It's been a month since I've been up there and I'm heading up this weekend. Back in the july 3rd qtr moon, we had a fall like trolling thing going for us. Water temp was 70 or just above and we were in 5-8 FOW over hard bottom. The fish turned on both nights just as the moon came up around 12:30AM. It was great fishing, couple keepers, many slot, biggest 27". Then the following weekend we had no moon and the water temp was 72-74 and we only caught one fish at night. Not sure why the big ones were in so shallow in mid-July, but if the conditions are close to what they were, it will be worth a shot again.
If you are looking for information on shallow water walleyes on Mille Lacs, your in the right spot. Stay tuned this site gets busier then shopping the day after Thanksgiving from September to freeze up with information of trolling the shallows.
I have had some luck in August, but mainly smaller fish. 14-22". Others I'm sure have targeted them shallow more then I have mid-late summer as I'm usually trolling the middle of the lake all day during that time.
I'm not sure what the lake temps are now, but I'm guessing you'll have some success. Many of those fish never leave the "shallow" part of the lake. Keep in mind though, you are competing against a huge amount of baitfish that is getting to the perfect feeding size for the eyes and perch.
Let us know how you do!!
-------------------- 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.
Water temps now are in the 71-73 range. I suspect you are catching some of the weed walleye which call the weed beds home all year around and during these full moons they are using their sight advantage to feed at night on the perch. My opinion the best bite starts when these weed beds die off and the perch/baitfish are exposed which will start mid 50's water temp and peaking around 40-45 when the tulibee's come into the shallow rock/gravel to spawn in the late fall. Good time are a coming!!
-------------------- Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
-Vince Lombardi
Yes pulling boards out in the open water you will see some floater Tulibee's (Ciscos) but since it was a cooler summer there did not seem to be the die off like some past years. I would suspect they are still the prime prey for these wolf packs of walleyes out in the basin due to the high fat content versus the perch and it would explain the bigger than average size of these fish.
-------------------- Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
-Vince Lombardi
Quote: but since it was a cooler summer there did not seem to be the die off like some past years
I believe Tim is correct. I seen a few, but like mentioned not near what the last few years were. The water temps started out behind and just never got as warm as the last few years ( appears to be a good thing for the Tullies). Hopefully that population gets a chance to rebound.
Mille Lacs has a way of rebounding. Like Red Lake, you take that kind of biomass out of the lake, and what is left grows like mad! Mille Lacs will do the same with tulibee. They have for quite a few years.
I'd like to see them rebound. I remember ice-fishing for them when I was a kid - it was a BLAST! I'd like to get my kids on them one of these winters.... Thanks.
Quote: I'd like to see them rebound. I remember ice-fishing for them when I was a kid - it was a BLAST! I'd like to get my kids on them one of these winters.... Thanks.
I've been thinking the same thing. Nothing better than hole hopping in March.
I did catch a few this past winter while jigging for 'eyes. Hadn't seen that in several years.
Good Luck! Mid to end of Sept is when things should really heat up! What a great time of year! Can't wait! Drinks and football by day and pull cranks all night - Does it get any better?
Well this last weekend sure stunk! Nothing but northerns in the shallows. The water temp was down to 70 in the bay though. Just have to give it some more time I guess...
Anyone have any luck with the tough weather last weekend?
Quote: Well this last weekend sure stunk! Nothing but northerns in the shallows. The water temp was down to 70 in the bay though. Just have to give it some more time I guess...
Anyone have any luck with the tough weather last weekend?
I was out today with a guide and it was pretty slow. We were in shallow rocks between 4-11 fow with slip bobbers on the east side of the lake. We only managed 3 fish between the 4 of us from 7am to 1. Two slot fish 16's and one 24incher. When does the good bite start??
-------------------- "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles"
I think we are about 2 weeks before it starts to pick up. From then until 40 degree water, it's game on. The shorter days and cooler nights are a tell-tale sign of the Mille Lacs fall run.
-------------------- 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.
We're catching plenty of fish in less than 10FOW during the day. The key is to read the current so as to know where to fish. Another key is to look for dirty water. If you can see bottom in 5 feet, the water is too clear...Move!
JR Industries #4 "Moon Glow" jigs are the ticket with med leeches.
Got out Sunday night. A little windy and very dark with no moon. We pulled HJ12s and Rouges hopping to find some shallow eyes. No eyes. Water temp 70-72. Weeds are still standing. Theese cooler nights should help get that water temp down. Did manage a few oops smaliies though.
Weather.com says the next 10 days will be highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's with the exception of next Monday when it will be a high of 54 and low of 33. Could be some good water temps going by next week!
I have been fishing the shallow rocks for the past few weeks! Started back around the 2nd week in August. The 7-12 fow has been the best depth to fish. The perch are active in some areas along with a few smallies mixed in...keeping things interesting whenever that bobber goes down!!!
I have also found that early in the Fall (like now)I target and troll East Side Rocks and do better then West Side Weeds. Usually no big fish (14-22"), but fish none the less.
Last year I did a report from a trolling run I did on August 31st and we caught mid teens for #'s of fish in 4-5 hours.
