5-12-06 Report Mille Lacs

[Mayfly]

MILLE LACS ? Lundeen?s Tackle Castle, Bill Lundeen, Onamia (320-532-3416) Another opener is upon us, and it looks like it's going to be a good one here on Mille Lacs - lots of walleye in that 13-16 inch range and decent numbers scattered throughout the rest of the spectrum should make for a better than average open-water season. Surface temps have warmed to the mid 50's and things are ahead of where they would be on most "opening days". Since there hasn't been any pressure on the fish to this point, they may hang around the shallows for a few extra days but if your traditional "opener spots" don't pan out for you look to the deeper water adjacent to these areas. Some 2nd tier depths and even the mud flats and gravel bars will be worth a look as "backup"spots. Some of the better spots for the opener include Vineland Bay, Big Point and the "North-end Sand". Start fishing these areas in 8-15 feet with a fairly simple presentation. A leech or minnow on a 6 foot snell with a small floater is usually a good choice. Toward dark, throw out a slip bobber/jig/leech combo on your favorite reef. Remember, you can fish Mille Lacs "'round the clock" for the opener... the night ban doesn't go into effect until 10PM on May 15th. No one may fish for any species or possess fishing gear on the lake from 10 p.m. through 6 a.m. starting at 10 p.m. on May 15 and ending at 12:01 a.m. on June 12. The 2006 Mille Lacs regulations are as follows: Walleye: May 13 - July 14... Release immediately all walleye 20.0" through 28.0" July 15 - November 30... Release immediately all walleye 22.0" through 28.0" December 1 - February 25 2007... Release immediately all walleye 20.0" through 28.0" Bag limit is 4, with only 1 over 28" Northern pike: Release immediately all northern from 22.0" through 36.0" Bag limit is 3, only 1 over 36". No spearing. We have yellow stickers at our shop with the 2005 regulations printed on them... stop in and pick one up - there's no charge! The marker buoys are in. The water level is slightly higher than it was last year at this time.The weather for the weekend (from the National Weather Service) looks like this:Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low near 36. Breezy, with a north wind between 13 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high around 53. North wind around 15 mph.Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.Monday: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high around 61.The full moon is Saturday, May 13th. Don't forget to check out our weekly "shop special" at http://www.lundeens.com/shop.html

[JohnWester]

i guess they were hitting fast on the dead sea this weekend... my dad was out there Sunday night and he and another guy had their limit in about 2 hours. they were up on the north end in 10 feet with rock.

[Joe]

I heard they were just hammering them trolling Raps on the breaks. A co-worker and friends limited out in a few hours.