Mille Lacs Lake First Ice

With Saturdays nasty weather I found it necessary to venture North where weather was a bit more friendly than the snow filled central part of the state. There were two options: Sit at home, or sit in the fish house. It was an ideal day for hunkering down with the heater cranked and hoping for the fall filled walleye to wander under our portable shacks, which sat permanently for the day.

We were able to overcome the lakes northern cracks by ATV, and set up in 20 feet of water.

Although this 20 feet was deeper than the early morning walleyes were feeding, it was necessary for the simple fact that we were not going to move. This was a tough concept for me to grasp and several trials through 30 or so holes outside the otter reinforced the plan to stick out the day hunkered down.

Due to the storm, our day started after first light in order to safely approach the multiple pressure ridges. 10" of poor quality ice was available 3/4 mile from shore.

With me Saturday was Roger K. and Jesse Miller who equally shared the desire to bear the elements inside the comfort of the portable.

Small perch population’s are still very abundant and yield as fine forage for the ravenous walleye of December. Our day upheld this fact in that we had marked over 10 large fish on the MarCum’s. I refer to these sitings as "Haley’s comets". When they are present on the flasher screen, they are large marks. When these large marks give chase, they create a tailing effect in the sonars’s signal, showing a yellow and green tail much like a comet.

One of these comets fell victim to Roger’s spoon. What an absolute great feeling to see those big "cow eyes" emerge from the ice hole!

The captured fish had to led on chase in order to trigger bites. However, when a fish did commit it, the baits were in the throat. The fish pictured here is actually a 12" fish, and Jesse has hands of a grizzly!

Fish sitings as we sat were most plentiful within the normal 7-10:30 AM and 2:30-3:30 PM.

Jesse and I both had our big fish come unbuttoned and sadly they were the only opportunities we had Saturday to land the big fish as we were unable to coherse any more of the "Comet’s" chasing our spoons.

Fortunately, we were able to harvest a meal of Walleye and several bonus Jumbo perch from the lake.

Due to the new snow on the immature ice, I do not advise midlake travel unless you’re on a known thickness path. The drifts have created insulated areas of ice that are significantly thinner areas. Unfortunately, these areas are the locations where piled ice has attracted the snow drifts.

I think this should be a short issue with the projected temperatures of the next few days. Should the weather fall parallel to the meteorologist’s projections, midlake travel should happen by ATV and snowmobile by the end of the week.

ATV travel is possible, however difficult due to drifted areas. For those looking to make the long haul to the lakes central areas, snowmobiles will be the ideal method.