Great insight/perspective from Target Walleye friend Joel VandeKrol:

> I snagged my first LiveScope back in November 2018. 7 years later, I'm really confident in what I'm seeing on that screen. Am I a forward-facing sonar (FFS) guru? Nah, I'd never claim that title. But as an early adopter, I've logged more hours staring at a screen than I care to count. Still, after taking THU (Tom Huynh University), I'm hitting the water with a whole new level of screen clarity and personal understanding.

> Here's the deal: THU isn't just for rookies. Whether you have a hundred or ten thousand hours on the water, this course will open your eyes. It's hands-down the most educational FFS platform I've ever come across.

> YouTube's cool, learning from your fishing buddies is great, but there's only one Tom Huynh. And let me tell you, "Huynh-ing" on the water is something he's really good at. 

Why THU stands out

> I’m a screen-time junkie, always chasing fish and their underwater highways. I love finding fish, studying fish behavior and really trying to understand why they are where they are. But THU took that obsession to another level.

> There's so much I'd like to share – it's not my place to spill the secret sauce, but here's a taste of what I learned:

On-screen adjustments 

> One module had me tweaking my display in a way that seems so obvious now, but I'd never thought of it. I was fishing with a couple buddies recently, and we pulled up on a shallow flat loaded with weeds. Big fish were in there, but not all of them were walleyes. 

> I put THU's screen tweaks to work for the first time, and boom – it was like flipping on a light in murky water. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was seeing. It was one of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments where THU takes something tricky and makes it stupid simple.

Reading fish behavior

> Tom doesn't just show you how to see fish – he teaches you how to understand them. I learned how to better read their reactions to my bait – how they move, follow, or ignore it. 

> Since I've completed the course, I've run across plenty of the right ones. Those big marks didn’t bite, but how they moved told me everything: right fish, wrong time. Mark the waypoint and come back later, as Tom says.

Practical, anytime access

> Got 15 minutes between meetings? Fire up a THU module. Need a refresher in the off-season? Log in and review. See something weird on the water? Pull up Tom's recordings on your phone. It's like having a pro in your pocket, minus the $600-$800 price tag of a day on the water with a guide.

Not just for newbies

> I bet plenty of guys see THU ads and think, "Psh, I'm good." I was one of 'em. Big mistake. Sure, us FFS junkies love learning, but self-teaching only gets you so far. That's where THU comes in. It's for anyone who wants to squeeze every ounce of potential out of their electronics. 

> Like the saying goes: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't get it." Tom gets it, and THU makes sure you do too.

Real talk

> I won't lie and say THU doubled my catch rate or I've caught multiple PB's since I completed the course, (though I've heard stories of folks that have). But it gave me 100% confidence in what I'm seeing underwater – like when to move and when to stay put, especially in the dense weeds and shallow structure (3'-8') I love to fish. For a guy like me, that's huge.

> THU showed me I was holding myself back with bad habits I'd picked up on my own. It's like thinking you're a solid cook because you've grilled burgers forever, then a chef shows you how to season the meat right. Tom's course is that chef. 

> The price – couple hundred bucks – is peanuts compared to wasting the thousands you’ve shelled out on electronics by not knowing how to use 'em right.

If you're ready to jump into Tom Huynh University and get your learn on 🧠 use the discount code: TargetWalleye for a great deal and be sure to thank Tom for the hookup.

A couple weeks back, Target Crappie's Brett Jolley came all the way up from TX (!) to visit, so obviously we had to try and get him on a few toothy critters in the meantime. 😎

It doesn’t normally happen this fast...but I scooped him up from the dock and about 30 minutes in he nabbed a big walleye while fishing in 12-14' of clear water on a zebra mussel infested lake. But there might just be a lesson to be learned in the way this fish was fooled into eating....

We spotted a solid mark on a small hump, suspended mid-column. These fish get spooky when you're close, so we had to make long casts from about 60-70' out. The walleye was chasing a 3/16-oz VMC RedLine Series Tungsten Ned Head Jig and crawler, following it up as he reeled. It was about 25-30' from the boat, still climbing, but hadn't bit yet.

