If you’re going to watch/listen to one podcast this week...
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...here she is, a new BuzzCast episode where Jeremy Smith sits down with Al Lindner. 💯
> This conversation jumps straight into the heart of a lifelong obsession: fishing. The guest needs no preamble—his name alone commands respect in the angling community.
> What fuels someone to fish nearly every open-water day, year after year? It’s not just a hobby. For him, it's a lifestyle. “I just love the game,” he says, with the kind of conviction that only comes from living it day in and day out. Whether reading, watching, talking about, or actually fishing– his passion consumes him 24/7. Burnout? Never. He thrives on the learning curve, the industry's evolution, the highs and lows, the new challenges each season brings.
> He jokingly confesses, “I’m a groupie in the fishing industry.” Unlike others who may enjoy mushroom hunting or seasonal game, his sole devotion lies with the water. “Whatever I can get on, that’s what I do. I fish.”
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A big thank YOU to Al for always sharing his passion and knowledge with the rest of us fish-heads! 🙌 I could listen to him talk all day long.
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How the ‘Big Winnie’ MTT was won
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The Minnesota Tournament Trail stopped at Lake Winnibigoshish (aka ‘Big Winnie’) in northern MN last weekend for two separate single-day tournaments on Saturday and Sunday. Mother Nature must’ve been in charge of the weigh-in, ‘cuz she brought the HEAVY stuff.
Saturday the wind was howlin’, sideways drizzle, temps fit for an ice bath. Sounds like if your hat stayed on, you weren’t tryin’ hard enough lol:
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Side note: MTT is catch-photo-release format that uses a length-to-weight conversion chart to calculate folks’ bags:
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On Saturday, it was Jeff Bruska and Jimmy Swaggert who won with 31.55 lbs. They must’ve been fishing pretty close to shore ‘cuz I don’t see any whitecaps lol:
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Heard they were using slip-bobbers with jigheads soaking shiners and leeches up shallow (8') – mostly fishing the west side due to awful wind conditions. Guys were eager to get home after the nasty weather, so we didn't put too much heat on 'em to share more!
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Sunday: The sun peeked out like it forgot something, the breeze backed off, and we almost felt our fingers again. Larry Korfeum and Jason Ness were finally able to get out to their honey hole and won ‘er with 32.33 lbs.
Here’s a little Q&A on how they caught ‘em...
How did your prefishing go?
> "We've got some history on this lake. We've been fishing tournaments here for 15 or 16 years and won an MTT tournament a while back....
> "We had one good day [prefishing]...but another was kind of slow. Yesterday [first tournament day], the wind was rough, so we couldn't hit our planned spots and had to scratch together a Plan B. We didn't do that great [day 1]. Today was better – we were pumped when the wind laid down and we were able to get to our spots, and fortunately the fish were still there."
Why did you choose to fish deeper water? Did wind direction impact the fish on that spot??
> "We were fishing memories. Wind didn't really matter for the fish, they were there either way. But we had to be able to get out there safely. We've done well here in the past, and it's a notorious spot with deep structure that holds big fish.
> "For fish holding tight to the bottom, we used a jighead and shiner...for suspended ones, we threw a [Thill] cork and a jig/leech...but most of the fish we caught were suspended 20-25' down in 34-36' of water under balls of bait."
What was the bottom composition like?
> "It's solid [hard-bottom] down to about 20', then kind of muddy and soft [on the deeper flats].
> "A lot of those suspended fish were sliding just off the structure but never really changed the depth they were at, if that makes sense. They'd move 100-150' out but stay within a couple feet of [the adjacent structure] out in open water."
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> "Walleyes on Winnie definitely prefer a blue jighead and a leech...blue and chrome, glow blue, blue and chartreuse.... We used 1/16-or 1/8-oz Northland RZ jigheads – they work great...blue and chartreuse was the ticket for us. We went through a bunch of them, I'm actually down to my last one."
Believe they were talking about the 'parrot' color from Northland.
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> "The wind was so bad yesterday, we had to fish shallow sand on the north end. We caught fish, but nothing really big – all were caught using jigs and shiners."
How they found 'em on day 2 in the deep stuff
> "I've got a new Garmin 8616 setup...it's the best LiveScope and graph out there.... The clarity lets us [estimate] the size of the fish within a couple inches, even in the deeper water. That was huge to make sure we were casting to the right fish.
