Greetings from the big lake!
I’m on Mille Lacs Lake for my first run of fall night trips and had the pleasure of doing some fishing with Tom -Blue Fleck- Donaldson as I hunted around for the best walleye bite to be found as I prepared for up-coming guide trips. Tom is also a diehard bass guy and I promised him we’d spend a bunch of time during the day tapping into the great smallmouth bass fishery available… and the action and size of fish caught left us both grinning from ear to ear!
In fact, the majority of this report will focus on the bass bite as it is COMPLETELY awesome right now due to these warm temps and stable conditions we’ve been experiencing.
We started out targeting shallow rock reefs and rocky shorelines throwing all kinds of different plastics… tubes, worms, craws… you name it we fished it. But we were NOT catching much of anything to speak of. In fact, fishing was quite slow going. Until we started throwing large top-water that is! After that, our time spent fishing smallies was an absolute riot as we were able to put together a pattern that put us on fish where ever we went as long as we could find the right habitat.
Here’s what was working… any shallow rock / boulders that rose just just below the surface of the water, unrelated to the shoreline, held numbers of nice bass. We did not catch a single bass off shoreline rock or exposed rocks along islands all weekend. We had to target reefs that came to just below the surface and we would cast over and past these shallow boulder piles and work our top water chuggers back over the top of the piles. Time after time the awesome fish, many in the 2.75 – 4.5 Lb range, would wait until the bait over the shallowest part of the reef before exploding on the bait! Several times we had to fight fish back out of water so shallow the fish had to fight on it’s side as we worked them back to the boat!
These fish were very aggressive with the fish coming completely out of the water with the bait in its mouth and action at times was as fast as you could go. At one point on Sunday evening Tom and I each made 6 – 8 casts in a row that resulted in either a vicious strike or a fish in the boat. 
With the warmer temps forecast I would expect this bite to continue for some time now. If top water smallies are your thing, get here now! I’ve enjoyed some fun top water action on the river but the size of the fish available on Mille Lacs right now is something special.
During our time spend inspecting reefs we found huge numbers of 3 – 5 inch perch roaming or huddled in any depression to be found on top of these reefs. The numbers are massive and the smallies and other predators are right there after them.
The weather was very calm so sight fishing was possible. We saw some truly impressive smallmouth but also an eye-popping number of huge muskie and pike. All the rocks from Sherman’s Pt. south to Rocky Reef had large numbers of muskie finning around on top of them and early on in the day on Sunday I had a musky follow my top water to the boat that literally made my knees shake! We had been seeing low – mid 40 inch fish prior to that but this fish was something special. I remember telling Fleck to run to the front of the boat to check out this particular fish with a head as big around as a 5 quart ice cream pail! I would have loved to have hooked this fish but there’s no doubt I would have been in a futile struggle given how under-powered my equipment was. For all you musky and pike fisherman… look to the shallow rocks!
Now about the night walleye bite…!
Saturday night Fleck and I spent about an hour sweating like pigs in the boat… after dark! The humidity was terrible and the bite was non-existent. We pulled the pin on our night chasing walleyes and headed back to the cabin to rest up for Sunday. The water temps were 72 degrees and there was a large number of bugs hanging on every part of the boat making the experience less than enjoyable.
Sunday night the temps were much lower and the humidity a non-factor. A light wind was blowing up out of the south which helped keep the bugs down and we hit the rocks on the east side of the lake. Fishing was slow for the first hour but gradually picked up pace throughout the evening. We found our best bite in 4 – 5 foot of water around and over the tops of the shallow reefs on the east side of the lake, no doubt these fish are gorging on the large numbers of perch we saw earlier in the day in these same locations.
We ended up boating about 6 – 8 fish an hour throughout the night and the size ran from 20 – 24 inches or so for the majority caught. All fish caught are plump beyond description.
Our best baits for the night were the #5 jointed raps, fished on short lines, or the #12 husky jerks in just about every color we threw at them.
Trolling speeds ranged from 1.2 – 1.7 and the fish smacked the baits with gusto. I look for the night bite to go from average like it is now to good over the next couple nights if we can get some wind to work with. Conditions have been very calm at night and a nice chop would likely improve the size of fish being caught in my opinion.
Well, for those that are familiar with in-depthangling.com, you know I put up a Mille Lacs report of this type every second day so look for my next offering on Wednesday of this week. Last night there were 2 boats out after dark that I could see so boat pressure is VERY low right now. Looking to get out after dark and have the lake to yourself while the weather’s still plenty warm? Head to the pond…!
