I am currently under a severe thunderstorm warning and then a winter weather watch. It’s nasty out right now.

Mid week is projected for 7 inches of snow. Please no.

I have caught salmon in the morning on Lake Superior and ice fished inland lakes in the afternoon during the spring. If the wind wasn’t so nasty this might be on the agenda this weekend.

I’ve also shot ducks over water in the morning and ice fished the afternoon in the fall.

Thanks Michael. I was hoping for waterfowl camo and 28 inch barrel for a spare waterfowl gun to my sbe2. Not that camo matters to the birds but it does to me.

That gun looks brand new!

Joe Jarl wrote:

Benelli quit making the M2 in LH.

Not true. They are severely back ordered though. I’ve been checking with a Benelli dealer every couple months. I am also in the market for a M2 LH 20ga. The few I have seen on gun broker have sold for over cost new. Hopefully they ramp up production soon.

Michael, what would you sell the 12 for and what camo color?

delete. Pic won’t load.

Those people are crazy just like many of us hunters and fisherman. I think they’re nuts and don’t get the allure but I also know I’m nuts when it comes to my hobbies and have been told so many times.

I saw a boat out bobbing around this weekend in the east wind. I figured it was b-man at first but upon a closer look, I think the boat was smaller than his. It looked pretty miserable, yet a small part of me was jealous. I was working this weekend. If I wasn’t so damn busy at work there is a good chance I woulda said fugg it and sent it too.

Are they and us idiots? Maybe, everything is perspective I guess.

Bladepuller, that is very interesting about the Muskie eggs. I had no idea they were pulling eggs out of Muskies on Mille lacs. Seems odd for many reasons. I assume this was mn dnr? I could see them trap netting for fishery research but not for stripping eggs. I thought most egg take was from leech and broodstock lakes but I’ll admit that I don’t follow that as much as I used to several years ago when I was a serious Muskie nerd, so maybe things may have changed.

Can you share the guides names that are having success on Muskies consistently? I don’t hire guides but I’d be interested to know for buddies that would like to hire them if they can find the Mille lacs giants on a consistent basis. I’m too busy in the fall. Are they all livescopers? Are we talking a few giants each fall or several fish a week type fishing?

Cats tonight once the moon comes up. Crappies in the morning if it isn’t raining. Pulling the boat out of storage Sunday. I’d like to get out next weekend up at the cabin for one more ice trip but might be tough if weather is conducive for the boat.

Youbetcha wrote:

I love any mille lacs post. Always a great source for a debate

So true!

I gave up on Mr 55. Pretty pointless attempting a discussion with someone who demonstrates such poor reading comprehension.

I meant they shouldn’t put any money in to the lake other than musky stocking.

They stock so few now it isn’t even much of a fishery other than late springs when they are still shallow and the livescope guys. Those fish would provide more opportunity for fisherman in other lakes.

So I’d be okay if the dnr stopped putting any money in to the lake.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FinnyDinDin wrote:</div>
Man you are a pro. The best musky fisherman would be jealous of anyone who can catch two 55’s a year. What is your secret technique? It appears you want to kill all of them so surely you’ll share.

obviously it’s forward facing sonar.

Ripjiggin doesn’t seem smart enough to be able to utilize that technology proper.

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FinnyDinDin wrote:</div>
The state should really quit putting any money in to the lake other than musky stocking.

Well the state doesn’t really stock it, so the only funds going to ML are in studying the lake (creel, fisheries mgmt etc.) and the little bit of enforcement they do there.

It’s pretty clear to me they are managing to maximize tribal take, and minimize any other races take.

When did they stop stocking Muskies in Mille lacs?

The creel, fishery management, etc is the waste I am talking about. What is the point? It doesn’t seem like that has any effect on what the tribes allow us to take.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Usually a 2-3 a year. Anymore than that I would have to get another chest freezer.

Man you are a pro. The best musky fisherman would be jealous of anyone who can catch two 55’s a year. What is your secret technique? It appears you want to kill all of them so surely you’ll share.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Go for it. I keep all my 55 inch muskies. Lots of meat.

How many of them have you caught?

Upnorth85 wrote:

Here’s what I wish was easier articulate and more widely distributed:
The tribe’s contribution to this plan cannot be understated.
Of course I’m biased, but I would go as far as to say that the tribes wrote this plan that is obviously beneficial to the state. The tribes proposed the specifics of this plan.

The state was having so many regulation problems and the tribes have a vested interest in the Mille Lacs fishery running smoothly. We came up with a solution

The state should really quit putting any money in to the lake other than musky stocking. The state has no control, it’s all up to the tribes and this post just reinforces that. It’d be interesting to know how many millions of our state tax dollars go in to this lake. And for what? The tribe controls it. What a waste of dnr funds this lake is.

