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2nd Annual Fall Frenzy - Oct 3rd, 4th and 5th


Paul Waldowski

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The reset for the GFCI is right inside the door of cabin 5. grin

Guess I will have to step up and take reset duties in the absence of Eric. Man I am sure gonna miss the commraderie you bring to the table.

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Originally Posted By: boilerguy

The reset for the GFCI is right inside the door of cabin 5. grin

Guess I will have to step up and take reset duties in the absence of Eric. Man I am sure gonna miss the commraderie you bring to the table.

Dudes, it's my loss, not yours. Last years event was top 10 in the most awesome category. I'm feeling it will only get better. I'm missing out on some serious good times, not to mention the awesome fall Mille Lacs piggie adventures!!!

I wanna see pictures!!!!!

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I think I'm in the same situation as you are. Not looking good as of now to get back up there.

Again, if there is anyone else looking at these posts and wants to meet a great group of guys and learn a ton of info on Fall Eyes, and the crank bite , call and get a spot before it is filled up.

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Ok....reservation made. It was nice talking to you Paul.

Looking forward to meeting you.

As recommended I won't be bringing my 14 ft. boat so I will be looking for an open seat. grin

I do have references from FM'ers...the Annandale GTG and the Womens GTG at Lake Osakis.

I had the pleasure of meeting Patti last week to look at her "new" boat. I see she's looking for a seat...any one of you would be very happy to have her with. Great girl and will provide some laughs for sure. She'd make any cranky ol fart grin a little.

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I don't think anyone that needs an open seat will have a problem finding one. Last year most boats had 2 people in them, but 3 and even 4 is very doable, and there are advantages to having more lines in the water for this kind of fishing. And Paul told me his mac daddy trolling pontoon could handle 6 people.

I might have an open seat. I have one "for sure" and a couple of "maybes" in my boat right now.

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Alright guys, it's getting to be time to buy a few new lures, especially with a big trip coming up. How about your top 5 for trolling Mille Lacs in the fall?

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RR...

I am somewhat of a newbie at this deal, but I learned a ton last year fishing with PerchJerker up there. My favorite bait especially for the moon phase we will be in up there is no longer produced, but you can find em once in a while on ebay, for (gulp) 20 bucks.

For me here is the list:

1. Rapala Husky Jerk 12/14 in Orange Craw

2. Rapala Husky Jerk 12/14 in Firetiger

3. Rapala Husky Jerk 12/14 in Tennessee Shad

4. Rapala Husky Jerk 12/14 in Glass Perch

5. Rapala Husky Jerk 12/14 in Glass Purple Perch

6. Rapala Husky Jerk 12/14 in Clown or Glass Clown

7. Rapala Hucky Jerk 12/14 in Gold

You might have noticed a trend in the selections, and there is a good reason for it. From what I have learned the fish are going for big baits to bulk up for winter so they want meat, and lots of it. I have even heard storys of guys catching big eyes on suicks and Rapala F-18s up there too. The Husky Jerk runs in the perfect depth range for where the walleyes should be during a typical fall (6-10 feet) when trolled. Depending on how much line you have out, you can adjust em to get the desired depth.

If you guys can't tell, I am really freakin excited to get back up there this fall. Can't wait to stick a nice eye or two. From the sounds of things we might even be able to find some slot fish this year. Last year they were all in the 22-28" range it seemed. I want to win my dollar back... grin

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Man this sounds like a blast! Wish i could go but with college and work i dont think im gonna be able to make it. frown Hopefully next year!

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I got my Orange husky jerk-baits on line in Feb. I pd $7.00. Keep checking various places. matt or patt @ Thorne bros. may be able to help you locate some. It's worth giving them a try.

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The baits that are likely to be hot will depend on the water temperature. If the water is still warm small shad baits and shallow shad raps are likely to the be the ticket. If the water has cooled past the mid 50's or for sure the low 50's then stick baits like Husky jerk-baits and Rogues are likely to be the ticket. It is almost a one-or-the-other-bite ...... if shads are working then sticks probably aren't, and if sticks are working then shads probably aren't. If both are working ..... well, then it's probably either a fantastic bite or a terrible bite.

