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Location: Sycamore, IL | Is there a list of Muskie Lakes in Michigan similar to the one that the Wisconsin DNR puts out? If so can someone provide me with a link. Thanks in advance! |
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| Michigan musky alliance maybe. I haven't seen one, but I haven't looked yet.
You may also want to try the sportsmen's connection map books. |
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Location: new richmond, wi. & isle, mn | https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79136_79236_82240_82610---...
It's in the muskie management tab on the bottom of the page.
Edited by jchiggins 2/7/2021 4:43 PM
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Location: oswego, il | Not really. I emailed them and asked after looking at their family fishing section with the bobbers to click on and so many lakes with no information and they said they don't have the money to put forth the info Wisconsin does. |
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Location: Sycamore, IL | |
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| What part of MI do you want to fish? |
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Location: Sycamore, IL | Ranger - 2/8/2021 3:37 PM
What part of MI do you want to fish?
The U.P. |
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Location: Duluth | Last page of Michigan Musky Management plan in link provided earlier is the best resource. Its fairly complete. |
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| **** the lakes in the Yoop, hit the rivers. The Menominee above and below Iron Mountain/Kingsford and the entire Tahquamenon are full of fish. The Menominee is big fish water, especially outside Badwater and again below Twin Falls. Paint River Pond is another good choice but that's sorta small water.
If yer lucky and have a light boat no bigger that 16' look for Kallias Landing (Old Facefull) on the East Branch of the Tahquamenon River, use that little stretch to get to the river proper. The whole river is packed with muskies and walleye.
If you do have a small boat then hit the Groveland Mine Ponds outside Randville. Island Pond and East Pond are both very fishy, especially Island Pond. I lived near there and fished them a LOT, even camped with M1 buddies next to Island Pond and on an island on East Pond. 15 years ago everything was free and wild as hell, I rarely saw another boat, I was almost always the only person on the water. The ponds are full of deadheads, trees topped off at the water line. Only little boats can **** around because we can rock our boats off the "stumps" in 30' of water. I spent so much time on Island Pond that I figured out a trolling line for walleye. Back then Island Pond didn't have a name and neither did what they now call East pond. They were Lake X and Lake Y to me.
ok, that should get you going |
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| Ranger - 2/13/2021 6:57 PM
If you do have a small boat then hit the Groveland Mine Ponds outside Randville. Island Pond and East Pond are both very fishy, especially Island Pond. I lived near there and fished them a LOT, even camped with M1 buddies next to Island Pond and on an island on East Pond. 15 years ago everything was free and wild as hell, I rarely saw another boat, I was almost always the only person on the water. The ponds are full of deadheads, trees topped off at the water line. Only little boats can **** around because we can rock our boats off the "stumps" in 30' of water. I spent so much time on Island Pond that I figured out a trolling line for walleye. Back then Island Pond didn't have a name and neither did what they now call East pond. They were Lake X and Lake Y to me.
ok, that should get you going
This sounds like a place I camped with a couple buddies, many years ago. There were some mine ponds that we couldn't get into with my boat, but there was a larger impoundment that had a really nice boat ramp that I could put my boat in. You could basically just use your trolling motor due to all the deadheads and dead trees sticking up. I think it was created as the water supply for the mining operation. There were many areas where you had to pull up the trolling motor and stand in the front of the boat and weave your way through the trees sticking up through the water, by grabbing the trees and pulling yourself along, until you got to an opening where you could cast. Had a seven fish (tigers) day, with only one under 40' and biggest was 47'. Very weird place, but fun. I remember the road going in, was a pain. It was a dirt road, but was imbedded with largish rocks that were not round or smooth. Could only go at a walking pace for fear of puncturing a tire. Had to go a few miles back to the camping spot on the lake. Took a long time getting in and out. Didn't ever learn the name of the place, if it had one. |
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Posts: 3907
| That's the place. You were on what they now call South Pond. The other 3 ponds were accessible depending on your nerve and 4WD. Island Pond was easiest, just had to drop your tires over a rock shelf and push the boat off the trailer. The trailer frame sits on rock, tires hang in the water.
East Pond was a bit tougher. There were 2 spots where you could put a boat in. I used the one spot only once, "a dark and muddy mire", no #*#* nothing but deep mud and a struggle to get back out. The other was actually pretty easy and cool as hell.....an incredibly steep 2 track down to a land locked flat spot about the size of a triple garage. When you first begin to drive down that hill, for a few moments, all you can see out of your windshield is sky. I had 2 people demand to get out of my Jeep/truck. Then, at the bottom, it was easy to again drop the tires off a rock shelf, hang the trailer frame, and push the boat off. Then pull forward, unhook the trailer, muscle it around, hook it back up and now it's ready to later take the boat back out. How steep was that hill? No 2wd vehicle can escape; twice I saw cars have to get towed back up by 4X4s. I had a old Jeep Cherokee Sport with a stick and good tires, so no problem.
