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Veteran’s Day was on Monday. I just want to say a big THANK YOU to military Veterans, those currently serving and families! We owe you everything – including our freedom...to fish, among other things. 🙌
Btw have you ever seen these pics? Ron Lindner (top) during his time serving in the Korean War, and Al Lindner (bottom) taken in Vietnam and one of the few shots of him without a rod/reel in his hand.... Thx much!
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Minnesota DNR is proposing a 4-walleye limit starting in 2026.
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Few lines from here:
> ...proposal would lower the statewide daily walleye limit from 6 to 4.
> Officials say climate change and invasive species like zebra mussels are creating challenges for the regional walleye population.
> The 6-walleye limit has been in place since 1956, and if passed, the new 4-walleye limit would begin in 2026.
> The DNR has the authority to institute the change without approval from the state legislature, but Parsons said he does expect "very passionate feedback on both sides."
> The proposal still needs to go through the rule-making process, so it is not yet certain if the lower limit will become a statewide law.
> "It's a legal process, and we want to hear all sides of it," Parsons said.
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Of course anytime you talk about changing regs, folks get a little “passionate” (lol). It’s okay to disagree! I always enjoy hearing both sides to any argument.
My quick-ish 2 cents: I’d be in favor of reducing the walleye limit from 6 fish down to 4.
A lot has changed since 1956 👀 which is when Minnesota’s original 6-fish walleye limit was put into place.... IMO it’s time to be proactive instead of reactive and reduce Minnesota’s daily walleye limit from 6 fish to 4. Why? To help protect the walleye population going forward and ensure our future generations have the same (or better!) walleye fishing opportunities that we are accustomed to today. Of course this is just 1 piece to the big walleye-fishing puzzle.
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One argument that gets brought up quite a bite from folks who oppose the limit reduction is in reference to how...
> ...scientists have said most walleye fishing outings result in 2 walleyes per angler or less. Catching a limit of 6 is out of the ordinary across MN....
Which IMO is kind of a funny take on it. I mean if most folks only catch 2 walleyes or less in an outing then why don’t we just make the walleye limit 50 per day since most folks won’t fill it anyways?
I’ll give you one example of why...
You can’t talk about advancements in fishing technology without also talking about social media. It has never been easier to find a hot bite, figure out where fish are biting, what time of day, what time of year, specific depth, best baits and colors, you name it. You can even go on some social media apps (Instagram, SnapChat, etc) and open up a map and see locations of where photos are being posted right now. So yeah there’s absolutely times where it’s not easy to catch those 6 fish for your limit, but limits are in place to protect those hot bites, those fisheries that are on fire right now, or smaller waterbodies that can’t handle the pressure, and help keep more walleyes in that system for the future.
It’s absolutely okay to disagree [!] but I know I’m not the only one that feels that way. If this interests you, please take a few minutes to watch this video from a couple of years back and hear how a few other MN walleye-nuts feel about reducing Minnesota’s daily walleye limit:
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Brian 'Bro’ Brosdahl's first-ice tips.
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Before you start thinking some nonsense like ‘Bro’ has already hung it up for the season (lol) just know he’s still getting after it! 😤 Looks like deer camp also included some fish slime for him:
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But of course he’s got ice on the mind. 🥶 Full write-up here talking first-ice, but a few excerpts below:
> The serious among us are messin’ with lures nightly, organizing by size and color, and gobbling up every nugget of ice fishing content they can find. The slightly less serious are thinking about first ice from the blind or treestand. Whatever group you’re in, surely, ice fishing has crossed your mind.
> Nobody counts the days – minutes and seconds – like backwoods savage and Northland pro, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. Sure, he’ll pop a ruffed grouse or five, even sit a bit for a freezer buck, but rest assured that ice jigs are dancing in head.
> To that, Bro dishes up the intel on first ice. And we’re talking about that very first week when he’s testing and traversing what the yeti angler calls “tiptoe ice”.
Reading the ice
> For beginners, Bro packs light, at least as light as lineman can travel. “I put just the essentials in a simple Otter utility sled,” said Bro. “That includes a chisel, RAZR Ultra-Light synthetic auger on a brushless lithium hammer drill, throwable floatation on a long rope, and just a few rods and tray of Northland jigs.”
> Once to the lake’s edge, he begins stabbing with the chisel. “A couple of good hits in the same spot gives me confidence that the ice is walkable,” said Bro. Once out a taste, he’ll plug holes with the auger to make sure there’s 4” of ice or more. Some intrepid anglers venture out on less, but nothing Bro recommends.
> Bro also avoids entering areas with emergent vegetation like bulrushes and cattails. “They can insulate and slow the formation of good ice,” he said. Bro also favors clear over cloudy ice, knowing the clear stuff formed faster and more consistently. Also, natural cracks (typically created by expanding sheets of ice) provide a visual indicator of ice thickness. You can also auger a hole and do the pinch test, gauging ice thickness with your hand.
