Mille Lacs walleye report 12/07/14'

[Meilertson]

Hunters point has their sled trail staked all the way to the boot. Was out on 3 different mud flats near there on Saturday morning. Caught 4 eyes all too big in 27 feet. That was the first 45 minutes, but after 9am we caught nothing. Graphed a few what appeared to be perch giving us a look before rocketing back to bottom. Very disappointed with our results given the effort we put forth. Maybe next time. There was about 12" of ice out there, but by 3 mile near shore there was only 8". Be careful. Still a little sketchy. Lots of cracks.

[Iceboy]

Thanks for the report!

[Stick in Mud]

Good report! Four fish in 45 minutes isn't TOO bad, is it?

[Meilertson]

Stick in Mud: Don't get me wrong I probably sounded bummed there, the fish we caught in the morning were a blast to catch in such short order. It was just short lived. We got after it drilling lots of holes and fished outside almost all day on 3 different spots sun up to after sun down. Tried some of my go to spots I've done well on in the past and they didn't produce. I know guys that have done very well out there last few years on ice. They're out there, just gotta find em.

[Stick in Mud]

I was just poking a bit of fun. That sunrise/sunset bite can be the ticket sometimes...and sometimes it's the only ticket. That's why I spend the remaining 22.5 hours sitting in the fishhouse.

It looks/sounds like the bite out there is actually decent at this point. My dad did well last weekend, and a buddy of mine whacked 'em pretty good. The day bite was slow, apparently, though, just like you had.

I was considering a run up to Red this weekend, but what's better--lots of fish under 20'' or half a dozen over 23''? Decisions, decisions...

[Skhots]

Meilertson or Stick, I'm looking to go to Mille Lacs this season. I'm looking to get on some walleyes but would not mind passing time with perch. What kind of structure are you guys targeting early ice? What time of day?

From your posts, it sounds like mud flats and sun up/sun down. Is that typically the only good time for the walleyes? Thanks!

[Stick in Mud]

I'm usually either fishing mud flats or shallow rocks and shoreline breaks. If you can find a rock/mud or sand/mud transition, you can do pretty good, too. Those are usually in about 24-26 ft, give or take.

Fishing is always better at sunup and sundown, but if you work hard enough, you can usually find some mid-day, especially if you're fishing deep or in the weeds. I'm supremely lazy, though, so mid-day often finds me sitting comfortably in the fishhouse. In the old days, the perch often bit best throughout the day....these days, the big perch are a little harder to find (especially if, like me, you do your best to cover as little water as possible).

[Meilertson]

I would agree with what Stick just said. He's exactly right when he's talking about transitions of bottom content. And a lot of that knowledge comes with time on the water. I used to spend hours and hours with my underwater camera out there. Sometimes those transitions go unnoticed because there might not be a depth change. But if you can key in on those transitions, you can really nail them. I would say early ice is good along the shoreline rock structures. I've caught the most big walleye quantities (size of the fish that is, not numbers) out of everywhere I've ever fished on Mille Lacs early ice. I've caught them in 20 plus feet and as shallow as 6 feet believe it or not. After dark even. But once you can get out on the flats it can be really good. When I'm getting them good out there its usually on the top edge of the flats, say 25' on most of them. But I've caught them off the edges in as deep as 32'. Look for turns and little inside corners along the edges. A lot of people fish the tips, which can be good don't get me wrong. But a subtle turn in a long break line can be deadly. Use your graph to locate fish and "hole hop". Don't get discouraged out there either. I think a lot of those fish on the flats roam from flat to flat and it can be a timing thing, as well as a weather affect. The bite out there can be good all winter long. Bottom line, PAY YOUR DUES. Hope this info helps, good luck!