I told Jolley to ease the bait down with a controlled fall – not just dropping it, but fading it slowly – keeping it right in the fish's face, like you might on the way up, but down.

We were moving with the wind, so time was tight – 1 cast, and you're out of real estate fast. The fish was closing in, maybe 15' off, nose-down at a 45-degree angle on the bait, not the usual nose-up feeding posture. Jolley worked the bait down perfectly, and at about 15', the walleye smashed it. No way it would've bit if we kept pulling it up – 5 more ft, and we'd have spooked it, practically running it over with the trolling motor.

Trying to turn the boat would've waved the trolling motor like a flag in its face, so we held steady. That controlled fall was clutch because it got the fish looking down instead of up at our boat’s silhouette sloshing around. Without it, that fish for sure would’ve peeled off and been gone. Seen it too many times.

But instead, the Texan caught himself a new personal-best walleye to the tune of 26.75”! 👊

What's wild is how fast that TX bassin' boy picked it up. Walleye fishing up here mirrors how they ping minnows for bass down south – keeping the bait above suspended fish, working it up and down. When I said, "It's too close, work it down," he got it instantly and nailed the technique.

We got him a few more (big) hooksets a little later in the day, too:

Now I’ll have to see if I can convince him to come up and visit MN when we’re forced to catch our fish thru an 8” hole in the ice...but I’m not gonna hold my breath. 😅🥶🧊🕳️

In no particular order…

1. TJ Erickson: Mastering Livescope #3 - Boat Control & Casting 

> The #1 way to improve your LiveScope game is by learning how to control the boat. This video shows exactly how to control your boat, stay locked on fish, and make better casts.

2. Nick Lindner: Fall Walleye Bootcamp (1 of 3) – Locations & Hotspots 

> Nick Lindner takes you through step 1 of 3 of the Fall Walleye Bootcamp. This short, to-the-point video series is designed to help you put more walleye in the boat this fall. Step one is all about location!

(I'm quite sure someone else posts these ^ and writes the captions, but it's super fun to imagine Nick talking in 3rd person lol.)

3. Tom Boley: #1 Technique for Catching a Ton of Fall Walleyes! 

> Today we head out to a large flowage lake in search of some early fall walleyes. Fall walleye fishing on flowages is some of my favorite. In this video we are pitching jigs to walleyes on shallow brushy humps. This is my #1 fall walleye fishing technique for catching a ton of fish. 

Caught by Bassmaster Jeff ‘Gussy’ Gustafson, who said:

> “Check out this walleye I caught yesterday in Whitefish Bay on a [Northland Tackle] Smeltinator/Jerk ShadZ combo...about as yellow as they get...it beat the smallmouths to my bait that were sitting on a deeper boulder.”

Gussy said he was "just swimming the bait about 5’ above the fish and they’ll race up and hit it." 💥 Here’s a closer look at the bait – his line matches the fish perfectly.

It’s that awkward time of year when fishing and hunting seasons mix, but that hasn’t stopped Steve Jackson from tackling both at the same time:

That appears to be catch and release – I’m guessing Kyle Quine probably had a more difficult time sending this one back:

Yikes! Brings a whole new meaning to “catchin’ deers” 😅 bet even Rut Daniels would be impressed:

Oh, and in case you’re wondering exactly where Steve’s secret fishing spot is at on East Lynn Lake, WV...it’s gotta be somewhere near this throwback Humminbird Down Imaging screenshot LOL:

1. MN: It was a packed house...

...at last the 2025 MN Fishing Hall of Fame induction earlier this week! From industry legends in the crowd to the newest Hall of Famers getting their well-deserved plaque on stage. Huge congrats (and thank you!) to the inductees for everything you’ve poured into this sport we love.

2. Team USA is competing for a World Championship

> From Max Wilson: Today is the final day of practice before we finally kick things off tomorrow. It's been a long grueling road to get here and it's been a grind breaking this body of water down, but the team is ready for anything. This has been an experience of many lifetimes. 

> There are so many people that have been integral in getting us here. None bigger than our friends with Finval U.S. Danylo Napadaylo, Антон Шедов, Boris Mayflish and Marc Wilson all stepped up in an incredible way and got us an amazing boat to use for our competition. 

