Lake Mille Lacs Minnesota Fishing Report
2-2-12
We've seen a pretty solid bite the past week or so on Mille Lacs - the deeper water on the gravel bars and the mud flats have given up a fair number of walleye and even a few perch to go along. Look to 28+ feet near the 5-mile gravel, Sherman's flat and Boot flat. Use a Vertiglo Spoon or Swimmin' jig tipped with a piece of a minnow on your jig line, and a Glow Demon with a whole minnow for your bobber/rattle reel/tip-up rig. A little larger minnow like a shiner, rainbow or even a small sucker works well. Blue and green have been the top colors. Don't overlook the overnight bite... there's been a bunch of fish hitting the rattle reels throughout the night! The perch bite is pretty scattered - this will traditionally get better as we get closer to the end of the season. For now, a green Creep Worm gobbed up with some waxies should get you a meal's worth.
Shiners. 2 winters ago, we tangled with the DNR and with some folks in the legislature to see if we could improve the supply of shiners to Minnesota anglers. As you may expect, these folks blew us (you) off. Last weekend, some of you experienced the beginning of this year's "shiner shortage" in bait shops across Minnesota. We currently have a few shiners in stock and expect to get a few more for the weekend. We apologize in advance to anyone who will go without. Within the next few weeks, I expect we'll take another run at the DNR and the legislature to try to get things loosened up for next season and beyond.
The 2011 (winter 2012) Mille Lacs regulations are:
Walleye: Release immediately all walleye 18.0" through 28.0"; Possession limit is 4, with only one over 28.0".
Northern Pike: Release immediately all 27.0" through 40.0". Possession limit is 3, only 1 over 40.0". No spearing.
Smallmouth Bass: Release immediately all less than 21.0". Possession limit is 1.
Other Species: Follow statewide regulations.
No Culling
