The Lindner crew has been SMACKING ‘em 💥
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> Jeremy Smith got out on an absolute killer walleye bite this week [in the Brainerd, MN area] with a few studs mixed in. Many anglers are switching their focus to deer now, whether it's by bow or gun. However, this makes for one of the best times of the year to catch big trophy fish, and you'll have the lake to yourself!
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> The key is to move around, use electronics, find the bait, and ultimately find the fish. On this day, Jeremy found schools of fish feasting on perch off some mid-lake reefs. Using a jerkbait with a slower cadence and playing with the pause proved to be the ticket.
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> "Match the Hatch" – a term you hear in the fishing world, meaning match your lure to the forage or bait that your target fish are eating. I don't know if it gets any more perfect than this, though...Jeremy Smith caught this plump golden fall walleye that was gorging itself on 5-6 inch perch.
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> The Rapala PXR Deep Mavrik 110 in the “metallic yellow perch" color couldn't have matched the forage any better. Plus that nose-down erratic action, and the walleyes didn't stand a chance. With the open-water season dwindling down, fish are putting these fall feed bags on.
> Many lakes in the Upper Midwest feature yellow perch as a predominant forage base, especially for walleyes. So it's no surprise to come across a school of walleye going ballistic on bait, especially on windy days where baits are even more pushed together. Lakes also feature suckers, smelt, shad, shiners, and tons of other potential bait fish. Knowing your bodies of water and what forage it holds is very important to making lure and bait decisions.
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On this episode of River Monsters.... 🧌
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And we're over here using tiny 1/16-oz hair jigs, slip-bobbers and live-bait rigs with 12′ snells trying to fool 'em LOL.
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Another catch of a lifetime thx to Rapala 💍💒
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Love that! 🙌 And congrats to both!
Crazy enough this isn’t the first time I’ve seen a Rap-uh-la induced engagement… 👀
Few years back, fishing guide Matt Ruston landed his best catch yet, and did so in style. Check this out:
> Matt Ruston: ...started out as a typical perfect sunny day on Rainy Lake, with plans to head out fishing with my girlfriend Danielle. Little did she know I had much bigger plans.
> We arrived to our fishing spot where I began using my bow mount Minn Kota along with my HELIX 7 to “search for a crib” – that’s what I told her anyways. We zigged and zagged...circled along the shoreline and yet I still couldn’t find the fish.
> Danielle has asked “why are we going in circles?” She stated “there’s no fish here, let’s try another spot” just as I finished my ‘search pattern’. I asked Danielle to run the trolling motor for a moment because I had to grab a different lure. Asked her to keep the boat as straight as possible to which she said, “How? The wind is already pushing us straight!”
> “Look at the GPS it will show if you’re going straight” I explained to her.
> As she looked down at the HELIX 7 now showing a message on the screen written in the lake where we had just zigged and zagged, and circled through....
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Not even sure I could write that in cursive on paper, let alone in a GPS track – dude’s got some serious boat control skills.
> ...she turned around to see me on one knee shaking like a leaf and a Rapala X-Rap with a diamond ring around it.
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Those #6 VMC (split-)rings are shinier than I remember.... 😅
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3. SD: Dakota Angler Ice Institute is THIS WEEKEND
It’s more than just a trade show, it’s a celebration of the sport!
> Whether you’re a seasoned angler or just getting started, the Ice Institute is the perfect place to connect with fellow fishing enthusiasts, discover new products, and score unbeatable deals, often referred to as “HOT” prices you won’t find anywhere else.
Happening Nov 7-9 at the Sioux Falls Arena & Convention Center. More info here.
4. Underwater spearfishing just got bigger in MI
> The NRC voted Thurs to expand the areas where people can dive underwater, hold their breath and spear three kinds of gamefish: lake trout, northern pike and walleye.
> “This is the largest expansion for freshwater game fish in the history of North America, essentially....”
> ...anglers will be allowed to spearfish for the three gamefish in parts of Lake Erie and Lake Superior and expanded portions of Lake Michigan starting in April.
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5. VMC’s new Tungsten Torpedo Spoon is here 🔥🥶
> Tungsten construction provides the best return on electronics. Ultra fast sinking to target fish before they pass by. Small attractor blade adds flash and vibration. VMC Ultra Glow colors last up to 15 minutes. UV polished metal finishes and double sided 3D holographic eyes.
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LOVE the 10 color patterns. Comes in 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 and 5/16 oz sizes.
6. VMC's new Tungsten BugBite Jig looks tasty
> Small larva-like realism for strike inducing attraction. Lead free Tungsten construction provides the best sensitivity and return on traditional fish-finders and forward-facing sonar Premium VMC treble hook increases hook-up percentages. Available in polished metal or Ultra Glow pigments that last up to 15 minutes.
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Adjustments for ice fishing with barbless hooks
Some places, like Manitoba, require your hooks to be barbless (can pinch down the barb with some pliers). Here’s a few tips from Jason Mitchell on how to make sure you still put that big greenback topside:
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Another gem from meme magician Josh Johnson on Instagram. 🤣🙋♂️
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Good luck to all hitting the woods this weekend, Target Walleye fam!
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Diehards doing diehard 'Bird stuff. 😤
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If you’re still getting out, good luck AND be safe out there! 👊 Back atcha next week.
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Sign up another fish-head!
If you're forwarding Target Walleye to a friend who loves to walleye fish or want your fishing buddies to get these emails, just send us their email addresses and we'll take care of it! (We won't sell the addresses, use them for spam, etc.)
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FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
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Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He's in it now, but still can't answer that question.... Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a "fishing degree" at the time.... Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com
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