Looking like the best perch bite Mille lacs has had in years is going on right now. I spend a lot of time walleye fishing out there and usually run into them here and there but have never specifally targeted them. Gonna give it a try in the next week or 2. Any tips as far as what type of structure i should be targeting? Thanks in advance!
Probably deep gravel flats, south end. “Sloppy joes” which is a couple miles out(north/northeast) of cove bay comes to mind, but I’m sure there are others.
Mudflats are probably also good options during the day but not sure.
I wouldn’t believe it myself if I had only seen the online pic from Hunters with a table full of jumbos…… But I was out of the NW corner sat morning with my son and he caught a 14 1/4″ about 8am- his largest ever and I figured that’s a great catch but probably won’t catch another one like it. We starting popping a few more here/there then between 11am-2pm it was pretty hot for a while. We couldn’t stop to eat lunch type of hot then after that only a couple more in the afternoon. We caught around 40 jumbos (12-14, a few just over) and a couple dozen or so smaller ones. We threw back the biggest egg wagons and kept about 20 in the middle range. I was 2 miles out off the end of a bar in 25-30′ that comes up to 15 feet. Nothing on top in the morning or on the drop. Also had a couple schools of tullis come through. Only a few dink eyes and a couple 17’s. We went back the next day and they were still roaming the area but not biting the same as saturday- I think we caught about a dozen by noon and headed to home.
Red Door told us if you want to catch 12 inch perch, head to the second break, you’ll catch 40 in a weekend. We ventured out to the mud, and did just as well. Walleyes were all smaller than 8 inches, perch were all 11-12 and super fat. I also know people that did well in the sand. I don’t think it really matters where you go right now. Not sure how long it’ll last but it was a fun time. Was a super light bite for us, you’d have to see if your rod would load as you slowly lifted away from the marks. Didn’t matter what was jigged, they’d hit everything, however we had no bites on set lines.
It will certainly last longer if we don’t post about it all over the internet…….. 
There has been several giant perch hatches the last five years including last year. One of the main reasons the walleye bite has been a little tough. I would be focusing on soft bottom. This bite will only get better the later into the season.
It will certainly last longer if we don’t post about it all over the internet……..
This^
Heading that way this weekend.
Word is out beyond this internet site. Any and all ML businesses have been touting the perch bite since people went out on the ice.
It will certainly last longer if we don’t post about it all over the internet……..
Lol it’s not 2008 on LakeStateFishing. Not sure it’s worth being worried about all 200 views this gets in the next year.
Wait until you hear about Instagram!
Someone needs to get that of facebook so everyone from here heads up there.
Fake news! Mille lacs doesn’t even have perch in it.
Gibson, Sorry brother, i guess you are in the wrong place. This is a website designed for reports and getting help and ideas from other anglers.
There’s better ways to learn how to fish. Plastering it up online will only make it harder for you to succeed. Phone a resort, they’ll help you out. If you want generic perch info I’m glad to help. Naming lakes with hot bites online isn’t helping anybody.
There’s better ways to learn how to fish. Plastering it up online will only make it harder for you to succeed. Phone a resort, they’ll help you out. If you want generic perch info I’m glad to help. Naming lakes with hot bites online isn’t helping anybody.
This isn’t a secret. Do you not have Facebook and follow the resorts? And believe it or not this is a much more discrete place to post than putting it on ice fishing minnesotas Facebook page
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>grubson wrote:</div>
There’s better ways to learn how to fish. Plastering it up online will only make it harder for you to succeed. Phone a resort, they’ll help you out. If you want generic perch info I’m glad to help. Naming lakes with hot bites online isn’t helping anybody.Do you not have Facebook and follow the resorts? And believe it or not this is a much more discrete place to post than putting it on ice fishing minnesotas Facebook page
Lol. You don’t need the internet to catch fish. Go pay for a road pass and ask advice. Or maybe, just go fishing. Have you ever wondered how fish were caught before the internet? It takes work, effort, and trial and error. It’s far more rewarding when you do it on your own and don’t need the internet to tell you how. PM me if you need some help getting started.
