The fishing continues to be pretty good on Mille Lacs! The last few trips out have put some dandy slots on the ice. I have been putting my efforts towards the mud flats. The edges on the flat around 26-28 fow have been good during the sunset hour, and the top of the flat has been good during the middle of the day with some bright sunlight!
Jigging Scenic Tackle "go devils" has been the lure of choice with the orange/yellow in the 1/4oz size working the best tonite. The walleye really turned on at 3pm till around 4:30pm with a good number of fish coming through on the MarCum LX5.
It’s taken me a few trips out now to really get to know the use of the MarCum unit. So far it has performed very well! The zoom feature really works well out on the mud! You are able to see the fish right near the bottom as they are coming in to your spoon.
The ice conditions out on the mud are good. You have to still be carefull running around with an atv or sled, as there are a few areas of rough ice. The ice depth measured at 13 inches today in the area we were fishing. The run out to the flats from Hunters Point is well marked with a road to the Boot and Sliver flats. The ice is pretty smooth in these areas and your able to run while towing your sled at around 20+ mph with out any trouble.
If your planning to make a trip up to Mille Lacs please check with the resort prior and find out the most current ice conditions.
Good luck and catch some fish!!!
Bob,
Hope the fishing is stiil good come the 19th, see ya then.
You really seem to have ’em dialed in. Those are some nice looking fish! That Marcum sure looks good in that Otter
dave
Bob –
Thanks for the detailed post. It sounds like you have been able to put in some time to figure out a good jigging pattern to put some nice fish on the ice. Are you actively jigging or setting still when you are red lining on the Marcum? Are you getting fish deadsticking also?
I was out on George’s road to the flats and we also caught 2-26″ and a 27″ along with loosing 3 below the hole from 4:45-5:15. From 4:00pm – 4:30pm we could not keep the 6″-10″ eyes off our spoons. Then it went dead until the 27″ hit and then it was game on! All our big fish were caught on a deadstick and larger shiner.
Thanks for the great report!
Welcome to the site H2O!!!
Wow, a blast from the past. Didn’t we used to have another guy who called himself H2O around here???????
Great report Bob. I cannot wait to get up there.
Any word on the ice on the north end???
Back in the day…. back in the day!
Thanks for the hello Gator!
I had some buddies that stayed at the Door the past couple days. They traveled the ice from that area all the way to Sliver!
I do not know if I would have had the guts to travel that far with this years ice conditions and without a road. They said that the north end was slow. Most of the fish they caught were on the flats. Again, the bigger fish were on a deadstick with a plain RED hook and a nice sized shiner. They said the bite was very tough
.
Good luck when you get a chance to get back up. I am planning a trip back the week of the 8th for a couple days.
I like to jig the spoon from 6 inches off the bottom on up to 2-3 feet off. If I have a negative fish that does’nt seem to want the lure, I’ll raise it slowly. I jig the spoon sometimes with just a slight 1 inch movement to a faster 1 foot movement!
The rod is in my hand 95% of the time and I’m jigging!!!
I have not caught a fish on a tip up yet this winter! I’ve lost bait on them….but not landed a fish!
Great report Bobber. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the report Bobber. Can’t wait to get down there to the big pond. How far from Hunter’s are the flats? (obviously I am not at all familiar with the lake. YET)
Bob,
I’m meeting up with Craig this weekend. Is George letting
any pickups and wheelhouses out. Looking to set up base camp just off shore.
Hawghunter –
It is aroud 6 miles to Boot and Sliver! They are the closest flats from Hunters.
Nice report Bob!
Found it interesting that you’d mentioned the fish were on top of the flat when there was bright sun and on the edges during the low light periods. If anything, I would have guessed it would have been the other way around. Any speculation as to why that is…optimum light conditions? That’s why I love this site…always something new to learn.
Happy New Year everyone!
Jim
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More than likely the fish that were on top were there looking for baitfish. Its common to see fish on top during the day.
The fish caught on the edges were probably deep water fish that move up the edge before dark. Or they “edge cruzers” these are fish that roam the edges all day looking to ambush prey.
Hey Kurtkid, you bringing the warden? Or Rob Lehner??
George is letting out atv and sleds only….no vehicle travel at this time…..
Great report Bobber! Hope the bite and ice holds up for the GTG. See you there.
Great report!!
I’ve got a couple packages of those “go devils” waiting to be used at the GTG!! Can’t wait to get up there!
Great report Bob, and it is dead on. We were out the 29th and tried the spot you mentioned
early and got 2 keepers. We did a lot of moving to other flats and marked fish, but couldn’t trigger them. We went back to the same holes we started in and Austin lost a giant. It was only his 2nd day ice fishing and it was too bad to see happen. But I happy to see him make it all day.
Question for you. This was the first time I have fished out of Hunters and I noticed a lot of houses before the 2nd bridge. I assume they are fishing rocks. Do they get much, or is it that it is just more convienent and easier to get to.
Thanks again Bob. I owe you.
Hey Mike… after the 2nd bridge… there is a rock to sand transition… if you are talking about off of hunters point (actual point). I fished there on Wednesday. Talked to one fisherman that was catching fish off of a chartuesse deadstich (told me that jigging was turning the eyes off as well as telling me red was NOT the color) and another fisherman that caught a 25 inch off of a red/white northland jigging. I got skunked for the day… I changed up quite a few times and changed spots as far as the ice cleats would take me (God I got to invest in a 4 wheeler)… got a few perch… I did get a few eyes to follow my jig up about 3 feet… but none would commit. They seemed pretty finiky! Was using my Marcum lx5… could see them coming in ….. but just would not bite. Ugh…
Derik,
RC wont drive his Citation out on the ice it 20 years old now vintage. The Warden is staying home she usually catches all the fish b4 I get my line down.