1st timer on Mille Lacs...I need help

[junior9]

Any advice would be great....we are camping on the south end at Father Hennipen Park Thrus-Sun...I would love to do some fishing, but don't know where to start.

Thanks

[wheelierida]

I'm new to the lake really this year, my first time out was really good and I will be a lifer on mille lacs. find shallow rocks 4-7' and slip bobber fish with a leach or minnow. you'll catch something. if not move to a different spot and do the same thing. some guys swear by the crank baits but I havn't had any luck with them. you will catch more fish if it is windy and overcast during the day. the walleyes will move in shallow at night regardless. but it has been slow, so you'll have to be patient. thats how it's been on the north end latey, from what i've heard the south is about the same.

Good Luck

[Kab Dreamin]

Junior,

We have had very good luck on Center Bar just outside of Isle at night trolling crankbaits. All you need is some deep diving shad raps in chartruese or perch patterns and a depth finder. Troll the reef tops and edges in 8-14' of water and hang on. The big mommas really slam the lures.

It does help to have a GPS so you can mark where you have caught fish so you can get right back on them.

Oh yeah, lights are a good thing. You will need something to light the interior of the boat to get lures out of the net, etc. and will need a spot or flash light to shine over the side of the boat when you are trying to net the fish.

Good luck!

[jegerjack]

Junior, to go on what Kab was saying. I would recommend one other thing.... Make sure you do not keep the radio on if the motor is off, you would not want to be on the other side of the lake when your battery dies, cuz you know what will happen.... You will have to switch to the back up battery and when you do that you will lose you lights for a second and when you turn them back on you will find yourself running into a flock of 500 seagulls that will take off in fright and dive bomb your boat with unmentionables....Don't you trust me?....wink, wink....

JegerJack

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"What did the old man trade for these guys, a used puck bag?"

[junior9]

500...come on....there was more like 50,000 of those d*mn seagulls flying around....I am still having nightmares!!!

[Borch]

When night fishing keep your light to a minimum. Let your night vision take over. We use either small flashlights or headlamps for changing lures, landing or taking off fish. A spot light is very nice to have for lighting up marker bouys or finding the dock at a dark landing. Be careful when you use it thought. You can blind other boaters fishing the same area.

As the fall moves on cranks will definitely outproduce corking. The fish will be aggressive and scattered across shallow structure. Right now it's had to say. Seems corkers are doing OK and cranks are hit and miss. Another chunk of structure which has been good in that area is Graveyard. It's a real pig producer. Especially later in the season.

Borch