Target Walleye/Ice email

Stop setting the hook like this, Walleye double date, Melons of the week

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Today’s Top 4

Paunchy rock melons of the week!

Lindner clan’s Jeremy Smith cracked this paunchy rock melon outta Manotak Lodge, ON. Believe he said he caught her on a Rapala Jigging Rap and only had to lose a dozen of ’em to rocks first lol. Incredible fish, dude!

Tifanne Wolter thwacked this 29″ gravel lizard while dragging leeches on Rainy Lake, MN. Curling done right:

Reece Deschamps Okuma’d this 29.5-incher somewheres in northern ON. Thing has some serious shoulders:

Are you setting the hook wrong?

Best way to increase your hookup ratio while rigging is to make sure you’re setting the hook correctly. Joel Nelson says that a vertical hookset could actually be “sling-shotting” the bait right out of the fish’s mouth.

Best double date ever.

Nothing wrong with bowling, mini golf or chick flicks…but Rob Henry would rather load up his Lund 208 Tyee GL for a Lake Ontario slugfest:

Looks like a blast! Here’s how they caught ’em:

> We had just finished a BBQ lunch on the boat and got back to trolling #11 Rapala Tail Dancers and Jointed Deep Husky Jerks down 15′-30′ (over 40′) behind Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards. Speed was a bit quicker than usual at 1.8-1.9 mph.

Hey Rob – it’s okay to admit when the ladies outfish the snot outta you 😉

Match the hatch defined.

Always hear people talking about it, but here’s the photographic definition of the phrase “match the hatch” thanks to Matt Heayn’s Shadow Rap Shad:

Now let’s see if you can guess which Rapala colors you should be throwing at these fishin’ spots?

News

1. Al Lindner > cartoons.

Most of us grew up watching Al (instead of cartoons!) and dreaming of making a living in the fishing industry. It isn’t something that happens overnight, but it is something that happens:

> Thirteen years ago I was scrubbing minnow tanks at Christopherson’s Bait Shop. My bro was able to get me this signed note from my idol Al Lindner that said, “Hi Brett, Have a great fishing season and good luck on your ‘guiding’ career.”

> Now I’m fortunate enough to call this man both a friend and colleague. Dreams really can come true!

There’s actually more ways to break into the biz than you’d think. Learn how at the first-ever Fishing Career Workshop and maybe even win ya some prizes if you register before Aug 31. #Dibs

2. WI: Father/son team wins Green Bay AIM.

Guy Engebretson and his 14yo son Cole sacked up 82.02-lbs [!] of walleye to take home the “W” and $8,500 payday:

> We were fishing Chambers Island on the north side, 16-20′ on the steep breaks. There had to be rocks. We were jigging the whole time using 15-lb braid with a 12-lb fluoro leader about 6′ with #3 Moonshine Shiver Minnows.

> We used 6 different color patterns that had purple and they all worked. If it didn’t have purple it wouldn’t catch a fish. I never put my trolling rods in the water.

Way to get it done guys!

3. MN: Lake of the Woods report.

> Spinners with crawlers and pulling crankbaits in the 28-31′ mud is doing the best. Areas south of Garden Island are great and the reefs on fire! Gold, glow, crayfish, and bright colors continue to fill coolers.

> Up at the NW Angle, fishing is showing no signs of slowing down. UV colors in 26-30′ are smashing fish with a good bite near Little Oak.

I’m (Brett) up at Flag Island Resort with Brad Hawthorne right now and he’s spanking ’em on the new “clear tip orange” Northland Butterfly Blades. Hope he’s in a sharing mood today!

4. ND: Devils Lake report.

Can catch ’em a variety of ways right now: pulling leadcore, with Jigging Raps or even slip-bobbers. Read the detailed report right here.

5. MN: New solar-powered cleaning stations.

Guess it’s the next big thing in the never-ending invasive species battle. Think the zebra mussel sniffing dogs will be out their jobs?

6. ON: 2,000 lbs of rotting fish found…

…decomposing in abandoned gill net on Lake Erie. Seriously people?!

Tip of the Day

> It’s the dog days of August, and catching walleyes seems to get harder and harder. [Most] anglers run cranks and work deep water…however they’ll go where the food is and that can definitely be the shallows.

> Shallow is a relative term based on the lake. On a lake that is 10-15′ deep, shallow might be 1-2′, whereas a lake that has depths over 30′, shallow might be 8-10′ or 3-4′.

> In the heat of the summer on shallow lakes of 10-15′, the water can become incredibly warm, so warm in fact that the walleyes search for cooler territory. Shallow vegetation of the baitfish and equally important is the additional oxygen given off by the vegetation.

> I find the best shorelines to be the ones that have a sharp 1-2 foot drop to a small shelf before dropping off to deeper water.

> You may not be able to trigger these fish during the heat of the day. It might be an early morning, late evening or night bite…[but] they’re there for the taking.

> Four approaches work when fishing for walleyes in the shallows: using a slip-bobber, casting crankbaits, casting jigs and using the dropshot method. Of the four, the two presentations I use most are casting jigs and using the drop shot method.

> The other presentation I prefer is to drop shot on the deep side of the weeds with a weedless hook and drop shot a Power minnow or worm.

Quote of the Day

Girls aren’t complicated…just tell them they’re beautiful and take them fishing.

– What Precious Kaczor said in her caption on this photo. Love it:

Today’s ‘Eye Candy

West Virginia kickin’ out some serious chompers with guide Bo Wolfe:

Random

Bear punched in face after it followed a 2-year-old into house.

Also acceptable if said bear is bringing all his friends to your secret fishing spot?
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Who is Target Walleye/Ice?
Target Walleye/Ice — 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/Ice. 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

To send us walleye pics, ice shots or whatever, just respond to this email or click here to email us. Or post it on the Target Walleye Facebook page.

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