Saturday Isle Bay Report

[GoggleEye]

Well, here is my report for Saturday. I had planned on getting up there early Saturday morning and not leaving until Sunday night, but that didn't happen. I got up there at noon on Saturday and left at midnight. Accessed Isle Bay through Father Hennepin State Park and walked (or should I say trudged) out to the rock reef off of Malone Island. Set up just off the edges of the reef in depths anywhere between 7 feet and 18 feet. Visibility on the camera was very poor in the deeper water (no clue why, usually it is very good on ML). Only saw a few perch that were tight lipped. Managed to pick up a nice 27" walleye at around 4:00 on a tip-up with a huge sucker (7 or 8 in.). Tried to get a pic and my camera battery was drained from the cold. Went to take it out and try to warm it up and when I opened the battery cover it jumped out where?? Right in the hole of course. Nothing but net, never even touched the ice. The magnetic force of the ice hole got me once again. Last thursday it claimed my aqua-view battery too. So far I am 0 for 2 on batteries this year and polluting lakes left and right . Anyways, I picked up one more eye on a deadstick set-up baited with another large sucker. Another nice fish around 25", didn't measure though. That was it for the night and I began the grueling walk back. Ice was 4 to 6 inches in most spots, obviously thicker in the shallower water. Not much slush also, just A LOT of snow to pull through. I did see a truck plowing roads in Isle Bay in the shallow water areas.....WOW that guy has big cajones!! By the time I got back to the truck, I thought my heart was going to explode. Good luck all.

GoggleEye

[minnesotatuff]

nice report. i was noticing on the lakemaster chip that there seemed pretty good access from there to good fishing...not much of a walk. ha! anywhere with 12" of snow and pulling a portable is an extreme workout. you were rewarded with some nice walleyes, wtg.

gotta love those "rim-less" shots...thanks for your report.

regards,

minnesotatuff

[PaulEyes]

GoggleEye don't feel alone. Last years early ice claimed my cell phone the first time out and my father-in-laws GPS the following weekend. Mille has a true magnetic pull for anything that deals with electronics.

[Neiko]

Just out of curiosity do you have a 8 or 10 inch auger? My buddy lost my 2 way last year on red. Same thing. All net. I dropped my digital camera and case when I bent over to clear the hole and luckily I grabbed it before it sank. I took it home and took it apart best I could and took the hairdryer to it and it still works like nothing happened.

[reelemin]

Last yr - forget what lake - 2 way radio, nothing but net, best shot I ever made !!!

[GoggleEye]

My hand auger is an 8 inch (which is what I was using this weekend) and my power auger is an 8.25 in. If I had a ten inch, I can not even imagine the amount of stuff I would lose!! I am to the point that I am going to start tying safety ropes around everything I take on the ice!!! Everything I drop goes in the hole no matter what. I think I am going to learn how to scuba dive.....

GoggleEye

[Lip'em]

Hey, just be thankful it wasn't your truck keys that went into the lake. That happened to me last year up on Red. Just settling in for the late afternoon bite and I hear my friends truck keys skitter across the ice and "plop" right into my hole. After spending 30 minutes oversizing the hole a resort worker showed up and asked if he could help. He brought out a huge disc magnet and what do ya know it worked and we got our keys back after trying fruitlessly for a long time. There is nothing like feeling like you might be stranded in the boondocks all weekend!

[Lip'em]

Hey, just be thankful it wasn't your truck keys that went into the lake. That happened to me last year up on Red. Just settling in for the late afternoon bite and I hear my friends truck keys skitter across the ice and "plop" right into my hole. After spending 30 minutes oversizing the hole a resort worker showed up and asked if he could help. He brought out a huge disc magnet and what do ya know it worked and we got our keys back after trying fruitlessly for a long time. There is nothing like feeling like you might be stranded in the boondocks all weekend! But hey, at least there were walleyes to be caught!

[minnesotatuff]

been there GoogleEye. although i dove mille lacs before gps, between '85 & '90, ive found loads of anchors, ice chizzles & scoups, a coleman stove, lures, and the best was a prop from an old launch. it has 3-13-39 and H-E/L stamped on the end, and S3D5012F 15X12LH on one side, FEDERAL Mogul DETROIT USA on the other.

regards,

minnesotatuff

[GoggleEye]

Truck Keys is my worse nightmare. I always put those in a zippered pocket and never take them out near a hole. I am usually fishing alone and losing my keys would be disastrous, especially in some of the places I fish.....middle of nowhere and no cell phone coverage!!

[danwilliams]

I'm so paranoid on truck keys I carry 2 sets.....in different pockets.

[Grant Pearson]

sounds like you had some fun. I don't know if you saw sandmannd and I in the green otter 2, but that truck out plowing came right by us. Nothing like having the ice you're sitting on sag a little and hearing it crack near by!!! The ice picks came out quickly!

