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And it’s seeming more and more (especially this time of year) like the vast majority of them are suspended out over deep water. I’m sure it’s always been like that, but it wasn’t until...
*Forward-facing sonar entered the chat*
...that we reeeeally knew just how many big suspendos were roaming around out in no-man’s land.
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And I’m not just talking about big water...same goes for your average backyard lakes.
But without FFS, there’s really no good way to target those fish aside from trolling around for hours on end with your baits in the top half of the water column until you get lucky and cross paths with one...that actually bites...and also doesn’t spook from the boat.
Literally a needle in the haystack type of thing for the most part. Of course big water like Lake Erie, etc are obvious exceptions...but without FFS on “average” lakes:
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I hate the term “game changer,” but forward-facing sonar has literally changed the walleye tourney game. It’s been happening for a number of years now – and more folks are finally starting to key in on those bigger, suspended fish – but the early adopters who have really learned to use the tech have been cleaning up $$$ in the tourney scene. 🤑
I’m not saying this is a negative thing. I’m not saying it’s a positive. I’m just saying it has completely changed how most folks approach walleye tournaments now.
I used to despise slot limits in tournaments. Ex: lakes/systems/formats where only 1 or 2 of your fish could be over say 20” and the rest of your bag had to be under 20”. My argument was why penalize the team who is truly catching the most big fish in a single day. But I can definitely understand why some folks prefer that because you have to be a very well-rounded fisherman/woman to put together a big-fish program AND a small-fish program, and perfectly execute them both to come out on top that day.
Also not saying you don’t have to be super well-rounded to execute the big suspended fish program with FFS and get 5 in the boat. They’re still walleyes and don’t bite more often than they do bite. And remember: fish have fins.... The only thing keeping ‘em there is food, which can easily be a mile away before the day is even over.
Of course there’s walleyes living up shallow all year long too. I’d argue that a lot of the ones up in the weeds probably see less baits each season than the suspended fish nowadays. But those weed fish are a ton of work and a lot of walleye folks still don’t like rip jigging and cleaning weeds off their baits all day lol.
Not really sure what my point is with all this, just blabbing out some observations and random thoughts that have been trapped up in this tiny brain.
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FFS isn’t the cure-all...you can’t slap one on your rig and start catching all the walleyes you want. But it has definitely changed the game and opened up the walleye-fishing door to those bigger-than-average suspended fish we haven’t been able to easily target in the past.
I do think it will be fun to see how tourney folks and companies continue to push the limits and create new techniques and baits to put more and bigger fish in the boat. More on that soon.... 👀
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Moochin' clear-water walleyes (CRAZY bites!)
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Sheesh! 😮💨 Some of these walleyes did really great pike impressions lol. We were fishing on a pressured, clear-water lake right here in central Minnesota...'pinging a minnow' above their heads and the walleyes were going bonkers. Certain days they legit prefer it to live bait (leeches & nightcrawlers) and come absolutely unglued when they see it strolling by. Such a blast!
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How Korey Sprengel knots-up his dropshot rig 🪢
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Walleye pro 🐐 Korey Sprengel breaks down his go-to knot for dropshotting – aka the Palomar – and how adding one extra step of running your line back thru the eyelet will make your hook stand out the right way:
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Same exact way I rig mine, including tying those expensive tungsten weights on instead of just clipping them. 🤑
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Which reminds me: I have a new favorite dropshot weight.... It’s called the VMC Tungsten B.E.T. Drop Shot Weight, which has a ‘Big Eye Teardrop’ design so you can tie ‘em on directly (versus the clip).
It also has a 1) built-in swivel to reduce line twist, 2) the weight is laser etched on the side so you know which exact size you’re throwing, 3) it’s tungsten so it’s more compact and the harder metal is more sensitive for feeling bottom or bites, and 4) I dig the matte black finish because I don’t want fish going for the weight, I want ‘em keying in on the bait that’s up above.
I can’t imagine how a dropshot weight could possibly get any better – they absolutely nailed it.
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How Jason Mitchell fishes catches on busy recreational lakes 🛥️🌊🏄
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Wake boats, and jet skis, and pontoons, oh my! Most lakes sure get busy this time of year with recreational traffic, but don’t let that stop you from getting your walleye on! This vid is a great quick-hitter from Jason Mitchell talking how he combats all of that buzzing around:
> “Many recreational lakes get really busy with boating traffic from July 4th until the kids go back to school. From a mental standpoint, tune out the recreational boats. We often find that both bass and walleye seem to get accustomed to the boating traffic where pleasure boats and jet skis probably bother us as anglers more than the fish.
> “On flat sunny days, focus on shade. Especially in clear water lakes come mid summer. Specifically, look for shadows cast by weeds on north facing shorelines or pieces of structure. Sharp break lines that have weeds or really tall weeds in deeper water offer that shade that often holds fish. When trying to determine where the shade is at on a piece of structure, look at the shadows in your boat. Remember as well that this shadow can get really narrow come mid summer when the sun is high overhead. These locations can be specific and tight but this is a high batting average for finding fish come mid summer.”