> "The bite kicked in from 10am to noon.... We had a 2-hr window with a flurry of action and got the right ones. The wind laid down, the sun came out, and they fired up. I think [fishing deeper] surprised a lot of guys, but that's where the fish were. Not tons of fish, but they were the right ones today.
> "I gotta tell you this...we threw a cork out, set the hook, and nothing – line broke. I was like, 'What the heck?' 3-4 mins later, I hook another fish, and my other jighead's in its mouth...what are the odds of that happening? [laughs] We lost so many blue and chartreuse jigheads, I'm down to my last one."
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Lake Herring are exploding on Lake Oahe, SD
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We mentioned last winter back in Jan 2025 that the walleye bite on Lake Oahe was as tough as local guides had ever seen it...not because of a lack of fish, but because of an explosion of lake herring (aka tullibee, cisco, etc).
If you haven’t seen lake herring before, here’s a stack of ‘em that guide Josh Loebs turned into pike bait:
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Those greasy buggers are like a ribeye steak to walleye! Which is great for the fish, but can be tough to compete with for fishermen/women – walleyes don’t need to eat your bait when they’re already chock full o’ protein.
But sometimes they do...
Like this one sent in from TW reader Collin Heupe. He caught the 26.5-incher last weekend while pitching a VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig on Lake Oahe. Said it was about a 10-11” lake herring in its trap, and that he released the fish so it could keep on fattening up:
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Oahe's been kicking out some absolute slob walleyes. Lot of folks say it’s just a matter of time before the 2023 state record walleye of 17-04 gets broken again....
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What walleyes look like at different speeds
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Easy to see why he slowed down!
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How to keep minnows livelier for longer
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My absolute least favorite thing about fishing with minnows (no matter if it's shiners, suckers, redtails or creek chubs) is baby sitting ‘em between fishing trips 😂 such a pain in the butt unless you build yourself a big ol’ bait tank – basically a mini version of what they have in baitshops.
But most of us are keeping our leftover scraps in a simple live-bait cooler such as an Engel, etc. Plugging that bad boy into a wall outlet, changing water every day, and keeping the water cool by rotating frozen water bottles in and out of it.
Here’s another little quickie tip to add to whatever is currently working for you, and no matter what your cooler or tank situation may be...
If you’re a tournament angler, you likely already use G-Juice in your livewell to help keep your fish alive and well before weigh-in:
> “G-Juice liquid activates instantly to add essential electrolytes, replace skin slime coat, and is known to stop fish from bleeding.
> “The livewell formula keeps your fish swimming in the tank in other ways by removing chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia from the water. The formula detoxifies nitrites and heavy metals in the livewell water while helping to maintain pH levels.”
But diehards have been secretly using it to keep their bait fresh and healthy too. A 1/2 oz treats a whole livewell...so obviously only need a little snippet in your bait cooler:
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I didn’t realize until I watched this video that you could just squeeze the bottle and it would fill that little measuring chamber up? I’ve been using the stuff for years and had no idea. 🙃
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1. Top 5 Tips, Tricks and Trends for May! 👀
In case you missed episode 2 of our brand spankin' new video series that deeper dives into the top tips, techniques and trends each month – here she is! Brought to you by our friends at Humminbird/Minn Kota and is jam packed full of SO much info! 👊 But in typical TW fashion, I promise you’ll get a laugh in while learning at the same time.
Here’s what’s on May’s menu:
1. It's bug hatch SZN already?!
2. Plastic-rigging hack
3. Wacky-rig your leeches 🤫
4. High-speed spinning reels
5. Find bottom transitions 10x faster
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2. MT: Took nearly a 10-lb avg on 10 fish...
...to win the Crooked Creek Walleye Tournament on Fort Peck.
3. Angler lets a $5K walleye slip away...doh!
> "A tagged walleye caught in Big Spirit Lake trolling on Sunday, May 18, 2025, by local business owner, Chris Fett! Chris was not registered in the extended contest. Had Chris been registered, he would have received $5,588 in winnings!!
> "Chris will be having Matuska Taxidermy mount the fish for him!"
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4. MN: Lake of the Woods walleye #s up 📈
> According to the MN DNR, the annual fall population assessment on Lake of the Woods tallied an average of 17.5 walleyes per net last Sept, above the historic average of 15.3 walleyes per net.