> One of our biggest drawbacks in the overseas competition is not having consistent equipment to compete with, so leveling the playing field has been key for allowing us to compete in these competitions.

> We are so grateful to have such amazing people working their butts off behind the scenes to make this team as successful as possible. EVERYONE'S support means more to us than anyone could possibly know. Time to put the finishing touches on our practice and it's time to get this battle started!

FYI this is artificial baits only and it's a multi-species event that runs Oct 2-4 on Lake Vortsjarv in Estonia:

> Lake Võrtsjärv is the 2nd largest lake in Estonia (66,700 acres)...has an average depth of about [9'] and has around 35 species of fish. 

> [It's] is well known locally for zander populations. The targeted fish will include zander, pike, and perch. 

> Zander in Lake Võrtsjärv can reach about 40" long and weigh 22-33 lbs, but the typical ones you'd pull are more like 18-30" and 4-11 lbs.

> During the 3-day competitions, 2 boats with 2 anglers in each per country will fish. Any zander, pike, or perch over the minimum length will count towards the teams points. There is no requirement to catch all species – the teams can target whichever species they think will score them the highest. 

> Each day, the team that gets the most points will get 1 "penalty", the lowest scoring team gets the most "penalties". The team with the lowest number of penalties after 3 days wins.

Another post from Max: 

> With today being a mandatory off limits day before practice officially kicks off, Marc and I decided to get up at 330 and head down to Riga to restock on some gear at Eholotes and also spend the day getting some zander training in. 

> Zander have to be one of the most humbling fish I have ever targeted. They make you want to pull your hair out one minute and when one finally commits you immediately fall back in love with them. I get asked constantly how they stack up to our walleye and I always say, even though they look similar, their nuances can be incredibly different. 

> The process of presenting the bait to the fish has to be absolutely PERFECT to have a successful take and if you miss time one step its game over. I have a lot to learn on these species but each day I learn another important piece of the puzzle and I love the challenge... most of the time....

3. MN: “Fishing To End Hunger” charity derby is SATURDAY

On Gull Lake. This derby has BIG-time payouts for around here ($16K to 1st!) and also supports a great cause by raising funds for The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes to help this awesome organization fulfill their mission: Feeding Families in Need. 🙌

There’s 114 boats signed up, meaning they have just 6 spots left if you wanna sneak in. See you there. 👊

4. MN: Walleye derby raises $126K for local organizations

That’s the Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic whose committee recently donated $126K raised at its fishing tournament to 12 local organizations.

> Tournament revenues were earned through sponsorships, donations and the annual raffle sponsored by Ray’s Marine/Lund/Mercury.... The beneficiary organizations support the tournament by volunteering in event planning, raffle ticket sales and tournament operations.

> This year's 25th anniversary tournament was held on June 14 on Lake Bemidji and Lake Irving. A total of 100 two-person teams competed for more than $54K in cash and prizes.

Ryan Klein and 8-yr-old Kennedy Klein were able to catch, photo and release the largest 5-fish bag, which allowed them to take home $15K in cash along with other prizes. Love it!

5. MN: Wasson/De Cent dominate Fall Walleye Classic

The Pelican Lake derby put on by the Walleye Alliance. 🔨 Ben Wasson and Logan De Cent absolutely crushed it with 5 fish for 17.03 lbs (full results here). Only 1 of the 5 fish could be > 20", and their ‘over’ was an 7.26-lber! The rest of their ‘unders’ must have also been perfect 19”+ chunks. They took home a $5K payday, some coveted hardware, and the ultimate bragging rights:

Way to get it done, fellas! 🙌 Amazing bag.

My buddy Christian Hoffman and I ended up with 13.14 lbs. Had some B-E-A-Utiful “unders” but just could not get a BIG bite and had to settle for a measly 22.5-incher. 😫

Here’s the receipts on my Rapala 20 Lb. High Vis Digital Scale:

6. More Great Lakes spearfishing for walleyes?

MI might expand underwater spearfishing in the Great Lakes, but regulators are debating it. Some say it's unfair to traditional anglers, others say it's fine since very few people do it:

> First approved in 2022, the fisheries order allowed fishermen using spears underwater to harvest lake trout, northern pike, and walleye. They're permitted to do so in the waters south of Grand Haven in Lake Michigan and south of Thunder Bay River in Lake Huron. Everywhere else is off limits.

