Looking around Mille Lacs

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Highly likeable avid angler Dan Quinn works for Normark two hours south of Mille Lacs in Minneapolis. He grew up just 25-minutes from Mille Lacs, and served as our knowledgeable tour guide. He recommends a good fishing day begin with breakfast at Spotlite Café in Garrison. “Spotlite brings a small town vibe with great food, great waitresses, and it’s close to the Garrison public boat ramp,” says Quinn.
Highly likeable avid angler Dan Quinn works for Normark two hours south of Mille Lacs in Minneapolis. He grew up just 25-minutes from Mille Lacs, and served as our knowledgeable tour guide. He recommends a good fishing day begin with breakfast at Spotlite Café in Garrison. “Spotlite brings a small town vibe with great food, great waitresses, and it’s close to the Garrison public boat ramp,” says Quinn.
Cormorants gather for breakfast on one of the most recognizable points on Mille Lacs’ west side.
Cormorants gather for breakfast on one of the most recognizable points on Mille Lacs’ west side.
You can’t come to Mille Lacs without seeing the huge walleye statue in Garrison.
You can’t come to Mille Lacs without seeing the huge walleye statue in Garrison.
For the first time in many months, dependable jackets and outerwear will replace flip flop sandals and sweat-wicking shirts among the Bassmaster Elites. The first major autumn cold front just hit Mille Lacs, and according to The Weather Channel, high temps won’t get out of the 60s throughout most of the tournament.
For the first time in many months, dependable jackets and outerwear will replace flip flop sandals and sweat-wicking shirts among the Bassmaster Elites. The first major autumn cold front just hit Mille Lacs, and according to The Weather Channel, high temps won’t get out of the 60s throughout most of the tournament.
While this photo may appear less-than-dramatic, it very accurately depicts a typical view of Mille Lacs. With 132,000 surface acres of open water in the massive cereal bowl-shaped shallow glacier lake, it is very susceptible to unblocked wind and big waves.
While this photo may appear less-than-dramatic, it very accurately depicts a typical view of Mille Lacs. With 132,000 surface acres of open water in the massive cereal bowl-shaped shallow glacier lake, it is very susceptible to unblocked wind and big waves.
One of the dozens of what locals call “launch boats” used to take large groups of people fishing sits at a popular ramp just behind Jordan Lee’s Carhartt wrapped Toyota Tundra.
One of the dozens of what locals call “launch boats” used to take large groups of people fishing sits at a popular ramp just behind Jordan Lee’s Carhartt wrapped Toyota Tundra.
Dan Quinn calls boulders the ‘life source’ of Mille Lacs. “While we have plenty of pencil reeds along the shoreline, most every major smallmouth pattern on this lake relates to big boulders, and the bigger the boulder – the bigger the smallmouth are that live there,” he says.
Dan Quinn calls boulders the ‘life source’ of Mille Lacs. “While we have plenty of pencil reeds along the shoreline, most every major smallmouth pattern on this lake relates to big boulders, and the bigger the boulder – the bigger the smallmouth are that live there,” he says.
Quinn chose these four lures as great tools for Mille Lacs, where perch and crawfish are such a dominant part of the forage base. “If fish are on top of the rock reefs, a crawfish colored DT 6 or DT 10 is as good as it gets,” says Quinn. “But whether fish are 5 feet deep or 25 feet deep, if you put a drop shot in front of their face, they’ll likely bite it.” He says a perch colored jerkbait is a year round staple on Mille Lacs, and a new lure called the BX Waking Minnow is incredible for coaxing bites when conditions get tough.
Quinn chose these four lures as great tools for Mille Lacs, where perch and crawfish are such a dominant part of the forage base. “If fish are on top of the rock reefs, a crawfish colored DT 6 or DT 10 is as good as it gets,” says Quinn. “But whether fish are 5 feet deep or 25 feet deep, if you put a drop shot in front of their face, they’ll likely bite it.” He says a perch colored jerkbait is a year round staple on Mille Lacs, and a new lure called the BX Waking Minnow is incredible for coaxing bites when conditions get tough.
When asked to choose one lure he thinks will win the first ever Bassmaster Elite ever to be held on Mille Lacs, Quinn chose a drop shot. He says numerous 20-pound limits of Smallmouth will be weighed in this week.
When asked to choose one lure he thinks will win the first ever Bassmaster Elite ever to be held on Mille Lacs, Quinn chose a drop shot. He says numerous 20-pound limits of Smallmouth will be weighed in this week.