Mile Lacs Bass Angler FYI...

[LegendX]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/09...e-fishing.html

The hate of bass fisherman continues...

[bass-o-maticjm]

The local news named the resort that organized the protest. I can't remember the name but will look it up and make sure they never earn a penny from me in the future!

[RFeyoMN]

Gregorys Resort. It's a lame little resort that offers virtually nothing to a fisherman...of any type.

[RFeyoMN]

I never heard of it either!

[Champ187elite]

I know where Im never going!

[DanR]

I don't get it... the guy with the resort makes it sound like Bass people with their Rangers don't need a hotel but Walleye fishermen do? I'm confused as to what he was blaming the loss on... does he think Bass fishermen have a hidden cuddy on their fancy shmancy Rangers??

[basscat tyler]

Pretty sure these people are pissed that they don't get as much traffic on their fishing barges. Still no reason to bash on the bass fishermen that are contributing to the local economy. If these resorts don't adapt to the change in landscape of Mille Lacs they will go under

[snodogg]

And they fail to acknowledge the "old fashioned" family owned resort industry has been in decline across the entire State and region for the last 20+ years...it isn't just at lake Mille Lacs. How many family resorts in northern MN and WI have been sold off as private condos or redeveloped to private lake homes/cabins...

Their businesses are not only in decline because of the fishing but mainly in large part the change in lifestyle of Gen X and Millennials vs. that of the Baby Boomers

[cfm56doc]

Problem is they allowed the walleye to be over-fished. I would hope they would embrace the bass fisherman as they can definitely provide an income stream as the walleye fishermen cannot provide it until the bans are lifted.

BTW from whatI heard while in the Brainerd area last week, all the Mille Lacs resorts are hurting from the Walleye bans. More reason to embrace any type of fisherman who stay at those resorts.

[Champ187elite]

100% because they are not having a lot of people on the fishing barges, these dumb resort owners are so stuck in there ways. Here is an idea, start taking people smallie fishing instead of walleye fishing, who knows, you might get a new customer base if you do a good enough job.

Mille Lacs is never going to be the way it used to be, owners and businesses that realize that and adapt can continue to have success.

[KramerSP]

Bass are the #1 sport fish in the world. Minnesota has to just accept it. Plus, Walleye fishermen have done this to themselves. Catch and release for Walleyes is just now getting popular. And with that lake, every mudduck with a floating piece of tin, some bobbers and a bag of leeches would go there and keep everything.

[MN1965]

Plus, Walleye fishermen have done this to themselves. Catch and release for Walleyes is just now getting popular. And with that lake, every mudduck with a floating piece of tin, some bobbers and a bag of leeches would go there and keep everything.

That's certainly a part of it. I think there are at least 3 or four factors that have developed in my lifetime:

1. Native netting. There's no way you can say that netting spawning females in the Spring doesn't have an effect. Of course it does. I don't like it, but that battle was lost 20 years ago.

2. Technology. Most of the lake has no islands, so up until few decades ago, the mid-lake structure where the fish hang out in the summer was dang hard to find unless you had spent many years on the lake. Imagine finding the edge of a 20 foot flat in 30 feet of water 5 miles off shore by dipping a weight. The first maps with GPS coordinates got guys on the flats, but you still had to find the edges with sonar. Now, your sonar/GPS/iPilot will lock you right on. We are ALL becoming much more efficient at catching them.

3. The launches. There aren't as many operating as there used to be, but having several dozen boats with 20+ anglers bringing in limits of 6 each a couple times a day is certainly not helpful.

4. Invasive species. Zebra mussels, Muskie stocking, etc. Possible contributing factors.


We all would like to point to that "one thing" that is easy to change and bring things back to where they were, but I don't think it's that easy.

[DrewFlu33]

5. The lake is full of giant walleyes that are eating their smaller buddies out of house and home, then going ahead and eating their smaller buddies as well, all the while being too old to reproduce themselves. No matter what anyone says, they're not going to convince me that any fish in the lake eats more baby walleyes than big walleyes. That's where the giant disappearing year classes are going.


I know I'm preaching to the choir here - folks above have nailed it - but it's insane to me how stubborn these resort owners are. Most of them (not all, but most) would rather sit around and bitch about the walleyes and the DNR and ask for handouts rather than embrace the bass. Then that's not even enough. They take the "not embracing the bass" one step further and seemingly go out of the way to treat bass anglers like garbage. I've seen more than one post on BBC from out-of-towners talking about being treated like garbage up there by resorts and locals alike. I know I've personally been scoffed at by tackle shop owners when stopping in to check to see if they have some bait or something I'm looking for up there when up to bass fish - I now make it a point to do my best to buy nothing from the businesses up there, so maybe the guy saying we contribute nothing to the economy has a point. One guy on the Ranger board was posting photos of some of his son's catches while on a trip up there. A later post after his son's trip was over was talking about how badly his son was treated up there. Apparently someone even untied his boat from the dock and left it to drift!

