A Humminbird Side Imaging examination of Mille Lacs mudflats....and walleyes
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Mille Lacs lake in central Minnesota is a structure fisherman's paradise. Hidden within its 132,000 surface acres are shallow rockpiles, deep mudflats and gravel bars, and weedy flats that are year-round homes to trophy walleye, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch, pike and musky. Whether you prefer to troll, cast, drift, or bobber fish, Mille Lacs has structure that both holds fish and is suitable for your favorite presentation method. One of the classic areas that walleye anglers target during early- to mid-summer are the "flats" in the northern half of the lake. These pedestal-like formations rise 4-8 feet above the surrounding deeper water, and are covered with soft material and nutrients that help to fuel the food web in this portion of the lake. Indeed, large hatches of lakeflies, rising up from this area, often blanket boats and anglers in early summer.
Dr. Jason Halfen
Professional Walleye Angler
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Walleyes are regularly taken by anglers rigging, corking, or trolling the flats. Two key areas of any flat that require special attention are (1) the top edge of the flat, where the pedestal begins (often 22-24 feet deep) and (2) the transiton to the surrounding bottom, which is often 28-30 feet deep. Why are so many walleyes caught in these areas? Are they simply pausing here while they transition between the surrounding deep water and the shallower flat, or are they holding in these areas because there is abundant forage and ample cover? Humminbird's Side Imaging technology provides compelling insights regarding this question, by demonstrating that these transition areas are FAR from simple drop-offs. Rather, the edges of the flats are a maze of fish-holding nooks and crannies where walleyes can hide while waiting for their next meal...whether that's a shiner, a perch, or an angler's leech.
Here is screen capture from my Humminbird 1197 that shows edge of a mudflat (this happens to be 3-mile flat). I am running on top of the flat (22 feet deep) with the edge of the flat about 30-40 feet to my left. This transition is clearly visible as the boundary between the top of the flat (light blue) and the surrounding soft bottom (darker blue). Note that the transition area is not uniform or clean. Rather, the edge of the flat and the surrounding deeper water contains a variety of grooves, gouges, and trenches where walleyes can hold and wait for a meal to swim, drift, or be trolled past.
Perch are an important forage fish, and a common catch, on the mudflats
Careful examination of many of these irregular features along the edges of the mudflats reveals the presence of walleyes as well as the bait (either small fish or bugs) that they consume. Here is a magnified portion of one section of the edge of Curly's flat. Walleyes appear prominently as brigher returns agains the darker bottom. I have highlighted several walleyes with red arrows. Note also the cloud of bait, which appears as a cloud of light returns, within the water column (the dark blue section running along the left edge of the image). The bait is along the edge, and so are the walleyes...hiding in the nooks and crannies along the edge.
Anglers who fish the flats know that fish aren't evenly distributed along the edge; rather, small portions of the edge often hold large numbers of fish. Here is another mudflat edge, showing a high concentration of nooks and crannies in one particular area of the edge. This type of area is a "spot on the spot", which can hold large numbers of catchable fish season after season, and is definitely worthy of a waypoint! Before reading on, take a look at the right hand side of the image, on top of the flat. Note that there are two series of depressions (small dark circles) on the flat. I think that these are formed by a boat's anchor, dragging or bouncing along the top of the flat while the anglers on board cork the nearby edge
Now, you've seen how I use the Side Imaging technology in my Humminbird 1197 to find key fish-holding areas on the famous Mille Lacs mudflats. Once these areas are identified, fish can be targeted using any tool in your walleye fishing arsenal. The edges of the flats are often approached by traditional live bait rigging or slip bobber fishing. As a "power fisherman", I prefer to pick off the most active fish from these areas using mobile approaches, including pulling spinners on bottom bouncers or pulling cranks on leadcore. The fish shown at right were both taken on a recent trip to the flats; the fish on the left is a VMC spinner fish that hit a live crawler, while the fish on the right hit a yellow perch SR7 trolled on 18 lb Sufix leadcore. Pick your favorite presentation, grab your Humminbird Side Imaging fishing system, and hit the flats for fish like these!
Want to see Humminbird Side Imaging in action? Check out the short video below, recorded in late July on a windy, post-frontal day on the flats.
