Fish cleaning tricks, Ice fishing in June, Summer wingdam tip

Came across a new-ish YouTube video from Justin Jenken waaaay up derr in Nunavut (a massive, sparsely populated territory of northern CAN) and as of a couple weeks ago they still had areas with 7 FEET of ice! And no Justin’s not fishing for walrus, polar bears, killer whales or seals…he’s catching behemoth lake trout.

Not sure I’ve ever seen a bigger laker come thru a hole in the ice than this 43.5″ behemoth he fought for an hour before she filled up the 10″ hole.

Ice fishing sounded like a nice escape from all the 90°F temps we’ve been having…until I saw what Justin had to go thru just to drill 1 hole lol. Literally has 2 auger bits doubled-up and still has to cap it off with a big-boy extension. I love ice fishing, but yuck:

Did anyone else notice that he’s using a StrikeMaster Lithium 40v to get thru all that hard stuff? Who would have ever thought we’d get to a point where ELECTRIC ice augers can handle massive workloads like that. Amazing really.

Props on the grind, man!! No doubt earned that fish a lifetime.

NWT pro Korey Sprengel talks how/when walleyes migrate to a wingdam, and where they position on ’em in this quick video from The Next Bite. It’s incredible how much knowledge he can drop in 60 secs:

Lots of walleye guys prefer “bass-style crankbaits” – like Berkley Diggers and Dredgers – when fishing wingdams because they do a better job of getting down quickly and can be easier to cast.

Seems like there’s also something special about their wobble…. Asked Sprengel about it and he just smiled:

Few more tips you won’t find on the Food Network!

First one starts with making the right cut while you’re still on the water:

1. Bleed ’em out.

Bleeding fish is nothing new, but it’s something many still aren’t exactly sure how to do. Here’s Joel Nelson breaking down the process step-by-step. Check the color difference between the two fillets!

2. “Zippering” fillets.

Removing the bloodline, mud vein, lateral line…whatever you wanna call it…is easier than you’d think, and can take out the fishiest tasting part of the meat:

Now how ’bout a couple of tasty cuts you might be missing…

3. Walleyes have wings?

Do up some “walleye wings” at your next fish fry to really turn some heads:

4. Don’t forget the cheek chunks!

Pan-fried “walleye cheeks” sorta remind me of scallops. I know a few fish-heads that refuse to share these with guests lol. The chunks will dang near pop out on their own if you know where to poke your knife:

…and absolutely THROTTLED ’em! But are you surprised? Lol. He and his dad were throwing a 1-2 punch of #6 Rapala Rippin’ Raps and a 1/4-oz Kalin’s Pendu Jig paired with a Kalin’s Jerk Minnow Jr. Lots of doubles and fish up to 30″ = incredible:

At this point I don’t think the Rippin’ Rap needs an introduction. No secret that it’s one of the best ways to catch a truly HUGE walleye…big 3-5′ rips and letting it crash back down to bottom. And Rap’s “custom colors” are freakin’ tasty:

The other bait the Boleys were slinging is one you maybe haven’t seen yet – called the Kalin’s Pendu Jig and has a “free-swinging hook that acts like a pendulum, you can fish your favorite live bait or plastics and give them an incredible tail-whipping action…also makes them stand up on the bottom. Each jighead features a hammered finish for extra flash and a wire bait keeper.” Really interesting:

Comes in 4 different sizes (1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 oz) and 12 colors.

Pretty common to hear folks talking about northern- vs FL-strain largemouth bass, but guess it’s also a thing in the walleye world according to this interesting write-up in the Northern Kentucky Tribune. They don’t look a whole lot different, but those river fish sure are built:

> “In 1995 KDFWR fishery personnel discovered a surviving population of the original native walleye strain in the Rockcastle River, a 54.8-mile whitewater tributary to the Cumberland River. Brood fish taken from the Rockcastle River were used to start a program to restore the native walleye throughout its former range in KY. Stocking began in 2002.

> “Today, the target production for native walleye at the Minor Clark Fish Hatchery is 90K fingerlings (2.5′ fish). They are stocked in June into 4 rivers and 2 lakes.”

More interesting info in the full write-up here.

