With The cold Northwest winds and temps hovering at zero we were unsure of what the morning would hold for us as far as the perch bite would go today. Our game plan for today, fishing the second annual White Cap Inn Perch Pounder was Quality, not quantity. We were fishing for one big bite and the perch did not let us down!
We elected to fish an old perch hole closer to home. Bob carlson had scouted this area earlier in the week. Two of the top three fish weighed in the tourney came out of this small area.
Pictured here, from left to right, are the first, second and third place finishers with some really nice jumbos.
We did not see on our cameras or graph as many fish but the quality of the fish present was much improved from our previous trips to the flats.
Here’s Jeremy Gallimore from Hastings who took top honors with a 1.52 lbs. jumbo. He did not divulged his winning method to us but was very pleased with his first place check.
The fish we caught all were 3/4 lbs. or bigger with a few true pigs brought into the scale. Pictured here is my son Josh with his second place check won with a 1.45 lbs. perch caught on a weasel tipped with a small minnow head. Now fishing only feet away from him the half dozen fish I iced were all caught with a green and orange weasel tipped with a couple waxies. These big fish are agressive, not hesitating to come right in and inhale the bait as seen on the camera. Unlike on the flats in previous trips where the abundance of forage had those fish not appearing as interested in eating anything we offered.
Sitting just a couple yards to the North of us was Third place finisher Travis Rosenbaum seen here with his check in hand. He was jigging waxies on one line and a minnow head on the other. His fish was caught early and weighed in at 1.39 lbs. He had much more action on his camera than I, he iced a half dozen tulibee for the smoker to go along with a nice catch of jumbos for the frying pan.
Fun was had by all with the owners of White Cap finishing the day up with a pig roast and a raffle where good times and great laughs were had by all.
Good Fishing
Sounds like you boys had fun. How many people fished this Tourney?
Great day on the ice for sure!!!! Yes, I had scouted this area prior, but my buddy Travis had them dialed in! As kids we had fished this area many times filling buckets with perch in the 70’s…..after fishing the mid lake mud flats for the past 3+ weeks I decided to as Hook stated “fish for one bite” It’s amazing the size of some of these female perch now in Mille Lacs. First the 1.75 lb’er winning the Liberty contest and the pigs we brought in yesterday. Note the weights Hook listed were weighed in the hundredth’s of a pound…….
so these perch weighed just above and below 1.8 oz’s
Great food, great friends and good drinks! I had a great time……….
Tony, I think I heard that they had sold 150 buttons. It’s a day of fun with many friends and a few new ones also…….
Here’s a picture of the color gaurd salute to all the Veterans and enlisted serving our country around the world. All of the tourneys i’ve participated in this winter have been attended by this group reminding us to remember and pray for those faithfully serving our country.
Thank You to all that have served in the past and will serve in the future.
Here’s a picture of Dick and Sue Robertson the owners of White Cap Inn.
Thanks for hosting a fun tourney and a great weekend.
Congradulations Josh on your 2nd place finish someone has to show those old farts how its done.
Who you calling a Fart? LOL
No Nate, Josh has almost always out fished me, but I have always taken pride in being the one to show him how and where to catch them!!!
How I love you young, adventuresome smart guys. Wisdom is yet to come!
well I know Tim
my dad tought me almost everything I know and let me tell we take more pride in knowing that our fathers/best friends took the time to teach us.
we just love it when we out fish the so called WISE ONES
Thanks Nate. It was a good time showing them old guys how to fish!!!
But I had some good guys helping me out this whole time when it comes to hunting and fishing.
Like my dad says though, “The hard part is finding the fish, the easy part is catching them”.
Josh Hukriede
Beating the WISE ONES isn’t too hard to do anymore when hes too crippled up with neck, back and hand injuries from work. BUT you will have to pry the fishing rod from my dead hands when its time for me to meet my Lord because I want to take a rod with me. Watching a son beat you in a tournament really feels great though because it was him that beat you. Watching a son fish, a passion that you love and passsed on to him, feels great too. I really miss the days when Nate was younger and HAD to fish with me because I was going fishing and wherever I went he HAD to go too. He grew up fishing with me and those memories I will always cheerish. Someday Nate will know how us Dads feel when our younger one kicks our hindends.
Only then will they understand the WISE ONES. 
Congrats to your son! 
I know how you feel. 
Thanks, Bill
Congrats Josh!
We were thinking about you guys in your nice warm fish houses as we froze our a**es off in the boat for the IDA tournament. Ben got to fish his first tournament. He is plenty hooked now. He won a rod as a door prize. He is going to give LeRoy a bunch of guff this week because he and Dad caught more fish than we did in the Freeze Your Butt tournament last weekend!
Tuck
Good job Josh!
Sounds like a good time again.
Thanks guys, it was a lot of fun. I remember my first tournement with my dad. It was all it took to get me hooked. I’ve enjoyed them ever since. I can’t wait till opening of fishing for the tournements to start again. Grandpa and I will have to defend our title in the Annual Big D Clasic.
Josh Hukriede
Ha,Ha…..me and your old man are going to kick your butt youngman! you better start pre-fishing the day the ice comes off the lake.
Bob, Bet I know where those perch were caught.
Hey Putz……
Yeap, they were caught right next to Jimmy Gs. Fishhouse! lol
We did catch some nice fish though and they fried up really nice yesterday for lunch!
We feasted like Kings.
Funny thing, I don’t remember Jimmy catching any fish…..oh ya he was late getting out again! 10am is a little late
I don’t even remember him drilling holes!
Sounds like you guys had a blast! Wish I coulda been there!
What’s on tap for next weekend? I know it’s early, but I gotta plan! You guys want to come down to Pool 4 for a day? Or, I could come up after perch?
Hook, call me and let’s set up a lunch this week!
Tuck
Sounds familiar.
Bob, when I stopped by you guys last Sunday, my GPS said to go another 0.15 miles west. Is there a spot on a spot out there or is it all about the same?
Don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.
Yes….it’s the spot on the spot. What you have out there are depressions in the bottom that seam to hold the fish. These depressions are small in the area that they are……only 1-2 feet in depth from a short distance.
a few more pic’s from the White Cap Perch Pounder.
This first photo is our hand warmer, it’s new on the market….check them out at your local sports equipment store!
another…..
a picture of some of the crew!
Yup, recognize those faces. Great to meet all you guys in the last few years.