> His last word on ice safety is to leave a breadcrumb trail. “I drop a plotter trail on my Humminbird Helix so I can walk out the same way I came in. Any snowfall and your footprints and chisel tests might be hidden. And if you’re coming back to shore in the dark, the plotter trail is extra helpful.”
> Note: A serious set of ice cleats prove invaluable on glassy early ice. A broken wrist or concussion is not the way to start the season.
Walleye nuggets
> “Location-wise, I pick up where I left off in the fall, focusing on the spots nearest shore. The first rock structure closest to your entry point is a great place to start. Depth depends on water clarity, but somewhere in that 8-15’ range on northern natural lakes.” Given the ice clarity, he prefers lakes with coloration at first ice, as well as smaller lakes that freeze first.
> “Green weeds are another favorite for tiptoe walleyes. I fish pockets in the denser spots, as well as the outside edge. And it’s a real bonus when you can see those edges and pockets right through the ice before ever drilling a hole. You want to keep drilling to a minimum in this silent environment.”
> “Again, I’m packing light, so I only carry three combos for myself. The first is a search bait outfit with a Northland Tungsten Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon [top] and a minnow head. If you’re sitting on a hole, the rattle can draw them in.”
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> The second arrow in his quiver is the new Tungsten Slim Spoon [bottom]. “The sleek spoon drops fast and presents a smaller profile. I’ll shake the spoon, and it shimmies. The flicker blade adds another temptation. Again, with a minnow head.”
> The third prong of Bro’s trident is the tried and true deadstick. “I’ll tie on a #4 Gamakatsu octopus hook and put a split-shot 8” above it. A live rainbow or shiner is perfect for the setup.” Minnow held just a foot or so off the bottom....
Some bonus panfish locations
> “In my neck of the woods, two-thirds of the lakes have basin dwelling crappies after fall turnover. Ironically, a fish that lives in the shallow weeds all summer drops to the muddy basin during late fall and into winter. The mediating factor is an abundance of micro baitfish and hatchlings dropping into the basin and forming bait balls. The crappies hang beneath them maybe 2-4’ off the bottom.”
> “Crappies are also feeding on zooplankton, bloodworms, and other invertebrates that rise off the bottom. So, I’m after the deepest and steepest basins nearest shore. That includes the deepest holes in bays that freeze first.”
> In the best of all possible worlds, bluegills are intermixed with crappies. But if Bro’s on a make or break bluegill mission, it’s a return to the garden. “Bluegills will be on weededges closest to a hard break toward the basin. If the weeds are dead and rotten, they’ll be at the base of the shoreline break.”
> “Unlike crappies, which suspend and float the basin, bluegills prefer hard to soft bottomed transitions at the base of the break where the basin begins. Occasionally, on lakes with a lot of basin insect biomass or freshwater shrimp, the bluegills will position on the edge of suspended crappies.”
> “Bluegills on most lakes will hold to weeds and smaller bays until winter bares down and the vegetation starts to decay. And sometimes, that never happens if there’s healthy milfoil or coontail.”
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What to do if you break through the ice.
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We’ve gotta talk about it, ‘cuz this video could for sure help save a life…maybe yours. Mad respect to Capt. Adam Walton for taking one three for the team and showing everyone how it’s done:
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This has to be the HEAVIEST walleye ever! 😅
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Amazing. Dude has got skills!
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1. MN: Mille Lacs winter walleye regs set
> State-licensed ice anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to keep 2 walleye 18-20” long, or 1 walleye 18-20” and 1 walleye longer than 28”, from Dec 1, 2024 to Feb 23, 2025.
> “Mille Lacs’ walleye population is trending in a good direction for both adult and juvenile fish. Juvenile perch and tullibee, important forage species for walleye, also are abundant.”
> The winter season regulation marks a continuation of the more liberal limit the DNR implemented this fall. The DNR based its decision on this fall’s Mille Lacs netting assessment, which showed higher walleye abundance than in 2023, along with strong numbers of juvenile fish that are expected to contribute to the fishery in the future.
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Little different tune than last year when alarms were sounding because “walleye numbers, plumpness, and forage were all down” 👀despite none of those findings really lining up with what folks were witnessing first hand on the water. You might remember I was a little fired up about it lol.
2. MN: St. Paul Ice Show, Dec 6-8
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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See you there. 👊
3. Anglers help raise nearly $40K to support American heroes
> Last Veteran’s Day, St. Croix Rod began selling a limited quantity of special-edition Premier Series fishing rods to benefit U.S. Veterans’ advocacy groups Wounded Warriors in Action and Take a Vet Fishing. The Premier Series was chosen because it’s the best-selling American-made fishing rod. Each of these special-edition Premiers were marked with the Take a Vet Fishing and Wounded Warriors in Action logos.
