5/21/06 - Night Bite Report - Mille Lacs - Photos Added

[ScottPugh]

After a little convincing by my cousin, he and I were off to Mille Lacs for a few hours, for a late Sunday afternoon trip up to Mille Lacs to try the Southwest side for the night bite.? We knew the bugs were going to be thick, but that was an understatement and it was only 5:30.? They seemed to be coming out of the water consistently, from the time we put it, to the time we pulled the boat out.

Giving my cousin?s Lowrance H2Oc with Navionics chip its first real test, it was right on.? We first tried pulling lindy?s (Crawlers and Leeches) around, up, over and through Kings.? We could see the rocks in 9 feet of water, which we thought was very impressive for water clarity.? We then decided to do some bobber fishing on Andersons.? It was now 7:30 and we had nothing to show for our efforts.? We went and anchored off the end of Rocky Reef and marked some fish, but yet again nothing to show for it.? We saw one slot fish released and one keeper caught for 15 boats between Andersons and Rocky Reef.? We chalked the slower bite up to the bugs so using a tip we got from Mayfly (THANKS), we decided to hit shallow as we had a little over an hour to go before the night ban took effect.? ?

Off we went to Cove bay to find some weeds.? Cove bay was loaded with anchored boats from what we could see.? A few boats seemed to be trolling rapala?s from just inside the point into the main lake, running between .8? 1.9 mph.? We were only in 6 ? 9 feet of water so we both tossed on shallow diving rap?s, mine was Green and White in color and my cousin?s was in Perch.? My cousin missed a big strike on our first pass through and we saw / heard a bigger fish taken and another one lost boat side on our same path, so we knew there were fish there.? Nothing else on passes #2 or #3 so we decided to pick up the pace a little.?

Giving the trolling motor a good workout, we cranked the speed up to 1.2 ? 1.7 mph.? I thought I hooked some weeds, and attached to my rap is a small eater, just about when we reached for the net, it came off.? Lesson learned that; don?t troll raps with a medium Light rod (fast tip).? Tossed the rap back out and almost instantly another hit.? This time I knew I had something on, a great netting job by my cousin and a few pictures later the small but fun 22 ?? was back in the water.? A few last passes and nothing to show, it was time to get off the water.? Water was 52 ? 56 degrees in most areas.?

It was a great night on the water (great photo's, should be up later) and even though we did not have the luck we had the previous week, it got us pumped for the October and November Full Moon trolling bite that is yet to come.

[Fireball]

Scott

Sounds like you had a fun time anyways., and sure was a nice evening out there. I am heading back up tonight for a few hours.

[ScottPugh]

Scott

Sounds like you had a fun time anyways., and sure was a nice evening out there. I am heading back up tonight for a few hours.

It's ALWAYS fun...  Except when the mayfly's have hatched, your moving spots and you ride with your mouth open.  Just ask my cousin...   

[Fireball]

Fish flies, may flies have the bigger wings. oh yea forgot about them. they are worse on the west side of the lake. the wind that we have been getting pushed them over there. I hope they stay there although there are a few on the east.

[Mayfly]

Scott,

Glad things worked out for you. If I would of sent you to the spots I was going to you would have been dissapointed. As you probably read in my other report things changed a bit. It does sound like the fish were still there they just needed to be enticed a bit more and those fsat traveling cranks seemed to do it. Looking forward to a couple pics.

Thanks for the report.

[Mayfly]

Nice pictures Scott...Thanks for sharing