Steve, thanks for your advice. You're right, we probably dismissed
hiring a guide too quickly. Mostly just because there are 4 of us,
but we could possibly split up or work something out. I definitely
like the thought of using the guides advice the following days.

Thanks for posting a reply!


"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in message ...

I might be a little bit biased here, but if you're looking to "catch tons of
fish", a guide would be the most cost effective method of finding locations
and techniques. These guys make their living (or a good portion of it) by
knowing where the fish are and what is going to get them.

On a lake the size of Mille Lacs, you could spend days figuring out the
pattern. It could be pulling planer boards and crankbaits over the mud
flats, or drifting bottom bouncers/Lindy Rigs, or jigging the rocks, or any
number of things. With that much area, wouldn't it make sense to find
someone that is knowledgable about current conditions? Hire one, if even
for a half day, two of you go out with him and pick his brain, memorize the
techniques and not necessarily the exact locations, but the locational
elements that are producing. While you are going with the guide, the other
two can be out fishing as well. When done, get together and compare
results.

THEN, you and your three other buddies can attempt to duplicate the
successful methods, saving a lot of time, effort and frustration. If
fishing is your goal, then go on up there and have a ball. But if catching
"tons of fish" is what you're looking to do, a good guide can make all the
difference.

When you consider the amount of money spent on the average fishing trip of
this nature, isn't the cost of a guide, split 2 or 4 ways pretty cheap
insurance of fillets in the cooler?