The duo of Wayne Wilcox and Zeik Gordon absolutely dominated a 2-day walleye tournament on Tiber Reservoir, MT (aka Lake Elwell) with 10 fish for 143.15 lbs. Yup, that’s a 14.31-lb average on 10 fish.

To be fair, this derby used a length-to-weight conversion (since it’s a live release tournament, which is awesome) but honestly the length of the fish they registered over 2 days is almost even crazier to me:

If you’re having a tough time reading that...

Day 1 they weighed: 31.00", 31.50", 32.50", 32.75" and a 33.50"

Day 2 they weighed: 31.50", 32.25", 33.50", 34.00" and a 34.25"

Which is a ridiculous 32.675" average on 10 fish over 2 days. BIG congrats, fellas!

There’s zero pics of the fish anywhere so far, but I did find one short video in the comments section showing a thick 32.75-incher they sent back. Can see in this screenshot that those fish aren’t just long, they’re well-fed and built too:

It’s always tough to track down actual fish pics – let alone winning details – from the Wild West. Heard those cowboys and cowgirls are still trying to learn how to dial-up their internets, kick start an interwebz browser and shift into the Facebook's 1st gear (lol).

BUT I’m pretty sure the real reason is probably more like:

For real though...MT’s Fort Peck Reservoir, Tiber, Canyon Ferry, etc might all just be the most underrated walleye fisheries out there when it comes to pure #s of big fish.

Anything out west-ish still flies under the radar, but there’s a reason they’ve been at the top of my walleye-fishing bucket list for nearly a decade now lol. That’s a road trip I need to make happen:

Our friend Dan Spengler is kicking it off with this unicorn/basset hound hybrid that swatted a Berkley Stunna 100 being worked above its schnoz:

We shared Dan’s post on the Target Walleye FB page, and there’s already been 150+ submissions of walleyes that were lacking aesthetic appeal! So far it could essentially be split into 4 categories or divisions...

The ‘merps and derps’ showed out:

Although 'humpbacks' had a strong presence:

Of course there was a bunch of ‘bonus protein’ going on:

And anything goes in the ‘other’ category.... No eyes, no teeth, no appetite, no self control, you name it lol:

But then we’ve got this homely sucker posted by R.j. Kots that’s on a whole nother level of woof. Tho Kyle Peterson assured me it’s got a good personality hahaha!

It's insanely scary to think that someone was HOLDING THIS ROD at the time:

That pic is from Dalton Ray’s FB post where he said:

> “As many of you know, my girlfriend [Marissa Maddox] and I were fishing a tournament Wednesday and she was struck by lightning...it instantly knocked us both to the deck of the boat. She could not feel her lower half and her clothes were torn down her side and melted to her leg. She was rushed to the hospital and she suffered some pretty severe burns down her leg. After 3 days in the hospital and tons of tests and scans she is doing very well now.”

Terrifying experience but so glad it (somehow) wasn’t worse.

Dalton also said:

> “Just wanted to let anyone know that it’s not worth it whether you’re just out on the boat hanging out or fishing a tournament no matter how much money is on the line if the weather is getting bad go back to shore. Things could’ve turned out completely different. Thanking the lord he was watching over both of us. She’s ready to get back out on the water and get in some more tournaments.

> “...I’d like to have a nice custom rod built for her with pink lightning bolts on it.”

Would love to see that when it’s done, whoever ends up building ‘er.

I came across this great Z-Man Blog post called “Not Another Forward-Facing Sonar Story” that’s picking the brain of walleye pro Dylan Nussbaum. Gonna drop a few excerpts below, but the full Q&A is for sure worth a read.

> Dylan: “We watch videos and read so much about fishing with sonar these days, but I think there’s a lack of content really explaining how and why we do what we do when we’re up front, crouched over a screen, flicking baits and setting hooks. Sure, I use FFS to catch big fish and win tournament money, but the truth is, it’s also an awesome learning experience and honestly, one of the most exciting and rewarding ways to catch ‘em.”

Z-Man: Seems like the power of FFS has shined through at recent walleye tournaments. Most eye-raising are the big water tournaments, like on Lake Erie, where trolling methods that cover large swaths of water are gradually being supplanted by casting a single lure to a single fish spotted on sonar. Why are anglers adapting?

Dylan: Beyond the fun factor, of course, it all boils down to the fact FFS helps us pinpoint and cast to individual big fish, one-on-one with a favorite lure, as opposed to towing lures around the general vicinity of a school, hoping one will eventually eat. In tournaments, we’re looking to put five big fish in the boat each day, rather than seeking limits of smaller eater sized fish.

So, even in inland seas like Erie, we’re able to use electronics to find general fish-holding zones – often well off-structure – and then zero in on larger, individual walleyes. We saw it at the last two national tournaments on Lake Erie, where many of the top ten placing anglers opted to go ‘scoping rather than trolling. Even amid infinite volumes of potential fish-holding water, a single angler wielding FFS and the right skills can sometimes catch more big fish than the trollers, who cover ten times more water, faster.

Z-Man: Tell us about the baits you’re casting with FFS fishing.

