Meet fishing guide - Brad Hawthorne

Fishing Guide Brad Hawthrone wants to show you the best fishing spots and lake views on Lake Mille Lacs. Brad knows the lake better than anyone. He’s been a professional angler on Lake Mille Lacs for over 21 years.

Brad can help you make the most of your fishing trip and gain memorable fishing stories. He knows all the hotspots around the lake as a contributor to the Lake Mille Lacs fishing reports. So whether it’s smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, or muskie, when you have Brad as your guide, you know you’ll get the latest on where they’re biting.

Guided fishing trips on Mille Lacs are great family excursions, where you get to see different parts of the lake, learn more about how to catch fish, and hear all of Brad’s stories from years of fishing experience.

We asked Brad why to hire a guide and why fish Lake Mille Lacs:

What’s unique about being a guide on Mille Lacs?
Brad: "Knowing how to fish and handle big water."

Why should I take a guided fishing experience?
Brad: "To catch fish! Now that the obvious reason is out of the way. Learning new tactics, and new fish patterns. You work all week, we guide. Let us take the hard work out of it for you."

What are you like beyond fishing, any other hobbies on Mille Lacs you enjoy?
Brad: "Our family enjoys ATV riding, walking the shorelines, and shooting trap."

How many years of experience do you have as a fishing guide?
Brad: "21."

What’s your favorite fish to eat?
Brad: "Walleye…perch is my close favorite!"

Do you have any Whopper or the one that got away stories?
Brad: "Absolutely, Mille Lacs is a big fish."

Why do you love Mille Lacs?
Brad: "Our family history. My great-grandmother lived to be 108 and for almost 90 of those years within ½ mile from the west shoreline."

What makes fishing fun for adults and families?
Brad: "Building those memories with family and friends, I’ve found its the most positive way to enjoy the outdoors."