Do New Anglers Need a Fishing Guide on Mille Lacs?

A guide to help new anglers to Mille Lacs determine if they should hire an ice fishing guide service during their next visit or not.

There is certainly no shame in any angler’s game when it comes to hiring a fishing guide or fishing guide service when targeting a new lake or river for the first or second time. Chartering a fishing guide is the best way to learn the current hotspots of any given lake that is either new to an angler or when a lake is far too large when an angler has a limited time on it, such as during a once a seasoned weekend or vacation.

First Time Mille Lacs Ice Angler Misconceptions

One misconception many ice anglers have when new to renting an ice fishing house on a lake such as Mille Lacs is that they have a little preconceived notion that is paying a premium for an ice house rental means the resort has had to have put the house on the latest hot bite. Every angler knows that no matter how much money they are willing to pay, no one can make a fish bite a lure. 

Even the best five-star resorts offer no guarantee you will catch fish. So, if you are traveling from a distance, staying multiple days, and catching a walleye or a limit or perch is a major priority of your visit to Mille Lacs, then our recommendation is to hire a fishing guide during your stay. 

Another Mille Lacs Ice Fishing Rookie misconception is if our rental ice fishing house is not over actively feeding fish, we will have the resort move the ice house for us. This is not true, well, for the most part. Good resorts want to make their guests happy and know that having them catch fish during their stay on Mille Lacs is a big part of getting their guests happy and satisfied during their stay. The reality is that moving an ice fishing house takes human resources and time, which equates to money for the resorts. If you have rented a house and have gone twenty-four hours without marking or catching fish, we do recommend asking your resort management’s team to have your ice house moved, or your party relocated to another ice house.

However, if you have sunk a small investment into your ice fishing trip to Mille Lacs Lake, again, it is wise and worth the money to book a few hours or half a day with a fishing guide.

We Are Bringing Portable Ice Houses So Why Pay for a Fishing Guide?

Once it has been determined that no fish will be caught from a rental ice fishing house, it is only natural for a Mille Lacs ice angler to get the urge to venture out and find actively feeding walleyes or perch. So the logical answer for many anglers is to pack up their trucks and head out with their portable ice fishing setups. For a lake like Mille Lacs, this always sounds like a good idea at first. Those anglers who are new to the lake or do not know how Mille Lacs walleyes and perch transition throughout the ice season quickly become apparent just how big the lake is and moving could just as easily result in not find finding fish than finding them. 

Mille Lacs is a massive lake and knowing where even to start is even more prominent because the intimidation factor will set in, succumbing anglers to their next mistake, which is “Let’s Just Start Here.” Thus leading into the cycle of not catching fish starting over again with day turning into night. Eventually, anglers find themselves back at their ice house rental and a hit to their overall confidence.

Some of Mille Lacs Lake fishing guides have been known further than being fishing guides. Some have gone on to have their own TV shows and others have become famous for winning fishing tournaments.

Take Control, Hire Help and Better Your Odds

Why go to Mille Lacs and not catch any fish? You don’t have to because fishing guide services will put you and your party right on actively feeding fish. All an angler has to do then is sit back and catch some Mille Lacs walleyes or perch using the recommendations the guide advises you to use.

When it comes to hiring a fishing guide on Lake Mille Lacs, certainly a little research is warranted to maximize even the higher odds a local fishing guide presents itself in the first place. Not all fishing guides are created equal. Some are great anglers but have little to no people skills. Some have great people skills but are not fully skilled at winter fishing on Mille Lacs. Researching online reviews for local Mille Lacs fishing guides is a must, and Ice Fishing Mille Lacs has done some work for you already with our Mille Lacs Fishing Guide Service Locator.

Many factors come into play with a fishing guide, such as how the guide will treat you, how well they get clients on fish, and most importantly, which ice fishing guide will maximize your money spent within the few hours of service you purchase.

The Mille Lacs Ice Fishing Guide Locator at Ice Fishing Mille Lacs makes it easy. We only feature ice fishing guide services that offer a high level of customer service, top reviews, and the highest potential to put you on feeding fish, along with a track record of impeccable credibility. Mille Lacs ice fishing guides such as Tony Roach of Roach Guides Service and Brad Hawthorne of Hawthorne’s Guide Service are among the best ice fishing guides for hire on Mille Lacs.

Our reviews and write-ups about Mille Lacs ice fishing guides and guide services are taken from our team’s firsthand experiences with them. Our fishing guide and resort recommendations are not sponsored or solicited.

We also take into account feedback and reviews from our readers and visitors who send us their recommendations. If you do not see a Mille Lacs ice fishing guide that you feel should be featuring within our Mille Lacs Ice Fishing Guide Locator, please send us a short story of your experience, along with any photos that promote your claim. Once we see a fishing guide or fishing guide service have several recommendations, we would love to add them to our list and provide additional resources for new Mille Lacs Anglers.