Get a wide load of this oddly plump Lake Erie butterball that John Hoyer whacked during the National Team Championship out of Lorain:

Measured just 22” yet still weighed a paunchy 5.5 lbs!

I can relate to that lol:

He said it swallowed an orange/chartreuse Nerf football with treble hook lol. Okay, he actually caught it on a glide bait.

Season 2, Episode of Tour Level Gold just dropped this morning. I am NOT going to stop talking about this amazing video series – it’s that good. What I would consider must-watch stuff if you’re a fan of walleye fishing. It gives a behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows professional anglers deal with on the National Walleye Tour.

This episode called “New Blood & Familiar Faces” kicks off the Lake Erie NWT event out of Port Clinton, OH. Btw you might recognize a homely, flannel-wearing dude in it.... I'm incredibly grateful to be a small part of the magic!

Tour Level Gold is doing special things in the walleye world! Walleye fishing needed this. Can't wait for episode 2!

High-speed graphing is a technique that’s been around some time on the Great Lakes, but just isn’t talked about a whole lot. Yup, there’s also times you can do this same thing on “normal” lakes as well....

Ross Robertson is one of those dudes who’s willing to tell you exactly how he does it = cruising around and dropping waypoints on fish at up to 30 mph [!!!] before going back and connecting the dots. Now THAT is how you break down the BIG water in short order. Get it dialed in and the results can be pretty dang good:

I came across this great Wired2Fish video with Al Lindner talking about the #1 selling hardbait in the world today: The Rapala Shad Rap.

It came out back in 1982 – folks were CRUSHING fish on it and buying ‘em up to the point Rapala couldn't deliver enough of 'em. Get this: Independent retailers were literally renting out Rapala Shad Raps with a $25 deposit – and folks were lined up!

Which totally reminds me of this hilarious throwback Rapala commercial with dude’s fighting over the bait LOL:

Never gets old!

Anywho, here’s the new vid with Al talking the history of the Shad Rap, and also how he puts it to work on the water:

Here’s episode 73 in case you missed it on our YouTube channel over the weekend.

1. OH: Rohloff/Busse = NTC champs! (AGAIN)

Scott Rohloff and Lance Busse won the National Team Championship on Lake Erie with a 2-day total (10 fish) of 80 lbs 14 oz!

I believe there were 286 teams fishing, which is wild! Full results here.

Same fellas won the National Team Championship on Green Bay last year! #BackTo#Back

And if either of you two happen to be reading this, I would love to find out some details on how you caught ‘em – can’t (ever) seem to find any specific nuggets anywhere.

2. NY: Alleged poachers caught hiding fish in traffic cones.

3. Lund offering discounts for LEOs, first responders.

4. NY: This 1859 lure just sold at auction for $44K!

New record for the Haskell Minnow:

5. MN: Starry stonewort confirmed in Middle Cullen Lake.

Crow Wing County.

6. NY: Milfoil being studied and controlled at 2 places.

Goose Bay in Jefferson County and Norwood Lake in St Lawrence County.

7. MN: State-record shovelnose sturgeon caught.

In the new catch-and-release category based on length:

> Tyler Young [left] of Lakeville caught and released a 34.25” shovelnose sturgeon March 8 on the Mississippi River. Young’s new record stood for only a few days before being broken after Elliott Feldman [right] of Sturgeon Bay, WI caught and released a 35” shovelnose sturgeon March 12 on the Minnesota River.

8. Vista Outdoor posts strong Q4 financials.

9. The sugar industry is a threat to public waters?

How Brad Hawthorne uses today's sonar technology...

...to breakdown water and establish a pattern:

Another gem from @karlsbaitandtackle on Insta. #lurkers

Not sure what Chris Rosella said to make this Allegheny River walleye blush, but he better tone it down.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026