Where to launch from?

[styx]

My brother and I plan to give the night fishing a try this friday or saturday. I have looked at the prior posts and plan on scoping things out a bit during the day and pulling cranks at night.

I am looking for advice on a few things:

Where do you suggest to launch from for 2 guys who have not fished at night on ML before. I know it is a totally different ballgame out there at night and I want to keep us out of trouble. Are there certain places to launch from that are near the fishing areas and easier to get back to the doc?

Any suggestions on strategies to try during the day?

Thanks guys

[Willy]

Most doods are going out of the Casino landing. Be carefull there though, there is a channel you have to drive through otherwise you will do a little bottom banging. You should be able to catch fish right out of the landing even though it has been getting pounded pretty hard for a while now.

My advice for during the day - sleep. Or try corkin on anyplace recieving wind or fish perch in the bays.

[Guest]

The casino is a good place to launch. Just make sure when you leave the little harbor area

you go straight out of it and stay to the south. Go straight out, don't change coarse until you

get at least to 6 feet. The north side is shallow and rocky and you will chew up your prop.

If anyone is going out, watch to see how they go out.

Actually you might as well go out to 8 feet then start trolling. Go slow - around 1.5 mph and

drop it into neutral once in a while to come to a dead stop. #12 husky's wprk the best for me.

It is leagal to keep fish up to 22 inches, but the fish 20 - 22 inches are

the prime breeders. And this time of year they are FAT!

There are plenty of 14 - 18 inchers to eat.

Good luck, I probably will be out there too.

[styx]

Thanks Guys,

do you suggest any other places / resorts to launch from if the wind makes it too rough out of the casino landding?

Also do you just bobber fish for perches in the bays?

[Schnauzer]

Skindog posted excellent advice. Unless you get a heavy direct NE or E wind, the Casino launch would be a good bet. The good news is the ramp itself is protected - almost harbor like. The bad news is (as mentioned) the territory between the harbor mouth and 5' is very shallow and you have to take care to make sure you are going out at a right angle from shore. If you stray to either side, you will find 1 to 1.5 feet of water.

If wind is a major factor, you can look at any Mille Lacs map and pick a public launch that is on a side of the lake the wind is coming from.

[minnesotatuff]

styx,

if the wind is right, eddy's is a good place to launch from. the nice thing about it is lot of light and not as much traffic as the public access.

good luck,

minnesotatuff

[Willy]

You could bobber fish. Otherwise pitching jigs into the weeds or vertical jiggin if you can find a pod of them.

Isle has a good perch bite most falls.

[Paul Waldowski]

I will second Eddy's. Never have to worry about your vehicle, the place is lit up like a x-mas tree and the ramps are actually level, which makes it oh so much easier to get the boat on the trailer

[eyesoneyes]

You might want to try Fishermen's Wharf on big point. The point holds good fish this time of year. Good boat launch and you don't have to go far to find fish.

[Mykal]

Has anyone ever launched out of Wealthwood Public or N. Garrison,( Not Garrison at Pike Point). Or do you have a better option close to the North side? It's a long boat ride from the West or East sides at night. Thanks.

[Paul Waldowski]

Mykal,

Wealthwood is not an improved access, it has a gravel/sand ramp and can be tough to get your boat in and out of the water. It is especially brutal at night

[Random guy]

Wealthwood can be a tough access. It's pretty shallow and the dock sits way out of the water with bolts sticking out, it'll give ya a fancy paint job. If you want to launch out in that area check out The Red Door Resort, I belive they are one of the Fishing Minnesota sponsors. They have a pay ramp that is well worth the money. Protected harbor, peaceful and best of all the folks are super nice at the Red Door. I normaly stay at the Red Door when I am fishing the big pond and have never heard of any trouble with theft or any other problems.

[PerchJerker]

Red Door is nice, we stayed there for the first time this year. Probably staying there next year too.

The north Garrison access is OK but it is completely unprotected from any south or east wind, and now the dock is out. You need to be very selective when using that access. I almost never use the Pike Point access, too shallow and rocky.

One access I used a few times on the north end is the Garrison Marina. Since the boat houses collapsed they haven't been charging and it's never crowded. It looks a little spooky and deserted at night, kind of like a ghost town, but it's a nice protected access and is close to Myr Mar and St. Albans. Terry's Boat Harbor is another good spot if you're fishing St. Albans.

[styx]

thanks for all the help guys. My brother and I did make it out friday from 5-10pm. Everything you guys posted was dead on. We caught 5 walleyes over 20 inches that first hour alone( biggest one 27 in)

THANKS AGAIN FOR THE HELP GUYS.

WHAT A GREAT SITE.

[Riverdude]

How much line do you let when trolling with the hj's

[styx]

I am no expert but with the number of boats out there were doing fine with 50-70feet out.

[Mykal]

Paul, Jon, and PerchJerker, thank you for the information. I was wondering why I never hear much aout the Wealthwood launch. I agree that Pike Point isn't much fun either once the dock is pulled. I will be out again this weekend. Good luck to those that venture out.