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  1. #1
    ARW Fishing fluke1987's Avatar
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    Favorite northern chain of lakes?

    We are trying to plan a trip in August next year to northern Wisconsin. What's on the short list as far as chain of lakes of groups of lakes to hit?

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    #2
    I'm kind of partial to the Three Lakes/Eagle river area mostly because I spent a lot of time up there when I was young. Franklin and Butternut are two of my favorite lakes, just northeast of the town of Three Lakes. I spent some time on the Minocqua chain this year and caught a lot of fish as well.

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    #3
    The Lac Du Flambeau chain is nice and has a good variety. Pretty neat chain

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    #4
    X2 for lac Du Flambeau. Great for big smallies
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  5. ARW Fishing fluke1987's Avatar
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    #5
    Appreciate the input guys, looking forward to heading up there at some point next season!

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    #6
    We went to three lakes chain for our last club tournament. The winner had a 5.96 smallie. I think all of us had one over 4 and I don’t think it was prime time. It was my first time there and I’d go back.

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    #7
    I live on the LDF Chain so I am a little partial.

    Close second would be the Three Lakes chain due to having family cabin there for over 20 years. Next would be the Manitowish Waters for the pure smallie aspect.

  8. Member basshole51's Avatar
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    #8
    suprised to hear so much love for three lakes chain....I fish an open out there Every June and typically 12-14 lbs wins and 10 lbs gets you paid......
    "Any pizza is a personal pizza if you believe in yourself"

  9. young angler 188Musky's Avatar
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by b*******51 View Post
    suprised to hear so much love for three lakes chain....I fish an open out there Every June and typically 12-14 lbs wins and 10 lbs gets you paid......
    The SMB on that chain are certainly on a down cycle right now.

    10-12 years ago, 35 fish days were the norm in spring. Now, 15 is exceptional.

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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by 188Musky View Post
    The SMB on that chain are certainly on a down cycle right now.

    10-12 years ago, 35 fish days were the norm in spring. Now, 15 is exceptional.
    What about Franklin and Butternut? Haven't been on those in quite a while but was hoping to hit them next summer.

  11. Member basshole51's Avatar
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by willwork4fish View Post
    What about Franklin and Butternut? Haven't been on those in quite a while but was hoping to hit them next summer.
    Butternut has been getting absolutely obliterated with pressure it is a shell of its former self and if you don’t get up well before then sun expect to park down the road a ways.
    "Any pizza is a personal pizza if you believe in yourself"

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    #12
    Lived/fished up here for 20yrs. All the fishing pressure has ruined most of the lakes up here. One ex pro friend has moved away. Joe Bucher left also. Butternut is hammered daily. Used to see 0-3 boats now 12 typical. Don't go much anymore if ever. And the tournaments on these small inland lakes really hard on the fish. Saw 5 19-20" 15-20 year old dead smb at landing on Metonga after one this summer...

  13. young angler 188Musky's Avatar
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by uwbadger View Post
    Lived/fished up here for 20yrs. All the fishing pressure has ruined most of the lakes up here. One ex pro friend has moved away. Joe Bucher left also. Butternut is hammered daily. Used to see 0-3 boats now 12 typical. Don't go much anymore if ever. And the tournaments on these small inland lakes really hard on the fish. Saw 5 19-20" 15-20 year old dead smb at landing on Metonga after one this summer...
    That's my feeling about some of what has happened on the Three Lakes Chain; tournaments.

    Each lake on the chain has a specific, definitive amount of habitat. It gets fished, the fish hauled up to 15 miles, then through the thoroughfare to Townline Lake for the weigh-in and release.

    Townline doesn't have much SMB habitat, and in that dark stained water, the fish never make it out of there and back to the habitat they came from.

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    #14
    That sucks, I haven't been on those lakes in 15 years or so and used to have a great time and remember being the only boat out there bass fishing a lot of the time. My uncle has a place on Whitefish which I doubt gets much tournament pressure being the last lake on the chain and kind of difficult to get to from the rest of the chain. We would do well on Julia too but the "ramp" on that one was a nightmare last time I fished it, was very good for LMB.

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    #15
    I think tournaments are having a bigger impact than ever in our fisheries. I plan on doing a lot less of them next year and just fun fishing with my dad. I’d really like to see more catch-weigh-release type tournaments, but that doesn’t satisfy alot of egos. Not trying to stir the pot in anyway, but I think some things need to change, or the dnr needs to get involved and put a cap on permits. Ice fishing has its effects also, especially on our little 6400 acre lake.

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    #16
    Shawano gets hammered ice fishing. I heard today that someone was out there ice fishing the other day. They said was 2-4 inches of ice. That’s just, well, insane to me.

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    #17
    I stopped by the boat ramp in Cecil today. There was a guy out there.

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    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by r83srock View Post
    I stopped by the boat ramp in Cecil today. There was a guy out there.
    Yes, and there can’t be very much ice.

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    #19
    Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and Mercer chain in Mercer, WI get my #1 Vote. #2, even though it's not a chain, would be the Star, Razorback and Plum Lakes area in Star Lake, WI.