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2020 Mille Lacs Lake Fishing Reports


Rick

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Went to a smaller lake in the area on memorial day and fished crappies, got back to the cabin on Mille Lacs at about 9pm. Between 9 and 9:15 I saw my neihbor pull 2 nice 16-18 inch walleyes off his dock! I was geting ready to fillet some crappies but I said screw it, lets go fish off the dock till 10! Fished between 9:15 and 10 with my cousin and caught 2 walleyes. I got a 14 incher and my cousin caught the biggest walleye of his life, a 27.5 incher. We were in such a hurry to get to the dock we dident bring a camera so he dident even get a picture. That bummed him out, but a [PoorWordUsage] good day off the dock! We were fishing in about 4 feet of water, very windy with 3-4 footers rollin in. That wind must have pushed them fish real shallow.

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Jay,

As you can tell from the reports, the walleyes are scattered in transition right now and there are a few almost everywhere. This weekend, with a cooler than average week ahead of it, I would stay within a mile of shore and fish transitions from hard to soft bottom. Right where the rocks end on any reefs close to shore or any shorline points should have fish. Rigs and leeches are the best way right now to work these areas. Enjoy the fact that the males are on more of a bite right now than the females, so you can catch a few to eat if you want to. When the water warms up more, then there will be large numbers of eyes on the mid-lake mud flats and gravel bars, and the bigger females will go on a good chew. Hoping for less wind this weekend as I have guiding trips on Minnetonka all weekend, and that lake can get bumpy as well. Good luck and stay safe.

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Shermans Point is holding smallies.We caught 8 on Sunday fishing for eyes on a mixture of cranks and bobbers.I caught a 5 pounder on a gold little ripper in 9ft.

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Troy,

Thanks a ton I appreciate all the great info, where would a guy look for the bigger females, I am a catch and release guy most of the time (eat a few once in a while but not much)so I enjoy catching the big ones as much... Also how do you know where the transitions (sand to gravel, gravel to rocks or mud) are? looking at graph bottom, maps, gps always unclear to me...

Thanks

jay

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You will still catch the big fish in Shallow (close to shore) now. Last Sat. I lost one by the boat I'm estimating between 24-27". I saw two others that big caught Sat. They are there!!!

If you fish in Front of Agate or Fischer's drift you will come across the rocks/gravel/sand. Just stay in that 16-23 ft of water.

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Jay,

You can tell the difference on your electronics by the color of the bottom echo. A harder bottom will be a darker color on either a color or monochrome LCD unit. Once you think you are in the right area (this will be in 18 to 26 feet most of the time in the areas I described) you will be able to feel the difference with your weight for your live bait rig. Use a 1/2 oz. weight if there is little wind or a 3/4 oz. with more wind and lift and drop it from time-to-time, keeping it straight below the boat. You will be able to tell if it goes "mush" on a softer bottom or goes "clunk" on a harder bottom. Watch your locator and GPS closely and learn at about what depth this transition is in each spot you are fishing. Then try to stay on the line by hitting soft bottom some of the time and hard bottom some of the time. The other guys are right--the larger fish are in these same areas, they just haven't been quite as active as the smaller ones yet, probably due to cold water temps. and a lot of weather fronts lately. Our ratio so far has been about three fish under the protected slot for every one in the protected slot. That ratio is usually reversed out on the mud and gravel once the water has warmed more. Transition fishing is the real key to being consistent on Mille Lacs, so take the time to learn to read your electronics and "feel" bottom with your weight whether you are fishing a live bait rig slow or a spinner rig faster when the water warms a little more. Good luck!

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Thanks for the lessons cant wait to try them out...What do you guys typically have your sonar set as far as sensitivity/grey scale etc, I struggle to know if I see fish or if my sensitivity is up to high or even what fish look like on screen at times?? I have a 4 year old blk/white lowrance unit and couple year old eagle.

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Right on. I just wish the weather would get decent and they would move out on the gravel or mud, or get on a hot bite close to shore now for a few days. (Hopefully this weekend grin)

Just something about fishing the mud I like.

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Jayson

Looking forward to next weeks trip to Mille Lacs. Hope to have good weather.

Lou

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Headin up for the day tomorrow. Any tips on the bait of choice right now? Probably jiggin n riggin.