West Pond. Oh #*#*, West Pond. I tried only once to put my boat in at West Pond and it was a big mistake, I should have walked the 2 track first. Straight nuts to try to drag a boat over those rocks. I made it to the landing but the trailer axel snapped 2/3 of the way in. Emptied the boat of weight including the motor, pulled the boat off the trailer, took off the tires, used tools and heavy wire to lash the axel back together, put all the weight in the Jeep, tires back on and dropped the trailer, winched the boat back on the trailer and limped the **** out of there.
You're ride in, TCESOX, was normal #*#*. I used to carry a chainsaw to be able to get in and more importantly, get back out. (Never used the saw.) And here's the last thing....I never, ever, even once saw a deer at the ponds. Ever. No tracks, either. I started looking for big cat tracks but didn't find those. The only critter I saw was porkypines, and I saw them a bunch. It was common for porkies to stroll by when I was taking out after dark. To this day I believe cougars live in the caves around the ponds.
ok, enough about the ponds. |
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Location: Sycamore, IL | Great stuff! Thank you |
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| Ranger - 2/15/2021 2:03 PM
That's the place. You were on what they now call South Pond. The other 3 ponds were accessible depending on your nerve and 4WD. Island Pond was easiest, just had to drop your tires over a rock shelf and push the boat off the trailer. The trailer frame sits on rock, tires hang in the water.
East Pond was a bit tougher. There were 2 spots where you could put a boat in. I used the one spot only once, "a dark and muddy mire", no #*#* nothing but deep mud and a struggle to get back out. The other was actually pretty easy and cool as hell.....an incredibly steep 2 track down to a land locked flat spot about the size of a triple garage. When you first begin to drive down that hill, for a few moments, all you can see out of your windshield is sky. I had 2 people demand to get out of my Jeep/truck. Then, at the bottom, it was easy to again drop the tires off a rock shelf, hang the trailer frame, and push the boat off. Then pull forward, unhook the trailer, muscle it around, hook it back up and now it's ready to later take the boat back out. How steep was that hill? No 2wd vehicle can escape; twice I saw cars have to get towed back up by 4X4s. I had a old Jeep Cherokee Sport with a stick and good tires, so no problem.
West Pond. Oh #*#*, West Pond. I tried only once to put my boat in at West Pond and it was a big mistake, I should have walked the 2 track first. Straight nuts to try to drag a boat over those rocks. I made it to the landing but the trailer axel snapped 2/3 of the way in. Emptied the boat of weight including the motor, pulled the boat off the trailer, took off the tires, used tools and heavy wire to lash the axel back together, put all the weight in the Jeep, tires back on and dropped the trailer, winched the boat back on the trailer and limped the **** out of there.
You're ride in, TCESOX, was normal #*#*. I used to carry a chainsaw to be able to get in and more importantly, get back out. (Never used the saw.) And here's the last thing....I never, ever, even once saw a deer at the ponds. Ever. No tracks, either. I started looking for big cat tracks but didn't find those. The only critter I saw was porkypines, and I saw them a bunch. It was common for porkies to stroll by when I was taking out after dark. To this day I believe cougars live in the caves around the ponds.
ok, enough about the ponds.
Dude... kudos to you. I have never put that much work into going fishing. |
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Posts: 618
Location: Michigan | https://www.michiganmuskiealliance.org/project/information-about-mic... |
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Location: Duluth | Ranger you might be surprised how much easier the access to the Groveland ponds is now. I totally agree that time is better spent on the rivers. All of the tribs to the Menominee can be well worth the effort.
Biggest downside is not a huge culture of catch and release on some of those flows. |
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| I feel more regret than surprise about increased access. It was an awesome, wild as hell place to fish. Work to get in, work to get out, never safe. I see on a newer map where they put the landing on Island Pond. That's prol just where me and others put in. If so, and you get there, look for a big rock about 30' from shore, about 8' deep. Every time I hit the water I flipped an silver coin "To the Lady of the Lake." onto the top of the rock. A good luck thing. That plus never passing up a chance to take out litter kept me safe.
