shiltsy Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 We do an annual LOTW ice trip and always have a blast. That said, it's a long drive from the metro and fishing always shuts off at night. Most years have been pretty good, but last year was really slot. We're thinking about a sleeper rental on Mille Lacs this year. It seems like having more time on the ice plus an evening fishery might make up for not being a LOTW quality fishery. Any thoughts? We will be targeting Walleye, but happy with action from any species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mww24 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 id go to red or winnie before i went to mille lacs. unless driving far is that big of problem. but it seems like you just want more fishing time than anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterfowl101 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 mille lacs dosent have much of a day bite, but at night can be awesome, if you move around and drill lots of holes on mille lacs you can do alright during the day but you gotta work for em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bureaucrat Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I'd take Mille Lacs on its worst day over LOW on its best. No comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Seaguar Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I'd take Mille Lacs on its worst day over LOW on its best. No comparison. Did you type that wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cableguy2 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Did you type that wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castmaster Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Mille lacs will most likely be slow day and night more days than not fishing out of a resort permie. You also only have a 2 fish limit with an 18-20" slot to keep those 2 fish. LOTW lets you keep 8 fish, no more than 6 eyes.Maybe not the suggestion your looking for, but...For us here in the Twin Cities metro its about the same drive to Devils Lake ND as it is to LOTW. I have never left DL without our limit of eyes, and 80-90% of the trips do VERY well on perch as well. Abundant pike if you want them. And prices for guided trips with lodging are not too much more than a comparable # of days/nights at LOTW just being stuck in one day house all day. ND limits on DL are 5 eyes a day with 10 in possession, 20 perch per day with 80 in possession and 5 piker per day with 10 in possession.You also have places like Woodlands who do similar lodging/day house packages as what you'd find at LOTW, but for a better price. And even in their day houses you can do well on both eyes and perch quite often.I made the switch several years ago, and have had more and more friends making the switch since. Pretty much all of them say the most likely wont go back to LOTW or Red after fishing Devils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuskieFever Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Just a heads up. I go to school in Grand Forks so I fish devils a fair amount of times throughout the season. You're first trip I would 100% recommend getting a guide. Devils can be a boom or bust fishery. If you are mobile and can find good structure you will most likely contact fish. Yes the perch are massive, BUT when people say you have to be mobile they aren't kidding. Drilling over 50 holes a day is common. The fish never stop moving on devils but once you find them, it can be lights out. I remember my first trip there me and 2 buddies drilled holes all day with nothing to show for it. The clock struck 5 o'clock and it was game on. Probably caught 45 walleyes between 3 guys in one hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castmaster Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Yes its definitely worth getting a guide to lower the learning curve. But if your willing to put in the work like was mentioned and find the perch you can usually stay on them. As for the walleyes, we've caught them shallow. we've caught them mid depths and we've caught them deep, rocks, wood weeds etc. Seemed to be able to get them if you were on any kind of "fishy" structure, but its a first and last light bite for the most part. Which works well as it gives you the rest of the day to chase perch or run tip ups for pike (you can fish 4 lines per person in ND) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBMasterAngler Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Skip Mille Lacs! If LOTW is absolutely too far, Winni or Cass Lakes are much better options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassfshin24 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I do a trip every year to LOTW and rent a sleeper on Mille Lacs. Out of 4 years I have only done well once on Mille Lacs. But most of the time we were up there we weren't very mobile. LOTW is fun but the past few years the fishing has just been ok. Yeah we have caught a lot but they were mostly small fish. If I was you I would head to Red.If driving is an issue then you might as well try Mille Lacs. I mean I keep going back because I love beening able to sleep out on the ice and have a chance of hearing that rattle reel at 3 am. Plus it's less then 2 hours away. Check out Appeldorns...they will do their best to get you on fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlineracer12 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Hard to beat the big fish ratio on Mille Lacs, but hard to beat the action of LOTW. If you are looking to come home with a pile of fish you would be better off on LOTW. I fish LOTW and Red a