Ice Season has begun!

Went up to the lake on Saturday to get my ice gear in order, and couldn’t resist the temptation of walking out a few hendred feet checking the ice thickness. I walked out from Malone island and fished for an hour at dusk. Didn’t take long and I had my first walleye of the season on the ice (17″). Not bad considering I didn’t ice a walleye from Mille all last ice season. I picked up one more 20+” fish before dark and then nothing more after it went completely black. The 17″ fish has 8 minnows in his/her belly, so they are obviously still feeding heavily. I fished in 11 FOW with a jigging spoon tipped with a full fathead. There was three inches of ice everywhere I drilled, except right on shore. I only ventured out a 75-100 yards. Just thought I’d post and get everybody’s juices flowing. Good luck to all this ice season.

Seifjr

Good to here! Thanks for the update

I can’t wait! Thanks for the update, keep them coming.

Thanks mom…I mean Chappy

Quote:

---

Thanks mom…I mean Chappy

---

I don’t mean to be a smart ,but how thick was the ice? Clarence lives on a lake that has been froze over for a couple weeks now and the dogs are the only things out there and 1 of them fell through!

No offense taken. I had 3″ of good ice everywhere I drilled. Due to variability of early ice, I didn’t wander around much. I had a life jacket on and spikes around my neck. That was probably the least amount of ice I’ve been on, but new clear ice is pretty strong, so I felt comfortable each time I drilled on my way out.

Seifjr

i feel really comfortable on 3″ of ice. Somewhere between 2 and 3″ is usually what i end up on first ice. We got out today all the way down here in La Crosse. The fishing wasn’t spectacular, but with limited areas to fish, you can’t expect much.

You guys are way braver than I am! Good luck but be safe! I’ll wait for thicker ice…

That’s pretty risky to go out on 3 inches of ice and unpredictable ice flows just to catch fish…but earlier you get out there the better…It seems as though the fishermen whom take these kind of risks on ML seem to catch fish on this lake, especially this season…Lately, it seems as though to catch fish on this lake you have get out on unpredictable ice, fish during a full moon on a cold October or November night in darkness, be a guide or live on the lake and fish on a daily basis, or have the means ( atv or snowmobile and portable fish house) and ambition to travel around the entire lake cutting and fishing a hundred or more holes a day or all the planets have to be in perfect alignment…I guess I ask myself if the only time the fish seem to bite is during what I would consider extreme conditions and during very limited windows of oppurtunity is is worth it…I would say, no! I will still probably fish a few time on ML during the winter when the ice is considerable more thicker, but with lowered expectations than in years past and only for short periods of time during the twilight hours…not until the forage base dwindles will I put in more effort…lets face it, fishermen fish because they want to catch fish…not because they enjoy starring down a hole hours on end or to risk thier lives doing it…

Seifjr, I don’t meen to crap on your parade…I’m glad you caught fish…it might be the only walleyes you catch this winter on ML…let’s hope not…as of late, I guess ML has made me into a disgruntled fishermen…especially during the ice season…at times it can be very frustating…

I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you “little red lund” since one of my fall trolling posts you jumped all over me for giving up to much information. Take your negativity and head from LOW or URL where you’re bound to catch more fish. Mille Lacs is a tough nut to crack and it doesn’t always go my way either. It’s close to my home in Elk River and my folks have a place on the lake, so I’m bound to fish this body of water more than any other in the state.

Quote:

---

Lately, it seems as though to catch fish on this lake you have get out on unpredictable ice, fish during a full moon on a cold October or November night in darkness, be a guide or live on the lake and fish on a daily basis, or have the means ( atv or snowmobile and portable fish house) and ambition to travel around the entire lake cutting and fishing a hundred or more holes a day or all the planets have to be in perfect alignment…

---

That has to be one of the best quotes ever. I have one question though, how do you know when the planets are in perfect alignment? That is way past my knowledge level.

I believe most of the newer GPS units have a function that lets you know when all the planets are in alignment

Maybe it’s the other way around. Catch a fish and it must mean the planet’s are aligned!

I’m not much of an ice guy so I won’t comment. However,I am not a guide, nor do I live on the lake. I will say the fall bite was damn good. Now it was at night but I’m just saying. I agree it was down from the last couple of years but still still produced better quality in my boat than any other MN lake would. Just my 2 cents.