I could see a potential for the lake to have more liberal regs if the state was just honest with all of us and admitted they don’t really have much of a say and said the tribe is going to set the rules. Then it’s all on the tribes, which it is now anyways, but maybe they’d decide to be more generous when the blame is on them. And maybe, just maybe, more people would stop supporting the casino when they are upset with the regulations. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one though.

I’m not upset with the rules and don’t blame the health of the lake fish populations on the tribes or netting. I’ve made that clear in the past. Personally I don’t think the lake ever had a problem. Some of the best fishing I have had out there was during the ‘crash’. Lake was nice and quiet and we were a slayin. I’d just like to see some honesty with the situation.

I got a kick out of them patting themselves on the back for the tight regs leading to the current situation. The forage is the reason the lake is what it is right now. Humans like to think we are in control of everything. Did we create the perch and tulibee boom that led to the great survival of yoy walleyes?

When I saw the new perch regs all I could do was laugh. The never ending drama that is Mille lacs lake.

People best stop posting pictures of tullibee piles on social media. Next up is a closed tulibee season or restricted limit…on a minnow!

Glenn please post up an ice and shoreline report once you’re up there. I’d like to get up to the cabin by Winnie next weekend or the following for another trip. Hoping I can take the truck out and leave the wheeler at home. Not fishing on winnie.

I live south of there and we lost most snow but shorelines and ice is still fine.

That’s hardcore! March in the boat is awesome when it’s nice out but it wasn’t nice out at all. I saw a lot of ice floating around out there today.

Go out of two harbors? Mcquade still locked up I assume?

I’m excited to get out but need the snow to melt to get in to the pole building to get the boat out of hibernation.

We did pretty good on Saturday. Not huge numbers but we got some true jumbo piggies. First two spots were duds and found them on the third. My old man and his buddy both caught their biggest perch. Sunday we searched high and low, deep to shallow scoping and fishing and never did find the big ones. Must have checked at least a dozen spots. I hope to head back sometime in March.

I always enjoy the pics of your boys.

I don’t like how the fish taste out of Michigan so I don’t head over there anymore. I’ll be out on superior in mn/wi a ton in the spring as usual. I think there will be some toads caught this spring based on what we’ve been pulling through the ice this winter. I’d like to try isle royale in may and see if I can find some coasters casting. We will be heading to the sixth Great Lake in June as well. Pretty pumped to get back there.

Karry Kyllo wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FinnyDinDin wrote:</div>
We are gonna need your zip code included with your post to decide if you are allowed to weigh in on the topic.

I don’t need your approval for anything FinnyDinDin.

Lighten up Francis. It was a joke.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Steve Root wrote:</div>
I thought CO were law enforcement officers. Why wouldn’t they operate under the same rules as local PD or state police? Why the need for more new bills?

SR

Dnr officers been above the law since the beginning of time.

Not nearly as much as people think. It’s a false rumor that many outdoorsmen believe.

I will always refuse a search from any officer including CO’s and tell them they need a warrant. It is our constitutional right.

CO’s need warrants for many searches. People think they have more authority than they do and CO’s like that. I abide by the law but I don’t have time for their illegal searches and I’m not scared to tell them that.

So I support the first one.

Opposed to the second.

I’ve been chasing Great Lakes trout since ice formed but this weekend it is perch time. I had my fill of ice walleyes by early January which is the case most every winter. Good luck if you getting after em!

We are gonna need your zip code included with your post to decide if you are allowed to weigh in on the topic.

Matt Moen wrote:

Must have been an oversight. I own a Ram and live in the city. I’ll just see myself out.

One of them cidiots that owns a ram. You must have got a VPN to get on this outdoor forum.

I’m north of Mille lacs out in the sticks. But I’m not a local so I’m guessing my opinion doesn’t matter either.

Yea I have one. My buddy is going up for the perch party with a wheel house and he has called all over and everyone is sold out. Extensions don’t hardly sell until they are needed then they gone quick. I’m gonna steer clear of the perch party. I told him to bring his chisel to finish his holes off.

Thanks for the travel report gentlemen.

Next question, do I need an extension? Just messin.

If you see a black tundra with a topper and three stooges trying to find some perch stop over for a beer and say hi.

I thought we were discussing the fishery and limit. When did this switch to a local resident discussion? What is this ‘crap’ you refer to?

big_g wrote:

The lake was a natural walleye producing beast… for decades….

It always has been. Nets haven’t changed that a bit. It simple logic really. But I know you love to blame nets and that dead horse has been beat plenty so I’ll leave it at that.

Ripjiggen wrote:

This paragraph should read something like ‘the lake saw a massive hatch of perch 4-5 years ago. This allowed the walleyes to feed on perch instead of eating all the baby walleyes. This has created great survival for the walleye yoy and the lake is loaded with small walleye now so the future is looking good.

Was it low forage or too high of bigger hungry walleyes. Or both.
Agree always going to ebbs and flows just like every lake in the state but it got out of whack because of their own doing.

Both. But I think the forage is the most important factor.