Btw that link above is a nice Brad Dokken write-up talking about his 2-day trip up to Lake of the Woods/Rainy River for MN’s fishing opener. Funny enough he was taken out by Ballard’s guide Travis DeWitt who is a buddy of mine. We worked together at a bait shop in Alexandria, MN for years – solid dude who can catch ‘em! And did on this day too. 👊
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5. The ‘Midwest Walleye Challenge’ is on
> "The challenge is open to anglers in IA, IL, IN, SD, and NE, offering a unique blend of competition and conservation. SD and NE compete for prizes using the MyCatch app, track fish to help study walleye populations, and check how well the DNR's stocking works...
> "On an annual basis, we stock about 80-100 different water bodies with walleye," the DNR representative said. "But rarely do we have things in place to thoroughly evaluate the success of that stocking program. And from my perspective, that's going to be one of the richest things or most critical things that comes from this Midwest Walleye Challenge."
6. New Thill Sharp Shooter Float is here 🎯
Flies like a dart, literally:
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Haven't personally had the chance to try one yet, but word on the street from folks who have is that these are legit.... Supposed to provide SUPER accurate casts – even when the wind is ripping – and apparently you can actually cast them versus having to do the tedious ‘lob’ to sling them out.
The biggest size supports up to 3/8 oz weight for getting presentations down to fish quickly.
I just saw that Scheels got ‘em in stock, so I’ll definitely be taking one out for a rip here soon and let you know.
7. MI proposes higher fishing license fees
Current all-species fishing license fees are $25, while Governor Whitmer's budget proposes raising them to $40, and the Senate proposal sets them at $35.
8. These hard-bait cases are slick
From FishMore who makes their T3 Pro boxes specific to the baits:
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WAY more info and additional styles/sizes/layouts on FishMore’s site. And their “Favorites Bar” is a cool hybrid idea for leaving some trays open to stack a pile of baits in, but protecting those go-to gems you always want at the ready. 💯
Also just realized they’ve got a jig box that I’m going to have to snipe:
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11. It’s ‘National Safe Boating Week’
Here's 6 tips from the folks at Garmin for a safe + fun season on the water.
12. DC: Trump Admin and Congress act to nix 'de minimis'
> The de minimis threshold allows imported goods [like fishing stuff] valued under $800 to enter the US duty-free and without many of the regulatory requirements imposed on higher-value shipments.
> ASA [the fishing tackle trade assn] is advocating to remove de minimis eligibility for sportfishing products to create a level playing field for manufacturers and importers, and to ensure the collection of funds that support aquatic resource conservation.
> Recently, President Trump signed executive orders to eliminate de minimis, and Congress is currently considering...legislation.
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Expert tips for catching walleyes on WINDY days 💨
Outdoor Canada contributor Mike Hungle’s full write-up explains how to make the most of 6 common windy-day scenarios.
1. Troll the chop
> If there’s one windy situation most anglers know, it’s the so-called walleye chop. This occurs when there’s a moderate wind making the surface of the lake choppy, but not quite so rough that whitecaps form. A walleye chop does two things: it stirs up the water, and it scatters the light passing through the surface, which diminishes underwater visibility. This combination quickly starts a feeding cycle. Small aquatic creatures will prey on plankton and debris moving in the water, minnows will feed on those small aquatic creatures and swarms of ol’ marble eyes will move in to gobble up the minnows.
> Under such moderately windy conditions, your boat will rock a bit, but you should still be able to control your speed and direction. That makes a walleye chop great for pulling spinner rigs or crankbaits over large stretches of the lake to find hungry walleye.
> Prime areas to target include shallow water, underwater structures, shoreline flats and weed beds. Once you find the fish, you can continue trolling back and forth over the productive area, or simply anchor in place and jig vertically.
2. Probe the shallows
> During the summer, shallow water gets too warm for walleye. When a strong wind blows cooler water into the shallows, however, the water temperature will often drop into a range that walleye can tolerate. When that happens, some fish will return to their shallow, early-season haunts, where they can pick off the plentiful minnows and crayfish they left behind when they moved to cooler, more comfortable water.
> In many cases, the bite will light up as soon as the cool water arrives, and last as long as the temperature stays down. This could be quite a short period, or as long as several days, depending on the wind’s strength, direction and duration.
> When looking for a shallow-water bite on windy days, focus on smaller pieces of shallow water, as they will cool down first. Also look for shallow areas adjacent to the steepest ledges and deepest drop-offs, which hold the coldest water in the lake.
3. Drift around structure
> When the wind blows, it creates a current that pushes baitfish towards and past structure. Often, these baitfish get disorientated or injured as they’re pounded into and over top of the structure. Under these conditions, walleye will set up nearby and face into the current, waiting to snap up a quick meal.