I have 2 scary stories about being at the ponds but not for now. |
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| Ranger, did you ever fish the Portage Canal? I never heard of musky in there but there are some big pike. First one I ever caught there was about 40" and weighed 20#. A co-worker once bet some relatives who had come to the area to fish trout that he could catch a pike at least 36" in under an hour. He had a squared backed canoe with a small outboard and 20 minutes after putting in and trolling, he boated a 41" pike. I should add that I think he could have caught fish in a bath tub. Sadly, he developed ALS and passed away in his early 40s. |
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| No, never did. |
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Location: Duluth | In theory they could be in there. The tagging of muskies stocked in the St. Louis has turned up some interesting results regarding musky movements. Also a decent sustaining population on the Keweenaw.
Have a cousin that went to Tech and he pulled some absolute slob eyes and northern out of portage. |
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| CincySkeez - 2/18/2021 9:01 AM
In theory they could be in there. The tagging of muskies stocked in the St. Louis has turned up some interesting results regarding musky movements. Also a decent sustaining population on the Keweenaw.
Have a cousin that went to Tech and he pulled some absolute slob eyes and northern out of portage.
It is an interesting body of water. I lived a block away from the canal when I first moved to Hancock and early one morning I decided to go out before dawn and see if the smelt were running in Swedetown Creek. Caught a few in my net but as I was wading and running the net along the bank, chased what had to be at least a 24" steelhead from underneath an under cut bank. Just off the mouth of that creek was an area that guys hit for big pike. But, it can get rough very quickly depending on wind and all I had at the time was a 10' jon boat. Locals would share info to help you get on the pike but not so with walleye, trout. Some of the creeks that empty into the canal have small runs of big walleye that leave the big lake/canal to spawn. Local took me out one night and we didn't catch many but smallest was over 24". A young boy with a dead sucker for bait caught a giant that his dad said was just under 36". It looked every bit of it. They actually had put it in a pool of water along the stream left by snow melt and it was alive. Dad was trying to figure out a way to convince the boy that releasing it was the way to go. Don't know how that worked out. |
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| I'm from the state of Wyoming and am going salmon fishing off the UP in Huron in early July. Muskies are my fish of choice and I was wondering if any of the rivers mentioned, have any public fishing areas where a guy might be able to wade fish muskies, with a reasonable chance of running into a fish or two? If so I'll probably have to bring some muskie gear in my luggage. Thanks in advance. |
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| true tiger tamer - 2/18/2021 11:13 AM
I'm from the state of Wyoming and am going salmon fishing off the UP in Huron in early July. Muskies are my fish of choice and I was wondering if any of the rivers mentioned, have any public fishing areas where a guy might be able to wade fish muskies, with a reasonable chance of running into a fish or two? If so I'll probably have to bring some muskie gear in my luggage. Thanks in advance.
Wish I could help but never fished for musky while I lived in the U.P. in rivers, only a couple lakes and it was not a success. |
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Location: Duluth | true tiger tamer - 2/18/2021 11:13 AM
I'm from the state of Wyoming and am going salmon fishing off the UP in Huron in early July. Muskies are my fish of choice and I was wondering if any of the rivers mentioned, have any public fishing areas where a guy might be able to wade fish muskies, with a reasonable chance of running into a fish or two? If so I'll probably have to bring some muskie gear in my luggage. Thanks in advance.
Wrong part of the UP if you want wade fishing for musky, would have to head west for that. Tahquamenon River has them but isn't wadeable. If if were confined to that area I would be chasing brookies. |
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Location: oswego, il | One thing in find interesting is there are three michigagame lakes, all have musky but it's not easy finding info on the lower two and the one by the paint pond nothing |
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Location: Duluth | The one below Peavy is meh.
The one a bit further up river is referred to as Way Dam, very low density. Then actual Michigamme lake is kind of a mystery, there have been some very big fish caught there. I have seen some decent fish but its too inconsistent to spend most of my time on. Bottom line that system feeds that Menominee and historically had natural populations of great lakes strain fish. My cabin is situated between the paint and michigamme river systems and both are worth fishing they just require time. |
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Location: oswego, il | Floating the river always looked interesting to me. I would be nice if michigan took a more aggressive approach to muskie management in the U.P. |
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Location: Duluth | The UP is weird, specifically the western UP. I think of it as two different fisheries- Lake Superior water shed and lake michigan watershed. If I remember correctly most of the lakes in Western UP were stocked with Wisconsin Strain/Northern Muskellunge. The Lake Michigan watershed had low density natural populations that are closer genetic relatives to the Great Lakes strain that the DNR is stocking Lake Michigan tributaries with.