1. College angler struck by lightning at Lay Lake.

First off I’m glad everyone was okay. Apparently it happened while they were running on plane at 55-60 mph 😳 and his buddy had to take control of the boat:

> “I was just kind of stunned you know. It was something that you’d never expect just driving down the lake. Honestly, it felt like somebody shot me with a taser. My body just kind of froze up. For an hour afterwards I was just kind of shaking.”

Even crazier is it wasn’t the first time this dude has been lit up ⚡️ on the water. Terrifying.

2. Heads up! 🚨

Make sure to charge the batteries on all of your ice electronics throughout the off season – monthly if possible – to get the most out of ’em. Same goes for your electric ice augers. Yup, I forgot too!

3. MN: H2H PWS is coming to Mississippi River Pool 2.

Happening live July 12-16. Little insight from Daryl Christensen:

> As of this writing, Pool 2 is flirting with record low water levels for late June…. Low water on any river means the system will fish “smaller” as walleyes will move from the shallow, receding backwater “lakes” into the deeper, main channel and current areas. It actually makes finding fish a lot easier and fishing more consistent as long as these conditions remain stable. That said, big storms dropping lots of rain could completely blow up the bite and leave the whole field scrambling to relocate their fish.

Here’s the current AOY standings. There’s 2 qualifying events left and the top half (16) of the field will make the championship on Lake Chautauqua, NY this Oct.

4. Ross Robertson somehow talked Al Lindner into…

…jumping on his Bigwater Fishing Podcast. Edgy, insightful, awesome:

5. 2021 NPAA annual conference happenin’ Oct 20-22.

At the Kalahari Resort and Conference Center in Sandusky, Ohio. That’s the National Professional Anglers Association. Great chance to network with pros who’ve had success on and off the water, and learn about the business side of the sport.

6. SD: Bush’s Landing on Lake Oahe back open.

The access “had been closed so a local contractor could complete an access road and extend the low-water boat ramp due to water levels.” Now 350 truckloads of material and $535,100 later, it’s back in business.

7. Why Sprengel runs “double bubbles”…

…instead of a full windshield. There’s a reason(s) behind every little thing that Korey Sprengel does which ultimately leads to him catching more and bigger fish. Always enjoy hearing his point of view ‘cuz it usually includes one or thrice of those “why didn’t I think of that” kinda things:

8. MN: Hot weather contributing to fish die-offs.

> “Spring and summer fish die-offs happen occasionally, but we are getting widespread reports of dead fish following the recent prolonged stretch of hot weather….”

> The DNR asks the public to report fish die-offs. People should call the state duty officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 if they encounter a large group of dead fish in a lake or a stream (the state duty officer is available 24 hrs per day, 7 days a week). Calling in a report provides a single point of contact for the incident. An early report also allows timely water sampling or other response actions, if needed. It’s especially helpful to know what fish types and sizes people see in a fish die-off.

9. MN: Green Lake Walleye Classic happenin’ Aug 22.

10. Diggin’ this shot…

…of some fresh PK Wobblers and Dakota Discs being done-up. #WalleyeArtsAndCrafts

11. Water is now a tradable commodity in CA. 🙄

Madness:

> Water joined gold, oil and other commodities traded on Wall Street, highlighting worries that the life-sustaining natural resource may become scarce across more of the world.

> Farmers, hedge funds and municipalities alike are now able to hedge against – or bet on – future water availability in CA, the biggest US agriculture market and world’s 5th-largest economy.

12. Soft-plastic clams are a real thing?

The day I find a clam in a walleye’s stomach, I’m hitting up @yuniquebaits lol:

I have no idea what a “shell cracker” is, but I’m assuming these would catch ’em.

13. OR hatcheries back open for visitors.

14. DC: Senate hearing says outdoor tourism/rec important.

> 17 states have established ORECs, task forces, or advisory councils that serve as the state lead in bolstering economic development on behalf of the outdoor recreation economy.

How Ross Robertson keeps spinner rigs from tangling.

Another slick trick for less tangles on the water. This time it’s one that’ll help manage those big ol’ inline weights and long spinner-rig leaders:

All those late nights and early mornings sure can catch up on a guy/gal:

**chugs coffee**

Anyone else getting antsy 🙋‍♂️ for the CAN border to open back up? If you’re somehow not yet, maybe this pic from Konner Macwilliam will help get the blood flowing…. Dude stuck himself a 32.5″ [!] Lake Winnipeg #greenback drifting with a jig and minnow. Amazing fish!

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH