Mille Lacs Ice Fishing Tips
Ice fishing on Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake area usually begins around the first week of December and continues until early March. Temperatures plummet to sub-zero throughout most of the winter, freezing the ice over the lake to a thickness of up to 3 feet---more than sufficient to safely support the 5,500-plus icehouses that anglers install across the lake. With such conditions, several tips will allow you to have a successful ice fishing trip on Mille Lacs.
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Reserve Your Ice House
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Most ice fishing at Mille Lacs takes place at night when the temperatures can drop well below zero. You'll need a place to stay warm, drink coffee, enjoy hot soup and maybe take a nap while your fishing lines dangle in dark holes. The answer is an ice-house rental. Most houses accommodate four to six anglers and are equipped with propane heaters, bunk beds, a stove and bathroom, ceiling LED lights so you can see your ice holes, and perhaps a table and a deck of cards for when the fishing gets slow.
Dozens of businesses around the lake rent ice houses by the night or weekend. Call around or visit their websites to check availability, get the best rate and book a reservation. Few of these companies accept credit cards, so be prepared to mail a money order or cashier's check to reserve your ice house, then pay by cash, cashier's check or money order upon arrival. You'll need to bring or rent your own ice fishing poles, tip-ups and bait, which is available at tackle shops around the lake.
A licensed angler may fish up to two holes at a time. You can buy a license from any tackle shop on the lake.
Pull in the Fish
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Rig up short jigging rods with imitation minnow jigs or live bait, which can include minnows and grubs. Bounce jigs off the bottom of Mille Lacs to attract perch. Twist and dance the jig in the water by grasping the line between your thumb and index finger and rolling it back and forth.
Allow live bait to swim freely, so hook them through the upper body near the tail, taking care not to pierce the bait's spinal cord. If the fishing slows or becomes nonexistent, it's time to change your approach. Use different size jigs in different colors, experimenting to see what works. You can also gain a competitive edge over other anglers by chumming. Chop up some of your bait and drop it down the ice hole to attract more fish.
You'll need an ice skimmer to clear your fishing hole of the slush that will form over the water while you are trying to catch a nice walleye or perch.
Ice fishing rods work best in rod holders so you can keep your hands in your pockets for warmth. Most ice anglers use tip-ups to alert them to a strike or catch. Tip-ups are simple wood contraptions that fit over the ice hole. A long wooden dowel on a simple axle (like a nail) has fishing line looped through one end, descending into your ice hole. The other end of the dowel has a short red flag. When the fish strike, they cause the dowel to tip up.
Stay Comfortable While Ice Fishing
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Being cold and miserable in the middle of Mille Lacs is nobody's idea of a good time, so plan your trip for comfortable fishing. Even a heated ice house can turn mighty cold in February, so move around while you are watching those tip-ups and wear gloves or mittens when you're not baiting hooks.
Layered clothing traps air and offers greater insulation to keep you warm. It's also easy to cool down a bit after carving an ice hole if you can pull off a parka, sweater and flannel shirt, replacing them as needed. Dry, waterproof boots are essential for enjoyable ice fishing.
Bring a thermos of coffee and another filled with hot soup to ward off the chill. Ice anglers might also enjoy beef jerky, pemmican and trail mix as hearty, protein-rich snacks.
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