I prefer big baits but right when the bite is switching from shads to sticks it seems like the smaller stickbaits sometimes work better ..... and a lot of that has to do with the depth and structure you're fishing. One of my best trips on the east side of the lake (near Appledoorns) in recent years was in 3-4 feet of rocky water, and we had to run small stickbaits because everything else would run too deep.

For colors, simplify things as much as possible. You need firetiger (I have had nights up there where I haven't run a color other than firetiger). You need a reflective pattern like clown or chrome blue. And you need a dark pattern like perch or black/gold or something dark green, dark purple or the dark orange craw color that guys have been talking about.

The baits I run the most in the fall are #7 and #8 shallow shad raps, #12 husky jerk-baits, and the rogue that is about the same size or slightly larger than the #12 husky jerk. There's other baits I run too, but these are the most common.

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Hey Dave or Paul,

With the weather we have had this year and the lake already being cooler than it was last year at this time, what are the chances we will have low 50s by the time we get up there? I am really hoping for low 50s, but I really enjoyed the 80 degree high we had on Saturday last year.

When do you slow down from 2.2-1.8 down to 1.5 or slower? Is it when the water temps hit 52 ish? Last year it was 57 or 58 wasn't it?

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As of last week the temps were still around 70. I would guess the temps in a month would be around 56-58 unless we get some nasty weather.

As far as speeds, it could be different from night to night. Usually with colder temps slower is better.

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Rain will cool a lake down faster than air temperatures. An extended warm spell or cold spell can have a noticable effect too.

The colors, speeds, baits etc. I talk about are really just guidelines and starting points. The bite changes from night to night and many times it changes during the night as conditions change.

The point is, none of it is a guarantee or a sure thing. It's a good starting point and it's playing the percentages. But sometimes doing the opposite (or something else) with bait choice or speed or color will beat the percentages.

If the water is low 50's, 2 mph or a bit slower would be a good starting point. If not getting fish then try it faster and slower until you find something that works.

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Polarsus-

You missed Rainbow Trout on that list. grin

Don't rule out Super Rogues, Thundersticks, and even some Original Floating Raps, Floating Rogues, etc.

I'd rather have a variety of lures to cover different depth ranges. Also a variety of lure actions/wobbles as indicated already (shad vs minnow baits). Rattle vs no Rattle.

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Thanks for the info guys, I think I'm pretty much covered for HJ's and Shad Raps, well I have enough that I will only buy a few more, probably in the 14 size as I don't have any that size. Also I will look at some Rouges and maybe a #8 or #9 SSR or 2.

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Just got back from Runnings picked up 2 #9 SSR's went with my 2 personal favorites, Firetiger and Walleye.

Anyone ever run Jointed Rapala's up there in fall? (Hoping not, tackle box space is at a premium, and I don't have any larger ones......

Getting excited already if you guys can't tell...

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RR, when I fish with you in a couple of weeks I'll show you a few of the lures I picked up for last years event. Depending on a few things, there is a good chance these are the lures we'll be using on Sarah.

Warmer days for perch and cooler nights for eyes. Heaven on earth!!!!!

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

The #11 jointed raps can be very effective. The jointed #13 can be effective also but they run pretty deep.

My mainstays are the huskey jerk-baits, thundersticks, floating raps in #11 & #13, super rogues and shallow floating rogues for working water less than 5 feet. A new favorite is the #10 Xrap. Generally by September I'm pulling more stick baits. There have been exceptions though where they wouldn't touch a stick bait so the shads definitely go along.

Usually when it's dark like it'll be during Fall Fenzy I use the flour. orange/gold, perch and gold versions. Firetiger has been a wildcard for me working both in dark and moon lit nights. Last year a firetiger #12 husky jerk-baits was hot in my boat. Lots of good shoreline and reefs to fish on the east side. We hit a couple of spots before we found a good concentration of walleyes. So don't be afraid to move around. But be careful as the water is low again this fall.

