Some cool ice gear mods 🥶
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Because no doubt ice-heads like the “tinkering” as much as we like the actual activity of ice fishing hahaha!
These first ones are coming from an In-Fisherman write-up with Ross Robertson talking 4 ice gear mods he runs that might work for you, or maybe they’ll just get your brain's wheels turning for something else you can tweak.
One of those being as simple as “getting some stainless-steel hardware so that you can bungee down buckets or other cases. These inexpensive little brackets can be bolted, screwed or riveted in very tight areas and allow you a much better way to secure your gear.”
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> Ross: “I use them with a combination of wire and carabiner to secure large items like my Lakewood Greenback rod and lure storage case. This makes it very easy to use while fishing but also remove it for travel or in the off season.”
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I used some similar hardware (eye-bolts) on the outside of my Clam flip-over’s sled after seeing my buddy Christian Hoffman’s setup. They let me lay gear (hub house, auger, etc) on top of the flip-over and then run a ratchet strap or those rope tie-down dealios across the top to keep things pinned. So slick!
But that’s not all those eye-bolt dealios can be used for...
If you’ve ever struggled to tow your ice sled by hand, then Jason Mitchell has a great (and simple!) modification for you in this Virtual Angling post:
> J-Mitch: “If you’re pulling your Fish Trap out by hand and putting a lot of miles on it, there’s a simple modification you can use to make things easier. When you buy a Fish Trap, there’s holes in the sled and a simple black rope knotted through them. If you’re not going to tow it far, this works fine.
> “Try this instead – put 2 eye bolts through the holes and attach carabiner clips on the ends of your rope to hook into the eye bolts. Switch out the original rope with one that’s a lot longer – maybe 20’ long. If you have to pull your sled out using your own horsepower, this longer rope with the clip system will make it way easier to tow.”
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I’ve been adding super long ropes to my hand-toted portables for about 15-ish years now (it’s crazy how much easier they pull – helps tremendously!) but it drives me nuts that I never once thought to rig ‘em up like this with the carabiner clips LOL. Would be super convenient to be able to pop them on/off as needed, like if you were going to be running a tow hitch instead.
Speaking of towing gear....
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How ’bout that ride in? 😂
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Looks like someone drew the short straw on this hardwater trip....
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Lol! That pic posted by Lonnie Hollett is the definition of this meme:
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Random thought of the day 🤔💭
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I love deer hunting, but am far from a diehard – I just don’t do it all that often because: FALL FISHING. I definitely miss sitting in the stand and soaking it all in. It sure gives a guy/gal a lot of time to think about everything, nothing, and whatever’s in-between.
The last time I was able to have a sit, it had me thinking that if anything walked by (whether it was a doe, buck, swamp donkey, heck...even freakin’ Bambi herself) I was gonna light it up. Haven’t personally shot a deer in nearly 10 years and it’s tough to beat having venison in the meal plan.
Well...maybe not Bambi. 😅
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Got me thinking about how often I preach catch and release, or selective harvest, when it comes to keeping fish.... Realized that maybe some people just don’t have the same opportunities as you and I as far as fishing goes...maybe they’ve got that same craving for a fish dinner as us rookie deer hunters do for venison?
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All I’m saying is maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to jump on someone for keeping a legal fish.... The comments section on any social media platform can be a downright brutal place, and you don’t know their story just like they don’t know yours.
Okay, okay...I’m done spewing random thoughts all over the keyboard. And remember:
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And speaking of those nasty comments on social media...
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It’s time to call-out keyboard warriors! 🤡
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There’s a lot of negativity floating around on the interwebz – definitely gotta have thick skin if you’re putting yourself out there.
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But really, I’ll never understand why soooo many folks are just straight-up angry all the time...especially over such unimportant matters.
Just remember...the majority of negative comments on social media are all coming from the same breed of people commonly known as “keyboard warriors.” #WatchYourOwnBobber
After doing a bit of research, I found out that the actual scientific name for “keyboard warriors” = North American Internet Fisherman. And here we have the privilege of observing one in its natural habitat. 👀
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Lol! Little background info on these mysterious creature:
> Closely related to the Sofa Bison, the North American Internet Fisherman is more commonly known for its useless banter and uniformed jargon.
> They are easily aggravated by most success stories, big fish and female anglers.
> Lacking nearly all basic fishing skills, the North American Internet Fisherman depends heavily on the shield of its computer screen to protect itself.
> If you come into contact with one, be sure to back away slowly while hitting the block button.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
“Trolling” on social media doesn’t have to be malicious...it can be tactful and fun for all involved. Otherwise just do everyone a favor and keep on scrolling. Just my “if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all” preach-fest of the day....
