where are the fishes?

so i have finally waited for the winter temps to drop, and so it seems. now i need to know where i can find slb crappies and jumbo perches. please let me know wher they can be found. i live in the metro area and i am willing to drive two hours. thanks.

Check out mille lacs for jumbo perch. You should be able t find more info in the mille lacs forum.
Big crappies? I think people are a little more secretive about large crappie holes. Ann, Fish and Knife lake around mora may a good place to look.

Good luck

can jumbo perches be found in the southeast part of Millacs in that hennepin state park area? or do you have to travel far out into the deep areas?

dont know. Someone else should know.

I would say the SE corner would be a good place to start. You might have to sort through some little guys, but you won’t go hungry.

how far out do you have to travel to get to good fishing spots? i mean i dont really have a ATV or snowmobile.

Most people are fishing rather close to shore right now since the ice is pretty questionable. Last weekend we fished within easy walking distance of the access and we did great on the walleyes and pike… no perch though.

Pack light and you won’t have any issues walking out to spots producing fish. If you plan to fish the SW corner of the lake stop into to Rocky Reef Resort http://www.rockyreef.com/index.html and ask for some pointers. I know they’ve been getting into walleyes and perch and should be able to point you in the right direction.

thanks, i was wondering how thick the ice is along the shore. and what did you guys use to catch walleyes. give me the detail on your trip there basically?

There are lots of areas on that lake walkable from an access.. it seems everyone frgets about the shoreline structure after there is enough ice to get out further. I spent most of my time in the *casino bay* last winter and did reasoably well on perch and walleyes. Lots of fat pike caught out there this fall. I would consider just about anything in that bay walkable, and a little bit more of a walk will get you on the point…I dont know the ice conditions. The south side of the lake has all kinds of structure close to shore. Find a break, point, or a weedline and start from there and dont be afraid to fish an area because nobody else is!

My go to tackle is a jigging spoon tipped with the head of a fathead, and I have my 2nd rod down with a plain hook and a fathead, or put a tipup out with a shiner or sucker instead if your near the weeds. Drill some holes and learn the structure, try to find the spot on the spot, and the active fish.. A flasher is a must for locating them quicker.