Can't keep 'em off the hook!

[Stick in Mud]

The small ones, that is.  The night bobber bite is still pretty crazy, but most of the big fish seem to have left the shallow shoreline breaks for deeper water.  I think I got something like 50 fish in three nights of bobber fishing, and only three were over 18''.  Most were about 12'', with a few between 16'' and 18''.  Sure is fun watching that lighted bobber go down, even if there's a good chance the fish on the other end isn't that big. And it's nice to see so many little fish in the lake. 

Daytime bite was slow for me.  A lot of the big fish have moved out to the mud, it seems, and they're easy to find but hard to make bite. I picked up one here, one there, some on lindy rigs and others on bobbers or artificials.  I probably marked 25 fish for every one I got to bite.  Most fish were right on the top edge of the flat, but a few had slid down to the base or even a ways off the flat.  

Water temps were right about 60, give or take, but I bet they're well above that now after today's weather. 

[IceHawk]

Nice report stick Ive been hearing some positive reports lately also. Small fish someday equal big fish   Nice to see see good things comeing from the big pond. Any flat action starting yet?

[aanderud]

Thanks for the report, Stick.  I'll be up a week from Friday, and this weather should get them biting a bit more out on the flats.  I'll have an assortment of baits/speeds/colors and we should be able to get a few to bite.  If nothing else the smallies will be biting on the rocks I'd guess.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, some of the bigger fish are out on the flats already. I just couldn't figure out how to make them go.  I "road hunted" them with bobbers, rip-jigged them with jigging raps, and sat right on top of them with lindy rigs. Caught fish all three ways. But none of them seemed to really make them go.  

And aanderud, the smallies are biting on both topwater and crankbaits. I was putzing around pulling shad raps on the breaklines off the reef as well as shallower up over the tops of them, and they were definitely biting.   A week from now should be dynamite, weather permitting.  

[BlackArrow1]

Didn't get many smalls on the mud 4 days ago. The bigger fish I got were tight schooled. If you stayed on top of em you may hook a few. Pulled two 25 inchers in a few minutes on a spot. 

[BlackArrow1]

Was kind of surprised last weekend.... Saw an outdoor news article that said nobody was fishing Mille Lacs from a drive by report. Wish I snapped a pic from what I saw. At one point I think I counted like 9 boats within a 1/4 mile of me at one point..... Not to mention the resort I called on Sunday to find lodging said they only had one fish house left to rent. It was packed with fisherman. Regardless of the new regulations people still wanna be on Mille Lacs. Talked to a few boats at dark, they had a blast catching lots of nice walleyes. Way to go Outdoor News for fueling the fire. Yep, Mille Lacs needs a time out but by no means is it bad fishing. Big fish are there, the 17-20 inch fish are there. And if you fish the shore breaks/rocks the masses of small eyes will overwhelm you in the right areas like sunfish. Head to the lake, fish your same past good spots, try some new areas for trophy smallies, the lake is still in good shape. The fish are there biting. I drive 2 hours to be on it. And it hasn't disappointed me yet. Give the resorts some business and enjoy great fishing. 

[aanderud]

Thanks for the reports, Stick and Arrow.  Your screen names go together well!  Like peas and carrots.  I've never really fished smallies up there.  Only once, for maybe 45 minutes or so one day we threw some tube jigs at them and smoked a half dozen or so.  It was fun though, and a good break when the walleyes weren't biting.  We'll be sure to try some of that mid-day.

[Juan Grande]

What are some good reefs to target smallies on when they're not shallow? I usually fish all shallow rock piles on the SE side of the lake, but am looking for some reefs in the mid depths I can try as well.  

Edited May 28, 2015 by Juan Grande

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

My parents were out there on Saturday and said the mayflies were unbelievable. Said there were clouds of them in the water and in the air, and could see them on the graph.

Seems kind of early???

[aanderud]

It does seem a bit early to me.  Usually mayflies wait until June to hatch, and June bugs wait until July!  

[mwal]

They are probably midge  flys the look like giant mosquitos  some call them fish flys. Seems early for may flys

 

Mwal

[Sifty]

Heading up to Fishers fathers day weekend and hope to do so smallie site fishing you guys seeing them on the rocks yet?

 

[BlackArrow1]

The smallies are on the rocks yes. Kind of most of the time now I figure.  2 weeks ago I was getting em on 3 mile during the day searching for eyes. They aren't tough to find. Get on shallower rock points/turns/ or piles. Pitch some bobbers with leeches. Not tough. They will hit mostly right away if they are there. If not move. Pullin corks and cover the rocks. If it's dusk and shallower rock regions fan cast cranks. If it's calm don't hesitate to use some surface popping cranks now as well. 

[Stick in Mud]

The flies out now aren't mayflies....they're what we call "fish flies."  Not sure if that's common nomenclature, but the mayflies haven't quite hatched yet.  

But yes, they're out.  The ceiling of the fishhouse was covered in them, but that's what I get for forgetting to turn the light off before I went out fishing.