Dylan: Right now, it seems like everyone’s throwing a jig and Scented Jerk ShadZ, which has become the default FFS lure, especially early and late in the season. The 4” Jerk ShadZ delivers the perfect bait-sized profile. I’ve thrown it at every tournament this year. The ElaZtech material is so soft and it’s buoyant, too...moves differently than any other fluke-minnow bait I’ve used. Get it nice and straight on a jighead and watch the bait as you reel in. If it’s rigged right, you’ll get this killer crankbait-like action, a subtle wobble and shimmy that can’t be duplicated because of its superplastic material.

I think the buoyancy is a huge advantage for suspended fish because it keeps the bait up and almost hovering in place. You benefit from a slowed-down drop, so it’s not falling past fish too fast. Underwater, the bait’s buoyancy also keeps it perfectly aligned at that ideal horizontal angle on a jighead. Also, I can use a heavier jig for casting distance, but still benefit from a slower, more seductive rate of fall.

On bottom, the Jerk ShadZ’ tail stands up, remains visible and looks alive. In all cases, I love the Jerk ShadZ in tournaments, because this optimal bait (and hook) angle basically guarantees I’ll sting 95-percent of the fish and right in the roof of the mouth. You almost never lose a fish on this set up, either. Feel that thump and you got ‘em.

Z-Man: What about the durability of the ElaZtech material. Why is this important?

Dylan: The fact I can fish with one bait all day and never have to worry about the tail getting ripped off by a short biter or nipped in half by nuisance fish...that is huge. I’m never fishing and wondering if my bait looks right or if it’s been destroyed, so every cast is pure confidence. Add a single drop of Loctite Gel Control before threading the bait on the jig and you’ll essentially create a bulletproof lure that lasts all day long

Z-Man: Any guidelines on your preferred bait colors for FFS fishing?

Dylan: In clear water, I’m throwing natural baitfish patterns like Bad Shad, Disco Cisco or Perfect Perch. If the water’s stained to dirty, I do especially well with Pro Yellow Perch or plain old Pearl.

[Btw here's those colors in order from top-to-bottom]

Z-Man: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned by using FFS?

Dylan: Well, it’s entirely changed the way I think about walleye behavior. The craziest thing is witnessing just how much the fish are moving. On the Great Lakes, they’re swimming non-stop, often traveling faster than you can run even with the trolling motor set at 10. On Kinzua Lake, near my home, I’ve discovered that even if you don’t see fish on a favorite point where you’ve been catching them, a quick move down along the break or over to the next point can put you back on ‘em. Walleyes on structure often set up travel routes, so they’ll often visit the same certain points every day, but not always at the same time.

Z-Man: Any shortcuts to help anglers find their lure on screen?

Dylan: Start with short pitches. Make sure your transducer is perfectly aligned with the nose of the trolling motor. Once you can consistently hit a target and see your lure every cast – say with short 10' pitches –increase to 20' and then 30' casts. It’s all about retraining your mind and muscles to cast at virtual moving targets rather than a physical tree branch sticking out of the water.

Z-Man: How do you stay on individual fish when they’re moving?

Dylan: Boat control is everything with my style of power fishing, especially as it gets windy and rough, producing challenges like bows in your line. You need a powerful, super responsive trolling motor. I use a Minn Kota Ultrex with 115-lbs of thrust. Then it’s all a matter of your ability to hit small targets, like a walleye 54' out, 18' down.

One of the biggest mistakes I see anglers make is engaging the bail on their reel too fast, which sweeps the lure back toward the boat and away from your target. Instead, leave the bail open and watch the line (most anglers use bright fluorescent braid for a mainline), letting it freefall straight down. Do this and you’ll start seeing your lure show up on screen.

Z-Man: Walk us through a typical fishing scenario and the lure moves you use to trigger bites.

Dylan: Usually, I prefer to target the singles, which are usually bigger lone wolf walleyes, often hunting pelagic prey. That’s another key thing I’ve learned...that the biggest walleyes suspend 5’ to 10’ off bottom way more than they pin themselves tight to the sand.

Again, the first and most critical element is hitting targets, making sure your bait shows up on screen. If I miss, I’ll immediately crank back in and fire another cast. If I hit the bullseye, I let the bait – nearly always a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ on a 3/8-oz jighead – drop 10-15’ or 20’ down, right at the fish level. Stop. Give the bait a few twitches and if you don’t notice a change in the fish’s body language, rapidly reel back and cast again. Keep approaching the fish from different angles with different casts. (Don’t retrieve the lure into the fish’s face, rather keep it moving away.) Try to make ‘em chase. Or, even if I just make the fish turn its head, I’m confident I’ll eventually catch her.

Z-Man: Any other tricks to induce a positive response or a bite?

Dylan: Vary the cadence of your rod twitches, making the Jerk ShadZ pop from 6” to 12”. If you get fish following back to the boat without biting, I’ll take ‘em right to the bottom. Say you’re in 30’ of water, with fish suspended 10’ off. Drop the jig straight to the bottom, then start working the bait extra slow, perhaps just inching along the substrate. Usually, though, when you rocket straight down, the fish won’t even let the Jerk ShadZ touch down before crushing it on the freefall.

