What would you do/ suggest? - Mille Lacs Lake Fishing (Fishing Reports, Events, Tournament Information and more)

MikeLewis · Member

What would you do/ suggest?

fishnpole · Veteran Member

I'd come up and go out of Hunter's Point Resort http://www.hunterspointresort.com/ . Tony Roach and his guides do personalized guide trips like you were talking about http://www.roachsguideservice.com/. You need to try the formica flats before anything else on Mille Lacs. There is no need to have anything plowed special if you're going out in a portable. Whether you catch a 32" trophy or not, you'll have the trip of a lifetime.

Doug Ertl · Website Admin

Tony will good care of you as far as the fishing goes. Hunters Point has pretty much everything you mentioned in your post. Let us know how your trip goes. Good Luck

Willy · Member

Hunters Point and Roach, you won't be disappointed.

MikeLewis · Member

Thank you very Much!
I'll check the sight out and try to get in touch with them on Monday for reservations.
If, for some reason they are booked. Any other suggestions for nearby hotels?

Doug Ertl · Website Admin

Red Door Resort on the north end.

http://www.thereddoorresort.com/motels.html

You should be fine at Hunters. They have sleeper houses, cabins and motel rooms.

They have weekday discounts as well.

-- Edited by Doug Ertl on Saturday 8th of February 2014 05:18:08 PM

MikeLewis · Member

Thanks again,
Hope to see some of you out there.

Ice Man · Member

try the pizza biggrin

rjhumpy · Member

Doug,

The red door, isn't that on the North end?

Or is there 2 now?

Doug Ertl · Website Admin

opps, I got spun around aww aww

MikeLewis · Member

So, the Red Door is good, or not so good for rental car access and hotel?

saldan · Member

The Red Door will do you just fine with a car, all the major resorts plow roads as good if not better than MnDOT. Most are probably better.

MikeLewis · Member

Okay, thanks again!

greenejeans · Member

Easy on the Mn.Dot driver jokes Saldan.You try driving a 53,000 lb. truck on the highway in white out conditions with 3000 to 5000 pencil pushers in the morning so you can make it to work to push your pencil if it's so easy give it a shot. bleh

Eastsider · Member

I think MNDOT plow drivers and resort plow truck drivers do a great job. They both have many obstacles and variables to be concerned about while they are trying to do there job.

Cat Man · Newbie

Go to a different lake! It has been dead on Mille Lacs most of the winter and Feb traditionally it slows down. The guide will help, but you can not make em' bit. Not that there are NO fish being caught, it is just not what it usually is. I have been fishin' the lake for 40 year. The lake has its ups and downs but I have never see it this bad. It might be a little different if there was not a 2" slot but you get the drift. If it is too much feed, over harvesting, hook mortality, too many predictors, zebra mussels or mismanagement the lake is not putting out. IMHO.

Check around and find some place with action for your well earned dollars.

Good Luck and don't set too hard!

fishnpole · Veteran Member

Don't assume that everybody is not catching them. There were alot of fish caught this weekend. Most in 32 FOW.

Anybody can catch 'em when they are surrendering at the hole. It takes a real fisherman to catch fish when they're not.

-- Edited by fishnpole on Sunday 9th of February 2014 04:35:21 PM

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Give Tony Roach Guide service a call and you will learn more in two hours than you ever knew in 2 years about taking walleyes on hard water. MM .

Cat Man · Newbie

That was exactly my point. Someone that does not fish the lake should be looking where there is a lot of action! That is not here this year.

fishnpole · Veteran Member

That's probably Maui, huh Mike?

MikeLewis · Member

I'm not fishing for meat. Mostly, I just want to reel in a few types of fish that I cannot catch in South Carolina.
There is something about being out on a frozen lake that gets me wound up.
Some years back on a visit to Wisconsin, I befriended the neighbor at the house that I was staying in.
He was the president of a local hook and spear fishing club that maintained some of the roads on Winnebago.
I wound up helping with setting bridges out, cutting in spearing holes for sturgeon, helping with setting up opening weekend/ fundraising fisharee activities, and even got to drive the V-plow for a bit. I had a blast and mostly just want to get back out on the ice. Mille Lacs was picked for its popularity and highest odds for finding a place to stay near the lake and odds of finding equipment or a shack to rent if need be.

It's where I'll start out at anyway.
That's the logic I'm working off of.

-- Edited by MikeLewis on Sunday 9th of February 2014 07:00:04 PM

MikeLewis · Member

fishnpole wrote:
That's probably Maui, huh Mike?

Maui is for candy-asses! HaHaHaa.

