I am up here at the Red Door Resort and I just had my arse whipped up here on the Big Pond.
We Trolled all over under this full moon to no a avail.
Please send all your way points.
Humbled IDO member 
What’s the water temps?
try some big minnows (red tails, large shiners, smaller suckers) on a jig, or under a float or rigged off the shoreline breaks with weed and rocks or rock reefs. Might be a bit early but they will soon be relating to those structures and at least you get big smallies and a northern mixed in with the walleyes.
good luck
ps: if you do try this method could you PM me with your results. I am coming up in OCt and plan on concentrating on this instead of night trolling. Worked great last year.
You’ve got my number right Jeff? I might be able to help 
Someone give him the GPS numbers to Cottage Grove. PLEASE! 
Here is my report from last years September full moon that hopefully might help since I assume you’re dealing with water temps in the 60’s again
I fully expect that your best luck with these warmer water temps will come from shad style baits versus stick baits because they have a faster action… I especialy like the glass shad raps at night because they’ve got a rattle and provide more flash.
I trolled last week shallow during the day with limited success as well. Lots of pike, perch, and smallies. Caught a couple walleyes on the wind blown shallow rock reefs durning the day, best baits and colors were Rapala Shad Raps in #5’s Yellow Perch, Purpledescent and blue. That was during the day, but plenty of fish located on the rocks.
65
The floating weeds are really making it difficult for trolling.
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Someone give him the GPS numbers to Cottage Grove. PLEASE!
Luv ya buddie 
Too warm still,needs to drop ten degrees. Try getting off the break and pull 7’s or 9’s. Hit the basin in the daytime. They will still be there as well. 
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Hit the basin in the daytime. They will still be there as well.
Or night time as well.
One thing I’ve noticed in the past is it makes a difference if the moon is shining or not. If the moon is out and bright the fish will bite. Once the moon goes behind a cloud the bite slows up a bit or completely shuts down. I’ll be up Saturday afternoon for the evening
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65
The floating weeds are really making it difficult for trolling.
Man, that’s really warm. When I spent my time up there guiding in the fall I’d look for 58 – 60 degree temps to basically signal the start to the fall bite. 65 degrees made for some long, slow nights. A couple areas that always produced best under the conditions you’re seeing were St. Albans Bay and Shabush Kung Bay on the west side. Trolling #7 shallow shads inside the weed lines at 2.0 – 2.5 MPH would always put some fish in the boat. I like that north end quite a bit but it usually produces best a little later in the fall once the temps have dropped and some of the weed growth has dropped down.
Best of luck!
thanks all
We had the moon out for about two hours last night, it was tough keeping the lures clean because of all the debris floating around. We were constantly pulling them in and clearing fouled baits.
I was out on seguchie point last night,and shadbush Kung was my next plan but the ladies had enough.
We Will be giving it another shot tonight.
Thanks again.
South east rocks have been good to me in the padt. Bannana reef is a favorite. Moon needs to be out and high. Got a open saet for the river north of aitkin saturday or sunday for a back up plan.
Buddy and I fished west side of Mille Lacs this past Tuesday night. Water temp was 63 degrees. We pulled shad style baits and some husky jerks and only ended up with a 26 inch eye and 3 smallies. We fished both the rocks and weeds and depths from 5 to 15 feet but couldn’t put anything together. Had a nice wind but no moon and fish didn’t seem to be in their normal areas in big numbers yet. We quit fishing at 2:30 AM. Having some moon tonight might make a difference though. Good luck to anyone heading up there this weekend!
Tough Tough tough Bite 
Picked off two last night, one was 25.5 the other I don’t know, she came unpinned at the boat after her first run back under the boat.
But I am taking a mulligan on her because I got to see her eyes.
I think that is one of the coolest parts of fishing is that first glimpse,before the run.
I hear you about the tough bite, Jeff. I was up more or less all night on Thursday, and we really, really struggled. Got two fish, but that’s in five hours, and that’s trying nearly EVERYTHING–even lead out deep. 
Looking to come up in October for the full moon. I haven’t ever done a full moon run on Mille Lacs yet. Just wondering if it is a trip that I would have to be a passenger with someone that knows what’s going or would I be able to take my boat up and figure out the pattern? I hear people on here talking about a tough bite, but I am assuming it is just going to get better as the temps continue to fall. I would like to be able to take my boat and fish it myself but just wondering if it is something where I should maybe wait and go with someone that has done it before, before I try and conquer it on my own? 
There are others here with much more experience than I have, but it really isn’t that hard. I started “from scratch” last fall and had a few 40+ fish nights fishing all by myself; if I can do it, I’m sure you can, too. 
I spent a lot of time online reading old fishing reports, and when on the water, I just kept changing things up until I got a fish. In the beginning, I would just keep trolling, but I think the one thing I learned last year that helped me the most was to give it 100 more yards or so and then turn around back through where I caught the fish.
I also had my three best outings on very, very dark nights….no need to wait for the full moon. Just my .02.
If you plan ahead a bit – you should be able to do just fine.