Aside from LVD and Cisco Chain the only waters that were really "managed" for musky were Emily and Chicaugon. |
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Location: oswego, il | CincySkeez - 2/19/2021 10:52 AM
The UP is weird, specifically the western UP. I think of it as two different fisheries- Lake Superior water shed and lake michigan watershed. If I remember correctly most of the lakes in Western UP were stocked with Wisconsin Strain/Northern Muskellunge. The Lake Michigan watershed had low density natural populations that are closer genetic relatives to the Great Lakes strain that the DNR is stocking Lake Michigan tributaries with.
Aside from LVD and Cisco Chain the only waters that were really "managed" for musky were Emily and Chicaugon.
Yeah that was my point. I would have to think if they managed the lakes more aggressively it would attract many anglers. There are some spots I see on google maps that look special.
Edited by ToddM 2/19/2021 3:21 PM
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Location: Duluth | Unfortunately a lot of muskie in the Paint get harvested either by hook or by spear. The whole muskie tag is a good idea but unfortunately its near impossible to enforce up there. I am likely in the minority but its my belief that the DNR's efforts to restore muskie to their natural range (GL tributaries) is already paying off. We will see more big fish out of Michigan. |
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Location: Michigan | CincySkeez - 2/19/2021 1:42 PM
Unfortunately a lot of muskie in the Paint get harvested either by hook or by spear. The whole muskie tag is a good idea but unfortunately its near impossible to enforce up there. I am likely in the minority but its my belief that the DNR's efforts to restore muskie to their natural range (GL tributaries) is already paying off. We will see more big fish out of Michigan.
There isn't a muskie tag anymore as there was very little voluntary reporting. There is now a mandatory reporting system for any kept muskie in Michigan. So if you see pictures of kept/speared fish, feel free to follow up with the DNR to see if they were reported.
https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/harvestreg/Survey/2 |
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Location: Michigan | ToddM - 2/19/2021 12:11 PM
CincySkeez - 2/19/2021 10:52 AM
The UP is weird, specifically the western UP. I think of it as two different fisheries- Lake Superior water shed and lake michigan watershed. If I remember correctly most of the lakes in Western UP were stocked with Wisconsin Strain/Northern Muskellunge. The Lake Michigan watershed had low density natural populations that are closer genetic relatives to the Great Lakes strain that the DNR is stocking Lake Michigan tributaries with.
Aside from LVD and Cisco Chain the only waters that were really "managed" for musky were Emily and Chicaugon.
Yeah that was my point. I would have t think if they managed the lakes more aggressively it would attract many anglers. There are some spots I see on google maps that look special.
Michigan just isn't a huge hotspot for muskies unfortunately. We have some pretty good regulations with 46"-50" size limits on a lot of waters and a 1 fish/season keep limit across the state. However, there still are a lot of fish kept during open water periods and through the ice (non-tribal spearing is allowed for muskies). That being said, I think we have a handful of world class fisheries, other than LSC, which produce ~55" fish year after year. Michigan is still a walleye/salmon/steelhead state with lots of 'tradition' with catch and kill. |
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Location: Duluth | Extremely well put Jason. |
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| Seems like Michigamee Reservoir would be a prime candidate for increasing musky production, fishing. The story I heard when I lived about 20 miles from there was that it was not a lack of interest on the part of the MDNR, but rather active opposition from walleye fishermen. Again, while it was, hearsay, the story was that they felt the walleye guys would catch and kill musky, regardless of size. Kind of like Winnebago where the walleye people discuss the simplest way to "gill" a musky, put it back in the lake like you are releasing it but insuring its demise. |
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| If you knew my real name and looked me up on the Michigan Master Angler database you would find me few times. I was honest about everything except where I caught the fish. Regarding the location, I lied Every. Single. Time. They caught me once when I made up a name of a lake, got a letter saying I couldn't get my patch unless it was a recognized public water in the State. I called Lansing and plead guilty of lying and asked if I could resubmit my paperwork. They agreed and I resubmitted and got my patch. But in my resubmission I lied about the location again! |
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| Ranger - 2/19/2021 9:26 PM
If you knew my real name and looked me up on the Michigan Master Angler database you would find me few times. I was honest about everything except where I caught the fish. Regarding the location, I lied Every. Single. Time. They caught me once when I made up a name of a lake, got a letter saying I couldn't get my patch unless it was a recognized public water in the State. I called Lansing and plead guilty of lying and asked if I could resubmit my paperwork. They agreed and I resubmitted and got my patch. But in my resubmission I lied about the location again!