> Some walleye will be on the upwind side of the structure, but the majority will be downwind, putting them downstream in the current. Since those downwind fish will be actively searching out food, try drifting over and around the structure, and continue a little downstream of it while dragging jigs, bottom-bouncers or crankbaits. You might need to upsize the weight of your usual jigs and bottom-bouncers to keep them near the bottom and in the strike zone.
> Since the fish will be holding fairly close to the structure, make short passes over it. When you turn around to go back to make another pass, be careful not to motor over the fish and spook them. Instead, make a wide loop around the structure, then float back over the feeding fish.
4. Troll windy shorelines
> I enjoy trolling bottom-bouncers and spinner rigs in the dog days of summer, and when the wind blows at an angle along a shoreline, it creates a great opportunity for this. Not all windswept shorelines will hold fish...concentrate on shorelines that have structure such as dips and humps, or bottoms that transition from mud to gravel. ...seagulls or pelicans feeding...can reveal the location of baitfish.
> While fishing windswept shorelines, my best success comes when I have the wind quartering over the stern of my boat. As long as the breeze is moderate, this lets me keep the boat speed in my preferred range of one to 2.5 mph, using just my bow-mount trolling motor. If the wind becomes too strong, however, you may need a drift sock to maintain a slower speed.
5. Brave the undertow
> After waves break onto a shoreline, gravity causes the water to rush back down into the lake, where it’s pulled into the next breaking wave. This powerful sucking action is known as a reverse current or, more commonly, an undertow. The area of water affected by the undertow is roughly double the height of the waves. For example, 3’ waves will churn up the top 6’ of the water column.
> Walleye will avoid getting caught in the undertow, so there’s no sense fishing right in it. But these opportunistic predators will work the outer edges below the undertow, feeding on creatures banged up by the rough water. ...try trolling crankbaits that run 1-2' below the churning water. You can also try other presentations that will stay close to bottom, such as bottom-bouncers with spinners, or big jigs.
> Last summer, I had guests at my cabin who really wanted to go fishing. The lake was rough, with 4’ rollers, but since my friends only had 1 day to fish, we decided to give it a try.
> Our only choice was a bay close to the launch that was somewhat sheltered, but still had big rollers coming in. So I kept the boat tracking along over 10’, just outside the undertow, while we pulled bottom-bouncers and spinners tipped with leeches. The walleye bite was absolutely insane. We had multiple hook-ups, making it one of my best outings of the year.
6. Work the murk
> When winds become very high or last for extended periods of time, the water can get so dirty that even the walleye can’t see well. When this happens, the fish stop feeding in their usual spots and move to parts of the lake that are less murky.
> ...your best fishing strategy in this situation is to move deeper or to adjacent areas not as affected by the waves. A buddy once told me that when he can’t see the prop on his big motor, there’s no sense fishing for walleye because they won’t see your baits.
> Since then, I’ve used that little trick to find suitable fishing areas when my preferred parts of the lake have gotten too churned up. From a few hours to sometimes a day or two after the wind has stopped, the murky water will gradually clear.
> When this happens, walleye will often move back, since the still slightly stained water will give them more of an advantage over their prey than the clearer water would. Even if the lake is now pancake flat, don’t hesitate to pitch jigs into the shallow water or close to shore and slowly drag them back to your boat.
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“A walleye has probably never seen a nightcrawler a day in its life.”
- LOL! That’s NWT pro Korey Sprengel talking in this video on The Next Bite’s YouTube channel. So why do they catch the snot outta walleyes? Well, like Korey says: “It’s very fluid thru the water and it has scent.”
I’m not sure there’s anyone who pays more attention to fishy details than Korey. It’s one of the reasons why when he talks = I listen word for word. So when he is excited about a new bait – that he personally helped develop for several years – you can bet I’m excited about it too.
That bait is the newer Berkley Gulp! SR Crawler, which was “purpose built for walleye spinner rigs” (SR hint hint). Korey does a great job of explaining why they made it the way it is in this video. Thing is filthy!
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Looks like Target Walleye's sales guy, Chris Philen, got to do a little gear testing while up at the Big Winnie MTT. Awesome photo taken by Joel VandeKrol. 🔥
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If you REALLY want to be the first one at the fishing spot in the morning...never leave LOL. 😤 Columbia River guide James Blair goes hard:
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Might beat the other boats to the spot, but will he beat the sea lions?
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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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