Ice/Fish Reports: 2018/2019 Season

I had a bunch of buddies up there Saturday in Garrison, out of Red Door and in Isle bay. They all said it was an insane bite Saturday evening.

Because temps were in the high 20’s and light winds I decided to take my first trip to Mille Lacs last night. Should have read the reports here to clue me on what to do. I think I was to shallow. Fished from 4:30 to midnight, missed one bite and that was it. Marked 3 fish. For most of the night, I was in 10′ or less right out in front of Eddy’s over rocks.

Made a trip out yesterday 12/11 hit the water at noon. Went out of red door headed for the breakline in the 19-21’ set up on a point for an hour only marked 2 fish no takers. Packed up and headed to another spot on the break away from traffic and got set up. Fishing was steady but not on fire. Marked fish in every hole just couldn’t get them to hit the jigs very often. Tried several things the fish that did hit spoons were on macho minnows and tumbler spoons. Several fish on dead sticks as well. Fished up until dark ended with 15-20 fish biggest 26” several 19-21” keepers as well.

On a side note the ice was cracking a lot. Watched a crack open up 100feet towards shore about 2-3” we had to cross going in. Ice depth varied from 6”-12”

bowtecmike wrote:

Fished up until dark ended with 15-20 fish biggest 26” several 19-21” keepers as well.

FYI – Just a public service announcement that the slot this year is actually 21-23″.

Will

Good report guys. Last year we were fishing on the North end out of Red Door and heard the biggest boom of my life. Seriously, it sounded like a bomb and shook the house so badly I jumped up out of my chair. The year before that, we were also fishing the North end and had a crack open up near shore and couldn’t get off. We had to drive cross country from the Red Door area to Castaways, that was kinda a white knuckle trip.

Is it true that the North end has the more volatile ice?

lindyrig79 wrote:

Is it true that the North end has the more volatile ice?

The north end is the only area of the lake where I would have been stranded if not for Red Door making a new bridge.

I was wondering why nobody was driving out on the same road we used. It was prime time and not a soul was coming out from Red Door. Came back in the dark to find a bunch of cones blocking off a 20′ gap of open water. Red Door plowed a new road to a new bridge to get folks off. I never drove my truck from a public access again after that!

Very good reports on here. Thanks, guys.

I’ve fished the north end breaks 4 times in the last 10 days or so. The fishing was initially excellent, but is slowing down with each trip. Yesterday’s trip had no evening bite whatsoever. I headed out about a mile into the lake yesterday to check a 30-foot-deep hole. It was full of what looked like disinterested walleyes heading towards the middle of the lake I presume. I couldn’t get their attention. There were also quite a few aggressive tullies.

I think that first-break bite is rapidly ending.

Just driven thru Garrison, 6″ of snow driving conditions are terrible. Full-size pickups driving on all the Bays.

Thinking about going out of Randy’s rentals this weekend.
Any one been fishing on that side and or doing any good?.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Thinking about going out of Randy’s rentals this weekend.
Any one been fishing on that side and or doing any good?.

I will be going out of Randy’s on Sunday. Reports have been good out of there already. Like most everywhere around the lake.

Seems like I’m the last one to get out ice fishing Mille lacs.

Was going to try last weekend but ended up at the Harbor Inn instead. Nice view of all the ice anglers out there from that spot.

Andy, you won’t be the last THIS year.