Also once you get to know the peice of structure you may need to change depths. Often the 6-10 ft depth gets hammered. It can be good but most run it because it's "safe". The the bite stops there either move shallower or deeper. Most times I move shallower and have been rewarded.

Yeah Chris....That rainbow in the huskey jerk or floating rapala can be gold up on Mille Lacs. Sadly they have discontinued it but if you keep your eyes open you can still find a few....right?

Good Luck!

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Jeff,

We did have a good bite that eve. It was a good time!!!. Gave me a chance to break in the new G. Loomis IMX crank rod I built.

I'll give out another spot on the east side. Right in front of Fischer's also is an awesome area. Fish depths anywhere from 12 ft and shallower. Don't be afraid to move shallower than 6 ft either. grin

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Maybe Mike and I should be bringing my old Rebel up so if we hit some big rocks its no big deal.....

Has anyone ever tried casting cranks in that <6 ft range at night?

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RR, if you locate a few fish, chances are there will be more in the area. A lot of guys have marked a point and started casting, you wont get the same depth casting as you would trolling 110' back, but a quick switch of lures and you are in the right area. I haven't had the opportunity to do it myself yet but it is a popular tactic.

One thing with casting vs trolling. You are going to need to pay attention to the speed at which you reel in, a lot of times the speed of the bait is what gets em to commit. Fishing bass with cranks, I tend to be a burner so I really have to watch what I would be doing.

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There are times when casting the shallow water works better than trolling.

Remember these fish get pounded up there pretty hard with trolling. Sometimes quiet is better. I've done just as well using lighted bobbers or casting in 3-5 ft.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

On pieces of structure that I know like the back of my hand I'll troll 2-3 feet depending on wave action. If you find a contact point were fish are hanging then casting will be very effective.

I won't go that shallow on purpose on structures that I don't know well. If it's new scope it out thoroughly during daylight hours.

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Do you have to have your own boat for this event? Or are their people that have open seats and wouldnt mind having someone go with?

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Borch makes a HUGE point about knowing what the structure is and where it is... A GPS/chips and locators are essential but actually navigating those areas is even more important if you are taking on less than 6' of water IMO.

Reefs in the spring tend to be further from the surface than in the fall and in the dark is not the time to be finding out just how much closer to the surface!

Good luck and be safe!

Dale

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Keep in mind the lake is still down a couple feet from normal. So, a chip showing 6 is closer to 4 feet deep.

I was reminded of that last year while I was in my skivvies pushing the boat off a rock pile. The Mrs was not impressed... The bruises on the bottom of my feet and the black toe nail that took the better part of 4 months to grow out also stood as reminders! Oops......

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Good point Cjac. When I was scouting the east side last fall with my GPS chip I looked for reefs that topped out between 6-10 fow. There were fish on the first one I checked last fall.

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One thing to keep in mind about map chips - they are NOT that accurate for a lot of shoreline contours especially in rocky areas. It has to do with how the maps were made, they basically get on a contour and try to follow it to get the info for the map. They do not go over every inch fo the lake to generate the maps. So in rocky shoreline contours where there's a lot of variation in the bottom there will be a lot of shallow spots that are not shown. I know of several areas like this. Bottom line - if you rely only on the chip for trolling shallow water, plan to hit rocks.

The chips are much more accurate for mid-lake structure and for shoreline areas that don't have a lot of variation.

If you compare LakeMaster chips to Navionics chips you can find areas where one chip shows something the other chip is missing.

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There is a spot out in front of Hunters that is 4-6' but out of no where there is a pile of rocks that will catch your motor. Luckily we found this in the daylight last fall and could avoid it.

Not sure if i can make the weekend, but might come up for the day/night fishing Saturday and would also have an open seat in the boat if i do make it.

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