Smallmouth Vacation Ideas

[moguy1973]

Look up Torch Lake in the upper lower peninsula of Michigan. I've heard it has monster smallies in it and has some of the most beautifully clear water you've ever seen.

[Guest]

Nobody has mentioned the Menominee River yet. Border of Wisconsin and Michigan. It's on my short list of rivers to fish. And actually, I've heard some good things about the Wisconsin River. It would be a little closer. There are a number of guides on the Menominee, don't know about the Wisconsin.

I scoped out the Wisconsin and St.Croix today on google earth.

Both rivers run thru or near Minneapolis/St.Paul, which is close to the airport.

Thats a big bonus, bc the wife is talking about shopping already.

So, I need to find a guided trip for one full day.

I think she's afraid of the mighty Mississippi, so it got shot down.

Maybe I can sit on the bank with a box of nightcrawlers while she goes shopping.

[Mitch f]

Nobody has mentioned the Menominee River yet. Border of Wisconsin and Michigan. It's on my short list of rivers to fish. And actually, I've heard some good things about the Wisconsin River. It would be a little closer. There are a number of guides on the Menominee, don't know about the Wisconsin.

Both are awesome rivers, fished the Menominee 3 times, great river

[Flysmallie]

Both are awesome rivers, fished the Menominee 3 times, great river

Tell me more.

[Guest]

I spent a summer in NW Illinois working for an electrician when I was in college. Elizabeth, IL

The Apple River ran thru this little rural town.

Its real similar to the Elk river in MO.

Caught my 1st big smallie there, 18" and fat as a football.

We had permission from one of the residents at Apple Creek Resoirvoir.

That lake was awesome, rocky ,deep, and even had shallow grass flats.

Those big bass were blowing up in the matted vegetation, (before the horny toad or spro frog) I managed a couple bigguns flipping a 5" tube.

I really loved the Apple River, it had zero fishing pressure.

I think it runs into the Mississippi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_River_(Illinois)

[kjackson]

I scoped out the Wisconsin and St.Croix today on google earth.

Both rivers run thru or near Minneapolis/St.Paul, which is close to the airport.

Thats a big bonus, bc the wife is talking about shopping already.

So, I need to find a guided trip for one full day.

I think she's afraid of the mighty Mississippi, so it got shot down.

Maybe I can sit on the bank with a box of nightcrawlers while she goes shopping.

I've fished the Mississippi in the area of the Cities with Dezurik. We didn't do real well on smallies but caught some fairly big walleyes casting small jigs and soft plastics to wing dams. The river in that area is not big water by anyone's standards. We also fished somewhere upriver (staged in the Cities) with Dezurik and another guide and did fairly well on smallies, again with small jigs, but this time with a small hair jig that his father ties (as I recall, they were marketed online under Jimmy's River Bugs or something similar). Working out of the Cities would put you too close to Mall of the Americas, in my opinion, but it's your Visa.

[West Fork Jason]

"The great lakes are off limits bc my wife gets sea sick real easy. We found this out the hard way at Green Bay in 2008."

If you're still thinking about flying into MSP, don't discount Chequamegon Bay up in Ashland. It's Lake Superior, but more protected than Green Bay and has better small mouth fishing. You can check it out on google maps and see how you're protected from winds on all sides except from a strong North. Capt. Ouitdee Carson does a great trip, http://arrowheadflyangler.blogspot.com/

I'll PM you some more spots...

J

[exiledguide]

. Working out of the Cities would put you too close to Mall of the Americas, in my opinion, but it's your Visa.

I asked my wife who has flown to mall of America on more than one ocasion with her friends how many days a woman should allow on a fishin trip for shopping ay M OF A she said 3 full days. Of course you could drop her off in the morning and get her every knight or give her money for a taxi, on the bright side however, my bride never complains about any time I spend at BPS, Cabels's, Acadamey or even Mank's bait shop when we are in N. Iowa.

[Gavin]

I've been thinking about a big loop.... Up the Mississippi, though the UP of Michigan, cross the bridge, and spend some time in the LP before driving back home.. Prairie De Chien, Monticello, the Sylvania, Escanaba, Big & Little Bay De Noc, Marquette, Grand Marais, Mackinaw Island, Grayling, Traverse City, Chicago, Galena..No real plan...just fish a couple times along the way, eat, drink, shop, and explore.

[mic]

That's how I like to roll, but my wife has to have a plan. Good luck.