OK, the topic came up while my boss was in Florida this last week-end. Some people down there seem to think that, because Mille Lacs is an inland lake, the waves can't get that big.
What is the largest waves or swells that you have seen or heard of on the big lake?
9' + on the opener.... that was from the DNR warnings. I want to say around 1994-1996 ???? With a wind out of the West, nobody fished the Eastside that year... either day.
-- Edited by Glen Ertl on Monday 27th of April 2009 11:27:01 AM
June 2007 Wave Wacker tournament. I thought I was on Deadliest Catch! That was just a brutal 8 hour day. Now I know what the crew of the Fitzgerald went through.
Anyone that has fished Mille Lacs has faced big waves. 2' plus waves are common. 4-5' waves happen regularly. And over 5' happens at least a couple times a season.
I can honestly say that there has been two times on the pond that I was down right afraid of what was happening. I cannot say the wave height for sure, but it had to be near 7'. The last time was two years ago in June. Fished in 4' waves all day and went to south side of big point to get out of the wind some. When we decided to head back, the wind had picked up more and the waves were simply dangerous in a 19' boat. This may have been the same weekend as the wave wacker tournament.
Someone would be able to get a good photo of waves this year.
-- Edited by mj54 on Wednesday 29th of April 2009 11:15:39 AM
3 plus footers and I am on shore. I have been out a few times in 4 plus footers. Both times it was on the opener with water to cold to be worried about taking a swim.
I went out on what I believe was the October Full Moon in 2007. It was a very warm evening. I've got a fairly large fiberglass boat. Not often do I get nervous. I went out of Hunters and the ride out wasn't too bad. Big swells but but my friend and I seemed to be running with them so they didn't seem to bad. After about 1/2 hour of not being able to hold the boat with the anchor it was time to head in. I would say we were in 5-6 footers with an occasional 7 thrown in to crash over the bow. We basically idled in to the harbor. With the water level being down combined with it being late in the season and the sand had started to mount up at the mouth of the harbor thrown on top of the fact that with the water we had taken on, my boat got stuck. I stripped down to my skivies to push it past the sand bar. Oh, how fun.
There's got to be someone out there then can comment on the first Hunters Point Tournament, the year of the Olmstead Breeze. During the first day of the tournament there was straight line winds, boats were hitting the rocks in the deeper water around three mile and when I called to see how the tournament was going they had 43 boats unaccountable for. Everyone had to hit the closest resort they could find and call back to Hunters. Only Hunters Tournament I've missed. After that Rick I'm with you, the first day of the Wacker with a SE blow and your best spot is on the NW corner of the lake, was quite harry.
Oh ya...Tim and I fished that year!! I still have my hat!! We made it in the harbor up at Barnicles Bills and waited it out. After the storm, my boat would not start, guess the wiring was all wet?
Kath took these pics from our home on Picard Point during the storm.......she came up to Bill with the boat trailer and hauled my boat home....there were trees down all over 18 up on the northend of the lake.
-- Edited by Bobber on Wednesday 29th of April 2009 04:12:24 PM
My story pales in comparison, but last year was my first experience on ML. We started out of Wealthwood and ran down to MyrMar and wanted to take a look at the weeds down in Garrison. We were running down there in some pretty good stuff, 2-3's. Well the wind picked up on us and I don't think we were looking at anything over 4's, but with darkness setting in and taking the first wave over the bow of my 18', I thought better of making the run in the near darkness. Thankfully we were able to get iinto the mouth of the old harbor on the north side of Garrison and have friends that we were fishing with bring the trailer down from Wealthwood. Had there been enough daylight I would have tacted my way back, but was difinitely not wanting to find the rogue wave in the dark with two others in the boat.
Wow those photos bring back memories. Stop talking about this stuff before we jinx summer '09.
I remember that '07 wave wacker well because I was on the Mud and looked over at the Houle's. They had a double on. While i was not paying attention a huge wave came over the transom knocked me out of the chair, and tore of my splash guards......I just started laughing.....Boy I'm glad I had "paid" to be out there!
