When chasing bruiser pike on Upper Red, Boser does an equal mix of trolling and casting. Most anglers troll, but Boser said casting can be a great way to really work a weedbed that you know is holding fish that won't bite on a trolling pass.

The basin of the lake is large, and the northerns are usually scattered. Boser begins on either end of the Tamarack River or the Little River by Rogers. Big trolling and casting spoons are his favorite choice, with a special emphasis on fire-tiger. "I also like bucktails for casting but you can't beat a fire-tiger spoon," he said.

For more information, contact Boser at (218) 327-2191 or online at www.mnfishingpros.com.

MILLE LACS
While conducting population surveys in the spring of 2005, Pierce said they caught at least one male northern over 40 inches on Mille Lacs. That's a nice-sized pike, especially for a male that typically doesn't exceed 5 or 6 pounds. It shows that Mille Lacs has some of the highest trophy potential in our state. One factor leading to Mille Lacs' high-quality pike fishery is the presence of a healthy forage base and a lot of habitat, Pierce noted.

Kelly Deneen has been the assistant manager at Johnson's Portside for three years. She said almost all of the pike she catches, and hears about being caught, come from the famous north end.

I have fished that northern breakline quite a bit myself and had some tremendous pike catches over the years, including my first and second pike over 40 inches. On two trips, one in August and another in September, a total of eight pike were caught, and all were between 37 and 40 inches. Their weight varied only because some were chunkier than others.

Crankbaits and spoons seem to be the most productive, though it's difficult to judge which one will work better on any given day. Use both and try to figure out the pattern. Deneen said other good big-pike locations include Big Point and the South Twin Bay area.

Additional information can be had by calling the Mille Lacs Area Tourism Council at 1-888-350-2692, or go to www.millelacs.com.

LAKE OF THE WOODS
This is another lake where Pierce reported at least one male netted over 40 inches, thus proving the trophy potential locked into the Lake of the Woods.

Mike Kinsella of Border View Lodge is aware of the trophy potential on Lake of the Woods, and he sees plenty of pike over 40 inches caught each summer. "Last year, we had a lot pulled out in the 46-inch range," he said. Most of these big fish are returned to the lake, Kinsella said, though a few are kept from time to time -- mainly those over 40 inches.

He said that in the spring, Baudette Bay and Four Mile Bay and into the creeks are the best locations around. The area by North Point where the Rainy River flows is another good spring location, as is the Angle Inlet area.