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I have only fished Mille Lacs so far this winter and I must say its almost work like. Everyone who fishes Mille Lacs has a contour chip so all the little nook and cranny’s, inside and outside turns have permanent houses on them, or at least where I have been fishing.
I have found great success getting away from people, all the vehicle traffic on the lake has fish scattered right now. You need to stay on the move, drill a lot of holes and use baits that will “call” fish into your area. I have also found that don’t waste time on neutral or negative fish. If the fish doesn’t chase after 2 attempts I am leaving that hole looking for a active biter. Perch fishing has started to resemble perch fishing of a few years ago, where these jumbos would actually meet your lure 5-6 feet off the bottom. Some walleyes are just as active during the day as “prime” feeding times, although you will see a bunch of lookers vs biters, staying positive and staying on the move is key to fishing Mille Lacs lake in the winter. Drowning minnows in a permanent shack has its times, but if your looking to catch more fish you have to stay mobile.
Good Luck
Cal makes a good point! Bigger baits jigged higher off the bottom will drw fish in from a farther outlying area. They may not always hit, but have other rods set up with smaller to mid-range offerings to entice them into biting. A few lures I use are Salmo Chubby Darters, Puppet minnows and Ice Rapalas and large Swedish Pimples and Weasels to Buckshots. Don’t be afraid to jig them up to 6 or so feet off bottom when searching.
