Mille Lacs Why the slow Bite?

[Labby]

Just curious is it related to abundant forage or low population.

[DHanson]

Not just abundant baitfish, but abundant tullibees. They will eat what they prefer, think deep. There are a few still shallow, just not in the numbers of the past. Not sure if anyone really knows for sure, but it is easy to blame it on the abundant food.

[Paul Waldowski]

From my experience and that of many others that I have talked with, it hasn't been a slow bite at all, in fact it has been a good to great bite so far this year.

[DHanson]

Good for walleyes, slow for muskies.

[gregg52]

Paul

I was over there awhile back maybe 3-4 weeks ago now and I read on here it was a good bite

I couldnt buy a bite ?

I havnt fished there for awhile been up on winnie since the indian deal started but use to fish all the tourments over there and did fairly well so i'm not a rookie over i fished some of my old for sure fish spots on 7 and shermans rigging of course

with both leeches and crawlers fished the tops..edges..out from the flat has things changed that much or what or are you talking from a business point of veiw i'm thinkin bout trying again this week \

rigging or pulling spinners or cranks or bobber fishing ]

gimme a little hint one flat going beter than others the gravel good ??/ gimme a few hints pleeeeeez

[Scoot]

Rumor has it the whole lake froze out two Winters ago- that's why nobody can catch muskies there anymore!!!

[b1gf1sh1]

personally i'm with Paul on this one. anyone i talk to has a pic or two or at least a story. a customer got his first 50+ last week on a Super Ride he had me do up last fall there. glass black with a lone red crystal eye on the bottom. he said it was the best 80 bucks he ever spent, i agree ...50 aint easy. i think people are just keeping it quiet that fish it a lot. after all, that record is in there and too many people already know about it. if word gets out it's slow less people go. but that's just my oppinion. a bunch of muskie fishermen wouldn't do something like that would they?

[AnglerX]

They are still there, just as many as ever. Only problem is they are spread out a ton more than years past and not many in predictable locations of old. As stated earlier in the thread the Tulibee population right now is enormous and the Muskies are very well fed. I was up there last weekend for the Hartman tourney and it was tough (mostly due to horse[PoorWordUsage] weather), although we did see five fish and had two more that should have been caught but weren't due to angler error ..... Fish were shallow and on deep weed edges. If a guy could crack the code on some open water trolling runs the rewards could be great. We talked to a few Walleye guys over the weekend that had Muskies attacking or eating the Walleyes off their line out on the mud flats and other reports of fish sunning themselves on the surface on the flats as well. I've got a couple promising open basin areas I'm going to give a shot next time I get up there, not expecting much but definitely worth a try.

[Tippman]

From my experience and that of many others that I have talked with, it hasn't been a slow bite at all, in fact it has been a good to great bite so far this year.

Well the guides I've talked to and from personal experience is that it's definately not great. Comparable to last year is what most have said and I agree the fish are spread out. Just got back from fishing a couple days with only a few fish sighted and no hook ups.

[harvey lee]

I have a buddy who has fished ML quite a few times this season and he has done very well on the pigs and eaters. I have heard nothing but good about the bite this summer.

He has also done pretty good in a few tourny's there.

My mistake as I thought this thread was in regards to walleyes. Pretty bad when I say he got some good eaters.

[DHanson]

I think we are getting a few responses confusing walleye fishing with muskie fishing here. Since it was posted in the muskie forum, I believe the original poster is looking for muskie info.

I will say that the walleye fishing has been great this year though! The muskie fishing in my experience this year is looking a lot like last year.

[Cooter]

A bit off subject but probably one of, if not the, toughest lakes to get any honest advice on - for muskies anyways. I'll be up there beginning of August. If it has been slow hopefully things will pick up by then. Fish spread out....man thats too much water for that to be any fun!!

[50inchpig]

The guys that are lucky enough to be up there fishing all the time are doing ok, definitely better than last season. The rest of us that can't fish 24/7 have to rely on the network and hope for the best.

We haven't had the warm nights which seem to trigger the stupid action on the north end and the massive cold front last week kind of put the kabash on things, but it won't stop me from going up there next time I have the chance or this fall a few times.

IMO the last few years was nuts there and things are more normal this year. I ok with it, I don't think the resource could sustain the pressure like it has been. On the other hand, I was lucky enough to be involved with the DNR netting up there this spring. First net we pulled held a 52, 54, and 54.5 which weighed in at 53.5 pounds - I'd never say a 52 looks small, but it did that day. The fish are still there.

What struck me about last year was the guys that continued to bash and pound away at her despite the odds, gotta respect the drive and the will to keep casting. It was truly demoralizing to pound structure all day and then move out to 20 FOW and see all the bait there but not be able to raise a fish.

Keep your ears to the track as there are a handful of lakes around the state that I think are peaking now and for the next few seasons that offer almost as good a shot at the fish of a lifetime.

[DHanson]

too many people fishing with their ears these days.......

[50inchpig]

Touche, Hanson, touche.

[Labby]

Thanks

I will be out again this weekend. I targeted teh mud last weekend with no success. I am thinking off shore rocks and deep weeds this week.

[mtreno]

there here they just dont have to move much to feed. lots of big and smaller fish. i dont think i have seen one in the mid 40s all season. i blame that on the food as well. those bigger fish eat a ton and thats why they keep showing up.

just got pushed off by a storm again.......