Minnesota for a court date either. It’s just a sucky situation all the way around for so many people. Hang in there!

Great advice!

I would add that if you have a child in a car-seat that you NOT leave them buckled in the vehicle as you are tying off your boat. I seen a guy scramble this weekend when he got out of his truck and it began rolling backwards with the kid in the carseat left alone…..NOT GOOD! He managed to get back in and avoid disaster, but it certainly gave everyone watching a near heart attack.

DON’T DO IT MAN!!!

Trust me, she is only saying what she thinks you want to hear. I’ve been down this road and you gotta believe me when I tell you that you will regret doing this for the rest of your life! You will NEVER hear the end of it as to how you spent your honeymoon in the sticks rather than some tropical romantic get-away….LIKE ALL HER FRIENDS did for their honeymoon.

You will have many many many opportunities to stay in a cabin up north, but if you do that for your honeymoon you will always look like a hick in the eyes of her friends and family and will never live down the fact that you were too ignorant to read her mind and too cheap to take her where she really wanted to go, like Hawaii or the Carribean.

For your own sake heed my WARNING!!! You will be a happier man later if you do.

1. Search for boats similar to yours on any number of online sites that sell boats.

2. Arrive at what you believe you need to ask for your boat.

3. Tell anyone that thinks they’ll have trouble securing a loan that you are satisfied with your asking price, good luck securing the loan, and hopefully the boat will still be available when they come back with the money.

4. Continue to advertise your boat and consider other offers.

5. Early bird gets the worm, uh, I mean boat!

6. Above all, do not get tangled up in other peoples financial affairs. The right buyer with no strings attached will come along if you are patient.

You might have to switch up your plans and go to the Science Museum. It’s still open and getting funded for some strange reason.

Are your buddies from out of state? Is it possible to buy a nonresident license for Mn. in another state?

I don’t fish them for the challenge; I fish them for the thrill. If I wanted a challenge I’d toss out all my electronics. There is no closed season for walleye on Pool 4 yet I see a post from guys that are against fishing for spawning bass plan their week at Everts every year during the walleye spawn…complete with reports and pictures. What gives? One fish better than another or what?

The smallie spawn has always baffled me. I’ve been making a special trip to the BWCA for years to fish for bedded bass. I always read the last week of May or first week of June should be the best, yet whenever I took trips then they never panned out.

So, I started going later and what I have discovered is one year they will be there and hot, and the next year they are deeper and there is no indication of any beds being fanned out in the shallows. I’ve watched the water temps to try and make sense of it, but not even that holds fast and true. Could it be they don’t always spawn shallow and the beds aren’t visible?? I guess I’m stumped how the water can be in the high 60’s yet there is no evidence of any beds. This last trip I just got back from the bass were all in about 16′ of water mixed in with the walleyes. There was the occasional one caught in shallow, but not many.

As for the ethical end of fishing for them on their beds, we fish for panfish during the spawn, we can fish for cats and sturgeon during their spawn, so is a bass any more worthy of additional “supposed” protection. I don’t know.

I bought a new boat which I am picking up on Saturday. I highly doubt Cabelas is able to get it licensed or get me numbers, but I am gonna be on the water nonetheless. Drastic times require drastic measures. Come on over and go fishing, we NEED your money!

Firing them all makes no sense at all. Lets be honest, half the state elected Democrats to do one thing…TAX THE RICH! The other half elected republicans to do one thing…hold fast on any future spending increases! Like it or not we put these people in office to fight for what we believe in, what we stand for politically. Now, all of a sudden you want to throw out principle and have them cave in just because you can’t pee in a rest stop or roast a marshmellow in a state park. Almost sounds more childish than what is going on down at the capital if you ask me.

I want them to work out some sort of agreement, I believe that is their job, and if it takes this bump in the road to do the “right thing” rather than just another “dumb thing” than I’m all for it.

I think the brookie is the second best handsome looking fish after the german brown. Len, I know you would really love a trip to the Sutton River in Canada for brookies!

I like mine with lots of fried onions…..oh, and don’t forget the BEER!

yea, because we have a huge shortage of bluegills over here. It would be a shame to use one for bait.

Rant aside, how do you guys hook those bullys…under the dorsal, through the lips? And, where do you buy them or do you have to net your own?? Thanks!

Gosh, I’m no expert, but my first thought was the boat alone has to be worth that, wouldn’t it? Maybe you should call and see what you could get on trade for your opti and go with an outboard that doesn’t scare you. Might be an option.

I boycotted Gander years ago and if anyone wants to know why just ask the jerk that calls himself a gunsmith in the Maple Grove store. Still makes me mad after all these years! I find myself keeping a list of stuff I need and then placing one big order online more than anything these days. If I go anywhere it’s to Marv’s Minnows for livebait, but that’s about it.

Don’t go if it’s windy unless you have a strong stomach. The ferry crossing can be brutal at times if the wind is howling! Other than that I can’t tell you much because all I’ve ever done is drive the road up and back. I would’ve loved to stay and explore a little more.

You would do yourself a huge favor by focusing one mile in either direction from the 494 ramp. If you don’t catch a big one there you probably aren’t going to. And, as you already know, wingdams are key structure in that stretch…as is riprap, and also longlining on any sand structure you find. Backwaters can be great early in the spring. Good Luck!

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George Bush isn’t president anymore. He’s bass fishing down in Texas.

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…and he has been for TWO AND A HALF YEARS already.

I stand corrected. I’ll let em find it on their own.

Get back in your rat hole and quit getting all bent out of shape. It’s all in good fun. Sheesh!

Whoever that narrator was he should get an Oscar because that was good!

Not sure what the code of manner is, but if things are true about our once beloved resort then I’m betting my last penny that the thread isn’t the only thing that will disappear.

I think as a measure of extra protection for you and the cop, and as a professional courtesy to the cop, it SHOULD BE MANDATORY that you inform him immediately that you are in legal possesion of a handgun. It just makes sense in my mind so you are both on the same page. Having said that, it is a better idea to not get pulled over in the first place.

Everytime I see a dude on a tricycle motorcycle I think to myself now there’s a guy who probably gets teased a lot by his fellow riders and the old Sesame Street song “Which one of these does not belong here” comes to mind. I think old or disabled guys should get a pass…or guys with really fat girlfriends…or the guy that has to haul all the beer to Sturgis, but everyone else should be on TWO wheels if they are able. Anything else is unAmerican.

I’ve found that if you put rainbow stickers or “coexist” stickers all over your boat that it helps keep other boats away. Try that, works like a charm and the fish don’t seem to mind! You may even want to blare some Boy George or Wham music as an added measure of protection.

Anything you give him will pale in comparison to living in Alaska and fishing salmon everyday. Save your money; you may want to spend it at the Alaska Bush Company.

The best tip I can give you if a hog is what you are after is to eliminate all water deeper than the ten foot mark, actually maybe even six foot. Most of my biggest walleyes on P2 have come from very shallow water. I don’t even mess with water over 10′ deep down there because there’s so many fish shallow that it isn’t worth my time. Other than that all I would say just put in your time because an 8 lb. walleye is definately attainable down on P2.

When I was a kid we had a cabin on that stretch by Norway Landing. I seem to remember catching a lot of bass there, but that was 30 years ago.

Grew up near Sunrise and fished the section from Grantsburg down to Almelund many many many times and it is a good stretch. You will find lots of good smallies in the stretch from the Grantsburg bridge to the Cty. O landing. Muskies too!