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Lake Travel...


Team Otter

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Kicking around heading that direction for 4 - 5 days through this weekend.

What are travel conditions like on the lake for pulling wheel houses, etc off the W side (i.e. Terry's, casino)?

Any information would be great. Thank you.

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I drove on at Terrys Sat. and he and Rick had roads plowed to just about anywhere you want to go to catch fish. If only they were biting. They turned off like a switch on Friday afternoon and just started to bite at 9AM when I went home to get ready to watch the superbowl. So hopefully they will be ready to bite this weekend. Anyways I will be fishing and not working. See you on the frozen water.

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Thanks a ton.

Was off-road travel reasonable or out of the question?

How about travel out of Fisherman's Wharf to the Highway Bar area?

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went out of cove bay this weekend had jay plow a spot for us. Snow was extremely hard packed but decivingly deep. We never ventureed far off the roads but when we did it held up under the tahoe we were in. I think it should be okay but there might b a few soft spots out there.

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Thanks.

Any other information on perch bite, etc. is welcome. It's been awhile for me up there. Time to dust off the GPS...

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Otter- your Way better off staying right down in southern mn. you know where the fish are there, the Pond (SUCKS)this year, been up there enought to tell you that, the bite is (Horses--t) This year.if you enjoy viewing 3-4 inch perch on the cam. then that's fine. anyway the roads out of Hunter's to Boot & 3-mile & fisher's were just fine pulling a wheel house. ( we have a 16ft )

Good luck you'll need it !!!

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I expect the jumbo bite to get going any time. That's mainly what I'm interested in; besides, I need a change of scenery. Ha!

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sure would think so but, we have one more weekend planned up there & that will be the last of feb, going to give the flats another shot! the last time we were there ( on the flats which was 2 weekends ago eye's on the camera but Kiss my jig --GOOD BYE ) but the bottom line was STRIKE OUT !!!

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I would try gull or rush before heading to Mille Lacs right now. Everything I have heard is either slow, but it is Feb. If you do go to Mille Lacs, stay at Appeldorns. They have the best places on the lake.

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Otter, we got some whoppers out deep next to the flats. If you stumble onto some big ones they do bite.

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I went out of the south side at Lybacks this past weekend. Lake travel was pretty easy. Good roads. Lybacks had road plowed to all their usual spots. I was fishing the back side of bannana reef. There were lots of little perch, an occasional jumbo, and a fair amount of walleye on the camera. Few biters. I only caught 3 perch. I did catch a round goby. Strange looking fish. I didn't know that they were in Mille Lacs. I threw it out. Saw a few more on the camera. I have no idea how this species is going to impact the lake.

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Fish - Are you positive that it was a round goby? The reason that I ask is that in the past five years that I've worked for the DNR I've never heard of round gobies being reported in Mille Lacs. I'm guessing, without seeing a picture, that you probably caught a species of sculpin that are native to the lake and look very similar to a goby. I talked to the area office in Aitkin this morning and they reported that a few calls have been fielded about round gobies this year, but all the pictures and decscriptions have been of sculpins. If you do catch another one and have questions PLEASE keep it and bring it to the Aitkin Area Fisheries office for positive identification or call Tom Jones (large lake biologist) or Rick Bruesewitz (Area Supervisor) at 218-927-3751 to report it.

Thanks,

Joe - WAR EAGLE!!!

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War Eagle,

I looked at some pics of the two. I wouldn't be able to tell forsure which one I caught. I was in a dim lit portable. I will definately hang on to one next time. I am kicking myself now. Maybe lybacks rental fisherman caught some. I will let my friends know to contact the fisheries. I don't want to start rumers about a fish being there that really isn't. Thanks for your knowledge.

fish

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Thanks for sharing what you know and/or learned.

We're leaving ~10:00 am Thursday and will return some time Sunday. Perhaps the upcoming front will spur a bite...

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I am heading up Friday morning going out of Appeldoorns. We are staying in a sleeper and running around in portables/wheelers by day. Maybe run into ya on the mud.

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T.O. The river bite has been hot im down river from there 40 miles in winona we been hitting the eye's and saugers like crazy.Also we are out fishing below the damns on the river but make sure you have a spud bar for checking the ice because some can be thin and have current under it.Early morning for a couple hours then at about a hour befor sunset has been very hot as of late.Im sure pepin is going to have some action as it allways has when i been up that way. Good luck im sure you are makin a better choice i been on the pond 8 times this year and yes i have caught fish but seen a lot more then i caught do to all the feed in the lake back up there Feb 18 - Feb 26 on the pond or lakes around there. cool.gif

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We'll see what unfolds. We're looking to fish the Maiden Rock area but still probing for information about ice conditions, etc.

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Fish and Wareagle, I was out at my ice house around the end of December and I too caught what I thought was a round goby, but after doing a little research and contacting the DNR, I found out that it was actually a Sculpin and not a Round Goby. The Sculpin is actually a darker color compared to the lighter color Goby. I have the picture of it on my computer at work and I will post on here what it looks like when I get to work tomorrow.

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There are still fish to be had. My cousin was up last Monday and caught 28 walleyes ranging in size. Biggest was 27"

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T.O. If you dont mind let me know how you do on pepin on your trip im sure you will enjoy it and have some good luck on the lake. Thanks happy fishing cool.gif

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Here are the pictures of the Sculpin that I caught on Mille Lacs. Does this look like what you caught?

IMG_0867.jpg

IMG_0866.jpg

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T.O. Just want to say awesome report i new you where in for a great bite way to go and thanks for the report. cool.gif

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