I can’t believe I hadn’t put the north-facing thing together yet! 🤯 Thinking back to our crazy 5 for 56.6-lb bag last weekend...3 of our 5 biggest fish came midday either just in or just outside of really tall weed walls off north-facing structure.
Here’s Jason talking:
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“We understand walleye fishing can be a bit finicky as they need to be finessed into the boat. But....”
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I don’t care how good of buddies we are...you’re on your own getting that one out! 😅
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1. Target Walleye virtual walleye tournament!
We’re hosting several virtual walleye derbies (catch-photo-release) thru the FishDonkey app this summer! The first month-long “Target Walleye Summer Shootout” kicked off Jun 1 but there’s still time to enter. And we’ll be running the same format in July and August, too! You fish whenever is convenient for you, on any public waters, for a shot at a pile of prizes!
Prizes will be awarded each month for the largest walleye in each region, the biggest 3-fish stringer, and random-draw prizes too in case you only catch small ones. 😜
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There’s 5 different regions, including Canada, where folks can compete with monthly leaderboards for June, July, and Aug:
FYI: The “northeast” and “south” divisions are still wide open!!!! No fish entered there yet, but the same mountain of prizes are available (they pay out the top spots in every single division!). 😳
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Entry is $20 per tournament. And there’s an optional $20 side pot for the biggest walleye caught using a Berkley bait. 💪
Register today by searching for “The Target Walleye Summer Shootout” in the FishDonkey app. You’re going to be out fishing at some point during the month of June anyway, so might as well upload some of those catches into your Digital Livewell for a chance at prizes and glory! 😎
Btw if you’re seeing this after June 1, you can still sign up to fish the TW derby, you’ll just have to wait 24 hours after registering until you can start submitting fish.
If you’ve never fished in a virtual tournament thru the FishDonkey app before, it can feel a little intimidating to sign up for the first time.
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I felt the same way about doing one for the first time, but I’m telling you once you give it a shot, it’s an absolute blast!
The most important thing: Have fun! That’s what this is all about. 👊 More info soon.
2. ID wants all walleye = 💀
They’re asking folks to catch and kill any walleyes they catch at Lake Lowell (no bag or possession limits). Here’s why they want ‘em gone:
> Walleye are native to large Midwestern lakes that tend to have large and prolific forage bases of minnows, shiners, chubs and other small baitfish. Those baitfish are not available in most Idaho waters, so walleye are likely to eat other game fish that are highly valued by Idaho anglers. Eventually, those other fish species could be gone, or greatly diminished, and the result could be a bunch of unhealthy, unsustainable walleye populations.
3. NY’s aging fish hatcheries will undergo $100-mil overhaul
The average age of DEC's 22 hatcheries is 90 yrs.
4. ND: Devils Lake Chamber Walleye Tourney happening now
Might be able to catch the tail end of the livestream weigh-in.
5. Ross Robertson has got worms...
I knew it! 😅
Great, quick Instagram reel shared by Fish Hawk Electronics with Lake Erie guide Ross Robertson running thru his nightcrawler program. It’s as simple as Ziplocs, frozen water bottles and a paper towel (to absorb moisture) to help keep nightcrawlers happy and your boat clean.
6. 2 new positions at Seaguar
Chris Rosella is the new asst sales manager (was at Megabass and FishUSA), and John Whelan was promoted to asst marketing manager.
7. WA increases license fees but – not for the DNR??
And not requested by the DNR either:
> Signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 17, the bill increases fees by 38%.... WDFW did not request this legislation. Although this bill increases revenue for the Department, most of the revenue is used to cover increased costs while the remainder is used to offset State General Fund reductions....
8. WA: Corruption found in Fish and Wildlife Commission?
Sportsmen's Alliance says:
> "We now have text messages with 4 commissioners colluding to meet with Washington Wildlife First, an animal-rights organization dedicated to destroying hunting and fishing in the state."
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How to prep and clean walleye like a guide.
There’s a bunch of useful nuggets in this 12:29 video from legendary Lake Erie captain Paul Powis. Electric vs traditional knives, bleeding walleye, zippering fillets, knife sharpening, pre-meal prep, etc.
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I spent some quality time with my Rapala R12 Heavy Duty Electric Fillet Knife Kit the other night again – for sure has been one of my favorite purchases these last 5-ish years – thing actually makes cleaning fish fun, which is a big statement lol.
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Maybe oughta treat yourself to a belated Father's Day gift....😎
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It’s gonna be a hot one this weekend – stay safe out/in there! 🤢
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There’s always a bigger fish... 👀
Wild pic posted by Lyle Piper on Rafferty Reservoir, SK. He had a huge “jack” call dibs on his 19”-ish walleye and was able to snap this pic about 20 seconds before she broke the line:
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Have a great + safe weekend, Target Walleye fam!
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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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