Ice camping gone wrong (50+ mph winds) 🌪️
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Well, that escalated quickly.... What started off as a fun ice fishing trip (spanking some quality walleyes and sleeping on the ice!) ended up with my ice-camping setup getting demolished by the wind. 🫡
The good news:
I ended up sticking probably my heaviest hardwater walleye ever (not counting Lake Winnipeg fish since they’re basically their own species lol). This 28-incher wasn’t the longest fish ever, but holy smokes was she ever built right!
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I was turned down dozens of times with jigging spoons in every different color/size/profile I tried. The fussy buggers would even swim right up to my deadstick (with a minnow on a plain hook) just to give ‘er a sniff and then swim off in the other direction. Figured why not try a rattlebait for the heck of it, just to switch things up, and instantly got bit! 😳
She scarfed up my "Helsinki shad" color #5 Rapala Rippin’ Rap with a VMC Bladed Hybrid Treble on the belly. Fished on a Tuned Up Custom Rods Vulcan and Okuma Ceymar HD (CHD-2500HA) spooled with 10-lb Sufix Advance Mono mainline with a 10-lb fluoro leader:
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The bad news:
This was right before all HE-double-hockey-sticks broke out. The wind did a complete 180°, gusts kicked up to tornado-caliber speeds, and wreaked some serious havoc. Ended up snapping all 8 of my tie-downs I had anchored in the ice, picked my shack up like a kite and sent me and all my stuff flying 30’+ before my feet touched back down on the ground. By the time I looked up, some of my stuff (sleeping bag, cot mattress, etc) had already blown to the next state over. 🤦♂️
Gear can be replaced...I was just thankful to get off that dang frozen sheet of water, mostly in one piece. It was a complete whiteout so luckily I had laid a 7-ish-mile track down in the onX Fish app that I was able to follow back.
‘Twas quite the adventure! I did the best I could to document it minus the GoPro footage that went down the hole lol. Woof! Anywho, I hope you enjoy the full video of the shenanigans.
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Gonna have to do a little gear inventory this evening and maybe get back out after 'em tomorrow....
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Stumbled across this video on Alex Timm’s YT channel from The North Metro Ice Show’s portable ice fishing shack competition earlier this season that included some wild DIY transformations.
Thought you might get a kick out of some of these mods – bunch of good excuses to hide in the garage and tinker around with your own setups:
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Speaking of wild modifications...
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Ever seen a truck-cab fish house before?!
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Key still looks like it's in the ignition...so I wonder if they have a battery in there so they can still use the interior lighting, radio, windows, etc...?!
There was a comment from Robert B. under the original post that said:
> “A diesel heater mounted to the firewall! Could probably use the stock vents....”
And then Jon Peter replied to this comment, who looks like the person who actually owns this rig, and apparently he’s already done the diesel heater upgrade since the pics were taken. 😅
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I got the snooping thru Jon’s FB page and found a few more pics of the rig in action. Thing has a dash-mounted Humminbird HELIX, leather seats, a flip-down DVD plate, the whole shebang!
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Absolutely wild, and I love it! 🔥
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What a fish! Congrats dude!!
2. OH: New state-record white crappie caught
Teresa Croy caught the 3.91-lber (18.5") from a private pond at the Glandorf Rod and Gun Club on Nov 2. Using her trusty Zebco spin-cast setup to plop a bobber and worm by a log.
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3. IA getting an electric walleye barrier ⚡️
> At Rathbun Lake in southern IA, engineers and scientists are working to design a one-of-a-kind electric barrier to deter fish from escaping downstream of the reservoir....
> “We lose a significant amount of the walleye population. They go downstream of the dam and once they go downstream, you can't get them back.”
> After years of research and formal studies, the team found the most effective solution – in functionality and cost – to be an intermittent underwater electric current.
> “It's similar to using an electric fence in the terrestrial environment. The fish, when they are subject to an electric current underwater, depending on the strength and the type of electric current, they'll have different responses. But if you get it just right, they will be deterred and won’t move through the electric field that is created....”
