First timer – heading up Friday

Well – I am just killing time before we leaving friday morning. We are getting a sleeper shack out of Hunter Winfield. We are bring two sleds and two shacks so we can move around. I also picked up the Navioncs for my android phone. Oh I also ordered $80 were of jigs from Bob at Custom Jigs.com

So I think we are ready. I have read many of the reports and thanks for the info that was mentioned in those. If anyone has any tips or tricks that want to share for 4 first timers I wont say no

These next 2 days are going to really drag by I think

I feel you, going up for the first time on ice with a few of my friends, on Saturday. Time can’t go any slowwwwerrrr. Wanting to know where the hot spots are at, got some ideas, but want to know some real recent reports.

I want a variety of eyes and jumbos, I want to fill my belly.Haha. So if anyone knows where the perch hang out, I’d love to know as well!

I personally think the key to fishing mid winter mille lacs walleyes/perch is to get away from the noise/people. You have the tools to move anywhere on the lake (use common sense around heaves/cracks) with the sleds, portables, and gps. Just about everyone else fishing the lake has the same technology, but the good thing is not every spot is being fished. Look at the GPS structure on your phone or GPS and pick out something out of the ordinary on a piece of structure. Outside turns, inside turns, tighter contour lines, or any bump in a countour line. Fish these spots for a short period of time, like max of 15 minutes. If you don’t see any fish or activity on the flasher move. Keep drilling and keep moving, you should be able to scrap up a decent bag throughout the day for your efforts.
The area of Hunter Winfields should be decent for perch fishing this time of year in the deeper basin, like 30 foot or so, perch are here one minute and gone the next, so fish them fast. Pay attention when you catch a jumbo, if they are spitting up bugs that is a good sign, your more than likely close to an area where bugs are coming out of the mud bottom.
Make sure your auger is topped off with gas because you will be drilling a bunch of holes.

Have fun fishing, report back.

Calvin – thanks for this response, this is great. I appreciate you sharing this and I will report back next week to see if I followed through or not

I was up in the middle of January. We weren’t mobile so you will have an advantage there. At night we set our rattle reels about 18 inches off the bottom. Size 10 red hook and a shiner or chub seemed to work best. We started by hooking the fish behind the dorsal fin but lost a few fish. We started than hooking them towards the front and had a much better hooking rate. They were very slow bites as well. We would let them have it for a while. Many fish would eat it and than just sit there not even swim off. Most bites came between 7:00PM and 12:00 AM. Have fun.

Thanks for the info. right now I have just MN legal treble hooks, but maybe i will grab some plain reds as well