mille lacs 2020 Mille Lacs Lake Fishing Reports

[CaptainMusky]

I've been doing my part by not catching very many.

you are a very good sportsman! Lol

[gregg52]

last time i was over there back in june water temp was like 65

i set the hook right now so it wasnt in them very far

and i would lift the line no net just bout every one broke off and if not i bit it off

i went threw 2 packages of hooks

[Stick in Mud]

Thanks, Captainmusky. I do my part!!!!!

[CaptainMusky]

Thanks, Captainmusky. I do my part!!!!!

Dont worry, Im in the same boat as you...Not literally, figuratively. :-)

[ReelTimes]

I have been seeing all of the floaters too, very sad to see.. We all know there is no way the dnr will close fishing. I have been leaving the fish inside the net and removing the hook as quick as i can with the fish mostly still in the water to prevent any further stress to the fish for this exact reason, if it helps alot or not, i at least feel i am doing all i can to prevent the fish from dieing.

I follow the same process. I took plenty of pics this spring but as water temps hit the 70s earlier this summer, I started keeping the fish in the water. It's rare that I have had any issue extracting a hook easily, and the fish will usually recover quite well. I can't recall a time, in fact, where they haven't swam off fairly vigorously. I think with this heat and high water temps, and extended fights when pulling from 30 feet of H2O or from long lines (I:e lead core), results in their exhaustion by the time you get them to the boat. the increased stress of pulling them out of the water or risk of

dropping further increases the likelihood of poor recovery. IMHO, I think it is helpful to leave them in the water if you can safely extract the hook.

[Stick in Mud]

Finally got some fish dialed in today...took me a while, but with 3.5 colors out and a firetiger shad rap, the fish were biting. Didn't get much the first hour and half, but left the lake after three hours with seven fish. (No keepers of course). I know it's not much, but it was satisfying to figure out a pattern (after an hour and a half of experimenting) and have it pay off.

[Mike #1]

I do the same thing ReelTimes, I have a long needlenose that I unhook them with and they swim away just fine. I think that just coming out of the water this time of the year can do damage to the fish.

[Stick in Mud]

Went out in the crazy wind tonight, hoping to find a few keeper fish in shallow. Alas, only caught a few small ones and a one really big one. A pic of the big one is attached. For what it's worth, the ruler in the pic is 76'' long, and the red pee bottle is 24'' long. I was also using a gigantic bobber, so don't let that distort the scale.

[aanderud]

How big was the really big one? Since it's sitting there on a ruler, I would assume it was measured?

[pushbutton]

Have a feeling he was being sarcastic aanderud....would say the "monster" is pushing 8 maybe 9.......inches. Carmike does like to use big bobbers though........

[Dylan33]

Hey all-

I'm taking the wife out on a launch this saturday night, and sunday morning- just curious how ya'll have been doing and what I can reasonably expect (I assume the launch will be slip bobbering with leeches)

Thanks

[aanderud]

Geez, I totally missed it. I honestly thought he probably had like a 60 inch ruler in the boat for muskies or something! Ha. nevermind!

[Stick in Mud]

How big was the really big one? Since it's sitting there on a ruler, I would assume it was measured?

Yup, I was being pretty sarcastic....thankfully it was so windy that I couldn't hold the camera steady, thereby obscuring the numbers on the ruler.

The fish was tiny, though about average size or what I've been able to find in "shallow" the last two nights. Figured I'd find a few keepers, but no such luck. However, I have learned that smallmouth bass still like eating leeches.

[Stick in Mud]

Hey all-

I'm taking the wife out on a launch this saturday night, and sunday morning- just curious how ya'll have been doing and what I can reasonably expect (I assume the launch will be slip bobbering with leeches)

Thanks

The launches up on the NW end have been mostly hit or miss....some nights have been slow, some have been steady. A few nights ago, seven guys got 35; a night or two later, 15 people got less than ten. Nights have been better than mornings or days, as usual.

[1eyeReD]

Fished the NW flats Saturday from about 2PM to 7PM. Conditions were tough to say the least. Barely any wind, sun was high, our trolling motor was out of commission, no leadcore setups... Not a nibble as far as the walleye bites go. Didn't see a single net go out on those flats. Went to the shallows and killed the monotony by landing two of my best smallies for the year. I might go back just to chase smallmouth.

NOTES Taken:

* Seeing tons of baitfish

* Smallmouth picking bait off the bottom (1st one in 11 ft and 2nd in 6)

* 2" - 3" bucktail jigs in shiner color worked for the smallies

* A ****-ton of dead floating walleyes and tullibee (most I ever seen)

[BrdHunter01]

NOTES Taken:

* Seeing tons of baitfish

The walleyes I cleaned from this weekend were just packed full of minnows! I don't know how they had any more room for my leech with all those minnows in there stomachs!

