Mille Lacs Crappies

[Tim Roeschlein]

 

Thanks to everyone that voted on my browning deer feeder. To show my gratitude, I was crappie fishing in Wahkon Bay and caught 5 this morning. The smallest was 12'' and the biggest was 15''. Normally Isle Bay is the crappie hole but I've seen some big crappies and sunfish come out of Wahkon this year.

I was using a red-glow jig with a crappie minnow but be sure to bring some waxies/euro-larve along. The sunfish crank up about 9:00 a.m. and the crappies will be more apt to take a worm when they slow down. The east side of the island has about 7-8 feet of water and look for some weed structure. Even if the weeds are laying on the bottom,that's what you want. Just avoid the bare sandy bottom.

Don't drive around the south end of the island. There's an old road bed with some open water. It's only a couple feet deep, but it would still be just as embarrassing to have to get pulled out of 2 feet of water as it would 20.

A person usually doesn't get this info until it's too late. Being I live in Wahkon, and I don't own a resort, you can take me for my word. It's an early bite and will only get better!

Good Luck and thanks again for the votes!

Tim

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Fawkinnae]

Thanks Tim. Outstanding bit of information.

[Spinach]

Hey, Great report Tim.

Your right about this being the beginning of the best fishing on Mille Lacs for Crappies. Those crappies are always so dark and yellow, I can tell they are Mille Lacs Crappies.

[Tim Roeschlein]

Sorry about the photo . I think I sent it too big and it got cut off.

Tim

[UncleDave]

I will be heading to Rocky Reef tomorrow for jumbos and MAYBE head to Isle Bay after we limit out.  Nice fish!

[Tim Roeschlein]

 

My buddies were out all day in Wahkon Bay. They both got their limit of crappies and 13 sunfish between the two of them. The biggest crappie was 16'' and weighed 2.97 pounds.  The sunfish were equally large with the largest one being 12'' and I think he said a little over a pound. I was too stunned by the big crappie and wasn't listening to the sunfish weight.  I was thinking of having my 15'' crappie mounted, but now I think  I'll wait for a bigger one.
How about you guys, how big does a crappie have to be before you would mount it?

Tim

[Fawkinnae]

Well I would say a 3 lb. crappie is plenty big for mounting. And I have no problem with a 15" for that matter.

[Spinach]

I'd say anything 13" and bigger is a trophy and rare Crappie. Not too many people have or will ever catch a Crappie above 13". I'd say you mounting that 15 incher would be great, if your proud of it, then stick it on the wall.

If your thinking you may top that soon, just wrap that fish and stick it flat in the freezer, go out and try for your 16" and if that doesn't happen, you still have a very mountable fish.

[Mayfly]

For the first time in the two years that MNO has been around this is the first time that I have hoped that our traffic takes a nose dive!