James:
I think you may not so secretly be becoming a bass guy at heart!!!
Nice report James!
About sums up what we experienced fishing for walleyes. The fish seem to be going on all colors right now with no one color out preforming another.
Cool pics of the smallies, but in that one picture you sure have a big elbow! LOL
No, that’s not likely to happen but I tip my hat to a fish that will knock a 4 inch top water 3 feet into the air, turn around, wait for the bait to land, pound it one more time only to get loose and send my little chugger-missile wizzing back over my head…lol
There were times I was laughing like a little kid this weekend over some of the things these bass would do and I was truly enjoying my time in the boat with Fleck.
Tough! When I catch a big fish darn it I want people to be able to see HOW big it really is!…. lol
That second one was 20.25 inches long and was just a thick slab of a fish. Tennessee Shad chugger. Chug-chug-chug! 
Besides, do we really need the elbow patrol around here anyway?!?!?
I suppose you could of held it up with your foot but then I would be some sort of heal then?
Have fun this week, I’m jelous!
I’ll see you this coming weekend buddy and hopefully I’ll have the bigger walleye dialed in for us. Numbers shouldn’t be a problem though… I can’t wait for that first 28″ plus to hit the net given how fat the fish are right now!
Nice report James!! How about those white flies??? They hatched during the Wave Wacker also. They are the WORST!!! They don’t last long though.
About those flies…
Once I got them out of my ears, eyes, nose and throat they didn’t seem to bother me one bit…lol
They were awful. And just not part of the fall trolling deal! I want frosty mornings and northern lights and I’m getting fireflys and heat stroke!
Remember I won’t be back until next week. Lock up if you leave before tuesday!
Did you happen to run any red baits?
Did they hit?
Last night those red craw cranks saved my bacon as the fish went and got themselves really finicky and wouldn’t touch firetiger or clown, etc. The reds turned a slow night into a good one. Biggest walleye went 28.5″ and we had good numbers. Throw in a 4# smallie and a couple big pike AND… life is good.
I also hit the smallies in the afternoon again yesterday before picking up my clients… that bite is still on FIRE! Top water, top water, top water. I’d be out there chasing them now if I had my choice but the big lake is looking a little mean and windy. I’m hoping the lakes settles down before dark so I can give it another whirl.
J.
I had several nights last year where those red rogues were the ticket. I have about a half dozen left but should likely hunt down some more. What is the “official” name of that particular pattern? I thought it was texas red but I believe DeeZee thought that was incorrect the last time I asked him about it.
When will you be up here next Jon?
James…are you purposely trying to make a muskie fanatic jealous?????? It’s working!!
I tried to talk Dustin into bringing you up here tonight to fish w/ me tomorrow but he declined! I’m on the hunt for a 6# smallie and a couple extra sticks in the boat wouldn’t hurt a bit. Just think of all those huge smallies you WON’T be catching tomorrow when you cuff him up side the head when you see him tonight!… lol
Whatever its worth the name of the red Rogues are “Lazer Craw”. They are the dark red color that can be hot up there when conditions are right! I have always done real well on Gull Lake years ago in the fall on the Lazer Craw color.
James, did you have your luck on weeds or rock last night?
I may be up Thursday night and I will float you a buzz on your cell.
Rock. All rock. The weeds are so thick a guy would need a weed eater and a hay baler mounted to the front of their rig to make a trolling pass. East side from Big Pt. north has been best for me although there’s a TON of rock I haven’t been able to fish, obviously.
Holler at me and let me know how you do.
Yep Lazer Craw….here is the link Dee Zee had:
Rouges Link
I’ll be up on Friday, leave my 6# smallie alone!
Jon J.
YOUR 6# smallie? First, there better be more than one if I’m going to find it in all that water. Second, I just want to borrow it for a little bit and I’ll put it right back where I found it when I’m done!~
Thanks for the Rogue info.
Yea, you are right, MINE is closer to 8#…lol
James,
I’m glad to see the hours your putting in are paying off.
Any pics. you would like to share?
Nice report James.. The smallies are sure fun. Just a heads up for anyone heading to the lake, from what I could tell last weekend(Bobber may have a better idea) the lake looks to be down about 2 feet or more, there are many places in the shallow rock areas especially around any buoys, were there are normally large boulders 2-3 feet below the surface. Some are now just inches. The area around half moon Island in Whakon and the Twin Islands have some real hazards.