Lots of great info – thx fellas!

- That’s a comment under this FB post from Jim Mendelson with a boat-carpet incident I’ve never seen before or even would’ve thought could be possible:

> Jim Mendelson: “Went fishing early this morning and found these obvious burns and absolutely no idea how that had happened between yesterday morning and this morning. Spent all morning fishing and looking at them trying to figure out how. When I got back, I hung my reading glasses up where I always keep them between trips....”

So basically like taking a magnifying glass to ants type of situation and the burn lines were caused as the sun moved across the sky and changed angles. Who'd a thunk!

1. MN: Father/daughter duo wins KC Walleye Classic

Love it!

2. WI: Gregor/Boeck win Merc National derby

3. WI: Great vid from AIM’s National Championship...

...when they were fishing the St. Louis River Estuary, which runs along the western edge of Lake Superior on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thank you to Larry Smith Outdoors for the vid!

4. Lake Erie walleye are migrating east

5. OH still trying to get walleye as the official state fish

6. MI: Walleye rearing ponds boost fisheries 

> “Rearing ponds outproduce all of Michigan’s hatchery production by far, and it’s possible that they even produce a better product.”

7. ND: Devils Lake walleye transitioning to main-lake structure 

8. TX: Yup, there's walleye stocked in Texas!

9. NM: This biggie was caught in New Mexico!

> “Billy Jack Miller caught a walleye on his first cast using a 4” green speckled curly-tailed grub below Elephant Butte Lake and Caballo Lake....”

10. Just found out today is ‘National Go Fishing Day’

So I hope you’re reading this from the water!

11. MN:Teberg/Elfering win Lake Osakis tourney

12. Outdoor America had record Q1 growth

Some impressive numbers from one of OA's flagship programs, Lindner’s Angling Edge:

> Lindner’s Angling Edge, a legacy program known for its expert storytelling and educational value, averaged 147,934 households per airing – a key metric measuring the number of unique TV homes tuning in for each broadcast. Throughout 13 episodes in Q1, the show reached a cumulative total of 1,923,144 households, reflecting the total unduplicated audience engagement across the quarter.

13. Yamamoto unveils 3.25" Slinko

14. MN: Another TowBoatUS port opened

Out of Rocky Point on the west side of Lake of the Woods. They opened their first port in Baudette just 2 years ago.

15. Yamaha appoints Larry Price Manufacturing Manager

16. New 15" Garmin ultrawide unit

GPSMAP 1523xsv, display size of 13.6" x 5.1", which is 14.5" diagonal.

17. Johnny Morris is donating 40K+ rods/reels to kids

> To kick off this highly anticipated annual [Gone Fishing] event, Johnny and Bass Pro Shops are donating more than 40,000 rods and reels to not-for-profit partners that help kids everywhere connect to the great outdoors.

18. MN: MRAA helps delay lead key ban

> In 2023, MN legislators passed a ban on consumer products with certain levels of lead and cadmium, including jewelry, toys, cosmetics, kitchenware and art supplies. The law also included keys, and with the ban set to take effect on July 1, 2025, many businesses were in a difficult position since workable alternatives are not available or commercially viable at this time.

> Keys are traditionally made of brass but include small amounts of lead for strength, and the recreational boating industry needed additional time to find workable alternatives.

19. Marine tech companies launch Great Circle Group

20. NMMA supports bipartisan boating trust fund bill

> ...supports critical conservation programs and recreational boating infrastructure projects in all 50 states.

> The user-pay Trust Fund directs excise tax revenue from fishing equipment, motorboat fuel and other boating-related sources into a range of national and state-level programs. The approximately $700 million annual fund helps finance critical efforts such as fishery restoration, boating access and infrastructure, fish stocking and aquatic education that benefit millions of anglers and boaters.

Ever heard of ‘Sago Pondweed’ before?

Jason Mitchell says you should be fishing it right now for walleyes:

> If you fish walleyes, particularly in places like Devils Lake, Bitter Lake, Waubay Lake or any of the prairie dish bowl lakes, walleyes can be found in weeds. Not all weeds are equal however! 

> A top weed to look for is Sago Pondweed. This tall weed has long stringy leaves and often has berries or clusters at the ends of the leaves. Sago pondweed is easy to recognize and we included some underwater video and illustrations to help you identify this important weed.

> Top presentations for fishing these weeds right now include shallow-running crankbaits and jigs with soft plastics. Top cranks include Northland Rumble Shiners, Berkley Hit Sticks and Rapala Countdowns. Favorite jig and plastic is the Northland MVP Jig paired with a 4” Eye Candy Paddle Shad.

I had to do a double take but this is NOT a Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba “greenback”...it’s actually a zander caught over in Germany by a fella named Christoph – nearly 5,000 miles away!

Check out this MEGA Down Imaging screenshot of the “Christ of the Abyss” statue off of the coast of Italy! Incredible. Couple quick screen grabs from this cool reel on Humminbird’s Instagram:

Thanks SO much for reading! Back atcha on Friday....

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026