Today’s Top 5
Check out this slabosaurus Eric W. brought topside! She went 16.75″ and weighed 2 lbs 14.2 oz, caught on a Clam Blade Spoon:
#MinnesotaGrown
This thing either needs a feeding tube or a bicycle pump or both:
What some folks’ll do to fit into skinny jeans….
A 5.33-lb walleye got Dan Volbert (Chaska, MN) a new GMC Truck — not bad! 9,000+ anglers traveled from all over the world for a crack at $150k in prizes, all proceeds donated to local charities.
The drone footage is incredible:
Here’s what that many StrikeMaster augers look like:
…when money’s no object:
Guess they had to pay a diver too to get it roped up?
We love these shots. This time it was on Lake Nippising’s (ON) Callander Bay, by Blake M.:
Ice Fishing
1. MN: WI team wins NAIFC Mille Lacs tourney.
2. MB: Dozens rescued off Winnipeg due to blizzard.
3. MN: Students find missing ice angler alive.
Good to hear.
4. WI: Free car wash at Lake Geneva.
Uh-oh. Funniest line in the post comments:
> “This is what happens when you’re from Wisconsin.”
We love WI folks but that’s funny!
5. MN: Lake of the Woods fishing update.
…for everyone’s safety.
7. IDing fish on the flasher BEFORE you catch ’em.
8. Jason Mitchell talks giant pike.
9. SK: Free winter fishing weekend, Feb. 13-15.
10. MI: Officers honored with Lifesaving Award…
…for rescuing a pair of Belle Island visitors.
_____
News
1. MN: DNR proposes $3.5m field station…
…on shores of Mille Lacs to more closely manage and study the troubled Mille Lacs ‘eye fishery. Guess it couldn’t hurt?
2. MI: New leader in Shiver on the River competition.
This 10.2-lb Saginaw River walleye pushed Bob L to the top. The competition originally began as an ice fishing tourney but many anglers switched to boat as ice conditions deteriorated:
3. WI: Walleye trolling legalized on Rock River.
Yes!
4. KS walleye population thriving.
5. KY: Catch walleye/sauger from the bank now.
6. Minn Kota Ulterra wins best commercial of the year.
It is pretty darn cool:
Bass pro Brandon Palaniuk offering over $7K in prizes, with lots of Rapala, Storm and VMC stuff!
Events
1. MN: “Holes for Poles” fundraiser tourney, Feb 10.
Lake of the Woods.
2. MN: Women Ice Angler Project, Feb 10-14.
Lake of the Woods.
3. PA: Great American Outdoor Show, Feb 6-14.
4. MN: $30K ice fishing derby Feb. 20.
Get to Warroad and fish it!
Tip of the Day
How to catch ice whitefish.
Guide JJ Malvitz has been slaying whiteys on Green Bay, so we figured we’d give him a ring and get the scoop. If you enjoy a tough fight and a tasty fish, you’ll love fishing for whitefish, especially if you’re around Green Bay where there’s a ton of whitefish.
> When you’re looking for Green Bay whitefish, you need to be on the lookout for deep breaks with a depth change of at least 20 feet. Some of the areas where you’ll catch fish are as deep as 80 feet. Finding current and good depth is important.
> Whitefish relate to the bottom and JJ likes to target them with a dropper rig. Start with a braided mainline — no-stretch line is very important when you’re fishing in 80 feet. Tie on a 6-ft fluorocarbon leader connected by a double uni knot. Whitefish have excellent eyesight and Green Bay is very clear, so it’s imperative that you’re using an invisible line like fluorocarbon down by the bait.
> Thread a #6 octopus hook on the fluorocarbon leader, letting it float on the line. Below that tie a small swivel followed by 12″ of fluorocarbon and a a small Jigging Rap, a Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon or a Swedish Pimple. The lure is just to maintain bottom contact — 90% of the bites will come on the top hook.
> Tip the octopus hook with wax worms or an artificial bait like a Trigger X Mustache Worm. Artificial baits are nice because wax worms will tear off when you miss a fish and it takes a while to re-bait a hook when you’re fishing in 80 feet.
> Touch bottom with the the dropper bait (spoon), and let your line slack so the single hook can fall to the bottom. Follow that up with a very subtle wiggle upwards to get that top hook to move up off the bottom. When a whitefish bites, you won’t feel a defined tap like you will with a walleye, you’ll just feel the weight of the fish. Once you feel that weight, set the hook.
Meme of the Day
Superman down!
Shot of the Day
Dillon B’s late night workout sesh:
Caught using a sardine on a tip-up in 6-ish ft — seriously. Dillon said: “6-10″ frozen sardines and 10-14″ mackerels are the bee’s knees for pikey poos”. Can’t argue with that lol.
Random
Wild boar curling?
Pull it together Alf!
Let’s go ice!
Check this stuff out!
TargetWalleye.com | Rapala.com | IceForce.com
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