Had a few folks message in saying no pictures were showing up in the last Target Walleye, or that part of it was cut off…. I’ll look into it! In the meantime if you have any issues viewing today’s shenanigans, click the blue text up above ^^^ that says “View this email in your browser.” 🙌 Thx SO much for reading!
If you’re getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up!
|
|
|
Is this the fattest walleye ever?
|
|
Matthew Gelley ( @mgoutdoors) is no stranger to big fish, but look at the ridonkulous girth on this 14-lb Lake Winnipeg, MB greenback he iced a few seasons back: |
|
|
That walleye is my spirit animal…. 🤣
|
|
Matthew stuck that portly feller on a “pink tiger glow” color 2.5″ Acme Hyper Glide. Released to get even more bigger-er: |
|
Huge props, dude!
Side note: Saw a few of those “keyboard warrior” comments under that pic…but we all know that fish would still be an absolute unit even if Matthew was holding it behind his back lol. Which brings me to my next point… 👇
|
|
|
It’s time to call-out keyboard warriors! 🤡
|
|
There’s a lot of negativity floating around on the interwebz – definitely gotta have thick skin if you’re putting yourself out there. 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. 👀
|
|
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 everyone 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….
And now, back to our regularly scheduled program hahaha.
|
|
|
Early-ice basin crappie smashfest (catch + cook).
|
|
Sheesh it feels good to be back out ice fishing! Especially when a whole pile of fish decide to cooperate, which definitely does NOT always happen.
Pre-ice scouting paid off BIG 🎯 as we found crappies right where we left ’em late-fall…stacked around the edges of a deep hole. Hope you dig it!
|
|
Thx so much for watching! Drop a comment under the video and let me know what you wanna see next. Yup, I read every single one! 👊
Btw – there’s a very slim chance that I will be releasing the next few crappies I catch, ‘cuz:
|
|
|
Are big walleyes sterile?
|
|
First off: Sorry I don’t have a direct link for this post. Came across the info on some random FB group and can’t seem find the link anywhere. But really interesting info from a MN DNR fisheries biologist that I felt was worth sharing:
> “Old school thought was the old fish produced less viable eggs and weren’t all that important. Newer research suggests that those eggs are larger and have better survival. They are still helping the population and probably most important to have big eggs when food is scarce or there is a dip in temps after hatching so the fry can live longer off the yolk sac when a smaller yolk sac fish might die. The relative contribution from large fish is low compared to the large numbers of small adults but increasingly important when those environmental variables negatively impact the year class that just hatched.
> “The most overplayed concept is genetics of a large fish. If a fish has the genetics to get large, those genetics exist immediately. The only thing that changes is how many times that fish with the big genes gets to pass them along.
> “Over harvest of large fish is the fastest way to drive down population size structure. Look at bluegill. You can have a lake that has no bluegill over 6″, take a bunch out, put them in a pond with little to no competition, and the fish respond by getting bigger. Our FiN program does just that, then net them and stock the bigger fish for anglers. Bluegill can also get crowded and stunted, but the second they reach a size desirable to an angler, it is removed from the system. Not the same as walleye, but kind of an extreme example to demonstrate my point.”
Now you (we) know….
|
|
|
Things walleye fishermen say…. 😂
|
|
Ice fishing for walleyes can be soooo dang frustrating. Sometimes they cooperate – 🤦♂️ usually they don’t. Why do we do this to ourselves LOL?!
I shot this video last year talking my go-to deadstick setup for when the bite is tough. Was going through the footage when editing the video and caught a zillion clips of me “talking myself through” all the times I was getting turned down by fish on the graph. Figured instead of scrapping it all…I’d keep it real 💯 and include a little “things walleye fishermen say” portion on the front-half of the video. 100% not staged.
