Mille Lacs report 6/22

After warm weather to start the season, the weather has been unsettled, wet, and cold for a two week stretch including lots and lots of thunderstorms and one record-setting day of statewide tornados. During that time the fishing has been very hit-or-miss with an mix of good trips and bad. The past few days provide a good example. My guys on Saturday boated a 42" at sunset and lost a big one after dark and had lots of follows; Sunday was really slow day for my guests with only one half-hearted follow that flared 20 ft. from the boat; Monday's guests had over a dozen follows than included a couple nippers, but no fish would commit with a solid strike.

The weather should be toasty warm and humid for the next week or so. Warming water temps will improve the action. Anyone familiar with Mille Lacs knows that it really pops around the end of June or early July, so it should happen any day now.

Paul,

Blades and Dawgs in the weeds? I will be up there on and off the next 2 weeks before our scheduled trip, so please save a follow for me this time.

John Genosky

I've mostly been working weeds so far. Big blades and big plastic are still a good One-Two punch, but I've also been doing well on topwaters. When things are slow, or during post-front conditions, I've also been slowing down and working a twitch bait like the 8" or 10" Slammer. If you've been paying attention to the weather at all, you know that post-front has been very common lately. Downsizing has also helped when things have really been tough and the 6" Slammer has saved the day for me more than once. Bulldawgs, Big Joes, and Mo Joes are working and I've also been using an assortment of other shallower soft-plastic swim baits. I'll see you in a few weeks, and good luck in the meantime - hopefully you'll have a few good fish stories for me.

I guess it depends what you are looking for. I have fished Mille Lacs a number of times, and Ill never complain about catching a half a dozen 25-28" walleye in a day, as bonuses while bass fishing. But I would hear gripes from a few of the guys out targeting walleye for not catching enough "keeper" sized fish. All too big. What a problem to have

But I have heard about trying to restructure the number of fish removed by the tribes in their annual nettings. Maybe they are losing more fish than anticipated?