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We’re gonna be coming into that awkward transitional time of year where (depending where you’re at) ice-fishing opportunities will fade fast, yet many open-water gamefish seasons will still be closed. Sorta feels like:
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So you’ll be seeing a little mixture of both in these TW emails going forward... Let's get into today's shenanigans!
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Jeremy Smith’s #1 open-water walleye bait 🤫
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Few quotes from Jeremy Smith in this short AnglingBuzz vid:
> Hands down, my #1 producing walleye bait of the last 2 years. I am not joking...this is like when you hit stuff that is magic, like when the Jigging Rap happened, that's the [Rapala PXR] Mavrik [110 Jerkbait]. I'm telling you guys, this thing is totally insane. It's a great bass bait – don't get me wrong – but it is just a walleye killer.
> They've got a shallow [runs 5-6'] and a deep version [runs 10'+].... So depending on the water temperature, where the fish are located, you're going to change which bait you're using.
And here's why the “metallic yellow perch" color is one of his favorites in the Upper Midwest:
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> And you'll change the way you fish this bait throughout the year.
> So early on [colder water in spring] you're doing more of a pull-pause than you would as the water warms up where you might be really trying to get the bait to dance.
> ...how you work it makes all the difference in the world. You can go out with somebody and throw the exact same lure. You can put them in the front of the boat. And you can catch ALL of the fish behind them. It all has to do with how you move this bait.
> ...the secret with working the Mavrik is you need to start the bait on a slack line...I think this is a lot of the magic of this bait.
> (Even if I'm doing a pull-pause) I'm going to throw a touch of slack to the bait. And then I'm going to pull but I'm going to give it a little sharpness. And what that's doing is it's making the bait basically roll up on it. ...it's going to get just a little bit of hunting action before it gets itself straight. And whatever that does and how this bait tends to rest, I'm telling you, it is just insanity...it’s such a good bait.
> I would not go fishing in the spring without making sure that you've got some Mavriks....
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I agree with Jeremy ✌️ and really had my eyes opened to it last season.
Had numerous trips where I threw EVERYTHING at a school of fish and they would NOT eat...I was starting to think they were suckers, but then I busted out a Rapala PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait and caught one outta the school on my first cast! I couldn't believe it. And it became a staple in my boat the rest of the season.
Here's one of the videos from last summer where I wish I would've busted it out sooner. Give it a try the next time you’re getting turned down and it might just be a day-saver for you too:
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ND state-record jumbo perch details
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There wasn’t a whole lotta info out there, so shout-out to TW fan Tyler Riedesel for tracking down some nuggets on the current (but soon to be previous...? 👀) ND state-record perch.
Kyle Smith caught the 2-lb 15-oz freak outta Devils Lake back on Mar 28, 1982:
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Here’s a few lines from that ^ original write-up:
> “Kyle landed a supremely fat 2-lb 15-oz yellow perch, breaking the ‘old’ record set just a week ago [a 2-13 also caught on Devils Lake].
> “...was among a half dozen...weighed in Monday morning that tipped the scales over 2 lbs.
> “He caught the beauty using [a jig and minnow] on 20-lb line.
> “Officials at NDG&F...said Kyle’s record will probably stand up at least until next winter’s ice-fishing season.”
That record has been standing 44-yrs strong!
BUT 👀 there’s finally been a challenger caught....
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Possible new state-record perch caught in ND!
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Wisconsinite Alan Hintz got himself some new wall decor after plucking this absolute unit out of Devils Lake, ND last Sunday while Clam’d up with Perch Patrol Guide Tyler Elshaug. 😳 Fish went 2.99 lbs and was 16.5” long!
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Here’s your ‘prove it’ of the day. 😏
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Winter camping and ice fishing for BIG walleye ⛺️🥶
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There's just something special about sleeping out on the ice! Especially when the fish cooperate 🤞 but there’s more to the experience than that.
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Those are a few sights from a new ice camping video (part 1) we recently posted on the Target Walleye YouTube channel. We spent a couple nights up north in the Clam X-600 Thermal Hub and fortunately had some quality bites join us in the process. 🍿 Hope you enjoy the ride!
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As always, all of the gear I used in this specific video is listed in the video’s description on YouTube. If you have a specific question on anything, drop a comment over on YouTube and I’ll do my best to get back to you in a timely fashion.
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Does your ice-fishing line DO THIS after dark? 🤯
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I absolutely love little details like this. 👊
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There were some behemoth panfish brought to the scales 😳but it was this 1.68-lb (11.25”) bluegill wrassled in by Brandon Sonsteguard that took ‘Big Sunfish’ honors. Wowza!
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4. Berkley outed its new fluoro
Called GinClear. Built with a smaller diameter for lower visibility, it’s designed to cast smooth with less memory while still offering strong knots and solid abrasion resistance. Their pros have been teasing this so far this season. Here's a little info about it.
- Superior manageability and casting performance without sacrificing durability
- Ultra-smooth, flexible construction with low memory to reduce coiling, overruns and dig-ins
- Smaller diameter for its break strength
- Level-wound construction for consistent handling and improved reel control
- Designed for versatility as both a mainline fluorocarbon or leader material
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“By the grey in his hair and early-90s chair...not his first rodeo.”
- Funny comment under this Ed the Diver shot taken in Marinette, WI of a dude that’s livin' on the edge!
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Why is Mike Richard holding this 27" Lake Winnipeg (Manitoba) greenback walleye like a baby? 😅 Apparently "cuz it’s fighting like it’s bed time" LOL:
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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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