> An underwater electric fish barrier has only been done once in the history of USACE but never in a reservoir. So, the team of engineering and scientific specialists began designing the innovative project. Facing many ‘firsts’ during the conceptual design phase, one thing was certain from the very beginning: it had to be a solution that would not disrupt the operations and safety of the dam and outlet structures, and most importantly, the safety of staff and recreators at the lake.
4. Tom Huynh's signed tourney jersey is up for auction
From his NWT Championship winning season, with the proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 🙌
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11. MN: McGregor Lions Club senior fish house is ready
> The McGregor area senior fish house is open for ice anglers age 62 and older and persons with disabilities to use. The McGregor Lions put the fish house out on Browns Lake this year....
The house is heated, the holes are drilled, and there is no charge (reservations are required). Super cool idea to help folks get back on the ice!
12. Anyone tried the Bill Lewis Hammer Trap thru the ice?
> The Hammer-Trap is the newest offering from Bill Lewis in the lipless category, which they put on the map over 50 yrs ago. The Hammer-Trap’s name is derived from the incredible hammering action. This action, which will literally rock your rod tip, also activates the Tri-Tone sound chambers. In turn, this emits 3 distinct tonal frequencies as well as the next-level vibration. When stopped on the retrieve the Hammer-Trap will fall with a fluttering action. ...comes equipped with Mustad Triple Grip hooks.
Comes in some glorious looking colors:
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13. St. Croix looking for independent sales rep
For their ‘southwest territory’ of AZ, CA, HI and NV.
14. Lindy going lead-free by 2027
> ...Lindy Fishing Tackle has become the first company to sign the Loons and Lakes Legacy Pledge, vowing to make its entire product line lead-free and loon friendly within 3 yrs.
> ...launched a new lead-free jig designed by Minnesota Fishing Hall of Famer Jeff Zernov.
> Jeff Zernov: "I've been making lead-free lures and jigs for 20 yrs, mainly using tungsten. It works really well, but tungsten is tremendously more expensive."
> After spending the last year experimenting with new mixes of metals, Zernov says he found a combination to strike the right balance.
> Using a proprietary blend of bismuth and other metals, B-Max [Bismuth Maximum Performance] is comparable in size to lead but harder, which allows for greater sensitivity and stronger returns on live sonar...at a fraction of the cost of tungsten.
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> Most kids first experience with fishing is trying to catch a panfish. The memory of that first catch with dad, grandpa, mom or grandma will remain forever if the adventure is made to be fun. The act of fishing for panfish may be the most simple form of fishing possible for they are plentiful and willing to bite.
> A day on the water from a boat or on dock or from the shore can form a positive experience of the outdoors and appreciation of nature that will remain for years to come.
> The Panfish Party introduces panfish to the youth as having as much fun as being at a party.
20. KY: New company will process Asian Carp to make...
> ...food, clothing, and dog treats, exporting those goods to 12 countries.
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Yup, this is real life! 💯 We’ve teamed-up with Tuned Up Custom Rods to giveaway their Target Walleye Signature Edition Commander!
I absolutely love the sensitivity and power of the Commander when fishing medium rattlebaits, glide baits, and bigger spoons for walleyes!
The Gold REC Recoil Ice Guides are a super classy + sharp touch. The 7” Carbon-Fiber Handle doesn’t get dirty like cork, has a flat bottom for mounting/keeping reels straight, is light, sensitive and looks awesome. Black main wraps with a gold trim – TUCR nailed it!
Takes just 10 sec to enter here or by clicking the pic below. 👊 Good luck!
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Identifying winter structure for slab crappies 🎯
The Crappie Chronicles crew does an in-depth rundown of exactly how they break down lakes in their new “Expose the Ice” video series. Lots of great nuggets and map examples in this vid to help you track ‘em down on your own local waters:
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“That was close to being a complete swing and a miss!”
- That’s Rainydaze Guide Service talking about a walleye they landed despite being baaaarely skin hooked on that Clam Blade Jig. Maybe a little proof that 1) you can set the hook too hard ‘cuz that baby would have popped, and 2) the importance of having your drag set just right so hooks don’t tear:
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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.)
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FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
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Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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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
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