I think what Walleye635 was saying is that Hunters Point posted a picture of 60 jumbos caught in one day on their sight. So critique of fisherman talking about bites could be warranted, but are you also calling the resorts and telling them to stop posting about it?
Grubson relax. Guy asked for some tips on targeting perch on a lake that is 130,000 acres. Thought this is what this site is for or is just for political biatching.
We starting popping a few more here/there then between 11am-2pm it was pretty hot for a while.
Didn’t matter what was jigged, they’d hit everything
You guys getting the perch on minnows or waxies?
Grubson relax. Guy asked for some tips on targeting perch on a lake that is 130,000 acres. Thought this is what this site is for or is just for political biatching.
And I offered to help him out via pm. Crickets. He apparently doesn’t want help, just for someone to tell him where and how.
Regardless of the lakes size, it’s a limited resource with extremely high daily limits. The perch aren’t everywhere either. It doesn’t need extra publicity. I’ve seen good perch fisheries get pounded until they’re very few left. Mille lacs will be no different. It’s taken nearly 20 years for the perch to recover from the years of over harvesting out there (used to be 100/ day) . Sorry for worrying that it will happen again.
I pm’ed you, Grubson
Gee I wonder why. The offer was so inviting. He did not ask for the where and how. He asked for any tips on types of structure. A lot of weeds rock sand and mud on the pond.
I guess next time someone wants a tip on fishing just PM Grubson instead.
I can recall targeting those perch for years when I was younger, especially in the fall. The southern bays like Cove, Isle, and Wahkon were very productive. On a nice fall day in October, there would be 60 boats parked in a bay fishing for them. Eventually all the jumbos and eaters were picked through and you’d have to cull through 20 dinks to catch an 11 incher. Then, seemingly, they were gone. Used to catch a lot of them targeting walleye too. Its been at least a decade or more now since I caught one even by accident.
It sounds like they are making a nice comeback. I’m sure it won’t take long for word to get out (and it probably already is) on this.
Gee I wonder why. The offer was so inviting. He did not ask for the where and how. He asked for any tips on types of structure. A lot of weeds rock sand and mud on the pond.
I guess next time someone wants a tip on fishing just PM Grubson instead.
If he really wanted advice he would jump at the opportunity.
So…. what exactly do you think where means? Types of structure maybe? Area of the lake maybe? Here is a tip, stay away from structure.
Glad to hear they have made a rebound. May have to get up there after them. Use to love perch fishing on Mille lacs.
You guys are all funny. Everyone bitches that theres no hunting or fishing talk on an outdoor forum. Then someone asks a fishing related question and the world is gonna fall apart. He asked for structure to look for not your coordinates or strobe light color or flag pole height. Last I checked mille Lacs isnt some secluded lake in the middle of nowhere. Guessing its gonna get fished if you sew your mouth shut or not.
If he really wanted advice he would jump at the opportunity.
So…. what exactly do you think where means? Types of structure maybe? Area of the lake maybe? Here is a tip, stay away from structure.
Read his actual post. He didn’t even use the word where.
Here is a tip, stay away from structure.
Probably all you needed to say, but you do you, chastise away.
You guys getting the perch on minnows or waxies?
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I forgot to grab waxies- so the majority were on minnow heads and rattle spoons- mostly light bites but a few hit pretty good. When my son couldn’t get one to bite for a few minutes I handed him a gold tungsten jig with a little pink plastic on it and he got a few to bite that when they wouldn’t hit the spoon.
If he really wanted advice he would jump at the opportunity.
So…. what exactly do you think where means? Types of structure maybe? Area of the lake maybe? Here is a tip, stay away from structure.Read his actual post. He didn’t even use the word where.
Here is a tip, stay away from structure.
Probably all you needed to say, but you do you, chastise away.
What’s the difference between where and what type of structure? He’s asking for a location, or, hear me out, WHERE!!
Now this is the type of “Mille Lacs” thread that I’ve grown to know and love her on IDO.
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