Lindy rigging BIG minnows for fall walleye šÆ
|
|
|
Thereās lots of different ways to catch āem this time of year...but itās tough to beat live-bait rigging with big creek chubs or redtails! š So weāre going to keep talking about it.
We shot this vid just a couple days ago (in central MN) that runs thru my fall chubbinā program ā š hope you enjoy it and maybe learn something:
|
|
|
Per usual, all of the gear I used (specific sizes, weights, you name it) is linked in the videoās description. Thank you for taking the time to watch!
|
|
Secret tail-hooking trick for rigging fall walleye š¤«
|
|
|
Thereās a TON of technique variations when it comes to rigging big minnows ā you can make it as simple or difficult as you want.
One of the tweaks is tail-hooking your chubs to get more action out of āem, which seems to work especially well on calmer, sunshiny days...when squatting on top of a pod of fish or pitching the rig up into āem...or really any time youāre getting turned down by multiple marks on the graph and need to switch things up for a different look.
The tail-hooking trick has been around as long as folks have been soaking big minnows, but a lot of diehard tourney nuts are hesitant to talk about it.... Seems like the perfect reason to āoutā it to the rest of us fish-heads. š
|
|
Giant frog-eaters caught! šø
|
|
|
Weāve talked about fall frog-eaters several times over the years, and each time I do, I usually receive some cool emails from folks and their froggy adventures....
One of those was from Jadyn Thomas talking about a āfull moon benderā he went on ā sacrificing sleep in the name of big walleyes!
> Jadyn: ...my buddy Tony and I traveled into MN to fish some water that was new to us: the Minnesota River. No prior knowledge, no picture proof, no crazy reports, just a rumor of big fish is enough for us to try anything.
> ...we got to the access after dark, but stumbled into insane luck as the fall frog migration was in full swing. Thousands of frogs making their way into the river to hibernate for the winter, with hundreds of them littering the pavement of the river access. After 10 minutes of picking, and now a bait box full of walleye candy, we began down the moonlit river.
|
|
|
> After some searching and graph time, we narrowed our search down to a few key shallow flats. Flats topping out at 2-3ā connecting the main shoreline to the 6ā river channel. Long hours with no action, maybe a catfish or snag on occasion, was the majority of our time. But we were rewarded for fishing hard while staying awake/focused early in the morning on the first night.
> Pitching an 1/8-oz jig with an oversized hook and a live frog, paired with a slowwwww drag sealed the deal. At 2am I got the first *THUNK* with heavy weight, followed by the 2nd *THUNK* that confirms sheās got it. A hard hook set, a quick shallow-water dog fight, resulted in an angry 28.25ā 9.3-lb walleye covering the deck.
|
|
|
> A river beast like that alone makes a night, but 2 fish proves a pattern. It was proven at 2:30am when I got another one of the ārightā bites. Even though I knew right away after the hook set she was the right species, I was still shocked when she broke the muddy surface head first. We both absolutely lost it after she fully sprawled out in the net. A true river giant, and proof that monsters do indeed come out at night.
She went 29.75ā long x 17ā girth and weighed a stout 11.1 lbs!
|
|
|
Love the grind! šŖ And Iām super pumped that you were rewarded for your efforts.
Oh, and...
|
|
Al Lindnerās biggest secret leaked.... š¤
|
|
|
No one does it like Al Lindner! And now we finally know why.... Hope you get a chuckle out of this throwback video š it made my day!
|
|
You know you've made it when...
|
|
|
...kiddos are literally dressing up as YOU for Halloween! Some awesome, diehard Tour Level Gold fans up north of the border. šØš¦ Love it, fellas!
|
|
|
2. MN: Looks like the Upper Red Lake walleye limit...
...is going to be the same as it was last winter, which would be a 4-fish daily possession limit with only 1 walleye longer than 17ā allowed.
3. MN: Did you know the DNR has a Technology Workgroup?
> ...a group that studies the impact of modern fishing technology, like forward-facing sonar, on fish populations and sustainable fisheries management. It includes citizens, fisheries officials, DNR Enforcement, and industry experts who are assessing the effectiveness of new technologies and considering potential regulations, which will involve a long public-input process if changes are recommended. A key goal has been to create a formal communication plan to keep the public informed.
They met in Brainerd last week ā little insight on that meeting in this Jeff Sundin write-up:
> The Minnesota DNRās Technology Workgroup has a big job on its hands, identifying the good, bad and indistinguishable impacts of modern technology on Minnesota fish populations. At some point, the group will offer guidance about what, if anything, can or should be done regarding the ever-expanding availability of fishing technologies. The workgroup, made up of citizens, fisheries officials, DNR Enforcement and a variety of āindustry expertsā has been hammering out details about āthe planā for nearly 2 years now.
4. Fenwick launches new ice lineup š„¶š³ļø
From their Eagle to World Class series the whole Fenwick Ice series got a full redesign ā built for top-end sensitivity, balance, and feel no matter what youāre chasing through the ice. MSRP varies by model. Check 'em out here.
|
|
|
11. Ugly Stik has new ice rods and combos
> At the core of the GX2 Ice series is the signature Ugly Stik blank, ensuring maximum sensitivity and the legendary toughness anglers have trusted for generations.
> Each rod features Ugly Tuff one-piece stainless-steel guides with a proprietary PVD coating that reduces line fray ā eliminating insert pop-outs even in frigid, rugged conditions.
> The GX2 Ice combo pairs this durable rod with a size 20 spinning reel featuring a ported aluminum spool, creating a lightweight, balanced setup ready to perform on the ice.
|
|
|
> Ergonomic EVA handles and an upgraded reel seat deliver comfort and control during long days on the frozen lake, backed by Ugly Stikās industry-leading 10-year rod warranty.
MSRPs are rods $36.95 and combos $46.95. Should be available now.
> For those seeking ultimate sensitivity and refinement, the new Ugly Stik Carbon Ice series takes performance to another level with 100% 24-ton graphite construction and a solid graphite tip for crisp action and dependable strength.
|
|
|
Carbons are $59.95 and $79.95.
|
|
|
Why do so many anglers quit fishing?
Interesting read from Sam Hudson on Wired2Fish. Also some of the statistics they cited caught me off guard because it feels like thereās more boats on the water than ever around here?
|
|
|
Trolling crankbaits for shallow fall walleyes
There's still plenty of fish to be caught if youāre willing to bundle up and get out! š„¶ The shallow, fall walleye trolling bite is an absolute blast! A lot of times they'll eat shallow crankbaits all day this time of year, but you'll probably have the entire lake to yourselves once the sun sets....
Hereās an on-the-water video breakdown of the what/where/when/why if youāre diehard enough to be getting after it again these next few weeks:
|
|
|
āWhoās says you canāt walleye and perch fish at the same time. Might need to upsize to some bigger Rapalas....ā
- Thatās Bigwater Fishingās Ross Robertson talking about this Lake Erie walleye coughing up quite the hors dāoeuvre ā wonder if he added it to the skillet?
|
|
|
Check out the stature of this 30.5ā greenback walleye that Glen Hiebert caught yesterday on the Red River in Manitoba. Wow! š Congrats on the new PB, man!
|
|
|
This pic on Humminbirdās FB just screams fall. But judging by buddy Hays' expression, he was probably out trolling crankbaits all night and is now ready to go take a little napskie lol:
|
|
|
Thank you for reading! āļø Back atcha in a couple....
|
|
|
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.)
|
|
|
FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
|
|
|
Target Walleye ā walleye during open water and all species during hardwater ā is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
