Hey Steve. You knowing the north end as well as you do, I was wondering if I could pick your brain a little:) If you were to venture off your usual haunts this time of the year, and with the weather the way its been, where would you fish? The mud,no mans land, day, night, deep, shallow, etc, etc.? Ive been bouncing all over without alot of success these days. Im just trying to put together some type of pattern. Thanks.
Daytime(9am. to 4pm.) …mud flat stuff. Dawn/dusk(7am. til 9am & 4pm. til 6pm.) …shallow. No mans land can and will work during the day as well…if you land on the right area. I stay on shore at night.
Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103
Thanks again Steve for your input. I appreciate it. I know you told me to not be intimidated by the big lake factor and just get out and fish. I guess I’m used to fishing smaller lakes where you can easily pick out the few areas of potential fishey structure in the lake. In my attempts to learn how to fish the north end, I see excellent structure everywhere. The more I study the map, the more confused I get. Sometimes I think I’d be more accurate if I hung the map on a wall and threw darts at it:) If you dont mind me asking, How do you select the “prime” structure you want to fish? What do you look for? Thanks again.
This is Mille Lacs! There are fish everywhere! More in some places/areas than others–yes. But a meal? Everywhere!
I truly doubt if you looked in 7′-10’& 18′-27′ about anywhere along the northshore(along ALL of the Mille Lacs shorelines)–flat bottom sand and muddy areas or rocky areas, and 22′-27′ along the edges of ANY mudflat, that you wouldn’t find plenty of walleyes. Finding fish here is easier than any other lake I have ever been on because of the numbers. Getting them to bite? Consistently? That’s the trick!
Lately, (the past two weeks), cold front or not, I can get about 35 perecent of the “looker” walleyes to bite. In other words, I’ve been seeing about 7-10 walleyes per session(60-90 minutes), and carrying 2-4 home. Once in a while they ALL bite and once in a while they all just look.( I pass up the non-keepers so that number would go up if I allowed them to bite as well).
What’s funny about the map thing is that instead of looking at it and going where there is NOBODY for a mile in any direction, most go and attempt to fish used, beat up fish and fishing grounds–both summer and winter.
When the DNR puts nets out in the fall, they catch just as many fish in no mans land as they do on the structure! Sometimes more…
Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103
I know you told me before to get away from the crowds, but the map is such an easy place to start when a person doesnt know the lake all that well. Speaking of maps… take the north end for example. What would you estimate is the percentage of unknown structure that isn’t even charted on a map or program? Thanks.
MOST structure, as I see it and you should see it, is NOT on the maps, simply because MOST structure should be defined as ANY change. So flat bottom areas, as an example, that have a variable bottom make up are great spots or “structure”. But will not show up since there is no depth change.
No doubt, as “structure” is normally defined (depth change), there are countless spots that are not on the maps since they are only the size of a truck, your living room, or maybe a ridge that is a foot high and six ft. wide and 20yds. long. Countless!!
Best advice? Plan you ice fishing from your boat next summer. It’s much easier to learn in THAT setting.
Steve Fellegy
219-678-3103
Steve,this is all excellent information. I and Im sure all of the IDA members reading this topic appreciate you taking the time to share some of your fishing knowledge with us. You make a good point about “variable bottom makeup” when defining structure. I know I get so fixed on depth changes, this is something that I overlook.
Question… Are you strictly a walley guy or do you like to chase perch also? Whats your favorite bait,and presentation for both species?… If you dont mind me asking.
What Steve mentioned above is just what I was looking for the other day while scouting for perch. The area I was in showed the depth as one thing on the chip, but yet when you check the depth or look around with the camera you will find slight changes of say around 12-18 inches or so (LOL) sorry inside joke between Steve and I!!!
I am competely hooked on needing the aid of the Lakemaster chip, but it does not show 100 percent of the lake either. I’m glad it does’nt……and I don’t know how they could do any better in creating a contour map than what they offer now.
Point I’m trying to make is, there is alot of those special spots yet out on the lake! You just need to find them!!!
Good luck
Thanks guys for taking the time to read our topics and post whats working for you. I know theres alot of fishermen like me that dont get the chance to get over to MilleLacs as much as we’d like to. Your input at least gives us a chance to take home a couple fish for a meal. I know I dont have alot of posts. Thats because I dont have alot of success stories to share 
even though I visit the IDA web sight at least once everyday. The trick is trying to retain and apply everything I’ve learned .
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
