In a little over a month, the beginning of the Fall Trolling Bite will begin on Mille Lacs.
To say I am a little excited is the understatement of the year! I am going through crank bait boxes and changing hooks where needed...getting the "Fall Line" put back on the line counters...Making room on the memory stick in the camera....
My last fish of the year last year was 29.5", setting the bar high for this Fall!
I cannot wait!!! A few years back, Lip and I pulled sticks along some shallow sand in no moon whatsoever, and had a blast! I am hoping we can get out and do that again this fall! It was a nice way to pass the days until the big push of fish moved shallow.
A little over a month so mid-end of September. I had my first taste of this last year and also cannot wait to get back. If I remember correctly, this bite is water temp driven? What's the high end of the water temp range when this bite begins?
Quote: A little over a month so mid-end of September. I had my first taste of this last year and also cannot wait to get back. If I remember correctly, this bite is water temp driven? What's the high end of the water temp range when this bite begins?
ET
There is always a resident population of walleye in the weeds year around. The "Below 50 degree" mark and well through the 40's really gets the weeds to lay down and exposes those bait fish. The bait fish will stay shallow due to the warming of that water in the shortening days. I am wanting to try some of our weed bite tactics that we used this summer to see if those fish will go earlier. I do know that we have found those fish to go over the sand prior to a more pronounced weed bite. So we have that to look forward to as well!!! God knows we have great representation up there with Staff covering Mille Lacs like a glove in the Fall.
Quote: A few years back, Lip and I pulled sticks along some shallow sand in no moon whatsoever, and had a blast!
Man that was a great night. How about the West side night where Blue & Silver Rogues were the ticket on the point. A half dozen 26-27" in a matter of 25-30 minutes. I can smell Koonces Brats already. Let me know when you want to start going Tuck! I'm in!
One bad thing is the full moons land on both Bow opener in September and pheasant opener in October. Might have to do the week night thing!
The big thing I learned that year Lip was that the moon really didn't matter as much to the fish as it did for the angler. If you were there and the fish were on the chew, you were gonna connect. It's funny how every year we find a "New Hot Lure." Yep, the Rogues are always hot it seems, but for me it all started out with the balsa Husky. I have 3 left. All in orange creme...Then came the Craw/Black Husky Jerk along with it's Firetiger cousin...Last year for me it was the jointed Bomber Long A. Ted Merdan may remember the whoopin' we put on them one evening last fall. I am looking at that lure right now...I should retire this thing and hang it on my "Wall of Fame" downstairs! I would bet this lure saw body counts in the dozens and dozens last year. Oh, and you cannot forget the formidable Storm Thunderstick! We are taking the 16th and 17th off I believe, giving us Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat tolling at night and perch by day.
I think we'll be at the Red Door at that time Tuck. Once I confirm, we reserved a year ago, I'll let you know. Perch during the day sounds like a blast, but it's long haul around the lake.
-------------------- I was born in the 70's, grew up in 80's, made my mistakes in 90's now I'm just trying to make up for lost time.
The nice thing about the perch fishing is we can jam a bunch of guys in a few boats to save gas. Last year we spread a few boats out, and when we got on them...gathered the boats around and had a blast!
I couldn't agree with Kraig more. The full moon is grossly overrated. 5 - 10 days after the full moon in OCtober has been the best for me, year in and year out for over a decade.
As for when the bite gets rolling, that depends on how warm the water temps get. Last summer was a HOT summer and the fall bite was slow to get rolling. In years prior the bite was excellent, with numbers of 28" - 30" fish available, as soon as the water temps got into the low 60's. And that was falling a week or so BEFORE the september full moon.
This summer is far from a record breaking HOT summer so there's a chance the bite will start off with a bang towards the end of September. If you go back and read some of the older fishing reports the bite was exceptional a month before most guys even thought to get on the water.
-------------------- James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
My personal best night on the lake it was black as black out during the new moon period at the end of October in 2005. You couldn't see your rod tip dark and we absolutely slammed them. I hated to end the night as the bite was still gaining strength. However I had to work @ 7 am.
The good thing was that full Moon was in the middle of the month like this year! I can NOT wait!
Lip, I remember that night! We were up for a couple nights during that period and it was unbelievable. I believe we had flurries on the second night and still spanking one fish after another. Personally, this will be my 8th year on the "night trolling tour." Thanks Chris Now I can't focus on anything else.
Quote: I believe we had flurries on the second night and still spanking one fish after another.
I remember @ Midnight we had about a 250 yard trolling run to get back to the launch. Well we never got there, It was whoever could get their lure back the fastest got a fish. We went on a absolutely big fish tear. We never once got all 3 lures back during this stretch. It was nice fish after nice fish. We finally just had to call it quits @ 1:30 am and head back home. A night that I would always remember anyways, but sharing that night with my Ol' Man and brother Rich even made it more special. I would just like to THANK good buds Mr. James Holst and Mr. Chris Tuckner for most of what I know about this bite. With out their help and insight it would have been a longer road and tougher learning curve. Most importantly, without their "expert tutelage" I would have never had a fishing trip of a lifetime like that with my Dad.
Here you go Tuck! Are these the fish you speak of??:devil
Ok and after loading all those pics from the past 3 years. One thing stands out in all of them.... THE DATE OCTOBER 25th & 26th or the night of thos dates.
That is just sick Rob! It takes me a whole season to catch that many nice fish. But a couple of years ago I only had a few fish that size total. IDO and some guide trips from IDO guides make a heck of a difference in getting good fast!
I have a stack of Mille Lacs CD's at home. Sunday night I will take some time, and pull out some pics from the past. I was looking at some recently from back when I had cancer..or before I knew I had cancer. I will include those too...
Chris, I can't wait to see those! Rob....what can I say. holy cow those are some beauties. Fishing with your Dad on a night like that must have been priceless. I just went through pics from 06 and heck that whole year was pretty darn awesome for size and numbers.
A couple years ago, I had a rock hump that came up to 9 fow and 20 something around it. 3 guys in my boat and no fish on this what I thought would be a great spot. The wind kicked up and we got 30 fish over 25" that night off that one spot.
The "we never made it to the landing" rings a bell with me and my dad. Late night heading to the landing about 2am and had no bits the last hour so I turned the boat to deeper water just in front of the landing for sh*t ang giggles and my dad nails a 30"er. What a way to end the night
Fall Trolling
It was a nice way to pass the days until the big push of fish moved shallow. 
Re: Fall Trolling
First fish last fall was 28.5, 10 minutes into the 1st night. Had a blast that weekend!!
I would bet this lure saw body counts in the dozens and dozens last year. 
Now I can't focus on anything else. 
