Help for a newbie to smallies on Mille Lacs

[FlipR70]

Hi All,

I have to admit ... I've never caught a smallmouth bass.

In a bid to change my admission, I am heading to Mille Lacs on the weekend of Aug. 28th to try to catch some smallies.

What I would like to get is some basic information on cover, structure, depth, and very basic patterns to catch some smallies on Mille Lacs. I am NOT looking for your SECRET spots, lures, or patterns but just the basics so I can experience a small taste of what people are experiencing on Mille Lacs this year.

Thanks for your help,

FlipR70

[Stratosman]

Find the rock piles, if its bright and sunny with no wind you can easily spot the larger rocks and cast to the shady side. Many times they sit in the shade. I like a 4" pumpkin or craw colored tube rigged on a internally weighted tube hook. Less snags than a jig I think. If overcast, try casting a twitchbait or spinnerbait and cover water.

[Ray Esboldt]

On the dead calm, sunny days I've had my best success on topwaters. Yep. Topwaters. I have no theory associated with it, but they will come flying off the rocks to smoke a topwater on many of those days. That doesn't just apply to Mille Lacs, I've repeated this on several other smallmouth dominated lakes.

Another bait that has been real good to me when smallmouth are the quarry is Mann's Minus-One. It's a good bait for working the real shallow rocks.

If I can get a fish on one of those baits, but no more, then I'll slow down and throw platics like Catch-N Tackle's 5 Super-Do or their 3 Kick-N Craw.

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Ray Esboldt

Catch-N Tackle
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[This message has been edited by Ray Esboldt (edited 08-19-2004).]

[NELS-BELLS]

I'm no expert but I have caught some nice Mille Lacs Smallies. I normally fish the rocky reefs that are marked with buoys or any area with rocks. The bigger the rocks the better. I have caught most of my fish using a 3" pumkinseed twister tail (power bait is the best) and a black head jig. (not sure on the weight) I fish it slow enough so that it is just bouncing off the tops of the rocks and I also work the edge of the rocks.
Hope that helps. Good luck!

Nels

[Deitz Dittrich]

All advise so far has been great... Many of the rock piles on Mille Lacs has bouys on them so they are rather easy to find. The South/East side of the lake has the largest concentration of rock and the largest concentration of Smallmouth as well. HOWEVER, the whole lake has smallies. Craw plastics, tubes, spinnerbaits and topwater is all you need. I have also done VERY well flipping the edge of the pencil reeds... I was up there about 3 weeks ago and caught most of my fish out of the reeds.

[Yaeger Guide]

Great info. Ray has my passion: working the topwaters over the rocks. I like a little chop and overcast, but anytime can be fabulous for smallmouth and a topwater attack. Find the rocks, start shallow and work deeper until you find them.

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God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides
(Twin Cities Guides)
www.yaegerweb.com/guide