Smallmouth Nut, where should I go?

[jmillsp]

I know I am very late in getting a reservation anywhere this year. I usually fish a couple of different lakes in Northern Wisconsin but have been thinking some of getting back to Minnesota! I love to catch and release smallies with the opportunity for a 5 pound plus. Where would you go if you were me? I don't use a canoe.

Thanks so much.

[Thundy]

mille lacs

[T-water]

Vermillion, Mille Lacs, Turtle Lake (Marcell), Ely Lakes.

[RumRiverRat]

Lake Pepin/Pool #4 of the Mississippi.

Stay in the quaint towns of Redwing,MN or Wabasha,MN

[fishuhalik]

Mille Lacs if you're in MN, but from what I've heard Chemonoquen (sp?) bay is perty tough to beat

[deadeye]

In Minnesota its hard to beat Vermilion. You could slam the smallies there plus you can also do the portage to trout lake and dominate them there too.

Otherwise pretty much all the lakes in the Ely area are fantastic smallie lakes. I got loads of analog photos of 20" plus fish from the lakes in the immediate area. Moose, the whole White Iron/Farm/Garden lakes chain, Shagawa, Burntside and Fall lake are all mint. Plus you got the best of several other kinds of fish in the area.

Mille lacs is sweet if you don't want to drive as far.

You can't go wrong with the Mississippi either.

[SneakAttack]

Minnewaska or Green

[Gopher_Guy]

I'd like to take my gal up to Mille Lacs for some bronzeback action. Obviously, being a chick she gets bored easily. Where would be decent spots to go to keep the interest level high? I don't need to catch 18 inchers (although I wouldn't complain!), but consistent numbers in the 12-15 inch range could provide some serious fun. I have a decent boat (16 foot lund with 40 HP) but if it's really windy it's not really enough boat to be out far.

[TonkaBass]

Minnewaska or Green

I wouldn't go to green for smallies anymore as they aren't doing very well there anymore. For sure don't go if you're looking for a 20"er, I have only seen one and it was 20 1/2" and weighed in at 3 lb. 4 oz.

[RumRiverRat]

I'd like to take my gal up to Mille Lacs for some bronzeback action. Obviously, being a chick she gets bored easily. Where would be decent spots to go to keep the interest level high? I don't need to catch 18 inchers (although I wouldn't complain!), but consistent numbers in the 12-15 inch range could provide some serious fun. I have a decent boat (16 foot lund with 40 HP) but if it's really windy it's not really enough boat to be out far.

Go down and fish Lake Pepin.

Closer to home and loaded with Smallies, just fish rip rap and you will find fish.

[Juan Grande]

Gopher_Guy,

Most people will say to fish the shallow rock piles which is probably your best bet. The SE side of the lake has a ton of them and they're marked with buoys so they're easy to find.

If we've had a stable weather you should be able to see them on the shallow rocks, probably feeding on crayfish. If they scatter when you come close then you'll probably have to pull off the rock pile and make long casts as they're spooky. Craw type lures like tubes and jigs with craw trailers would work well. You could also use cranks, senkos and whatever else you'd usually fish for smallies. If your gal doesn't like to cast then she could throw out a leach or full nightcrawler under a bobber which works well too.

If the fish are not shallow then you could trying fishing the deeper rock edges or a deeper rock pile altogether.

[jmillsp]

Wow, I am glad I started this post! You guys have already given me more lakes than I will ever be able to fish. As I get older and not far from retirement, I have to think about all the places I may be missing out on but it takes so long to learn a new spot I find myself going back to the same ole places I know. Guess I am stuck in a rut. I love smallies and we just don't have many in SE Iowa, in fact, it is rare to catch one down here!

PS On a side note, how in the heck do I sign up so I get an email notification when there has been a reply on a thread? [email protected]

[jmillsp]

I now find I am in the same predicament I was in last year. Any new ideas this year? I still haven't figured out how to be notified of replies in a thread on this site!

[Further North]

Click "Topic Options" at the top of the page, right under "My Stuff", pick "Add This Topic to Your Watched Topics" off the menu...you'll get a message that that has been done, and you should be good to go.

[Crankbait10]

I'm also thinking about reeling in some smallies haven't caught any for years since my last adventure with them in the Mississippi by the coon rapids dam. I'm in the metro area I was thinking bout st. criox any tips where to begin there its a huge river to cover the spaces... As for mile lacs man that lake is like an ocean I failed miserably the last time I attempted to fish for walleyes or even anything. I started on the south east corner launch and fished there upwards till i gave up and came back towards the little bridge then i actuallly caught a few northerns and blues and 2 19" eyes but no keepers on cranks and bobber with leech. I'd love to learn how to fish mile laacs but any tips would be great where to begin or where fishwives are normally concentrated.

[jmillsp]

Click "Topic Options" at the top of the page, right under "My Stuff", pick "Add This Topic to Your Watched Topics" off the menu...you'll get a message that that has been done, and you should be good to go.

For some reason, I am not being notified of replies. Thanks though.

[SledNeck]

In Minnesota its hard to beat Vermilion. You could slam the smallies there plus you can also do the portage to trout lake and dominate them there too.

Otherwise pretty much all the lakes in the Ely area are fantastic smallie lakes. I got loads of analog photos of 20" plus fish from the lakes in the immediate area. Moose, the whole White Iron/Farm/Garden lakes chain, Shagawa, Burntside and Fall lake are all mint. Plus you got the best of several other kinds of fish in the area.

Mille lacs is sweet if you don't want to drive as far.

You can't go wrong with the Mississippi either.

good luck getting anything big in trout lake

[Steve Foss]

Vermilion is a dang, dang fine smallie fishery with plenty of 5-lb + fish.

For the very best combo walleye/smallie action, wait until late September or early October and drift/troll bottom bouncer rigs with large minnows around deep structure such as humps, reefs and points. In many of those locations the smallies and walleyes are mixed in, and they are both putting on the feedbag.

Six pound smallies are not at all unusual during this time, and you've got the walleyes for the table. It is my favorite time to fish Vermilion.

I'm not really up on the resort scene on Vermilion, but you could well find that booking now for that time of year is possible. It's past the typical summer vacation season.