..or, for people who can afford to go there, it's probably for them too.

biggrin

fishnpole · Veteran Member

If you come up to Hunter's Point, I've got a house out of there. I'd be glad to give you a few pointers on what we're getting fish on, lodging, etc.

Jason_N · Member

I fished from noon Sat. to 5pm Sunday. Caught 9 eyes Sat, 3 between 18" and 20", the rest were 15" - 17.5". Caught 6 on Sunday. One 16" and the rest under 14". Might not be the same as it is in the "good years", but certainly not too bad. Don't give up on Milly just yet....she is still alive and kicking!

Doug Ertl · Website Admin

Not a bad day fishing!!

Jason_N · Member

I was happy! I know there was a rush to that spot after I told the resort where I was. Not many in the slot to take home, but the action was consistent. Also lost a pig at the bottom of the hole about 3am Sunday morning on a rattle reel.

MikeLewis · Member

Well, after the ice storm/ 3 days without power, a mild earthquake,getting bumped on my first flight and 3 hours delay on the 5 hr behind schedule (compared to my originally scheduled departure).. I am finally about to board my Minneapolis bound flight.

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Jason_N wrote:
I was happy! I know there was a rush to that spot after I told the resort where I was. Not many in the slot to take home, but the action was consistent. Also lost a pig at the bottom of the hole about 3am Sunday morning on a rattle reel.

Nice Fishing there Jason. That is a great report and shows your skill and dedication. WTG.

MM smile wink

saldan · Member

greenejean,

I meant no offense to our wonderful plow drivers of MNDOT, I have met a few over the years and a neighbor of mine use to plow part of I-94 a few years back. I drive from North branch to Eagan on a daily basis for work so I do indeed know what you have to deal with. Driving 35 at night with some of the Bone-Headed drivers I see is bad enough, much less plowing with a 50,000 lb plow truck.

Other point off point here, watching alot of houses getting pulled this afternoon after the noon time traffic jam of everyone going back to the cities. Maybe this snowstorm tonight will turn em on. doubt it, but always hope. Time for another beer.

Jason_N · Member

MCallies wrote:
Jason_N wrote:
I was happy! I know there was a rush to that spot after I told the resort where I was. Not many in the slot to take home, but the action was consistent. Also lost a pig at the bottom of the hole about 3am Sunday morning on a rattle reel.
Nice Fishing there Jason. That is a great report and shows your skill and dedication. WTG.
MM

Even I blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while!

MikeLewis · Member

I wound up in Brainerd/ Baxter. .. headed to Leech in an hour..

drhamm44 · Member

If you are heading to Leech, go one step further and head to Upper Red. Go out of West Wind. Was up there last weekend - couldn't have been easier. Plowed roads, plowed fishing spots and fish to be caught. Started setting up at 2 pm and had one flopping on the floor by 2:10. Caught 20 plus up to 22", nothing under 15", in 11'.

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Nice Work. Sounds excellent. How many hours is the drive? 4.5 hrs? Good job, MM. smile

MikeLewis · Member

I'm actually at upper Red now.
got skunked at Leech last night and yesterday afternoon..
I dig get some good pictures of the Aurora Borealis. That made my trip worth it right there!
I need to look up the regulations here on Upper Red.
Probably going to do a late night photo excursion tonight and fish tomorrow.
I don't want to go home!

Ice Man · Member

we did very good on red last week. want to go back already.

MikeLewis · Member

How deep was it where you fishing?
I was in about 10 feet at daybreak now I am at about 15 feet I'm using Fatheads and fishing about 6 feet off of the bottom. No fish yet.

MikeLewis · Member

I just drilled a second hole. I'm going to try Jigging too I guess. ..
note to self (Invest in gas auger, 30 plus inches of ice is more of a workout than I wanted).

muskiemike · Member

I like 12-13 feet out there about a foot from bottom. You can use 2 lines. Good luck, snow is heavy here!

-- Edited by muskiemike on Thursday 20th of February 2014 02:33:31 PM

-- Edited by muskiemike on Thursday 20th of February 2014 02:34:21 PM

MikeLewis · Member

Thanks much. . They're only calling for an inch or two here. Temps are dropping as the wind seems to be shifting from west to north. My holes are freezing over much faster. Will be hunting a fish house tomorrow no doubt.

-- Edited by MikeLewis on Thursday 20th of February 2014 03:04:07 PM

drhamm44 · Member

Try getting down to under 6 inches from the bottom. That's where they usually are.

MikeLewis · Member

Lost the key to the rental car at dark, wound up sleeping in it.
That was brutal. I found the keys at daybreak. .. took a long hot shower and Just got to Baudette. . Going to take a nap and try to find a rental.