Target Walleye/Ice email

Live world record attempt, Water temp crank selection, Cast and blast

Today’s Top 5

Base your fall walleye crankbaits on water temp.

Brad Hawthorne has logged a zillion hours pulling cranks in the fall, so of course it was the first thing we nagged him about when we had the chance to hop in his boat. He uses water temps to tell him which exact crankbaits to tie on. #DialedIn

Few cheat codes:

> He always starts early fall with #5 Rapala Shad Raps ‘cuz they’ve caught more fish than any other bait in his boat…especially while water temps are 60-65. Bump up to a #6 or #7 as temps reach the lower end of that scale.

> Once the water hits 57-62 — and the weather is cooperating — he’ll put on BIG ol’ bent-lip #9 Shallow Shad Raps. Everything is going shallow and putting the feedbag on, including perch this size….

> Original Jointed Minnows are one of his favorite overlooked fall trolling baits when temps are in the 50-57 range and fish are on the chew. They run 5-7′ out the package, but Brad will pinch on a small splitshot up above the bait to get ’em down to the 8-10′ range.

> Frigid temps: Original Floaters are tough to beat. Brad’s caught fish on ’em in water as cold as 42 degrees. #PolarPlungeStatus

S’more details straight from Mr. Fall Cranky himself in this vid:

WORLD RECORD for the most fish ever caught in 24 hours…

…was 2,143 [!] by Jeff Kolodzinski back in 2011 and heeeee’s baaaaack….

Gonna try to break his own record at Giant Goose Ranch in Canton, IL TODAY. Not doing it for a spot in the record books:

> “He’s doing it to introduce people and families to fishing and to increase awareness and financial support for Fishing For Life, a non-profit, charitable organization whose Next GEN program finds mentors for children of families in need.

> “A special focus within the program, serves families of our veterans who have lost loved ones while serving our nation.”

Great cause! And if you needed any more incentive than that…a $20 donation means you’ll be automatically entered to win a bunch of schweeeeet prizes. Can hit up the GoFundMe account here.

It’s goin’ down live on Facebook right now and he’s already caught over 500 fish!

Cast and blast.

It’s getting to be an awkward time of year when fishing and hunting seasons mix, so let’s run with it…

1) Guess waterfowl hunters aren’t the only ones setting up decoys in the morning…. How ’bout Drake Herd of FIN Outdoors Media calling in flocks of Devils Lake, ND basin roamers? New to me:

 

2) Now we reeeeally know what’ll be on waterfowl call maker Bill Saunders’ mind when he’s sitting in the blind this fall:

 

3) I’ve caught a few tagged fish before, but still waiting on snaggin’ a band. #Bling

Wonder if anyone’s gotta Minn Kota remote lanyard that looks like this?

“In Colorado, people love country music — but they also love their trout.”

– That’s CO Parks and Wildlife talkin’ in this write-up on how they gave country music superstar Dierks Bentley a ticket for fishing without a license.

Guess he was bragging on stage about the fishing he did earlier in the weekend…and concertgoers decided to call CO Parks and Wildlife to see if he had a fishing license. He didn’t.

> “We didn’t have any proof until Mr. Bentley posted a photo on his Instagram…. He was as nice as can be…. We welcome him back any time to fish, as long as he gets a license next time.”

Wonder if they would’ve gotten as many calls if it were a pic of a walleye instead…?

Would you eat THIS walleye?

One of the best eating fish out there…normally:

I’ll take a hard pass!

News

1. MN: Walleye numbers down on Douglas County lakes.

Sorta. The number of fish showing up in recent gill-net surveys was 1/3 of that in 2015. But that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s less walleye to go around… another possible explanation:

> “Clearer water caused by zebra mussels could mean walleyes are moving deeper and less vulnerable to capture. Nets might be more visible to the fish, which helps them avoid them.”

*cough* Mille Lacs *cough*

2. NPAA annual conference comin’ up.

Jan 3-5 in Wisconsin Dells. That’s the National Professional Anglers Association. Couple of this year’s featured speakers are Mike Iaconelli and Johnny Morris. Great chance to network with pros who’ve had success on and off the water, and learn about the business side of the sport.

3. MN: Red Lake Nation worried about…

…zeebz making their way into Lower Red Lake after larvae were found in Upper Red Lake earlier this year.

