After warm weather to start the season, the weather has been unsettled, wet, and cold for a two week stretch including lots and lots of thunderstorms and one record-setting day of statewide tornados. During that time the fishing has been very hit-or-miss with an mix of good trips and bad. The past few days provide a good example. My guys on Saturday boated a 42" at sunset and lost a big one after dark and had lots of follows; Sunday was really slow day for my guests with only one half-hearted follow that flared 20 ft. from the boat; Monday's guests had over a dozen follows than included a couple nippers, but no fish would commit with a solid strike.

The weather should be toasty warm and humid for the next week or so. Warming water temps will improve the action. Anyone familiar with Mille Lacs knows that it really pops around the end of June or early July, so it should happen any day now.