Phew! Now, where were we??? Hahaha!
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For your viewing pleasure 🍿
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I just posted a new "Top 5" video (episode 91) on our YouTube channel. Big thx to our friends at Sea Foam and Scheels for making this video series possible! We're having a ton of fun with 'em and hope you are too!! Here she be:
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2. SK stocked 6.4 mil fish in 2025
And 93% of those (5.85 mil) were walleye fry. 😎 #priorities
> "Walleye is the most popular game fish species within Saskatchewan," he said. "Generally, when people are coming to Saskatchewan from out of province, that's the fish that they're after, as well as anglers here. It certainly is the most popular fish that people are generally targeting."
3. MN: St. Paul Ice Show, Dec 5-7
Something a lot of folks call “the Super Bowl of ice shows” takes place each year at the St. Paul RiverCentre, where you can “shop more than 190 exhibits with products and services dedicated to the die-hard ice fishing and winter sports enthusiast.”
Multiple floors and sections – this is just one of ‘em!
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Raffles, silent auctions, live music by Schmitty, beer, food by Tom Reid's...and a whole bunch of fish-heads mingling about to support a GREAT cause! Tickets just went on sale – $100 a pop and limited to only 200 peeps. 👊 I’ll be there, and hope to see you there too!
Little heads up for those of you that can't make it in person:
They'll be auctioning off a bunch of guide trips on eBay too (believe the bids are going to be open Dec 1-6) with all proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I donated an 8-hour open-water walleye trip for 2 in the Brainerd Lakes Area. I’ll keep you posted when those auctions are live.
5. John Hoyer’s signed tourney jersey is up for auction
Just 24 hours left to get a bid in...with the proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 🙌
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6. Outdoor America going big-time with country stars 👀
> Field & Stream, the outdoor lifestyle brand whose owners include...Morgan Wallen and Eric Church, is wading into the streaming TV era.
> Field & Stream and media company Outdoor America inked a strategic partnership under which Outdoor America's free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel will be rebranded as Field & Stream TV in late Jan 2026.
> The 2 companies also plan to distribute programming on broadcast TV, available to 90 mil households weekly through broadcast syndication, with additional details to be announced.
Wow, awesome to hear! The Target Walleye Top 5 vids (and all the BassBlaster stuff) are on there fyi.
7. Midwest: Deep-basin slabs are on 🔥 across the north.
This is that sneaky window when crappies slide deep and group tight. Once you find one school, you’ll think you found ‘em all. Get on ‘em before ice in and then you’ll know exactly where to drill your first hole.
8. Apparel company stocks fish w/ every purchase
The brand is called "STOCK" and for every item purchased, they “fund the stocking of 3 walleye or trout into your local waters. It’s [their] way of giving back to the sport that has given us so much joy.”
How cool is that? Great idea! Here's a few of their awesome designs, but they’re constantly adding more:
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I had the chance to meet them and chat a bit earlier this summer – great guys! I also HAD to snag their "Scopin' Not Hopin Walleye Hat" 😂 love it LOL. Keep doing your thing fellas 🙌 and thank you for making the future of our fisheries part of the game plan.
9. Did you know that Norsk Lithium...
...did a complete re-design of their portable battery lineup a little over a year ago?
> ...from improvements to the features, internal components, and overall safety of our products
10. I freakin LOVE this sticker 🔥
Created by artist and outdoorsman Casey Underwood:
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11. UT has $1.5 mil of ramp and other projects in '26
They have 10 new boating access improvement projects planned for 2026. Multiple locations on Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Strawberry Reservoir, plus Wide Hollow Reservoir and Utah Lake State Park.
12. IA DNR spraying Clear Lake for milfoil
Using aquatic herbicide, Sonar A.S. to eliminate Eurasian watermilfoil.
> Sonar A.S. has successfully eradicated Eurasian watermilfoil from other lakes in Iowa by preventing the plant from producing a pigment needed for photosynthesis, starving the plant over several weeks. The herbicide has no restrictions for swimming, fishing, irrigation, or drinking water at the planned dose.
13. DNR wants public input on Lake Winnibigoshish
14. Sea Foam: Best boat storage tips
Several nice videos at the link ^ above talking boat winterization. Covers everything from stabilizing fuel, engine storage, lower unit lube, prop, batteries, drying out your boat and more.
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"Until some people catch that 30-inch walleye, life just feels...incomplete."
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Lake Oahe (Missouri River) in SD loves to hand out new PBs this time of year 🤲 to those that are willing to bundle up and chase 'em. Like this massive 33.75-incher that hit the scales at 14 lbs 6.56 oz out of South Whitlock Resort – what a specimen! And crazy enough they get even bigger over yonder, which is hard to comprehend:
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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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