That's funny! Guy I worked with did that with trout. When he submitted, he named a different river or stream from where he actually caught the fish. I always wondered how many folks did just that. |
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| Sir;
Living in Wyoming means I usually have a five hour drive or more to fish for muskies or tigers, so traveling from the east to the west side of the UP isn't a big deal. I usually shore or wade fish for them. Are there any places with muskies with public access that would be fishable from shore or waders? Thanks for the previous replies and hopefully any new ones. |
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Location: oswego, il | Aren't there a few tiger lakes in wyoming?
Edited by ToddM 2/20/2021 1:21 PM
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| There are a few, I caught a tiger I stocked from a lake about 20 minutes from my house. Unfortunately, most Wyoming fisheries haven't been around long enough or have very low densities, so big fish are rarely encountered. I spend a lot of time fishing in Utah where the closest lakes are around 5 hours away, and 1 is 8 hours. My nearest purebred lake is 8 hours away in Nebraska, thus my desire for big fish requires a long drive. My cancer has slowed me down some but I still probably make at least a half dozen to double digit trips a year. I have some payouts for these trips as Utah has given me 2, 50" or bigger tigers along with a couple 4 footers, and Nebraska has given me a 50" and a 4 foot purebred. All have been caught wading or from shore except 1, 48 inch tiger I caught from a kayak. So travel isn't a big deal when it involves muskie fishing. |
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Location: Duluth | true tiger tamer - 2/21/2021 2:28 PM
There are a few, I caught a tiger I stocked from a lake about 20 minutes from my house. Unfortunately, most Wyoming fisheries haven't been around long enough or have very low densities, so big fish are rarely encountered. I spend a lot of time fishing in Utah where the closest lakes are around 5 hours away, and 1 is 8 hours. My nearest purebred lake is 8 hours away in Nebraska, thus my desire for big fish requires a long drive. My cancer has slowed me down some but I still probably make at least a half dozen to double digit trips a year. I have some payouts for these trips as Utah has given me 2, 50" or bigger tigers along with a couple 4 footers, and Nebraska has given me a 50" and a 4 foot purebred. All have been caught wading or from shore except 1, 48 inch tiger I caught from a kayak. So travel isn't a big deal when it involves muskie fishing.
Fair enough, best wading for musky would be in the Crystal Falls area. Lots of public access, quite a few dams to fish below and quite a few wadeable stretches north and west of town. |
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| Thank you for the replies as I live for muskies literally and figuratively. Danny |
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Location: Western U.P. | MD75 - 2/8/2021 7:14 PM
Ranger - 2/8/2021 3:37 PM
What part of MI do you want to fish?
The U.P.
MD75 The U.P. is a pretty decent sized chunk of real estate. Did you have a specific area that you were considering, or just looking at the U.P. in general? |
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Location: Western U.P. | It would be good if MI did take Musky management/fishing in the State to the next level, and beyond. An actual compilation of lakes & rivers that have fishable populations (just in the Western U.P. alone) would probably have 30-50%+ more than current published DNR lists. |
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Location: Sycamore, IL | Cedar - 2/25/2021 12:55 AM
MD75 - 2/8/2021 7:14 PM
Ranger - 2/8/2021 3:37 PM
What part of MI do you want to fish?
The U.P.
MD75 The U.P. is a pretty decent sized chunk of real estate. Did you have a specific area that you were considering, or just looking at the U.P. in general?
I usually fish the north east section of Vilas co. Wi. So my initial impulse is to fish lakes right over the border in that area and then expand from there...Thanks! |
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Location: Duluth | MD75 - 2/25/2021 7:28 AM
I usually fish the north east section of Vilas co. Wi. So my initial impulse is to fish lakes right over the border in that area and then expand from there...Thanks!
This is a good plan, some good action lakes that way. |
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Location: Western U.P. | MD75 - 2/25/2021 7:28 AM
Cedar - 2/25/2021 12:55 AM
MD75 - 2/8/2021 7:14 PM
Ranger - 2/8/2021 3:37 PM
What part of MI do you want to fish?
The U.P.
MD75 The U.P. is a pretty decent sized chunk of real estate. Did you have a specific area that you were considering, or just looking at the U.P. in general?
I usually fish the north east section of Vilas co. Wi. So my initial impulse is to fish lakes right over the border in that area and then expand from there...Thanks!
There are quite a few good Musky lakes in that immediate area on both sides of the border. PM me if you'd like, and we'll try to get you started on some. |
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Michigan Muskie lakes