1. Pick an area you want to target so you don’t have to run all over the lake. I love to fish weedlines. Rock can be good, sand brreaks early in the season can be great, or any transition area.
2. Have good head lamps and other light sources available.
3. Have back up rods ready to go so you don’t have to deal with a retie, tangle or problem if a rod goes down.
4. Have an assortment of crankbaits ready to roll for quick and easy change.
5. Bring cell phone fully charged. Let somone know you are going if going alone.
6. Check running lights before you leave the harbor.
7. Charge spot light.
8. Have a full charge on the other battteries in your boat. You never know.
9 Run a full tank of gas.
10. Don’t forget cigars, a few beers, and a little gas grill if it is calm enough out there.
11. Control your speed. This will be contingent on water temp. Right now I would run 2 to 2.4 – As the water gets colder, you will need to slow things down.
12. Shad baits – Good vibration baits while water is warm. As a rule, stickbaits as it gets colder.
13. I like metalic baits with good moonlight, dark night = dark bait, and I like contrast when I have broken moon light
14. Watch the weather. Plan ahead for conditions. It will feel colder on the water than you think.
15. Make plenty of s-style curves until you dial them in. Take note of your speed and location when you catch one. Repeat. Often times you can work an tight breakline, inside turn or rock hump picking up fish each pass.
16. DId I mention cigars, a few beers, and snacks.
17. If working weeds I like to start on the outside edge. However, inside the weedlines can be great as well. You can also go over the tops in some areas with the right cranks and have great success.
18. If using braided line, make sure you have a little sissors, knife, or something to cut your line with.
19. If at all possible I like to troll with the waves. If big wind it is hard to control speed if you are going into them.
20. Bring something to take a leak in. No reason to stand leaning over the edge in the dark if you don’t have to.
21. Buy a rubber net. You will not want to work on treble hooks wrapped in the net – in the dark.
I am sure I forgot a lot and others on this site will certainly help you. I remember my first night out there. You constantly wonder if you are doing things right. It will feel great when you put your first run of good fish together.
Guys – what did I forget?
Good luck
With the water temps in the mid sixties it proved to be a very difficult bite.
I tried many patterns that all proved to be the most difficult fishing that I have ever had on Mille Lacs.
Thanks to all who offered help
And to Mr.Holst the only two walleyes we caught, were in St.Albans Bay inside weed line. 6 fow
I still had a great time on the water with the wife and daughter, beautiful weather for humans, not so for our finned friends.
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And to Mr.Holst the only two walleyes we caught, were in St.Albans Bay inside weed line. 6 fow
That area has saved my bacon more than a few times. I was hoping you would find a few more but at least you got the net wet.
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I still had a great time on the water with the wife and daughter, beautiful weather for humans, not so for our finned friends.
Trolling out there at night while basking in the light of that full moon is usually worth the time and effort even when the fish don’t cooperate.
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With the water temps in the mid sixties it proved to be a very difficult bite.
Tuff bite for my boat as well. Even the smallies seem to have got tight lipped… Talked to a lot of folks up there. Some very good sticks and launch pilots. Everyone is struggling. Many are looking elsewhere to spend time or fish. I brought my boat home and plan to be on pool 2 until freeze up. May even skip the Oct full moon this year.
-J.
I am having second thoughts also Jon.
I’ve got a trip planned up to LOW the first weekend of OCT,
hoping to tangle with some fish then.
That should clear the cobwebs.
I am kicking around Rainy river during Oct. full moon time as well. I have a couple days off and I want to be on a good bite.
No brainer for me if the bite picks up on Mille Lacs, as I have a cabin there. However, I have a lot of fish I want to catch before I put the boat away in late Oct.
I still expect the October full moon fishing on Mille Lacs to be very good. We just need some cooler temps to get the bite going in the right direction.
I was actually going to ask the same question that Dcutler has already answered…Is the slow bite (that we’ve been experiencing now for some time) likely to improve into October? What has happened in other years when the water was warm in late September–did the bite ever “catch up” in October and November? Or is the dynamic in the lake such that it’s looking to be a slow bite all fall?
I know these are question about the future, and the problem with the future is that it’s hard to predict. But I’m wondering if any of the experienced anglers out there have any experience with years like this. (Please tell me they’ll start biting!!! 
For me, the magic number has always been around 50 degrees. I still anticipate a great bite this fall.
Just need the temps to go down.
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Is the slow bite (that we’ve been experiencing now for some time) likely to improve into October?
Short answer – yes. I’d expect the bite to improve over what I have been seeing since mid July. This would be typical in any year.
Do I expect to improve to what “I” would consider a normal or even good year? No.
Why? Simple answer. There are not as many catchable fish in the lake. This can be backed up by my personal observations and DNR test net data.
-J.
Yeah, there is that….
Even with the decline in the number of walleyes in the lake, my fishing earlier this spring/summer was fantastic. Maybe not lights-out like it was two years ago, but it was a lot of fun to be out on Mille Lacs.
The last two months or so? Not so much.
And I’m not experienced enough with fall trolling to know the typical relationship between the mid and late summer bites and the fall trolling bite.
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