We’re coming into John Hoyer’s favorite time of year for walleye fishing...when the water warms to the point that “a fish’s metabolism and their need to eat overshadows a generally picky nature.”

That’s when he likes to bust out a 1/2-oz (or heavier) Berkley Fusion19 Swimbait Jighead paired with a 4.6” (or sometimes 3.8”) Berkley PowerBait The Champ Swimmer:

> As you can see the HD printing on these paddletails [bunch of other colors not shown, too] are as close to the real thing as possible. I’ve tried almost every paddletail known to man, and these colors just straight-up get bit exponentially more often.

He keeps his lunchbox nice and full.

> The 1/2-oz (5/0) jighead is a lot more than ‘the book of walleye fishing’ would say you need in 6′ to 12′ cabbage.... When you’re pumping the bait hard through the weeds...snap it up 4-6′ and let it fall as fast as it can...creating a fleeing-perch scenario and triggering the hardest walleye strikes you will ever feel.

> If you haven’t watched The Next Bite episode with Gary Parsons and I from a few years ago...check it out and I guarantee you will be successful using this technique anywhere walleyes swim.

That episode is definitely worth a watch if you’ve got the time to kill:

In case you’re curious – like I was – in how these compare to Berkley Ripple Shads.... John said The Champ Swimmer has a bigger thump and presence which he likes this time of year. And that he tends to use Ripple Shads earlier in the season in colder water.

For you visual learners, here’s a closer look at the jigging cadence he uses to snatch walleyes out of the veggies:

My arms are already sore just thinking about snapping but for sure worth it!

- Hilarious post from walleye pro Tom Huynh – who must be running the same color scheme on his new Vexus as Tim Juba – and who now both will be getting harassed by tourney folks who fish the bent-rod pattern.

I swear I’m not making any of this up. There’s multiple newsy articles out there (like this one) sayin’ drug addiction in fish was/is/can be real.

From here:

> “..after being used by humans, methamphetamine enters waterways through sewage systems and discharges from wastewater treatment plants....

> “Meth pollutes rivers all over the world, with concentrations of the drug ranging from a few nanograms to dozens of micrograms per liter of water....”

Soooo apparently “researchers placed 60 trout in a drug-free holding tank and another 60 in a tank laced with 1 microgram of meth per liter of water.”

> “The researchers had the latter group of fish soak in the meth-tainted water for 2 months – a step meant to simulate the effects of persistent drug exposure that might occur in a polluted river. The researchers then transferred the drugged fish into a clean tank for 10 days….

> “To test for withdrawal symptoms, the team devised an experiment where fish could choose between swimming in clean water or water with trace amounts of meth...the tank is designed such that the 2 streams of water don’t mix but the fish can still swim between them. When previously exposed fish showed a preference for the meth-tainted water in the experiment, that was taken as a sign of addiction to the drug....

> “The team ran select fish through this experiment on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th days after they’d been moved to the drug-free tank...they also ran drug-free fish through the same experiment.... They found that, in the first 4 days after the tank swap, the meth-exposed fish showed a stronger preference for drugged water, compared with the fish that had not been exposed to meth. This difference waned the more time the exposed fish spent in the drug-free tank.

> “The researchers also noted that, in general, the meth-exposed fish became somewhat sedentary in these first 4 days of withdrawal, while the drug-free fish swam about as usual. This lack of movement hinted that the fish were stressed out due to their meth withdrawal....”

Wow. Not even sure what to say.

Something you might hear when someone catches a skinny one...but here’s a completely different reason from @predatorguide_nl on Insta:

Yikes! That thing is more snake-y than an actual snake:

Speaking of weird pike shenanigans...

Big ones are sometimes called “water wolves.” Maybe a little inspiration for this pike pelt mount??? First I’d ever seen one like it. Came across the pic on @sloanjay’s Insta who said “not my style, but unique.” Spotted in northern WI of course.

Most of ’em play on the work-friendly boat builder tool...but Joel Nelson likes to make sure the rod lockers are big enough to double as a babysitter. #daddydaycare

Note: No children were harmed in the buying of this boat. LOL

1. IIIIT’S TIME! *Bruce Buffer voice*

For Episode 74 of our “Top 5” video series presented by Sea Foam. Hope you dig it!

2. WI: Groeschel/Pietrowski win Merc National Walleye Tournament.

Ken Groeschel and Doug Pietrowski’s 2-day total (10 fish) of 29-09 took home the top spot (out of 270 teams!) at the 46th annual derby on Lake Winnebago.

Hope they drove separately because 1st place was a Lund 1875 Impact XS equipped with a Mercury 150hp Pro XS outboard, a 9.9hp ProKicker and $5,000 cash. Congrats!

3. MN: Roth/Pierce win Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic.

Young guns Darren Roth (21) and Kamin Pierce (20) took home the ‘dubya’ on Lake Bemidji with 31.80 lbs = $15K payday! Big props, fellas!!!

It was a catch-photo-release tournament that used a length-to-weight conversion. Looks like their 3 longest walleyes were a 26”, 25.75" and a 25.5" (not sure what the other 2 in their bag went). Get this:

> After not catching a single fish last year, duo Darren Roth and Kamin Pierce were crowned 1st-place champions on Saturday in the annual Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic fishing tournament.

