Mille Lacs Lake Area Fishing Report

So late in the open water season, It occurred to me that I could use my iPhone 11 as a vlogging device and upload the videos to Youtube as Jim Moynagh does before, during, and after tournaments. So I recorded one vlog, and then the season was over. Yesterday, I went on my first ice-fishing trip of the year, recorded a short recap, and uploaded it to YT. I then did a little research and, got the VN Video Editor app watched a video by the guy that recommended it on how to use it. Then redid the video using the editor. This thread will be my short vlogs. If you are inspired to start making your own log of recapped trips, share your own.

Nice work BP.

Tonight’s Video. Figured out one new element and messed one up, so there is no motion when the video starts on my captions like last time.

Will probably not be going out tomorrow do to the wind.

Good report. I like your plan of making ice videos. Keep ‘em coming!

I heard guys are fishing pike in Isle bay? Any truth to this? Might head up tomorrow morning

Check out Lagoona Guide Service on YouTube. He just posted a report that answers your question and more. Good info

Gregg Gunter wrote:

Check out Lagoona Guide Service on YouTube. He just posted a report that answers your question and more. Good info

I watch this guy’s weekly report almost every week. Its up to date and very accurate.

Thanks Gregg! Forgot about his reports

Does anyone know how we can access the lake on isle bay now that chapmans is closed? Is there any resort we can go out of? Appreciate any info

Public access but the Thains river might make that dice.
Lakeview Park.
Who ever has the old Hunter Winfield resort.
Assuming you are willing to walk.

Isn’t there an access at the Father Hennepin State Park? I’ve only ever used it during open water season and I think you need a pass. Not sure about winter access there.

Castles resort is the only place . Nice guy

Got out Friday morning and hit up two lakes.

Yeah that is scary when you’re drillin and the ice is crackin.
Were your holes the first to be punched on the lakes you were on?

Castles is the old HW
The FH access is very good but you do need a state park pass.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Yeah that is scary when you’re drillin and the ice is crackin.
Were your holes the first to be punched on the lakes you were on?

There was one other guy already on the second lake when I got there, and I did walk by a set of holes that was frozen over.

I got out for 3 hours on Tuesday, got 20 crappies, and an injured lower back. It will probably be a while before my next trip happens. I’m not going out again until my back is 100%.

Enjoying these reports Bass Pundit. I hope your back heals quickly so you can get back at it. Back issues are no fun.

I had to do some shoveling and snow-blowing. Thank goodness my back was in good enough shape that it doesn’t look like I have added to the pain load and regressed. On Tuesday, that was doubtful, but the back felt good enough to give it a shot yesterday and all things considered, I am doing ok. Don’t know when I’ll be ready to head out fishing again, but this is progress.

Hiya!!

Got out today on the north end out of Red Door… Not much happening today until about an hour before sunset, then started getting some hits. Was trying for walleyes and was a touch disappointed in the size of them…nothing over 13 inches today…not a single fish. That is good news, though….young year classes means hopefully better fishing in the next year to come.

Was easy to get around out there as much of the snow has been blown away, so there was no slush whatsoever. Couldn’t travel fast as the small drifts that did exist out there kept me watchful as I went.

Still was nice to be out, temps were decent…just wish it was better fishing overall… I don’t get out there much, so I do what I can…

Steve

We ended up putting together a nice day. Me and a buddy went up early in the morning and fished 13 hours. We started off on a small gravel hump and started catching walleye right away 12-14 inches. Buddy lost a nice 20+ inch fish. Then it shut down. The amount of big walleye we were marking coming up to our bait and not biting was crazy.

At about 11 we moved out to the mud and filled the bucket with some nice 10-11 inch perch and good-sized walleye mixed in but no slot fish we were fishing the gravel to mud transition 29-34 feet there did not seem to be as good fishing on top of the flat. The best way to fish was to be very mobile just running down the break and covering water. Again like in the morning we had lots of big marks decently aggressive that were walleye but being pretty finicky.

At primetime, we moved back up to the gravel where we had some pretty hot action for the rest of the night but like the whole day, we still got denied by a lot of big fish. Fun day caught upwards of 20 walleye biggest at 23 and a bucket of jumbo perch. It was pretty much a ghost town out there yesterday.

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Nice reports ABoxy and Steven! How much ice were you finding?

I was out to Pantry flat and I would say it was pushing 13 to 14 inches in some spots. Won’t be long and trucks will be out. Did see a couple of trucks on the west side as I headed up 169

I was out to Pantry flat and I would say it was pushing 13 to 14 inches in some spots. Won’t be long and trucks will be out. Did see a couple of trucks on the west side as I headed up 169

This is where my lack of knowing the lake comes in. I moved around a bit, trying different depths, but I didn’t get out deeper than 30… I’ve not put in the time to know the transitions, and know exactly where to go…

Nice work out there!!

BigWerm wrote:

Nice reports ABoxy and Steven! How much ice were you finding?

It was interesting I had about 15 inches a half mile from shore. 1 mile from shore on the mud we had 9-10 inches. I also saw trucks and wheelhouses 200 yards from shore on the west side driving up.

^^the bays on the west side are usually first to freeze. Some of the resorts put out there houses out on first break as soon as they can. Been out a couple times now and the bite is better than last couple winters but still takes some work. Plopping down in a spot will only net you a couple of fish during prime time hours. Staying mobile is the key. Still lots of baitfish (perch) in the system. Fish are eating well right now.

My lower back regressed with the following two snow storms. Finally was pain-free a couple of days ago. Plan to get out sometime next week.

Was out yesterday out of Garrison with Brad Hawthorne and a group of others. Got out at 630 and had a nice flurry to start the morning and then it died off. I caught five throughout the day with the biggest being a 16 but our group got a 24, 22 and a few 21s. Overall slow, pretty finnicky, but still catching fish during the primetime hours. Red/Gold Tikka Mino got all the bites for me.

Travel wasn’t as bad as I expected. They weren’t letting full sized trucks out and there were drifts but not horrible drifts. I’d say there was anywhere from 3-8 inches of snow depending on the spot. Ice seemed fairly consistent at 9-12 inches where we were fishing.

I’ve always liked Brad Hawthorne on tv. What’s it like fishing with him in person?

Gregg Gunter wrote:

I’ve always liked Brad Hawthorne on tv. What’s it like fishing with him in person?

Don’t know him at all personally, but seemed like a funny guy, very dry and abrasive sense of humor, but to be fair it was not a normal guiding trip. It was a bigger group of people out for a media event that he was trying to put on fish so I think he was maybe a little more stressed than a normal trip. Seemed like a good enough guy in general.