If you stay for the back-half of the video, we do finally stick a couple hawgs [!] and I break down my favorite set-line for when those fussy buggers won’t commit to the jigging stick. The same rig works no matter if it’s on a deadstick, tip-up or rattle reel:
|
|
All the gear I used is linked in the video’s description. Here’s a brief rundown of the primary schtuff case you’re too stubborn (lol) to click over there:
#6 or #8 VMC Glow Resin Treble.
Sticky sharp and screams “bite me!” That little drop of epoxy resin infused with glow-in-the-dark coloring stays charged for up to 15 min – adds just enough something to that small shiner or fathead dangling down there.
JB Lures 10″ Lighted Fire Float (small).
Where have these been all my life?! It’s a balsa wood weighted float that has a fiber optic stem and a transparent bulb at the top…powered by a 3v lithium battery (included) that lights up the entire stem and bulb. Also like that you can pop ’em on and off without retying.
That tall 10″ version is super cool – can see your bobber from basically any angle when hole-hopping around your deadstick, or when set inside your wheelhouse.
6-lb Sufix Advance Ice Mono.
Stuff is cheap and works GREAT. Has 50% less stretch than traditional mono, is crazy strong, low memory, and doesn’t freeze up which is important for set-lines or when you’re hole-hopping outside.
2B Fishing “Select Series” Mag Lurchin’.
A 34″ M fast-action carbon blank = a rod action that I was missing in my lineup as I always tend to go overboard with super-stout whoopin’ sticks. But this rod legit says in the description that it’s great for “average walleyes,” which is what I put topside more often than I’d like to admit lol.
Btw those 2B ICE rods are another gem brand under Paul and Gregg Thorne’s Two Brothers Innovations.
|
|
1. Sam “Sobi” Sobieck going live tonight…
…on Clam’s Facebook at 8pm cst. I’ll be heckling from my couch hahaha.
If you don’t know Sobi (great dude!) he’s a fishing maniac who jumped full-time in the fishing YouTube’r world about 3 yrs ago now…been steady killing it ever since. His #1 goal is to grow the sport of fishing, and IMO his ultra-positive attitude does just that.
I finally got to meet his better-er half, Steph, while down at the St. Paul Ice Show the other weekend. It’s super refreshing when good people find good people. Shoot, Steph is soooo sweet she even lets Sobi catch one once in a while lol:
|
|
2. Garmin wins National Boating Industry Safety Award.
> Garmin was awarded the 2021 National Boating Industry Safety Award, presented by the Sea Tow Foundation, for the Gear and Equipment Manufacturer category. This annual award was announced on Decr 8, in cooperation with the Boating Safety Advisory Council, to recognize for-profit marine companies that making a concentrated effort to promote safer and more responsible boating.
> Garmin received top honors in the Gear and Equipment Manufacturer category for its work aligned with National Safe Boating Week 2021. The company was praised for utilizing its social channels to drive heightened awareness for the resources, programming and training opportunities available to boaters by the National Safe Boating Council, U.S. Coast Guard, and Sea Tow. In addition to social amplification, Garmin helped influence safe boating education and promotion through purposeful media outreach, informative blog posts and a special Garmin marine webinar emphasizing ways that boaters can stay prepared and vigilant while on the water.
3. Johnson Outdoors reports record sales and earnings.
For the fiscal year ending Oct 1, 2021.
> Total Company revenue grew 26% to $751.7 mil versus fiscal 2020 revenue of $594.2 mil.
> Fishing revenue increased 23% due to continued demand across all product lines
> Total Company operating profit was $111.3 mil in fiscal 2021, which compared favorably to operating profit of $71.1 mil in the prior fiscal year. Despite higher raw material and freight costs, gross margins only dipped slightly due to volume efficiencies and favorable product mix. Operating expenses increased $28.9 mil versus the prior year due largely to volume-related expenses, but declined as a percentage of sales versus fiscal 2020.
> Net income for the fiscal year improved to $83.4 mil, or $8.21 per diluted share, a 51% improvement versus $55.2 mil, or $5.47 per diluted share, in the last fiscal year.
