Mille Lacs Lake has a very good smallmouth bass fishery. If you know how to catch smallmouth bass and you target them specifically, you can do very good on this lake. On guided fishing trips, double digit days are fairly common. Fish in the 2 to 3 pound range are common and big bass up to 6 pounds are reported here too. It has turned into one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the country in the last several years.
Fish Reefs
The offshore structure is plentiful on Mille Lacs Lake. The reefs hold lots of smallmouth bass and walleye too. The shallower parts of the reefs will usually hold smallmouth bass early and late in the day. The drop-offs and the deeper water near the reefs are the better spots from summer through fall.
Fish the Rocks
This lake has a lot of rock in it. Because it is so far up north, you do not get the crazy hot summer temperatures for as long here, which means a lot of smallmouth bass can be found around the shallower rocky areas from spring through fall. In the summer, the better bite is usually deeper, but don’t rule out the shallower rocky areas early in the day and in the evening.
Fish the Weeds
The weeds are usually better for northern pike and panfish, but the smallmouth bass will use some of the vegetated areas as well. Largemouth bass are in Mille Lacs Lake, so you will probably run into some of them as well if you’re fishing some of the shallower weeds. If you’re targeting the weeds, make sure you upsize to a 40 pound fluorocarbon leader because you will most likely get bit off at some point by a pike if you don’t.
Best Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass will eat a variety of different baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for smallmouth bass.
When it comes to artificial lures, you have lots of options. Soft plastic crayfish, twin tail grubs, worms and minnow baits are very effective. Hard baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners also work great.
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Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Best Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
With so many different soft plastics to use, you have so many different rigs that work great for smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig, a simple jighead, standup jigheads and scrounger jigheads are some of the best rigs for smallmouth bass. To see our full list, take a look at our best rigs for smallmouth bass page.
Best Techniques for Smallmouth Bass
There are so many different techniques you can use for smallmouth bass since they can be found shallow, deep and anywhere in between. Anglers usually cast for them, but jigging, drop shotting and drifting are also some great techniques for smallmouth bass.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for smallmouth bass page.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our smallmouth bass fishing website to learn more.