couple times until there is enough ice on ML to drive out. Seems we can always catch fish on Red and LOTW, but ML can be really hit or miss whether you're on the fish or not. One night we only caught 1 fish, other nights 6 fish over 20" (2-3 people). We catch keepers occasionally on ML, but not something you can count on every time out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Holst Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 None of those lakes, especially red, have walleyes in them...I'd try canada or Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruthWalleyes Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 We do an annual LOTW ice trip and always have a blast. That said, it's a long drive from the metro and fishing always shuts off at night. Most years have been pretty good, but last year was really slot. We're thinking about a sleeper rental on Mille Lacs this year. It seems like having more time on the ice plus an evening fishery might make up for not being a LOTW quality fishery. Any thoughts? We will be targeting Walleye, but happy with action from any species. Glacier lakes region of SD is a good option. Bout the same distance. Better fishing, and everything is less expensive there. You can hire a guide for the day for a fraction of the price of a guide on a busy MN lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiltsy Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 Really great feedback, thanks everyone. Sounds like we'll be heading up North! I'd drive 10 hours for good consistent fishing, so it sounds like LOTW, Red, Winnie or Devils will be our plan. We don't do any running and gunning for this trip... pretty much lay low in the sleeper 23 hours a day fishing, playing cards, etc. It's a trip our group really looks forward to all year.Most of our trips have been Jan/Feb, so I think we will push into late March in hopes of better late ice fishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
401TE Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I used to go to Mille Lacs for an annual trip, never did well out of a resort house. Then we switched to Red, did ok out of resort houses, but nothing spectacular. Then we switched to LOTW and have always done well including last year. There's no comparison for action between LOTW and either of the other lakes I've stayed at. All of my trips are LOTW now, and I don't see that ever changing. Longer drive is well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyzoe Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I have to agree with truthwalleyes. The glacial lakes area in NE South Dakota I personally think is better than Mille Lacs and LOW. 4 hour drive from the cites, can fish with 4 lines and easy to limit out on very nice size perch and walleyes and great size nothern pike. Alot of lakes and sloughs in the area to choose from. I usually make 7-8 trips a winter over there from the cities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlineracer12 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I used to go to Mille Lacs for an annual trip, never did well out of a resort house. Then we switched to Red, did ok out of resort houses, but nothing spectacular. Then we switched to LOTW and have always done well including last year. There's no comparison for action between LOTW and either of the other lakes I've stayed at. All of my trips are LOTW now, and I don't see that ever changing. Longer drive is well worth it. Some of that is just timing, Years ago Red lake was not that great. The past two years we have done better on Red than LOTW. That's just my experience (early ice season) but Red has made quite the comeback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FISHINGURU Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Years ago Red lake was not that great. I hear ya, all them massive Crappies sucked!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachD Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Quote: I hear ya, all them massive Crappies sucked!! They sucked so much everyone and their brother decided to go and take every single fish they caught... Thank god that is over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlineracer12 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I hear ya, all them massive Crappies sucked!! Well I guess I should have been more specific. After the crappies, before the current walleye population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnowworknever Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I'd go to red, rent a house. Then go fish portables on LOW during the day, come back to red and get the rattle reels down.Forget about Mille Lacs...no comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Thought it was only 4 eyes up at Low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Lake of the Woods May 11, 2013- Nov. 30, 2013 6 (Not more than 4 can be walleye; only 1 walleye over 28"; walleye 19½" through 28" must be immediately released.) Dec. 1, 2012- April 14, 2013 Dec. 1, 2013- April 14, 2014 8 (Not more than 4 can be walleye; only 1 walleye over 28"; walleye 19½" through 28" must be immediately released.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bturck Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 On LOW in addition to not more than 4 eyes you can also have up to 4 sauger, or any combination of 8 as long as no more than 4 are eyes. It is we'll worth the trip to LOW or Red. The slot on Red is 20-26 and on LOW its 191/2 to 28. I've fished both lakes plus Mille Lacs, no comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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