> “Today, thanks to the anglers who purchased these rods, St. Croix is pleased to present checks for over $19,000 to each of these not-for-profit organizations which work actively, creatively, and tirelessly to provide long-term healing to our nation’s Veterans suffering from both physical and emotional wounds,” says St. Croix Vice President of Marketing, Jesse Simpkins. “Our entire Team at St. Croix is proud to be a long-term partner with both Take a Vet Fishing and Wounded Warriors in Action, and we are grateful to our anglers for stepping up and buying some great fishing rods made even greater by their ability to positively impact the critical work of these two organizations which help so many.”
🙌
4. Z-Man expands...again
Recently exapnded their HQ by over 40% to a total of 75,000 sqft.
> “The new space will house an upgraded and updated distribution center that will enable us to get product to retail quicker, while our injection molding operation will be expanded in the existing space....”
5. MN: Upper Red Lake walleye limit = unchanged
> Due to excellent results in the fall netting assessment of walleye on Upper Red Lake, the winter season walleye limit on Upper Red will continue to be a 4-fish possession limit, with only 1 walleye longer than 17” allowed.
> “Our fall assessment placed us in a surplus condition, which allows us to set a more liberal target harvest. The state waters of Upper Red Lake have a high number of spawning aged female walleye. We’re also seeing abundant numbers of young walleye, which bodes well for the future.”
> The fall gill net catch on state of MN waters was 41.5 walleye per net. Net catches have been in this range for the past several years. Netting results showed the lake is full of young fish, with half the catch shorter than 14”. There were also good numbers of fish in the 17-20” range.
6. PA offering virtual ice fishing programs...
...to help introduce new folks to the sport.
7. IA: Zeebz confirmed in Saylorville Lake
8. New Suzuki 7-yr limited warranty on V6 outboards
Suzuki’s longest factory protection yet, for all new Suzuki V6 outboards purchased for recreational use between Nov 1, 2024 and Dec 31, 2024.
9. Jon Thelen’s going national
> Jon Thelen’s Destination-Fish Television announced today that Destination-Fish Television will expand to national markets entering the 2024-2025 airing season.
> Destination-Fish will now be available on the Sportsman’s Channel beginning in Dec 2024 with 4 weeks of ice fishing shows followed by 13 weeks of open water episodes beginning in Jan 2025. Destination-Fish will air 4x per week throughout the 17-week Sportsman’s Channel run including prime Saturday and Sunday morning time slots. Destination-Fish will also be expanding north of the border with a first quarter, 13-week run featuring 4 airings per week on Sportsman’s Channel Canada, starting in Jan 2025.
> In addition, Jon Thelen’s Destination-Fish will maintain its solid regional following while airing on the Fan Duel North and Fan Duel Wisconsin Networks (formerly Bally Sports) on Sunday mornings with 18 weeks of great fishing action beginning Sun, Dec 1.
10. Outdoor America Partners with...
...The Fishing Wire and Fishing Tackle Retailer:
> This collaboration will bring sought after fishing industry content to Outdoor America’s broad audience through the Outdoor America App, FAST Channels, and on The Fishing Tackle Retailer and The Fishing Wire websites. The partnership is committed to providing live coverage on key releases and news as ICAST, available on Outdoor Americas broadcast and FAST channel networks.
11. Bill Lewis intros new mini (3/16 oz) Hammer Trap
12. FishUSA has 15% off Bandits today
Their color selection absolutely blows my mind. 🔥
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How Jason Mitchell targets first-ice ‘eyes
Just trying to get you mentally prepared and game-planned for the hard stuff!
> The very best bites for early-ice walleye in shallow water usually happen at sunrise and sunset, but by utilizing the middle of the day and to hunt for new spots with fish, you can be in a much more fluid position of staying on good bites.
> There’s a general rule of thumb that fish slide up on tops of reefs, points or move shallow when the sun gets low – keep with that mentality when you looking for walleye during the day...hit the same spots where you’d expect to find them come sunset....
> ...shallow walleyes often don’t slide deeper during the middle of the day, they simply seem to lay on the bottom and quit cruising. That’s why you often can’t sit in one spot and catch multiple fish out of one hole during the middle of the day.... Come sunset when fish are cruising on the prowl, you can catch several out of one hole.
> When looking for fresh fish, focus on the money spots and hit as many as you can. ...keep hitting new spots with fresh ice where there has been no pressure yet. If there are a lot of fish on a spot, there will be a few that slide up shallow much earlier than they should.
> When I’m looking for fish during the middle of the day, I like to use the same lures I expect to use at sunset. ....big and aggressive because fish that are laying on the bottom must get turned around. ...odds of landing right in front of a fish is slim…the odds of landing within 20′ are much better. The fish might be facing the wrong direction and laying on the bottom...finesse just isn’t going to move them.... Hard pounding can get them to respond.
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Insane fish! But equally crazy is all of its friends waiting down there. 😳
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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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