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Posts: 9
| Hello yall
I have hearty plans of working and lodging for 3 months this summer of 2015 in Northern Minnesota, at a lodge and or resort. I am 19, living on the Upper Niagara River in New York, and have been searching for lunge my whole life. I've already contacted several lodges and resorts near Lake Crane, Gunflint trails, and two near Lake Vermillion. I am almost certain and very well hoping that with my years of fishing and boating experience, I will have no problem finding employment.
As much as I am doing this to get away from my hometown, and have a summer job, I am also searching for a 50lb monster during my stay. From what the resorts and employers have told me, I'll be running a dock job guiding fishing trips, servicing boats, and normal lawn care. I'll have full access of their fishing boats and of course time off each week.
So here's my question for you. If you could choose an area and or lake in Northern Minnesota to fish for the must elusive freshwater predator in the world (opinion), for 3 months, which one would you choose?
I want a lake that is known to produce musky but at the same time, is not heavily fished. I understand these are unmarked territories for me, and giving up a true hidden musky lake is dangerous on the Internet, but I ask for someone to point me in the right direction. I do not need advice on how to fish, but generally the best place I could spend three months of my time fishing. I plan to hook-up with guides right away, and understand the area once I arrive. It will be between May 20th-August 20th. Yes, this is spring and dead summer, but I know I'll have enough tactics and tricks to mark a few big boys.
I'm looking forward to your ideas
-Ben
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | Big musky in northern Minnesota vermilion. Want a place with little pressure Good luck finding that .fish at night less people are fishing. |
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Posts: 140
Location: Scandia MN | Oh to be young and full of fire again - Last post is dead on - If you want a 50 pounder go to Vermilion - If you want a unpressured spot go to the moon - - - - |
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Posts: 2389
Location: Chisholm, MN | Canada |
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Posts: 9
| Well I guess I'm not exactly looking for an unpressured fishing spot but more of a lake big enough where I can find remote and secluded areas. How deep does Vermillion get? I figure I can work weedlines in spring, but ill have to move to deep water trolling in summer? |
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Posts: 76
| Vermilion is relatively "shallow" in the grand scheme of things---- but everything on it is BIG!!! Big water (41 K plus surface acres), big muskies(fish up to 59 inches caught recently) and BIG CROWDS----you can walk boat to boat at times out there. If you're searching for "seclusion"----BIG V is NOT the answer. Like previously stated--- Northern MN gets POUNDED all Summer long. However----learning to fish these pressured fish factories will teach you some techniques that unpressured lakes will not. If seclusion is what you're looking for----Canada is the best answer. Good luck---Pat |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | He may not be able to get a working permit in Canada |
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Posts: 2389
Location: Chisholm, MN | If you are looking for a real chance at a big fish like you described, Vermilion is your only option in Northern MN. Simply, it has a fishable population of big fish. Other lakes will have big fish, but it's not realistic to catch one in the short amount of time that you're giving yourself. Not that it's guaranteed on V either. I fish there a lot and haven't caught a 50 pounder...not even a 40 come to think of it. On top of it, even the biggest fish in vermilion probably will not weigh 50 pounds until October. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | All in all vermilion is a nice lake. Give me 3 mouths I would head to Alaska |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | I would agree with most of what you are saying Kirby, but would say that Vermilion is not your "only" option. For many reasons it is probably the best option, but I would include Bemidji as having that class of fish also, and Mille Lacs obviously. Whether you consider Mille Lacs to be "northern" Minnesota or not is another question. There is not much in the way of resorts on Bemidji, but a friend of my kid's works the docks and stuff at the one that I know of on Bemidji. He used to do it for Spring Bay Resort on Vermilion, and while there he happened to catch a 57 incher. He goes to school at Bemidji now. |
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Posts: 483
Location: NE PA | muskyhunter47 - 10/27/2014 3:07 PM
All in all vermilion is a nice lake. Give me 3 mouths I would head to Alaska
I would head to Alaska for giant Pike as well! |
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Posts: 2389
Location: Chisholm, MN | Propster - 10/27/2014 2:22 PM
I would agree with most of what you are saying Kirby, but would say that Vermilion is not your "only" option. For many reasons it is probably the best option, but I would include Bemidji as having that class of fish also, and Mille Lacs obviously. Whether you consider Mille Lacs to be "northern" Minnesota or not is another question. There is not much in the way of resorts on Bemidji, but a friend of my kid's works the docks and stuff at the one that I know of on Bemidji. He used to do it for Spring Bay Resort on Vermilion, and while there he happened to catch a 57 incher. He goes to school at Bemidji now.
Well, you have to be a lucky kid to catch a 57 incher I think anyway  |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | LOTW and go to the Canadian side on your free time would be another option to consider. Maybe not a great option, but lots of resorts. |
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Posts: 441
| I spend five months, a year, on Vermilion.
It's very crowded, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!!!! |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Look into Lake of the Woods MN.
Northwest Angle. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | If working at a resort in MN is THE choice, some great options covered above. If a true summer 50lb fish is what you are after, you'd likely have a better shot at one in your neck of the woods than anywhere in MN, though a bleak prospect anywhere during the summer months. Good luck, and have fun. And most importantly, post a report after your summer, of the fishing and the fun...
