Contacts: Mase's In-Towne Marina, (952) 442-2096 or www.fishandgame.com/intowne; Waconia Chamber of Commerce, (952) 442-5812.

GULL LAKE
It might be his nickname as well as the name of his guide service, but "Walleye Dan" Eigen is a multi-species angler at heart and always has been one. Gull Lake just a few miles north of Brainerd is one of his specialties. The lake is over 9,000 acres in size and is loaded with largemouth bass, walleyes, northerns and panfish. The structure on the lake is incredible and the vegetation is equally varied with healthy amounts of both emergent and submerged weeds.

"Besides being a great lake to fish and having great numbers of multiple species, there is the potential for catching a trophy-class fish, whether it be a walleye, northern or bass," Eigen said.

He typically targets one species of fish rather than going for the shotgun approach when fishing multi-species lakes, especially Gull. "You might be bass fishing but don't be surprised if you catch a bunch of northerns and walleyes," he said.

Gull is especially notorious for this, especially during the late-summer bite when all four species are found in the lush cabbage weeds. "This allows you to be automatically multi-species fishing even though you are still targeting a specific pattern for a specific species of fish," Eigen said. Trophy walleyes and northern pike can also be found this time of the year along Gull's thermocline chasing after schools of tullibees and ciscoes.

If the main lake is too busy with recreational boaters, too windy or just not producing, head north to the other lakes of the chain. Each lake features ample numbers of largemouths, northerns, walleyes and panfish.

Contacts: Walleye Dan's Fishing Guide Service, (218) 839-5598 or www.walleyedan.com; Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-450-2838 or www.explorebrainerdlakes.com.

FISH HOOK LAKE
The Women Anglers of Minnesota used to pride themselves on not fishing the same lake twice. That was before they held a tournament on Fish Hook Lake in Hubbard County 12 years ago. Once they tried Fish Hook, they couldn't get enough of it. Louie Anania, owner of Loon's Nest Resort and host of the annual tournament, said the event has since been held nine or 10 times on Fish Hook, including a four-year consecutive run. "They go on a point system and tell me they come here to get their averages up because they always catch fish here unlike other lakes," he said

The weedline tends to run from depths of 12 to 22 feet and is great in August for largemouths and northerns. In the early morning the bass tend to hang in the shallows, especially on the north side. Topwater lures and spinnerbaits tend to work the best in these locations.

Walleye are numerous on the lake, and DNR reports show that there are healthy populations in the 16- to 20-inch range, not to mention the real possibility of a trophy. Anania said once August rolls around and the cabbage weeds are well established, the walleyes can be tough to catch because they stay deep in the weeds. Toss a crankbait along those weed edges for the best results. Northern pike are also best caught this way.

Bluegills are numerous, with respectable catches in the 7- to 8-inch range. Crappies are not prevalent, but if you catch one, the odds are it will qualify as a "slab."

Contacts: Loon's Nest Resort, 1-800-531-3477 or www.loonsnest.com; Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-247-0054 or www.parkrapids.com.

WHITEFISH CHAIN OF LAKES
Fourteen lakes make up the Whitefish Chain in Crow Wing County, and each can be excellent an lake for largemouth bass, walleyes, northern pike and panfish. Adding to the multi-species potential of the chain are Arrowhead and Big Trout lakes, each of which features lake trout.