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You cant go wrong with leeches but crawlers should also start working as the water warms up.

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Leeches, red hooks on 7-9 ft snells have been working for us. I've heard of a few being caught on crawlers.

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Thanks, I was thinkin leeches, any thoughts on depths to fish. I have not been there in about 3 years. Someone was saying fish the transition areas.

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Get some crawlers just in case. I'm going out of Agate Sat. and fish the rock/sand transition areas, Fischer's also. Depths 16-23 ft.

If nothing, then the mud

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Got up late to Fishers last night. Fished mile & 1/2 picked up one with a leech. Watching white caps roll in today Might try the north end out of the wind.

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was out wed. did well on the red hook 7-9' snell most fish on break at 20-23' but key for us was going very slow .4mph any faster didnt get anything. using leaches were north of otto on little hump

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went out from cove about half past one. it was blowing pretty good, made for tough boat control. we backtrolled and drifted for most of the time in 20-24fow. for the last couple of hours we anchored in 13'. all we used were leeches. two of us caught: 23-1/2", 23", (2)22-1/2", (2)22", 20-3/4", 20-1/2", 20-1/4", 20", 19-1/4", 18-1/4" & 17". i didnt get the keeper this time. but, i have a week off work and im watching the weather for the next best time. i chose today over tomorrow because of the temp drop and iwindsurf predicted similar winds but from the east tomorrow. the temp definately dropped today into this evening. pressure was steady when i left home but dont know how it was on the lake. guess we'll see how everyone does tomorrow (today...saturday). it might be a morning bite?

regards,

minnesotatuff

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was out on garrison reef between 6:00 and 10:00 PM last night and last friday night as well 16-18feet bobber rigs real close to bottom with leeches did well all hook colors fairly equal released a dozen slotters one 27" and brought home half a dozen 14 15 inch walleyes crazy thing was smaller leeches netted bigger fish and big leeches smaller walleyes and alot of perch last night was a better outing than previuos friday will be back tuesday some good numbers of mayflies showing up

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hey carol ann is that you robbie if is i'll see you up there tomarrow

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Got a late start Saturday left Fisher's around 10 went to mile and 1/2 than 3 mile with no luck. Off to East Flat pick up three of which one went into the box. Rain chased me off the lake for the rest of the day. Try again Sunday.

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Went out to Big point on Saturday Morning. There were a lot of boats either catching to big or really dinky. Boated about 12 fish only 3 for the box. Then Tried in shallow about 7.5 to 8' deep. Finished off our limit for 3 guys in about an hour. All the fish were 14-15 inches. They were really on a feeding frenzy. Most of the fish had leeches in their mouths already? One of them had a 4 inch live perch in its mouth and still bit on a big leech. Had a nice fish fry. Went out in the morning and same thing 14-15 inch fish all in 7.5 to 8' of water. Pretty good trip considering the crappy weather. We were using 6' snells with red #4 hooks with 1/4oz bullet sinkers back trolling about .6 to .8 mph.

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With the E-NE wind yesterday our afternoon launch did pretty well just south of the resort. They boated 20 walleyes and kept 13. Mainly rigs with leeches yet. 13 to 15 feet.

Fisher's Resort

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One word: Otto's. We checked the area fishing reports on-line and they were all pretty much talking deep water around the rock reefs. We ended up fishing the north side of Otto's on Saturday in about 31' of water. We were out from about 11-2:45 or so and ended up with 7 keepers. In addition to those we had 3 in the slot we had to put back and lost a 25" right at the boat that would have had to go back too. Darn thing snapped the line and I wasn't fast enough with the net! For a crumby day weather-wise, it was a great day of fishing. Haven't hit them like that in quite a while.

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Fished last two days and was pretty slow, fished in front of fishers 4 guys in all two boats then tried agate reef, and 3 mi reef got a few all in the box then tried the flats got two 24, 26, and tried couple other flats with no luck..saw very few boats netting very few fish. Weather was nice but not much wind had to backtroll most of time to move enough. Tried speeds from .4 to .9 all different length leaders and colors. Also bobbered with no luck. Best was plain hook with cartreuse bead and about 7' leader with a leach. Had report from another buddy west side flats did much better (had more wind on that side also). best depths seemed to be 16-21'.

Good luck

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