> The pair also happened to be the youngest of the nearly 100 two-person teams competing in one of the largest catch-photo-release walleye tournaments in the area. They were awarded with $15,000, champion jackets and plaques.

Amazing.

4. A new “Tour Level Gold” episode just dropped.

Amazing video series [!!!] that gives an incredible behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows professional anglers deal with on the National Walleye Tour.

This episode kicks off the Mississippi River NWT event out of Red Wing:

5. WI: BRP laying off 298 people in Sturtevant.

Remember BRP used to make Evinrude outboards and shut down that biz just before the Covid boat-sales boom:

> The Sturtevant facility is the global headquarters for the company’s marine products.

> In 2020, BRP discontinued production of Evinrude outdoor engines, laying off nearly 400 people. The company had purchased the Evinrude brand – founded in 1907 in Milwaukee – in 2001, and moved into the Sturtevant factory that same year.

6. ND: Devils Lake Chamber Walleye Tourney coming June 21.

48th annual. Ton of prizes and a whoooole pile o’ walleyes to be had.

7. ON: Sudbury students release thousands of walleye...

...into Ramsey Lake.

8. MN: Year-round bass fishing is on the table.

> “...the DNR’s bass technical team believe there’s enough data to show that [year-round] season wouldn’t hurt the bass population and would provide more opportunities for anglers.”

Yes please!

9. Merc intros 8 and 9.9hp EFI FourStrokes.

Including a 9.9hp EFI ProKicker = faster, easier starting and better fuel economy.

> Thanks to EFI [electronic fuel injection] technology and other enhancements, these engines deliver up to 27% better fuel economy than earlier carbureted models in the same horsepower range.

> ...there is no oil filter to change. ...maintenance-free camshaft requires no regular service and no valve lash adjustments for the life of the engine. ...also come with a quick-connect fresh-water flush attachment that connects to a regular garden hose.

> EFI technology takes the hassle out of starting in all weather conditions. While both the 8 and 9.9hp EFI models are offered with a choice of manual or electric start, the manual-start models do not require a cranking battery....

> The ProKicker’s high-thrust, 4-blade propeller provides superior control, allowing anglers to dial in precise trolling speeds. ...comes with Mercury’s heavy-duty Command Thrust gearcase for greater durability, as well as standard power tilt. “You just push the button and it effortlessly raises the motor when you’re ready to run on your standard main power.”

10. Trout Unlimited is using AI.

Thru a recent partnership with TroutSpotter:

> “TroutSpotter is the first platform to identify individual trout from their spotting and body shape patterns – all from one simple photo. This technology is a revolutionary approach to fisheries science and management where fishers can become actively involved in the work of protecting our fisheries while on the water. And scientists will have access to large amounts of data that no matter how many days in the field they couldn’t capture completely.”

11. This dude might convince me to try eating bullhead.

Here's your shot to win a $350 spread of walleye crankbaits from Bill Lewis! Including the Mark Romanack-designed Precise Walleye Crank which get down into the strike zone quicker with a steeper diving angle.

Takes just 10 seconds to enter by clicking the pic below and you can share the link you get for bonus entries. Good luck!

How to set planer boards with mono vs braid.

From this Jaydyn Thomas nugget on Virtual Angling. There's a video at that link as well if you'd rather watch and learn.

> When it comes to set-up, some anglers prefer to spool their trolling rods with monofilament line where the planer board attaches to the line via a system of clips. Mono is preferred by anglers who fish in clear water, where a long, invisible, clear leader is required. Ultra-clear lakes such as Green Bay and Lake Erie are also home to giant walleye, and the monofilament helps keep fish hooked up during those big head shakes with treble-hooked lures.

> Believe it or not, the type of line you choose impacts the lure’s action as well and sometimes walleye like the action provided by one or the other line varieties on a given day.

> For anglers targeting average-sized walleye in lakes with a bit of stain or color, braided lines are a strategic choice. Their sensitivity helps to ensure your lures are running correctly. As a bonus, braid helps get baits down deeper than they would when tied to mono.

> One minor inconvenience with braid is that clipping the planer board on where you want it can be a challenge as the clip will often slide the board down the line. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. In this video, avid angler Jaydn Thomas shares a handy tip to keep boards in place on braid, ensuring your presentation is always running at the right depth.

> When running planer boards on braid, simply wrap the line around the lead clip once before fastening and then fasten the second clip as normal. This extra step will hold the clip in position and prevent it from sliding down the line as it’s pulled through the water but still ensures that it’s easy to remove when it’s time to land a fish.

> When letting your planer boards out, Thomas explains that it is also important to “walk” the board out to its desired distance with some tension on the spool. This can be done by either engaging the clicker (if your reel has one) or by putting pressure on the spool with your thumb as you let the line out. The tension makes the board bite down on the water’s surface to force the presentation out away from the boat.

It’s getting to be the time of year when it’s pretty easy to spot a fish-head in the crowd.... Another gem from @mysterytacklebox on Insta:

Those Croc dots are wild, tho!

I love this snap from Danny Thompson – that feeling when you know it’s about to go down on Garmin LiveScope.

Definitely understandable considering the size of the fish he's been getting on the other end of those bites! #NedRigEater

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026