Off we go with my first ice fishing report for the 2010-11 season. The season has started off pretty well for this angler. After waiting for some areas of ice to freeze I am now out and enjoying some success. As many of you know the lake experienced some high winds on the first of December. These winds busted open a number of areas out on the reefs near my home that I like to target during the early ice season. I needed to let these areas freeze and get enough ice on them allowing safe travel. As of this week, the lake has been sitting up nicely for the ice fishing season. The past couple of days I found 12 inches on the Flamingo Reef and as much as 11 inches out on the flats.
I have had some success fishing the rocks during the sunset hours in the 13-16 foot areas. Jigging a minnow head on a 1/4 or 1/16 oz spoon has been the ticket. Many of the fish that I have cleaned have been full of small perch! The lake looks to have a great food supply in it that’s for sure right now. Our fish are going to be feeding well and growing leaps and bounds!
The flats have also kicked out some fish for me as of late. I caught ten walleye in less than an hour just before sunset tonite. Keeping a limit eaters for supper Thursday night. Jigging a minnow head on a 1/4 oz spoon has been the ticket for me on the mud. I have caught some small walleye as little as 6-7 inches on up to the largest so far at 25 inches. The bigger fish are really fat from feeding on all those small perch. I included a photo of one walleye that I was cleaning that was stuffed full of small perch.
The lake has been moving the last few days with the cold temperatures. Today I had to deal with the crack near shore that had pushed up from the slight warm up we had today! A warmup to a high of 15 degrees above zero!! Wow...I had to look for a spot to cross it as it was pushed up and had flooded some on the one side. The resorts have started to make some roads and a few hard sided houses have been pulled out. It won’t be long and we will be in full swing on the shores of Mille Lacs Lake.
Make a trip up to Mille Lacs and enjoy some of this great early season walleye fishing we are currently having. As always make sure and check with your resort for the most current lake conditions before making your trip out on to the lake. Good luck and catch some fish!
-- Edited by Bobber on Wednesday 15th of December 2010 09:24:38 PM
Thanks Bobber! Great report and great fishing. Thanks for that jiggin tip. WOW that one walleye is just gorged on small perch! Nice walleye filets no doubt! Malmo Mike
Great Great report Bobber! I too went out yesterday and decided to hit the rocks away from everyone. Took me until 2:30 to find the fish but then we proceded to catch 9 (6 keepers) and lose 4 more (one BIG girl) over the next hour and a half. Moved a ton, fished depths from 15-30 fow. Success was in 24/25 fow with most success on the presentations you describe above.
Thanks Bobber, I bought some Northland Macho Minnow and 1/8 jigging spoon lures in those colors (perch). Good tip. Looks like quite a busy day at Hunter'sPoint! Malmo Mike Go Vikes at TCF !!!
Firetiger is a color/pattern... most variations are green to gold to orange to yellow... kinda like tiger stripes that are on fire !!! Heres a pic of a macho minnow in Firetiger
Great Great report Bobber! I too went out yesterday and decided to hit the rocks away from everyone. Took me until 2:30 to find the fish but then we proceded to catch 9 (6 keepers) and lose 4 more (one BIG girl) over the next hour and a half. Moved a ton, fished depths from 15-30 fow. Success was in 24/25 fow with most success on the presentations you describe above.
