mille lacs 2020 Mille Lacs Lake Fishing Reports

[rodmaker]

Those #'s are not out of the question. What are you useing for cranks, and I assume you are using leadcore as well??

[311Hemi]

Those #'s are not out of the question. What are you useing for cranks, and I assume you are using leadcore as well??

[rodmaker]

I was trying to find out what Pat was using also.

[fishorgolf]

Eye Warrior it seems like there is always someone who can't understand that people are catching fish when they aren't. but don't get discouraged by the nay sayers, keep posting. 20-30 fish days on the mud have been pretty common for the last 3-4 weeks. When you think about it in an 8-10 hour day of fishing that is only 3-4 fish hitting the cranks per hour, it's not that crazy to get 25-30 fish in a day. especially if you have 3 - 4 lines out.

Good point Pat. 4 lines X 8 hours = 32 hours of lines in the water. So 32 hours divided by 30 fish equals just under one fish and hour per line. I don't think that would be unreasonable all things being considered.

[Labby]

i guess i should of done a better job clarifing my earlier post. is 30 fish a day on cranks possible. Absoultly I pull a lot of cranks on Millelacs. would I say that is a slow day even for 8 to 10 hors on lake in August. Not me. Guess i read the first post and took it wrong. Great job! I will be chasing skis this weekend but i may head to the mud to pull some cranks too. Sorry if I offended anyone

[Pat Burch]

Rodmaker, I have been running more spinners than cranks, but did a half day trip thursday and committed to Cranks only and kept 12 and had a 2 over 18 , no dinks this time around. Did the same thing Friday Morning on a half day trip and only kept 5 this morning. Pretty slow this morning, kinda of a bummer. very wet and cold this morning too!!!

[311Hemi]

I was trying to find out what Pat was using also.

Ahh....I see that now.

I guess I would be curious as well. Pat, any particular kinds of cranks were you running......you running lead also? Sounds like a productive day on Thursday!

[EyeGuide]

The fish have been all over the mud, gravel and rocks. The last couple trips finding fish has been very easy but getting them to bite has been another thing. We are still catching plenty of fish it's just not as easy as marking em and catching em like it's been most of the year. I've been getting eater sized fish shallow and deep, but almost all of my big fish have come off of the mud. The biggest off of Mille Lacs this week was just over 28". I've been talking with a number of people across the lake and everyone seems to be using something different; Lindys, spinners, cranks, bobbers…. Bobbers have been treating me good so that’s what I’ve been using. Some are fishing real shallow and some are fishing way off the mud. In other words the fish seem to be everywhere and spread out, but if you keep at it the end of the day results are pretty good. Good Luck!

[Pat Burch]

I was running leadcore last week. Best cranks were perch color shads #5 & #7, followed by orange /chart little ripper reef runner. caught most of them in 24-26 feet of water on top of flats. For todays trip I switched over corking and did well. I had one guy for a half day and we caught 12 walleyes in the bright sun and flat calm water.

[eyewarrior]

Fished Sat AM and only caught 1 little guy & 1 17" didn't see many on the usual flats. Sunday AM was a bit better couldn't get any to take cranks on flats but did manage 6 keepers over 15"on bouncers & spinners. 3 keepers were caught on Garrison reef 18' rocks. We did catch 2 too big running cranks btwn 7&9 mi 5 colors down. We only spent about an hour out there but it was the 1st time this year that I was seeing fishable amounts of fish in no mans land. Didn't try any bobbering but by the looks of the reports next time up bobbers will get a good work out.

[Pat Burch]

The Spinner and crank bite on the Mud has started to slow down a bit for me, I switched over to corking for my last couple of trips and the fish have been biting very well. Here is a pic from yesterday trip. Everyone got there limit plus a few bonus overs and some nice smallies in the mix too.

[rodmaker]

So rocks closer to shore or deeper gravel

[Pat Burch]

A little of both

[eyewarrior]

Have they been in the shallow rocks 4'-6' yet? or are they on the deeper rocks?

[Pat Burch]

I have heard that but it was so flat and calm and bright I did not even try that shallow the last few day. I worked some gravel in the 30 foot range caught fish thenran some 10-14 foot rocks, I would pick up 1 maybe 2 each spot but had to move around a ton.

[trappingaddiction]

Any new reports? Any on the south end?

[Pat Burch]

with the 2 day MTT tourney this weekend, I don't think you are going to get much info until next week.

[trappingaddiction]

Is that on the North or South end?

[rodmaker]

I know I won't get up there this weekend, maybe one day next week.

[muskielaw]

with the 2 day MTT tourney this weekend, I don't think you are going to get much info until next week.

Thinking about heading up Saturday but should I stay away with this tourny going on? If I do head up which access' should I avoid and/or side of lake? Usually fish west side out of Eddies.

Thanks

Muskie

[EyeGuide]

MilleLacs is a huge lake so you more than likely you won't even be able to tell there's a tourney going on. There are more than enough great spots out there that you can be all by yourself and catch plenty of fish! Good Luck.

[muskielaw]

Thanks eyeguide figured you really wouldn't notice the tourny but are there any access I should avoid due to the tourny?

[pegleg]

Also, where is the tourney going out of and when is the weigh in on Saturday?

[Pat Burch]

The tourney is out of HUnters Point resort on the east side. You are pretty safe going out of eddy's you won't see many of us over there. It's a big lake for 60-70 boats to spread out on. we take off between 7-7:30 weigh in 3 or 3:30 if that helps at all. Don't let a tourney keep you from the lake, go fish and good luck

[Borch]

Good Luck Pat.

[Pat Burch]

Borch thanks for the good luck wishes. We almost pulled it off. Had the day 1 lead but dropped to 13th overall. It was a very tight tourney. After day one there was about 25 boats within 1 pound of us in. You had to weigh all 17 inchers or better to win it. and we had to weigh 2 14 and 1/2 inchers on day two and that just killed us.

[keyks42]

pat

Was anybody using snap weights or leadcore? Was thinking of heading out on Monday and wanted to try these techinques off the flats on the northend. If they weren't what seem to be the best techinque.

Thanks

Mark

[WA_Rob]

Fished Mille Lacs for the first time in 9 years (I live in Seattle now) Wednesday night through Saturday of this week, out of Fishers in the NE corner. As most of you locals know, we were dealing with some pretty tough weather Wednesday through Friday then had a 180 degree shift on Saturday with clear skies and little wind.

Fishing was relatively slow throughout the week with fish in and out of the slot and we caught them everywhere (reefs, gravel, sand and the flats).

The hightlight was a 27" monster caught out on the flats on Thursday afternoon bobbing around in some big waves while dodging storm clouds rolling through. It came on a 3 way rig with a leech.

Rigs caught the majority of the fish with a slight edge to leeches over crawlers but both seemed to be working.

I can't wait to get back..... I grew up fishing the pond. I won't let another 9 years go by!

[Pat Burch]

Leadcore dominated the tourney. All the top weights came from leadcore with cranks on the mud. Even The guys that normally live on the rocks corking switched ovedr to cranks after seeing the numbers from Day 1.

[keyks42]

Thanks Pat

I'll let you know how I did.

Mark