And the rules are pretty strict: 

1. No fishing 30 mins before/after sunrise/sunset.
2. Must be 150' from docks/swim areas.
3. No oxygen tanks, breath-hold only. 

Rules expire Mar 2026 unless the Natural Resource Commission extends them. Angler Jon Durtka wants that to happen and you can read more about that here.

7. Scheels has some #11 Jigging Raps in stock

Obviously the Jigging Rap needs no introduction 🙌 it’s one of THE most effective multi-species baits in fishing today. For yeeeears folks have been campaigning to bring back the proven, even more bigger-er size...and so Rapala came out with a new #11 size that’s 4-3/8" long and weighs 1 oz! Go big or go home, and Rapala’s not going home:

Not all colors of the big #11 are in stock on their site yet, but funny enough they have some of my absolute favorites, including: purple shades, glow yellow perch, chrome blue.... 🤫

8. Evan Rosemore is speaking at the next TCWU meeting

Happening tomorrow (Oct 2) at the Bloomington Event Center. He’ll be talking about how he breaks down and researches new water using LakeFinder, topo maps, up-to-date satellite images, water temp maps, and the types of structure he looks for.

9. The new Otter Sonar Sled is here! 💯

Looks like the Scheels crew (out of the St Cloud, MN location) is already having some fun playing with it:

> With the trend of forward-facing sonar and bigger screens, the Otter Sonar Sled gets your sonar unit and the rest of your gear from hole to hole with ease.

Few more details:

• Designed for Sonar Units: Features a designated, protective cavity to securely transport larger sonar units and shuttles.

• Transducer Pole Cavity: Designated cavity for an adjustable ice pole with a mounted transducer, simplifying transport and setup.

• Roto-Molded Construction: Ultra-strong, single-piece roto-molded polyethylene construction for superior durability and cold-weather toughness.

• Front storage area with a magnetic lid closure for quick, secure access to gear.

• Multiple Compartments: Includes dedicated slots for a bucket, tackle, tools, and bait pucks.

• Built-in rod holders and a convenient cup holder.

This little unit can hold a pile of (organized) gear when hole-hopping:

These babies just got in and are already going fast. Can’t reasonably ship something that big (shipping would cost dang near as much as the unit itself) so I’d sneak into whichever Scheels location is closest to you if you’re trying to get your paws on one. 🤞

10. SD: Dakota Angler Ice Institute, Nov 7-9

At the Sioux Falls Arena & Convention Center. More details soon – awesome show!

11. Target Walleye's Chris Philen is live right now...

...on Between Hooksets podcast with Chasen Walter.

> Chris Philen from Target Walleye joins us on Between Hooksets LIVE to talk about the recent Fishers of Men Retreat at Sandy Beach Resort on Gull Lake. With Chuck Whitworth, Tom Sieburg and Tony Boyd.

Why you need to calibrate your line-counter reels 🎯

Trolling is all about putting a pattern together. The most efficient way to do that is to make sure all of your line-counter reels are reading exactly the same, and tuned in for the type and pound test line you’re running. Here’s Mark Romanack explaining why they might not be dialed (for you) out the box:

> It's also worth noting that we calibrate our reels so the line counter reads 100’ when exactly 100’ of line has been played off the reel. The 100’ measurement is an arbitrary number, but it's approximately in the middle of the most common lead lengths used while trolling.

And here’s how Mark Romanack gets ’em spot on. It’s an older, blurry video...but the info is there:

Good way to never get invited again.... 🥴 #Sketchy

You know who you are.... 😅

No doubt this Berkley Finisher has been battle tested!

> Posted by Tim Pizzi: “The one on top is NEW, the bottom one (same color pattern Fire Tiger) has been tied on for at least 2 months, on its 3rd set of hooks, caught over 200 walleye and many pike.”

Wowza! That thing deserves a spot on the wall.

Hope you get to scuff some baits up soon, too! 👊 Thank you for reading.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026