Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

good opening day location


jayson

Recommended Posts

I would appreciate any opening day recomenadations, I want to take my father out an we have had poor luck the past years.
Ant locations and techniques would be appreciated.

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Slip bobber and leeches on the rocks south and east end or drag leeches on the sand break (malmo)

------------------
"FISH TO LIVE"
"LIVE TO FISH MILLE LACS"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, I tried malmo last year only caught 3 all day,what kind of depth, any specific area in malmo? specific colors etc.

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depth depends on water temp,could be anywhere from 16-24 ft.Colors blue,chartruse work well(bead only).As for a location get in with boats anywhere you'll see how they are drifting,how far up and down they are going.Change youre depth and watch youre graph.Can't miss the group of boats in this area on opener.

------------------
"FISH TO LIVE"
"LIVE TO FISH MILLE LACS"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks,

so regular hook with only a colored bead, how far out from the launch are these boats? I dont remember seeing hardly any boats last year I was out 1 1.5 miles??

I really appreciate the info

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you try Malmo again, depending on the wind, drifting the first 8-12 foot sand break right out in front of the creek has worked for me in the past.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick tip....The north end sand is a place that you want to move alot and cover water til you find a concentration of fish, THEN I switch to more precise methods of popping fish. I usually troll shallow to deep and back shallow again. Pay attention to previous and present day's wind direction, water temp & water clarity, I do. Nav

------------------
Jon Navratil
Navigator Guide Service
www.naviguides.com
Central MN rivers & lakes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the tips, When you say troll are you trolling with rapala's or drifting with live bait rigs(lindy rigs)? If trolling what size crank baits and colors do you recomend? How fast 1 mph??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You also mention pay attention to wind & temp. My understanding is, you want to fish wind swept shore and temp; warmer go deeper?? Any other Lake location better/easier to fish. Once you locate fish what techniques anchor and use a bobber or drift??

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jayson,
I'm not much of a Mille Lacs expert at all. Fished it for the first time last year the weekend after opener. We stayed at Barnacles (I think thats what it was called) on the north end. Depending on what the wind was doing, we either trolled or drifted. It was coming hard from the South one day so we'd motor out to 20+ feet and start drifting in until you hit the break, it comes up in a hurry to about 9-10 feet and levels off again. Otherwise we just trolled up on top, down on the bottom, or up the break to see what would work the best. We just dragged spinners or lindy rigs. We managed to catch a bunch of slot fish and a bunch of 24-26 inchers. It was a pretty good experience for me, first time being on Mille Lacs. As to where to fish, up and down the north end were clusters of boats. There were probably 40-50 boats doing the same thing we were in that area. You can't miss it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the advice...
Anybody do any trolling with crank baits like shad raps etc. Looking for any tips.

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When going out of malmo landing are you guys going straight out (west) toward the flats or south toward the rocks etc.

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Malmo public access can be pretty tough in any wind from the south to north west. It's very shallow and rocky. You can go out of Fishers and fish right in front. Some gravely areas with some rock closer to shore. Can be a very good location for drifting. Launching out of Barnacles is good for the north shore area. Plenty of realestate in either direction. Trolling cranks does work but it may be tough with all the boat traffic on opener.

Jeff S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff,
Thanks for all the feedback; I appreciate it.
So you would not launch out the malmo public access? Its sounds like I want to fish farther south and not too far out and look for rocks not the sand? is this correct? I agree trolling may be tough with traffic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rarley launch out of any public access anymore. When I do it's only the protected ones like in Cove Bay on by the casino. I've learned the hard way. If you should ever get caught in a storm it's no fun.

I would try each area and see what works best for you. A lot of it depends on the boat you have and what the lake is like that day. I get bored easily and like to experiment doing different things. Some days it pays off big and some days you go home with your tail between your legs but thats what makes it fun. Try to learn a little about an area one day then move to a different area the next and see what you can figure out there.

Have fun!
Jeff S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The north end is a great location, plus it's east to fish. It's better when it's cloudy or windy and best when it's both. If it's sunny and flat calm you will have to move out to 20 to 24 feet of water. My best days are when it's cloudy with 4 to 5 footers rolling in. When you find a concentration of fish work the them slowly. I prefer to backtroll but you can drift through them too. I'd make sure you have a drift sock out to slow your speed. Always practice saftey in water like that though. Only fish it if your boat is worthy of water like that. Bobber fishing on the rocks can be a hoot too! Bobbers will be best in the evenings or all day if you have a good wind. Be safe and have fun!

