I couldn't stay away...... After fishing for one evening this past week on Mille Lacs and enjoying a nice little "Crush" fest with Jay Moore, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go back this past weekend. The forecast was calling for nice weather and the fishing was everything we expected and more.
On Friday evening '"Nighthawk" a.k.a. Brennen Herzog (catchwithbrennen.com coming soon) and I arrived at Mac's Twin Bay on Lake Mille Lacs in time to get on the water for a quick evening bite. Our quick hit turned into 15 walleyes in a little over an hour and half with 7 nice keepers(5 overs went back in the water) going in the box for a fish fry when we returned to shore. Upon returning to shore we realized our sleeping accommodations had been over taken with bugs b/c we left a few windows open. Our only option was to pack up and run up the lake to Garrison and stay with a friend at the Harbor Inn.
It turned out to be a great move. We not only got to spend some time off the water with a few friends we also fished a new "shallow" area and got on the big fish on Saturday in a big way. Pictured above was the biggest fish of the trip, Jen Herzog's biggest walleye to date and it measured in at 26"-maybe even 27" if I pinch the tail a little more. Either way it was a heck of a nice walleye for a well deserving "fisher gal". I don't think she was ready for how hard the big ones pull, but she now understands. :)
The fish was one of the more "healthy" looking walleyes I have seen caught this year on Mille Lacs. Most of the fish we have been catching are on the skinny side. They all look like they have been on biggest loser. Not Jen's 26" fish; it looked like it was spending it's time chowing down at sunfishdonalds.
Jen had plenty of practice before she caught the dandy 26"er. She was also able to boat this 22" and a 23" and I believe one or two smaller fish. But none of this came without a price......
When we arrived to our area on Saturday evening to fish I explained to Jen how the fish would bite and then what to do in order to land them. After 4 (or more) whiffs she was finally hooked up. After that she had the hang of things and was boating fish as fast as I could bait her hook. Had she hooked and landed all the bites that she had it would have made this already incredible night even more epic. We will never know how many of those 4(maybe even more) bites were big'ns. I guess that is why they call it fishing and it keeps us all coming back for more.
We caught all of our fish on a #4 gamakatsu red octopus hook tipped with a large leech under a bobber in 12 feet of water. The fishing report for Lake Mille Lacs is good- it may even be better than good. I can tell you this.....there was no lack of people on the lake this weekend. If we saw one boat we saw 500. That was just the ones we could see. We finished saturday evening with 6 or 7 overs a few small throw backs and a few eaters for the oil when we got in. We also landed 2 perch that were over 11" and got to make the venture to the pan for dinner.
Sunday morning I woke up to calm winds and clear skies so we switched gears from chasing raw ryes to trying to get Jen her first ever smallmouth bass. We headed to an area of Lake Mille Lacs that historically kicks out some big bass in the spring and got her around some giants. After "only" losing the first 2 she had bite, she had the deal figured out and was hooked up on this 20 1/2" Smallie that pulled so hard it darn near "broke" her arm. We had accomplished what we set out on, her first smallmouth and it was a true giant. Not a bad way to start a bass fishing album.
In less then a 24 hour period Jen boated her biggest walleye, her first and biggest smallmouth, and lost enough others to make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Ha. It was a successful outing on all levels. The best smallmouth bite was in a few shallow rocky areas and I had her throwing a 3.5" tube. The key yo success was having a good pair of Costa polarized sunglasses . Without the glasses it would have been impossible to catch the giant smallies. I was able to boat a few giants myself in route to teaching her how to get these massive creatures to bite. A little instruction and she was off and catching on her own. Was pretty fun to watch her figure out where the fish were; then place the bait precisely in order to get the fish to bite.
Stay tuned for so much more.... I have a few things in my back pocket I have yet to disclose and you are gonna wanna see the pics and stories to come. Adventureswithmatt.com just continue to get better and better-didn't think it was possible. Hard work, dedication, and determination are truly the only way to chase your dreams........ Back to liv'n the dream and making life long memories for everyone that is willing to join in. Until next time, Fish On!
Monday, June 13, 2011 at 11:56AM 
"Nighthawk" aka Brennen and I hit the waters of Lake Mille Lacs in search of "big" smallmouth. With-in 10 minutes of being on the water we were on the smallies. This was Nighthawks first smallmouth and it went a little over 19". 
This fish wasn't able to resist my offering and went 21" I also boated numerous other fish in the 19"-21" range. I fish all over the country and can tell you that Mille Lacs(right now) is one of the greatest lakes in the country. It is in great shape and the fish are all huge. I know most people are on Lake Mille Lacs to fish walleye but I am here to tell you that it has a lot more to offer. Not only is it a great walleye fishery but the bass and muskie action is 2nd to none. I will be making many more ventures to Mille Lacs in the coming weeks so if you would like to get on the water for some giants-let me know. 
Lake Waconia