4. Some tasty new VMC Tungsten Tubby colors.
I use those little Tubsters all the time for panfish, so not sure how I missed these new colors until now…but ordered a bunch this morning. Little look-see:
|
|
5. WY stocked over 6.5 mil fish in 2021.
Most of which were trout, but a quick scan of their fish stocking report tool, and it looks like they did plug-in about 1 mil walleyes in 2021. Majority of those went into Grayrocks Reservoir, Ocean Lake and Keyhole Reservoir.
6. First hardwater episode of “The Bite” dropped last night.
Cool series presented by Clam – they drop a new video the first Tues of each month.
> “Every month, we will be chasing a new bite with various fishing professionals that will break down the bite, show you tips and tricks, and give you a glimpse of their fishing story. Follow along as we take you to THE BITE!”
In the first ice-fishing episode, Tony Mariotti and Matt Breuer hit MN’s Upper Red Lake and get their jigging spoon on:
|
|
> Jason: Shallow is relative…10′ might be shallow on some bodies of water…other fisheries the basin or deepest water available might only be 10′. We often catch walleye in shallow water, but how shallow? A mistake I’ve made over and over in my own life is sometimes not fishing shallow enough.
> …if you see extremely shallow patterns unfold on a fishery during the open water period, you better anticipate some of the same skinny water patterns under the ice.
> The toughest conditions seem to line up with a little bit of clear ice in clear water. These fish seem to be the most sensitive. Catching fish in shallow water during these conditions is often a low light affair and you must make a conscious effort to be quiet. Drill your holes ahead of time and keep your lights limited to head lamps that you can turn on and off. Take your ice cleats off and try not to make a lot of noise, settle down into an area and let the fish come to you. Tip-ups and extra lines set remotely can be important. The bite will often occur in the dark.
> Stained water, cloudy ice and simply more ice however can make these fish much more tolerant of noise and what you can get away with. Not all shallow walleye patterns require stealth mode but universally, a lot of big vehicle traffic seems to shut down every shallow walleye bite we have ever seen. Therefore it is so important to be the angler that finds the fish first. With shallow walleye, you won’t get there in time if you are waiting for reports.
> …these fish are often simply aggressive. You’re not working with much water so when these fish come in and punch a spoon or glide bait 3′ from the end of your rod, the hits feel electric. The fish fight hard and are still full of energy when you bring them topside.
> A challenge when fishing for walleye in such shallow water is simply dumping fish at the bottom of the hole when they hit the ice. Can also be a challenge navigating big fish up a hole when dealing with less than 6″ of ice. These fish can back up and leverage their tails against the bottom of the ice. Almost must just plan to get your hands wet for big fish where you reach down below the ice and simply pin them to the side of the hole or get ahold of the gill plate.
Couple of Jason’s favorite skinny-water baits are the Clam Tikka Mino (top/right) and the Leech Flutter Spoon (bottom/left). Would love to know how many fish he’s caught on these specific ones! #ChewedUp
|
|
> …upsize those treble hooks on your lures. Take about any spoon or glide bait and double the treble hook size. Seems like overkill but that larger hook and wider gap will keep fish pinned up much better when they hit the bottom of the ice. When dealing with a few feet of water, these fish will often hit the bottom of the ice basically when you set the hook. This isn’t a situation necessarily for finesse unless you are using live minnows below tip-ups and are simply letting the fish swallow the minnow.
Full write-up here.
|
|
|
Got any fishing buddies that like to “round up?” Lol:
|
|
Out of the 3,587 different scales I’ve tried over the years, my two absolute favorites are the Rapala Touch Screen and High Contrast digital scales. Or maybe a bump-board for you Canadian master anglers…. |
|
Btw here’s how John Hoyer fishes ’em when the walleyes are angry:
> Does a 2′ rip – adds a decent amount of slack in the line after each pump – then follows it down on a tight line. That slack is key ‘cuz it really lets the bait ‘walk’ and get outside the cone angle.
|
|
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.)
|
|
|
Friends of Target Walleye
|
|
Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