I just don't get it. In any other line of work, if what you're doing isn't working, you research the market, find out why it's not working, and fix it. Not here though. Much better to insult and belittle the golden goose that fell right into your lap instead of saying "thank you" and moving on.

[Champ187elite]

That's certainly a part of it. I think there are at least 3 or four factors that have developed in my lifetime:

1. Native netting. There's no way you can say that netting spawning females in the Spring doesn't have an effect. Of course it does. I don't like it, but that battle was lost 20 years ago.

2. Technology. Most of the lake has no islands, so up until few decades ago, the mid-lake structure where the fish hang out in the summer was dang hard to find unless you had spent many years on the lake. Imagine finding the edge of a 20 foot flat in 30 feet of water 5 miles off shore by dipping a weight. The first maps with GPS coordinates got guys on the flats, but you still had to find the edges with sonar. Now, your sonar/GPS/iPilot will lock you right on. We are ALL becoming much more efficient at catching them.

3. The launches. There aren't as many operating as there used to be, but having several dozen boats with 20+ anglers bringing in limits of 6 each a couple times a day is certainly not helpful.

4. Invasive species. Zebra mussels, Muskie stocking, etc. Possible contributing factors.


We all would like to point to that "one thing" that is easy to change and bring things back to where they were, but I don't think it's that easy.

The netting pisses me off, perfect example on how to destroy a lake one net at a time. Also them dumbing hundreds of walleye carcuss and about 90 pounds unfilleted northern pikes is als REAL CLASSY! Doesnt waste go against there traditions...

[98skeeter202]

Probably sells minnow for $2.00 apiece!

[tse90]

I've got to say I've been up to Mille Lacs twice so far in the last year (Aug. '16 & July '17) and am going up again in a couple weeks and have not experienced any of this bad attitude issue towards bass anglers. Every place I've been up there, whether it be the hotel, tackle shops, gas stations, restaurants, etc., the people have been more than nice and accommodating. Yes, a lot complain about the walleye fishing and how it's hurt their business, but they have all said that they were glad we were there and visiting their places of business. I have traveled all around the country fishing and have never had a place feel so welcoming. Also, I can't tell you how many locals would stop us at different establishments to talk fishing and try to give tips and locations to help us have a better time while there. Maybe I just talked to the right people on the right days, who knows. Glad I haven't experienced any of the negativity I keep hearing about through Facebook and here though. You guys have an amazing resource up there and it's truly sad that their is so much wrong with the whole scenario going on up there with the politics and walleye banter.

[MN1965]

Maybe I just talked to the right people on the right days, who knows. Glad I haven't experienced any of the negativity I keep hearing about through Facebook and here though.

I think your experience was pretty typical. It's the charter launch owners that are the most vocal.

[Lkmbjb502]

Like TSE90 I have been to Mille Lacs several times in the last year and have been treated totally fine by Lodging, Grocery, Restaurant staff, as a non-Local Bass fisherman. I brought my 75 year old parents with me the last trip and they had a ball (my mom would have stayed all Summer) - and plan to bring my wife/entire family next Summer.

With that said, I have to agree with Drew related to the 2 or 3 tackle shop trips I have made - while not rude they were not exactly helpful when they seemed to realize I was bass fishing and not live bait/walleye focused. I always try to buy something and for example when I asked one shop owner if he had any tubes or tube jigs he just sort of pointed to a shelf area while my dad chatted with him about the walleye/bass situation - I bought 2 packs of tubes (of the 3 total available on the shelf) and all of his 5/16oz heads...which was 2 packs (and there were only a couple of packs of lighter weights - most everything else was live bait or trolling kind of tackle/gear). I always bring way too much with me but we have always bought local gear/tackle on trips however when there isn't much there you end up spending just a little.

My issue really is that they are missing a potential opportunity with Bass folks...I know if I owned a shop up there (or Restaurant/Lodge), I would have been doing my best to pivot (at least a little - not saying to stock a "BassPro" in a tiny shop but something Bass related) to accommodate new a new customer base...just my 2cents.

Good Luck.

-Jonathan