Mille Lacs Skunk

Scale on my thumb

It was supposed to be warmer today than it was.  I was hoping it would be 55 and sunny, instead it was 45 degrees and cloudy.  Still I headed over to Mille Lacs to try for some open water pike.  When I headed out at about 6:20pm it was raining/sprinkling.  I ended up going to Garrison to get a bite to eat.  It stopped raining by the time I was done, so I headed to take a look at the inlet.  There was enough open water so I put my waders on, grabbed my rods and got in the water.  As I was walking to the inlet I spied a couple of 2-3 inch fish, I couldn't tell what they were.  I put 3 of my rods down and waded out to about 4 inches shy of the bottom of my jacket.    There was more open water than I originally realized.  I thought I would be able to cast to the farthest ice edge, but it was a good 20 yards beyond my longest cast.  I saw some fish activity along the ice edge beyond my casting distance.  I made a cast to the South and bumped a fish;  I know it was a fish because I caught a scale.  It was getting dark and I forgot to pack my headlamp.  I spooked 2 large fish as I got up by the inlet mouth.  No clue what they were.