[GoggleEye]

Ya, I saw you guys over there and I also saw the other six or so shanties plus the truck plowing around you and I decided to head the opposite direction and fish out farther where it was quiet and nobody could bother me. If I would have fished over by you, I am sure I would have caught even less walleyes! Them eyes don't like noise!!

[Grant Pearson]

they sure don't!

[merc40]

Hey guys. I was up on Isle all day Saturday from 10 a.m. until about 4:30 pm. I was just east of the road the owner of Chapman's resort had plowed. I am so glad he did because it made the walk a breeze. Anyway, I caught perch all day long. Most were from 8-11 inches. The biggest was 11.5" and it was a riot. I talked to someone that was fishing in a big green house in about 16' as I walked off the lake and it might have been you. I was in a two person grey Shappell 2000. I caught a beautiful 20" walleye at 3:45 pm on a fat head and then ran out of food so I packed up and left. I went back up on Monday with my brother-in-law and we sat near the same place and caught perch all day again and two pike. I caught about a 4 pounder right off the weedline around 2 pm and my brother-in-law caught a 6-7 pounder on a fathead and jigging spoon. I sat in 10-12 feet both times. I am thinking about heading up again tomorrow. I think scenic bay plowed a huge road almost out to the end of Malone island. We thought he was a little nuts because it was close to a foot of ice but that truck looked pretty heavy. Nice job on the two large walleye though!! It was fun to bring one through the hole again!!

[gogophers]

How far of a walk did you take merc? I am heading up Friday and hoping to find somewhere to walk out an get to some fish.

[merc40]

I think it was about a half a mile from Chapman's resort. They charged a $10 lake access fee. Good luck. I drilled holes all the way from the weedline around 8-9 feet all the way out to 13 feet and dropped down a camera and saw perch at each location. They were thick.

[GoggleEye]

Any reports for Isle Bay recently?? How about just north of Malone Island in the deeper stuff?? Are roads being plowed out past Malone Island yet? Thanks

GoggleEye

[chris63]

They seem to like BBking and Buddy Guy "Noise" c63

[dashtek]

Hi All,

Looking to head up to Mille Lacs Sunday. Want to fish early in the AM and probably pack up by 1 or 2. I was thinking Isle Bay. Any recent activity out there? Also, where is a good place to park and walk out with a portable? Thanks and good luck all!

[GoggleEye]

I wouldn't waste much time in the bays. The fish are on midlake structure, reefs, and flats this time of year. Not saying you can't catch them in the bays, but you will be doing yourself a favor by getting out to the reefs and mudflats. If you don't have a snowmobile or wheeler, many of the resorts will get you out there for a small fee. Appeldoorns is one of them, and I am sure many others will do the same. If you want to walk out at Isle Bay, I recommend Hunter Winfields as they have a nice plowed road. You could also walk out of Father Hennepin State Park and get to some decent depths with a somewhat short walk. Good luck.

GoggleEye

[dashtek]

Thanks GoggleEye. Only reason I was looking at Isle Bay is because I am walking and didn't want to walk a long ways out. Isle Bay looks like it has some decent depths in it, thought maybe it would hold some fish but maybe not.

[Big_Cahuna]

GE,

I don't remember where I read about some guys fishing kit add-ons. He had a few different things that he used to recoup any items that dropped down the hole. One item was a airplane lure, big horseshoe magnet, small grappling hook and the luck of the Irish! (Bottles of Guniness)!

BC

[GoggleEye]

God, what I wouldn't give for something that could re-coop items dropped down the hole. The thing is, it seems like all the stuff I am dropping down the hole are very heavy objects and things that wouldn't be too easy to grasp on to. Not to mention I am usually fishing deep water over 15 feet. One time I was using my buddies power auger and the bolt that attaches the blade to the engine broke and the whole blade assembly went right down the hole and stuck in the sand straight up. Luckily, it was only in 8 feet of water and I was able to drop a rope around it and lasso it. Ice fishing hasn't been cheap for me throughout the years!

GoggleEye

[fievel9922]

HEY GE IS YOUR NAME SAM. I CANT SEE FROM YOUR PIC BUT I THINK THAT IS YOU SAM C. THIS IS YOUR NEIGHBOR WIMES IF THAT IS YOU. WE NEED TO GET OUT FISHING SOON.

D WEIMER

[GoggleEye]

Weimer, this is Sam. Are you my neighbor from New Richmond on Pinewood Trail??? I can't tell who you are from your avatar picture. Get a hold of me if you want to do some fishing....my email is [email protected]

GoggleEye

[CDubya]

Anyone else having luck around this area with the eyes? How about out of Dundee's?