Why We Stopped Chasing Perch—and Started Catching Jumbos! (Fishing Mille Lacs With Nick Lindner)

Mille Lacs perch fishing can humble even experienced anglers—especially when the fish get ultra-finicky. In this video, Nick Lindner and I made a deliberate choice to stop chasing fish and wait them out instead—and it completely changed the outcome. Instead of running and gunning with LiveScope like most anglers on Mille Lacs, we hunkered down in a Clam Nanook shelter and committed to a patient, old-school approach. The perch eventually slid back in… and when they did, they were some of the most finicky fish I’ve ever seen. The bite was so subtle that the only way to consistently catch these jumbo Mille Lacs perch was by watching the hook actually enter the fish’s mouth on an underwater camera. Without visual confirmation, most bites were impossible to detect. In this video, you’ll see: * Why waiting out perch can outperform chasing them * How finicky Mille Lacs perch behave when pressured * Why an underwater camera made the difference * The exact moment perch committed—or refused—to bite * Real-time decision making that led to catching jumbo perch This is a perfect example of traditional ice fishing discipline paired with modern tools—and proof that sometimes the best move is not moving at all. 👉 Be sure to check out Nick Lindner’s channel (linked below) for more top-tier fishing education and insights. If you’re serious about ice fishing for perch—especially on pressured lakes like Mille Lacs—this is a strategy worth adding to your playbook. Nick Lindner on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NickLindner Gear and Links: Clam Nanook Shelter: https://app.rockporch.com/mlink/2gVUsHoZmc Clam Swirl Drop: https://amzn.to/4qjQfMb Clam Drop Jig (1/32 oz) https://amzn.to/3ZYkFc4