4. MT: Record channel catfish caught.

Outta Castle Rock Lake and went a certified 38.18 lbs. Caught by John Smith while trolling a Beetle Spin and 1/8-oz Mister Twister Jig for walleyes:

The old record was a 34.8-lber that Dan Davenport pulled outta Fort Peck Rez in July 2013.

5. PRADCO buys Gene Larew Lures, Bobby Garland.

PRADCO = Lindy, Bandit, Thill, Cotton Cordell and a whoooooole lot more.

6. Guy designs new portable outriggers.

> Unlike other outriggers that require drilling holes into a boat and becoming a permanent fixture, his product securely clamps onto railings, gunwales, benches or wherever a boat owner chooses.

> The telescoping rod made of carbon-fiber material consists of 8 sections that can be configured into a 10′, 15′ or 18′ setup that is easily installed and quickly broken down. It fits neatly in an airtight 4′ lightweight hard case that floats.

> The small fishing boats that are kept on beaches have to breach the surf when they go out and come back, so they like the idea of not having their equipment slapping around when crashing through the waves.

7. MN: Mississippi River drawdown ’bout done.

Near St. Cloud. Dipped the water level of the pool upstream from the city’s hydroelectric plant by about 2.5′ for “general maintenance work at the hydroelectric facility.” Expecting things to get back to normal by Friday.

Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Walleye Deep Divers. Called “blue chrome”…

And Eli Mercier’s already been putting ’em to good use:

9. NE needs volunteer youth fishing instructors.

10. LA: 2 cited for shocking catfish on the Grand River.

That’s aggressive.

11. TW gear Labor Day sale!

Gitcha 30% off all Target Walleye/Ice gear until 9/5 with the code LABORDAY at checkout! Click here or on the pic below:

Tip of the Day

Are you Shivering yet?

Not from the cold…. This Next Bite write-up talks about how it’s Moonshine Shiver Minnow season. They basically bowhunt for walleyes…one rod, one lure, searching for big fish with their electronics before taking their shot:

> …used to switch between Berkley FireLine and Berkley Nanofil…but now we all agree: The new Berkley Fireline Ultra-8 Carrier is a mix of the two lines with the smoothness of Nanofil due to the four extra carriers and the abrasion resistance and strength of the original Fireline braid.

> In most walleye situations we use 10-lb but moving up to 14-lb is sometimes necessary for heavy cover, zebra mussels or bigger fish.

> Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon leader material in 10-, 12-, or 15-lb makes a great connection between the braid and lure. 24″ of fluorocarbon is generally enough even in clear water and greatly reduces the number of times the leader knot goes through the guides of the rod.

> The combination of braid and fluorocarbon creates an ultra-sensitive connection between the rod and lure so the angler can sense every change in bottom composition as well as every bite.

> The weakness in this system is that the no-stretch line and heavy lure give the angler no room for error when fighting a big fish. In this case we change out the Shiver Minnow hooks with a larger #6 Berkley Fusion19 Treble Hook for better hooking….

> If the boat driver finds a mark and wants to cast keep an eye on the orientation of the boat, wind, and fish. Since it is common to be well offshore, it can help to watch bubbles or a specific spot in the wake of the boat while the driver maneuvers.

> After the lure hits the bottom jig it up and immediately give the lure some slack. Keeping tension on the lure will reduce the side-to-side action that makes Shiver Minnows special…makes a huge difference in the number of bites.

> …the right motion creates a loop of line near the rod tip and involves a solid snap at the beginning of the stroke. Similarly, if the lake bottom is covered in moss, algae, or mussels timing your jigging stroke to stay above the bottom increases bites over time.

> Vary the height and number of jig strokes before letting the lure crash back down to the bottom. Many times, larger jumps will trigger fish but just as often this will pull the lure out of the strike zone. At the same time, fish occasionally suspend off the bottom and a larger stroke attracts their interest. Work both ends of the spectrum until a trend emerges.

Keep reading the full Next Bite write-up here.

Quote of the Day

“Weirdest walleye I’ve ever caught?!?!”

– That’s big-fish junkie Taro Murata (@taro_murata) catching himself a weird walleye + goby hybrid (lol!) off British Columbia’s west coast:

Today’s ‘Eye Candy

Nicole Stone (@nicolestoneoutdoors) cracked this mondo Leech Lake walldawg trolling a Rapala Scatter Rap Minnow at 2.8-3.0 mph across a weedy point. Said is smoked the bait so hard she thought it was a muskie for a second:

Awesome stuff, Nicole!

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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye — walleye during open water and all species during hardwater — is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-nuts like you! #fishheads
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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