Mille Lacs Lake fishing report 12-27-07

The perch have been showing up in the areas that I have been fishing recently. Today I found a location just off a flat that had some dandy’s!! Most locations on the lake right now have perch activity. Most of the perch are small around 2-3 inches long! I have had them swim just below the ice and even into my fishing hole!

Today I caught some bigger perch just off a flat in 28-29 fow. I was jigging a 1/4 oz go-devil in the gold color. The biggest perch got away at the bottom of my hole. I hooked what I thought was a nice slot walleye! I felt alittle perch like wiggle in its pull. Well when I looked down the hole and saw how big this perch was that I had on…I got alittle excited and lost it at the bottom of the hole…..oh well, guess I still can get alittle excited!! It was pretty big compared to the two in the photo attached. These two weighed in at just under a pound.

The walleye action has been some what on and off. One time you think you have it figured out! the next time it takes a different spot or lure to put a few fish on the ice. This next photo is a 25 inch walleye that bit on my 1/4oz yellow/orange go-devil at 8:30am this morning. It came into view on the MarCum and just hammered the bait! I have been catching a fair number of smaller walleye in the 12-14 inch range. I think many of the small marks on the MarCum that one might think are perch could well be the smaller walleye roaming the bottom.

I have been fishing a number of different flats the last week. Most flats will put out a few fish in the early daylight hours of the day. The perch bite is best later morning! so it allows you something to target during the slower midday hours. The late afternoon bite takes off just before sunset and ends around 5pm or so. Hunters Point has a plowed road out 2miles on the staked road to the flats. From that point on its a trail to follow! to the Boot Flat. You do have to watch for flooded areas. You can see these areas as they are a darker color in the snow pack. These flooded areas can be a problem on a atv while pulling a sled. The deeper snow drifts can also be a problem. I do recommend the use of a snowmoblie as it allows you an easy way to get around with the conditions currently on the lake.

Hunters Point Resort has rental houses out on the lake and have started to pull some private ones out also. No vehicle travel allowed at this time. Only atv and snowmoblies. The ice depth is not improving much with the snow cover on the lake. It remains around 10-12 inches with most areas at 10 inch’s. Hunters Point has spent a great deal of time plowing off large areas out on the lake trying to expose the ice surface.

If you are planning a trip up to Mille Lacs. Please make sure and check with your resort before you make your access for the most current lake conditions.