Quote: Weather.com says the next 10 days will be highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's with the exception of next Monday when it will be a high of 54 and low of 33. Could be some good water temps going by next week!
Hey Rob! Correct me if I am wrong, but in early fall don't more of the guys have better luck with a shad body type crank and faster speeds? That seems to be the way I remember it being reported. I'm pumped up for the 2 or 3 times (hopefully more)I might manage to get up there this fall! Its getting close!
Joel, for me that is the case for the way I fish. But I know guys who slow down when it is darker and use bigger baits. I like the bent lip SR's early, as well as jointed #4 and 5's over sand and rock.
It always depends on th night for me, but that is how I start out . Faster speeds around 2.0-2.7 mph and a mix of bent lip shads, hj's and rogues and fine tune from there.
Its way too early for me for night time trolling and there are plenty of walleyes and perch to catch during the day right now.Typically when the water is above 50 I like to run more shad style baits and some small sticks.But when it starts to dip below 50 its mostly bigger stick baits.Untill the water hits the low 50s Ill stick to the daytime bite.
I'm questioning just how good the trolling bite is actually going to be this year. With as much food as there is out there, those fish might not be chasing baits as much as they have in years past. I can count on 1 hand how many fish I've caught this year pulling blades, and talking to some good trollers lately, they have to run close to 4 MPH in order to even get a reaction strike.
It might be a good fall to consider using minnows under bobbers in key feeding areas (ie; spot on spot) instead of pulling cranks.
Well there are a lot of fish out in the basin enjoying the buffet out there so we will have to see how many decide to come in shallow this year.No big deal there are other ways to boat a lot of fish in the fall besides cranking shallow anyway.I havnt been out in a while to take a look around so the only prediction I will make right now is that Jack and Tuck wont be fishing together See ya on the rocks Jack
Quote: With as much food as there is out there, those fish might not be chasing baits as much as they have in years past.
That's what I was thinking last fall when Mike W and I boated out of the harbor at Red Door. The perch were so thick in the channel you could not see through the clouds to the bottom in 3 FOW.
By the way.....we had a pretty good night out there!
Quote: With as much food as there is out there, those fish might not be chasing baits as much as they have in years past.
That's what I was thinking last fall when Mike W and I boated out of the harbor at Red Door. The perch were so thick in the channel you could not see through the clouds to the bottom in 3 FOW.
By the way.....we had a pretty good night out there!
-J.
I thought I couldn't see the bottom that night due to the rollers coming in.
The bait in the harbors and in the shallow water is the main reason the fish show up in numbers in the fall.However last year there was also a LOT of bait out in the basin and Im sure there is plenty left out there and they arent going to leave food to go find food.There was also a good hatch of lake shiners this year and the DNR told me there was also another good supply of YOY perch.That doesnt mean that there wont be any fish in the shallow water it just means there probably wont be as many.Last year was decent but the key was finding the spots that were holding fish.There were a lot of spots that normally hold large numbers of fish in the fall that I checked that had no fish.However once you find some they generally arent there alone.I havnt been on the lake for a while to look things over and wont be back out for a couple weeks.But I think you will see a similar bite like last year.Some spots will hold good numbers of fish and others will be vacant.On the other hand I see a great perch bite coming up.With all of these back to back perch hatches over the last several years there are a lot of big ones in the system.I have already caught some on the shallow rocks and they should be on fire by the end of the month and I will be out after em.
For the record Robert and Lip...we all know JOSH HUKRIEDE picks up the big girls. I have a bad back.
You guys are overlooking the fact that there is a large resident population of weed fish that live there year around. They are there winter, spring summer and fall. Yes, there are basin fish...and they will always be there. Why do I think that? I talk to the launch drivers often up there and they are doing quite well on fish out on the deeper structure while we are pounding them in shallow. The best advice I can give anyone is to go out and find fish first. They will be off deeper breaks but close to shoreline structure be it weeds or rock. At night these fish slide up on that structure. With over 15 years of fishing the weeds and rock in the Fall...I have seen this numerous times on the graph. You can literally watch these fish move up. James and Rob documented this in the Night time Walleye Tactics DVD. If anyone is heading up there this Fall, I highly recommend watching that DVD. Those tactics are tried and true.
Could not agree more. Also, you watch - as the water temp goes down fish from the basin will follow the bait fish in to the shallows. They may not come in until the water temp goes down - but rest assured, they will be there. I start my night runs not this weekend but the following. Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fish are cold blooded creatures. Minnows and YOY perch will often seek out the shallows where the water warms quicker in the decreasing daylight hours, and weeds will hold the heat later on into the evening. Tulibee however being a herring, will school in the midlake basin until the spawn in November. Then again they move back out into the basin. So both scenarios hold promise in the Fall. FOr me, it is just plain easier to target fish in shallow in the Fall. There is just something about holding on to a St. Croix Tidemaster when an 8 pound Eye slams a Husky Jerk trolled shallow!
Anyone fishing for eyes shallow yet?
Usually no big fish (14-22"), but fish none the less. 
See ya on the rocks Jack 
Besides picking LARGE girls up from the bar, he also fishes sometimes too. 
