First of all.....GO POKES! Class of '88.
We've taken several trips hunting smallies up north, and what Phoenix Jim mentioned, Rainy Lake was some of the most memorable. We hauled our boats from Tulsa, usually 3 or 4 teams each time, and the drive was 16 hours. We would stay for an entire week. Had to haul everything in, load the boats, gas and all, and drive to remote outfitter probably 5 mi or so from boat ramp. I don't remember the outfitter name, though. Excellent setup once you got there. We haven't done this in prolly 10 years.
The last few times we've hired a guide and just stayed in hotel or air BNB in Traverse City, MI, and fished in Traverse Bay. Each time we rented Captain Chris Noffsinger
www.northernadventuresfishing.com . Chris is a great guide and I would highly recommend him. Our trip would average 50-60 fish/day and weights would average 3-4.5lbers with an occasional 5lber. We always went up third week of June. Captain Chris says best time for the biggest fish is toward end of May or first week in June, depending on the weather. That would work for kids being out of school. It's been 5 years since we went and rate was $600/day. But the convenience of renting a guide definitely outweighed the hassle of doing everything on your own. We flew into Chicago and then drove through the beautiful state of Michigan to Traverse City, approx a 4.5hr drive.
I'm planning on another trip in 2024. We're fixing to move to AR and build a new home this year, with too many irons in the fire. Good luck on a successful and safe trip chasing those brownies!
Okie