Mille Lacs update 10/19

Fall fishing is getting to be in full swing as the water temperature continues to drop. The water temp is now at 45 deg F. The water temperature should stabilize for a few days as we get a bit of warmer weather, then should continue to drop slowly. The visibility has been a few feet or so depending on the location and what the wind has been doing. These were the conditions as of Saturday, 10/17. I had to cancel my Sunday trip due to a mechanical problem and I'm off the water again today. Hopefully the guys at A1-Marine will have me back on the water again quickly.

Fishing has been average. We've been getting a bite each day but have been seeing few follows. Unfortunatly, my boat has seen it's share of bad luck with missed fish for the last five days or so. Last Wednesday we lost a fish near the boat that was hooked trolling a Slammer 10" Deep Minnow. Last Thursday one of my guests missed one on a Cisco Mag Dawg. Last Friday we lost a big one near the boat that shook off a a guest's Mo Joe. This past Saturday we missed two - I missed a grab on a pounder and my guest had one hooked on a cisco Mag Dawg but it came unpinned before he moved it very far. Oh well, that's musky fishing I guess - disappointment is part of the game and at least we're getting action. Still, boating those fish would have put us on a good streak.

We've been focusing on the reefs - both the edges and the high spots. The shallow spots on the reef are holding fish and the reef edges, especially the boulder piles near the edges, are also key locations.

I'll be back on the water Tuesday pounding away. I'll try to be more consistent with the updates from now until freeze. Conditions will be changing and I'll try to keep up. Don't winterize your boat for another month; this is the time to go for a monster.

Paul,

Just wanted to say thanks again for a great trip, despite the fact that I continue to have night-terrors about the fish I briefly hooked. Hope all went well with the motor issues and you are back to fishing again. Luke and I got out yesterday and he broke the power handle on his reel setting the hooks on a mid-30s that ended up getting off at the boat. He was using one of my spinnerbaits we had modified after our trip with you. Not exactly the pig we were looking for. Hope to get back up to the pond before the season to pop our 50. As a bonus Luke got a 44" northern trolling on Sunday, it sure had us fooled and was a pig none-the-less. Good luck and thanks again.

John