Edited by Reef Hawg 10/27/2014 7:49 PM
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Posts: 9
| I appreciate all the help guys. I had no idea LOTW had a US side! looking into that. Right now Vermillion is my #1. I applied at Pehson Lodge and at Pine point lodge on Crane lake. I'm pretty peeed that I have no way of avoiding school in ocotober, or I'd be working there till december! I will keep this updated on my choices. As far as muskies out here, it's starting to slowly pick up. I got one in early spring while doing my usual small mouth bass fishing. |
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Posts: 9
| And since I live across from the canadian side (yes I can literally see across the border) , I purchased my wilderness card and have a canadian fishing license. I presume I would be able to fish canadian waters (LOTW)? What are the coast guards like on LOTW? We have strict call in and call out rules over here and a lot of the canadian guards hate us americans, just in general.
I have to call customs everytime on LOTW? |
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Posts: 221
| Wisconsin. #troll |
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Posts: 2026
| Crane Lake doesn't have a big population of muskies. There are some there, that have migrated from Vermilion, but they are not stocked and are not natural there. |
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Posts: 9
| In honesty, no one thinks theres any muskies there. Thats why i chose crane as an option. There are large fish in Crane lake but no one goes there to fish for musky. It would give me more of the seclusion I wanted. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | You might want to try vermilion dam lodge resort nice place they might need extra help |
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Posts: 9
| It's tough cause so many of the resorts don't have an "employment section" on there website... Im actually caling many resorts. I will try vermillion dam lodge |
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Posts: 9
| I'm searching all around the LOTW area and it just seems that most of the lodges there suck. Am I right? any one have a personal favorite place they stayed? |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | bmmannar - 10/28/2014 9:44 AM
I'm searching all around the LOTW area and it just seems that most of the lodges there suck. Am I right? any one have a personal favorite place they stayed?
Define "suck". |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | What are you going to school for. Transfer to Ely then you can fish any time your free |
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| 50 lbers on V?!? You could count em on one hand!! Thats like saying "powerball or megamillions." Just pick a lake you like and fish hard! No seclusion at all on Vermi. Cass, Leech, Bemidji, Vermi, Mille Lacs, Battle, Pelican all offer similar odds at a giant! You could find a lot more seclusion somewhere other than Vermi!! |
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Posts: 925
| Pick a resort on Flag or Oak Island on the US side of LOTW. |
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Posts: 162
Location: Metro, MN | Leech, Bemidji, Cass, Battle, Vermillion, Mille Lacs, Detroit Lakes area, and Lake of the Woods are really your primary big fish options to choose from.
Edited by MuskyKarma 10/28/2014 11:32 AM
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Posts: 9
| Oak Island looks pretty sweet. Man does it take time to find resorts hiring when there 15 really good lakes that fill my requirements. Looks like i'm going through them all. Any of you guys ever fish the niagara river here? |
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Posts: 9
| MuskyKarma - 10/28/2014 11:29 AM
Leech, Bemidji, Cass, Battle, Vermillion, Mille Lacs, Detroit Lakes area, and Lake of the Woods are really your primary big fish options to choose from.
Out of all these lakes, which one do you feel is the most secluded or atleast the farthest from a town? Im not worried about lots of people being there during the summer, since obviously that will help my job, but overall want something more remote... |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I would t classify Leech, Bemidji, Cass, DL or Mille Lacs as "remote".
For a more "remote" setting I'd look at LOTW.
Might be worth looking into places in Canada (Eagle, Wabigoon, LOTW etc) but I don't know the legalities on getting a work visa/permit up there.
Edited by Pointerpride102 10/28/2014 12:46 PM
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | Go where you can get work. And have fun on your time off |
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| ^ X2
Sounds like a great adventure awaits you. Good luck. Hope u find and post pics of that 50# monster. |
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Posts: 48
| I worked at pine point on crane lake in 2006, jeff is great to work for and you'd learn a lot and have fun. the muskie fishing isn't really there but you can get into some big pike, but they do get some big muskie on accident. Vermillion is only an hour away so you can make some trips there if you or one of the other dock boys have a boat. If you have any questions about working up there feel free to pm me |
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Posts: 51
| Hey man, I feel your desire. I'm 35 now and worked up at the NW angle on LOTW when I was 20 for a summer. I'm from Indiana so I had to move pretty far as well. I found a job at NW Angle resort, basically doing dock work in the morning to help fisherman get out, then I would do random odd jobs around the resort during the day (mowing, painting, dumping fish guts) and then a few nights a week I would work in the bar/restaurant (only have to be 19 to serve booze in Minnesota, unless that has changed). It was a good time, but I didn't really get to fish as much as I would have liked. The resort owners at the time weren't really fisherman so they didn't quite have the same schedule as I wanted. But I did get to use a camp boat and go out fishing a few evenings a week all summer long.
If it was me, I would try staying closer to the end of the angle (closer to the fishing grounds) or out on Oak of Flag Island. I would look into Youngss Bay Resort(they may need help between the resort and recently buying Jerry's restaurant), Jakes resort, or Angle Outpost. On islands, I would check out Flag Island Resort or Walsh's baystore camp.
Just a word to the wise, the NW angle is a pretty remote place(even more so 15 years ago). Being 20 years old, it got pretty lonely after awhile. There is limited activities for a 19 year old apart from fishing, a few resort restaurants, and even fewer people up there that are in your age range. The muskie season doesn't open until the 3 weekend in June too, so your first month will be pike/walleye/smallie fishing. That being said, I did enjoy my time up there and have been back 13 of the last 15 years and still run into people I met when I worked up there. Fishing friends for life!
Let me know if you have any questions, i'll help in anyway I can. |
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Where would you spend 3 months in MN?