Father Hennepin/malone island

How is this area for walking on and jigging for walleyes and perch? Thinking about walking out at Father Hennepin in Isle Harbor.

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Look up Chapman’s Mille Lacs Resort. They have a road covering that area and they post fishing reports.

Yup I agree. Call chapmans. But i was out there a few weeks back and it was good ice. Real slow bite but good ice

Thanks for the advice! Went to chapmans and caught this 22” w a handful of nice perch!

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Great bud. Glad it worked out for you.

You’re welcome and thanks for posting a report!

phishingruven01 wrote:

I read that there will be a great walleye bite all winter. The great bite will be due to low forage(perch and tullibee), making baited lures an attractive meal.

This, I have to disagree with. I spend about 75% of my fishing time on the Big Pond. There are schools and schools of bait in the lake. anywhere you go! So much that I’ve seen more 3-5″ perch caught this year than in the last 10. These fish are active, but VERY healthy. Not the skinny, sick looking things we had 5-6 years ago. IMHO the bite has been good because the walleye population is doing very well.

IceNEyes1986 wrote:

So

IceNEyes1986 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>phishingruven01 wrote:</div>
I read that there will be a great walleye bite all winter. The great bite will be due to low forage(perch and tullibee), making baited lures an attractive meal.

This, I have to disagree with. I spend about 75% of my fishing time on the Big Pond. There are schools and schools of bait in the lake. anywhere you go! So much that I’ve seen more 3-5″ perch caught this year than in the last 10. These fish are active, but VERY healthy. Not the skinny, sick looking things we had 5-6 years ago. IMHO the bite has been good because the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye population is doing very well.

X2
Well said!

Jon, on your lake map pic, right about where it says ‘state’, there’s a rockpile consisting of 2-5-foot wide boulders in 20 FOW. Its a good bass and walleye fishing spot in the summer. If you can find it with your flasher, it would be a great place to set up for walleyes. Look for an area that’s suddenly 16′ when the holes next to it are 20′. That’s one of my favorite spots and favorite areas on the lake.

Wow that’s funny that you say that because I had to be within 20 to 50 yards of that rock pile. I will try to locate it next time out. Thanks for the info.

And I want to add, not sure if anyone knew this tip, but you can easily tell the depth of the water with your flasher without drilling holes by pouring a little water on the ice and putting your flasher on the water. Someone shared that tip with me a couple weeks back and it really works! I am sure it’s a pretty well-known tip but I just wanted to share that.

Can you park and walk out from the State Park with no sticker or fee?

Besox wrote:

Can you park and walk out from the State Park with no sticker or fee?

35 dollar state park sticker allows access to all state parks all year

Jon Zellmer wrote:

Wow that’s funny that you say that because I had to be within 20 to 50 yards of that rock pile. I will try to locate it next time out. Thanks for the info.

And I want to add, not sure if anyone knew this tip, but you can easily tell the depth of the water with your flasher without drilling holes by pouring a little water on the ice and putting your flasher on the water. Someone shared that tip with me a couple weeks back and it really works! I am sure it’s a pretty well-known tip but I just wanted to share that.

Was that area all blasted out with holes? I’ve never ice fished out there. I always fish the area from Rocky Reef all the way up to Red Door. Pretty much the west and north west side of the lake. The south end is good summer fishing because it’s often the less windy side of the lake.

That water trick is kinda neat when the ice is thin. Some people drill a hole, fill a pitcher by splashing it in there with their scoop, and use that. Seems slow and tedious. Almost easier to just Swiss-chesse the place and be done with it.

phishingruven01 wrote:

I read that there will be a great walleye bite all winter. The great bite will be due to low forage(perch and tullibee), making baited lures an attractive meal.

Probably another DNR myth! Kinda like when they said, there was no walleye!
From what I’ve seen they are fat and a little finicky. Been marking lots of bait fish.

I do believe that military personnel and veterans get a free annual state park pass. I’m going go check out ice fishing on Mille Lacs for the first time.

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