Has anyone ever tried to catch eyes or smallmouth on a fly rod from a boat on mille lacs? I may try it this upcoming weekend targeting rocky points or rock bars using streamers or big flies. Hopefully they will still be shallow enough for my baits.
I have never fished for SMB so if anyone has a better idea where I could start to get a mixed bag that would be awesome. If not I get to do the old throw a dart on the map method.
Thanks in advance guys
Definitely heard of it, never tried it myself though. Talked to a guy that has really good success with both ‘Eyes and SMB on Mille Lacs, just gotta let your streamer sink!
I could see a SMB hitting a fly on the surface. A walleye, no. Most fly guys that target SMB do it in rivers when the water is warmer during the summer.
Catching Smallies on Poppers and other topwaters is a classic angling experience. I’ll start fishing topwaters as soon as the lilacs bloom and I see Dragon flies cruising around. Basically water temps above 50 degrees. They eat streamers very well too. And sometimes depending on their mood, you have to be right on the bottom with a crayfish imitation. Smallies have a tendency to hit streamers on the pause, so be aware of that. Clouser Minnows were invented specifically for Smallmouth. There are a bunch of other patterns that work well too.
I’ve caught Walleyes on flies as well. Usually with streamers, like a Clouser Minnow. If you look at some fly patterns, you realize they’re basically the same thing as a hair jig. Guys on this site catch a lot of Walleyes on hair jigs. On the bottom and in the usual spots and it can happen.
If you happen to be on a lake when the Hexagina Mayflies hatch, you can find yourself in fly fishing heaven. These are the big yellowish ones, the ones they use snow plows to clean off the bridges. They’re big, and when they hatch the Walleyes and Smallmouth both will take advantage of this food source. I’ve caught Walleyes on the surface when the Hex are hatching. But timing is super critical, you have to be there on the right nights. Late June/Early July and after dark.
S.R.
I have tried a little ML top water with the fly rod. Mainly during the evening over rock piles with balsa poppers. Pretty simple approach. Look for rising activity and fish the area.
This early in the season you may have a shot at a walleye or two in some of the same areas. Your best bet on the fly would likely be fishing streamers with a sink tip or sinking line. I believe night fishing is currently closed so fish the earliest or latest twilight the walleye hours allow.
Not millelacs but fly fishing related Shawn perich who used to be in the outdoor news would have a article each season of catching walleyes via flyrod when the mayflys hatched
I imagine the mayfly window on lakes is more of a summer pattern. Maybe starting late June into July. There are mayflies that utilize the silt where they burrow. There are many different burrowers and they tend to be the bigger mayflies. Fly guys commonly refer to them as “Drakes”. The Hex mayflies are the biggest of the bunch. You hear about their hatches from the Mississippi when they collect in large numbers on bridges. I believe you’re also looking at more of a late evening/night event. Although, I do remember seeing SMB taking spent spinners on ML during the day (dead mayflies on the surface after mating).
Not millelacs but fly fishing related Shawn perich who used to be in the outdoor news would have a article each season of catching walleyes via flyrod when the mayflys hatched
I never got the chance to go up and try it. maybe a black wooly bugger looking like a leech could still work shallow for smallmouth
Timing is good right now for walleye. Plenty of fish really shallow. My friend caught a bunch of eyes with me on his fly rod a couple years ago. Strip slow and evenly making the fly move at a constant speed. Black seems to work best.
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