Jeff S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i fish out of malmo all the time and the best place to get them is on the sand, but the trick is to have a 8 foot snell. If you start out the day shallow then move deeper as the day goes along you'll catch them all day. then at night get into 8-12 FOW with a plain hook and a leech on the rocks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Powman37,
Thanks for the advice can you give me a little better location details where do you launch, where abouts in malmo do you recommend; out straight from the public launch ? how far out? I have not had much luck in this area. last year I was out from the launch 1-2 mi. on all sand and only got 3 little ones all day. I used 4-5' snells with colored or regular hooks with leeches worms minnows no luck. I didnt see a lot of boats around there; some south by fishers and some more north west toward wealthwood. Thanks for any further help you can provide. Do you troll cranks ever?? What kind of hook set up do you recommend?
Thanks
jayson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YOu definatly need longer snells, I prefer 8 foot but my dad will use 10 and sometimes even 12 foot snells, 4-5 feet is too short in mille lacs. Its not as difficult as your makeing it out to be, theres really no "hotspots" you can preaty much drift the shoreline break anywere on the lake and catch fish on opener, I personally like to fish garrison sand in front of the pumphouse to the goose in 8-19 feet. Just start in about 9 feet and drift/troll with a lindy rig up and down the shoreline break, if your not catching anything move down the break till you mark fish and drop your line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roosterslayer05,

Thanks, when you say a snell that is the line from sinker to hook correct? How heavy a sinker do you usually use and how are you attaching it? (I know this will vary on conditions) Any specific hook color, do you use a plain hook? In fishing the break the break is where the depth changes fairly drastically typically not that far from shore? I am just learning a lot of this stuff I appreciate the info.

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jayson,
You're asking good questions and getting lots of good answers. I've actually learned a thing or too from this thread also. Guess I'm not fishing with long enough snells. When I got mine out to 6-7' I thought I was getting somewhere, especially when the store bought spinner rigs are about 3'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stay Out of Waukon Bay, there are no fish there to be caught. Same with anywhere on teh south end.

Just find some shallow rocks, fish in the dawn and evening with a slip bobber and leech.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes I agree these guys are very helpful I appreciate all the info? I would still love more feedback suggestions from people that fish the lake a lot. I want to get some fish this year tired of struggling..

Thansks Guys..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yep when I say snell I meen the length between the swivel/weight and the hook, anywhere from 8-12 feet is good. The shoreline break is the first break on the lake, it slowly breaks to 8 feet then will more sharply break from 9 down to usually about 22 feet and then real slowly get to 25 and deeper. the shoreline break is that steeper break from 9-19 feet. I use all color hooks, a red hook with a red bead seems to work good, I dont think the color of the hook matters much, I use anywere from 1/8 ounce to 1 ounce clip on bell sinkers for drifting/trolling lindy rigs. Just troll/drift a section of break and if you dont catch fish move down and drop your line, eventually you will catch a few. I have a cabin in Wig-Wam so I havent fished the north end in a long time, I usually hit the west side, YOu can get some nice fish on the shoreline break from Terry's boat harbor all the way to garrison Marina, that whole stretch produces lots of fish early.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perchman,

Thanks for the advice, I think I am going to go out of malmo (thats where my father wants to go??) but I will give that area a try in the future. ever try the N.E shore? Any suggestions there?

Thanks,
jayson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fish off spider island (SE side of lake) every opener and always do well. 8' max on the reef that goes off the NE side. I dont bother fishen till dark, come sundown the walleye move in.. anchored, bait: leachs with lighted bobber. (maybe a beer or two)
On the SW Andersons reef does just as well.. once again 8' max

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jayson,
cant help you much there, i fished it way back in mid summer, but never around opener.
good luck,
perchman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jayson,
I always let the wind direct where I'm going to fish. If it's too wind in the south I trailer to the Malmo public access, I motor out of the shallows and head towards Fishers and pick the best drift direction, if it's good conditions in the south I work the south shore from Rocky Reef all the way west into Vineland. I usually try to start shallow and work my way deep, if the fish are biting you usually find them somewhere between 6 and 19'.

Ole

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.