[Stick in Mud]

Good to hear you got a few you could keep....all big ones for me this weekend. Friday night the bite was slow, and the wind kicked up a bit out of the west, which hampered my desire to drive 8 miles back home in the dark. But Saturday was pretty fun. Ended up getting 9 fish on the edge and then just off a small flat I don't know the name of. A few came pulling leadcore trying to find the fish, the rest off of bobbers.

[BrdHunter01]

We came home with 8 keepers. Was the best bite we have had in a couple weeks. Key was timing. We fished primetime only. The mid-day bite is more work than its worth and its way to hot!

[eyewarrior]

29 in 15hrs Sat & Sun. 7am-2pm or so. Mostly lead/cranks 0 slots. Bright side 4 P.B 27"-24" for 4 people of which 2 were 12 yr olds.

[Big Jeff]

On the pond yesterday and this.morning slow days so far cranks got.1 bobbed at.sundown got 4. Staying wharf. Any one doing even ok out there? Heading back out with bobber in an hour. Easy side. Looking for better place to fish in the morning any ideas?

[walleye4_life]

Was out last night on a west side flat. Got 10 fish but missed about 10 that bit short first time for that in the recent history. All fish came on bobbers 25-31 fow.

[amateurfishing]

will be my first time taking boat to mille lacs this weekend out of south east side. hoping for keeper eyes. any advice on medium action braid rod/reel set up and where to possibly go would be greatly appreciated.

[kdawg]

I was in that general area a month ago. If I were you, I'd peruse any of the structure (humps) in the area (south side) and see if you graph any fish. Then I'd pull some crawlers on 7-10 foot spinner rigs with a 2 oz. bottom bouncer. If I worked an area a few passes and no bites, on to the next one. If you want to bobber fish, I'd ask around but I think you'd have the best luck on some of the mud flats on the west side mid lake. I'm sure there are others out there that have better advice, but mine's free. Good luck.

[gregg52]

I havnt been over there for awhile the way they were biting I'm thining there must still be some kind of bite going on there but traditionly aug is maybe the worst time to be over there but I would agree with kdawg pull spinners to cover water if you are going to be on the se side i think i wouuld head to the gravel all though I'm not that familiar with that end of the I have caught fish on the gravel I'm more north end in the spring and a flats fisherman not sure what kind of boat you are in but if you put on the se side i guess i would fish down there rather than runnin all the way to the mud pull them along the edges going back forth from the top of the edge to the deep 35ft of water

Ipersonally prefer a 3way to bottom bouncers you have better control of where you are I use 18 inch dropper line to keep the spinner up off the bottom and i use nothing but hammerd gold copper or sometimes silver

gold and copper will catch the most fish on a average also prefer green beads good luck tuff time of the year to be chasing walleye specially never being on the lake dont be disappointed if you dont do real good as i said its a tuff time

[amateurfishing]

thx for info & thoughts so far

not really expecting to catch fish, more of wishfull thinking probably. just taking mrs. out for a morning ride more or less with the boat we have had for 2 years and want to test on a larger lake with graph, gps, etc. throwing lines out will be secondary but just thought maybe get a little better chance if i had right local & lure input.

considering i know squat bout cranks, dont have lead core, the spinners & bottom bouncer rigs sound great, simple & easy, thats all im really looking for, nothing fancy, just a chance at a bite if i get lucky enuff to mark fish on a difft lake i dont know much about. thx again

[BrdHunter01]

If your looking for simple and easy I would just bobber fish. I know my Mrs. likes that a lot more than drifting, pulling spinners, or raps. Plenty of fish in the shallow rocks or deeper gravel right now. No need to travel all the way to the flats from the SE side. I've caught fish within 2 miles of the dock all year long. Aug. can be a tough time of year but if you keep it simple you will catch fish.

[gregg52]

the omly thing about bobber fishing specially if you are on shallow rocks is you will usally need some wind...but not so much if you were out on the gravel

bober fishing is fun though i've caught many many walleye doing that

if you do bobber no bites in a 1/2 hr or so move

[amateurfishing]

for spinners or bottom bouncer, whats best for leader....fluoro or mono?

[UofMBASS]

for spinners or bottom bouncer, whats best for leader....fluoro or mono?

I always prefer a Mono leader because monofilament floats. Flourocarbon will sink, pulling your rig alot closer to the bottom.

[amateurfishing]

thx so much, caught first ever eye this am with bottom bouncer, gulp leech, & slow death hook, 22 incher, wife & i were both in awe......i know its no big deal to most but for first time on lake for me and self taught fisherman through this site i felt like a million bucks all day!!