Just in time for hardwater, how ’bout a warm (ice cold?) re-welcome back to Catch Cover, Aqua-Vu, Eskimo/Ion and Clam! Also give a big fish-head welcome to new TW supporters Travel Manitoba and Vexan/Tackle Industries! Wow! We can’t thank our sponsors and you enough but…thank you!
In case you’re wondering what it takes to be a Target Walleye sponsor: Good folks with good products we like and think you’ll like, and who “get” what we do in these Target Walleye/Ice emails.
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Willy Duncan and Richard Whyte took home the mega win(nings) on Tobin Lake, SK with a 2-day bag of 49.37 lbs, fattening up their wallets by $108K [!!!] after bonuses. We got Willy-D on the ringer last night to get the deets on how they did it:
> “Everyone was pretty much doing the same thing: Lindy Rigging with leeches. It was a grind…only caught maybe 15 fish both days. Knew the fish were there…it was just a matter of being there when they ‘went.'”
Leeches this time of year?! Yup. ‘Cuz no live minnows are allowed in Saskatchewan. Water temps were just reaching 57 degrees, nearing the end of the leech bite and the beginning of when Jigging Raps and jig/minnow combos should start to shine.
> “We were fishing more on the river portion of Tobin…it’s a river channel with a breakline through it that falls off into 24′.
> “First day we were more at the end of that where the river opens up into the lake. The channel break sort of goes away and it’s just a big slot. Our shallowest fish day 1 was probably 11-12′, but 14-15′ was best.
> “The next day we were the last flight out…probably 30-40 boats fishing near that spot…so we started farther down where we marked some big fish pre-fishing. Had our 1st ‘over’ [the slot] right away, and were culling fish on the first drift.”
Here’s an actual pic of their spot the next morning (okay not really, but close):
Caught ’em rigging with a 6-lb Stren MagnaThin mainline and 1/4-oz and 3/8-oz bullet weights (depending on wind), using a 8-9′ snell of 6-lb P-Line CX Premium Fluoro. Was a picky bite so the long snell got the bait farther away from all the hardware.
Speaking of a picky bite: they had to fish their #8 Owner SSW Super Needle Point Hooks “naked” without beads. Said (unlike pre-fishing) he couldn’t buy a bite until after he took the single orange bead off his snell. #fussy
They drifted with the current at 0.3-0.6 mph and had to feed the “super light bites” 40-50′ of line before setting the hook. Even then sometimes they were just “holding onto the end of the leech.”
Willy’s been fishing tourneys for 25 years and didn’t win his first one until THIS YEAR:
> “Words can’t describe it. The money’s nice, but my name on that trophy is forever. Doesn’t matter if you’re a new angler or Keith Kavajecz, you have to have 2 solid days. We didn’t catch a whole pile, but we caught the right 10…and it was our turn.”
What does a $108K payday taste like? We’re guessing like Kokanee or Labatt Blue:
Lol congrats guys, well deserved!!
Side note: What’s it going to take for walleye tournaments to have fish pics?!?!
Feeshin’ couple of the week!
Did someone ask for Tobin Lake fish pics? Shoutin’ out TW fans Manny and Tanya, who always seem to be spankin’ massive razorbacks and aren’t afraid to let us know it lol! Earlier this week they cracked a pair of Tobin giants that combined for 62″:
Manny caught his 30″ with a Northland Whistler Jig and Tanya stuffed the 32 [!] on a Fire-Ball Jig. Like usual, Tanya catches the biggest and Manny catches these:
lol!
Catch more harvest moon walleyes.
Bust out those trolling rods — October’s full moon is happening tomorrow — this week’s night-bite should be one of the best of the year. The Technological Angler’s harvest moon walleyes write-up is plump full of great info to help you stick a big glassy-eyed wallwolf. Full write-up here, but a few excerpts below:
> “Rapidly-cooling water temps, dying shallow weeds and annual movements of baitfish/perch bring large numbers of walleyes to the shallows — ready to be tempted by crankbaits.
> “A good starting speed for Oct full-moon trolling (assuming water temps are in the low- to mid-50s) is 1.6-1.8 mph. If your favorite waters are warmer, bump it up to 2 mph. Likewise, if a midweek cold front has knocked the water temps down a bunch, then drop down to 1.6-1.8 mph.
> “There’s a number of ways to get down into the proper speed range without having to constantly take the main motor into and out of gear. My favorite method is called the ‘bow brake.’
> “Drop your Minn Kota bowmount trolling motor into the water and turn the lower unit perpendicular. This will knock 0.2-0.3 mph off your trolling speed to help you hit the sweet spot. Just don’t forget to stow it before you motor to your next spot!
> “On very clear walleye waters, consider pulling natural patterns to ensure that more walleye encounters end with bites….The hyper-realistic LIVETARGET Yellow Perch crankbait is perfect when water temps are in the 60s to mid-50s.
> “Later in the fall — or after a severe cold front — select a bait with a long, slender profile and subtle action, like the LIVETARGET Rainbow Smelt Jerkbait.
> “Use the available moonlight to help you select a finish. A bright night with few clouds calls for a reflective finish…while matte finishes are best on overcast nights with limited moonlight.”
Glad there was limited moonlight when Ted Takasaki was puttin’ his Lund in this day:
…outta Pine Falls. That 1st-place prize o’ $20K wouldn’t stink! As of last night there were only 9 spots left — register here. Can’t wait to see those big greenbacks like this one Scotty Brewer caught:
Speaking of greenbacks: Would you rather catch a 28″+ greenback or win a $1K Cabela’s gift card? There’s actually a way to do both:
> Submit an action photo with your qualifying Master Angler greenback walleye that showcases the species and demonstrates the “wow” factor of fishing in MB. Every qualifying entry has a chance to win a Cabela’s gift card valued at $1,000.
Nick Cekalla and Darold Wodarz won the Walleye Wackers championship on Gull Lake with 16.7 lbs on (4 fish) including their 7.4-lb kicker. Important because:
A) Catching the biggest walleye out of Nick’s boat is super not easy to do.
B) Darold will never let Nick forget it (lol).
C) Lots of people were paying attention to these weight since the Fishing to End Hunger tourney is on Gull this weekend with $22.5K paid out to the top 3 spots.
No surprise that dragging big redtails/creek chubs deep took top 3 in the Walleye Wackers tourney, but the Jigging Rap bite should play a bigger role this weekend with water temps steady droppin’. We’ll keep you posted….
That’s “fined” not “find.” BIG difference…especially if you’re those three…. Pleaded guilty to: fishing without licenses, wanton waste and keeping a # of fish that were in a protected slot. C’mon man! #TiskTisk
…in the western basin. Used to determine the daily possession limits. And…using the buoys as a slalom course while trolling cranks is slightly frowned upon.
Double duty for you waterfowlin’ folks and a lifejacket you’ll actually like to wear. Seriously, lifejackets are useless unless they’re being worn, and this is one you’ll forget is even on:
Any of you catch walleyes outta your duck blind? We’d love to hear about it — drop us a note here.
Great quick tip from Travis Sorokie on how he hooks BIG minnows in the fall to get more action out of ’em — works especially well on calmer, sunshiny days:
Meme of the Day
Warning: You are now entering arguably the best fishing of the season:
*and women.
Today’s ‘Eye Candy
Gloomy, fall days = shiny, gold walleyes:
Caught rigging a 6″ creek chub in 28′ on Gull Lake, MN. Gear: 7′ 3″ ML Favorite Balance spinning rod and reel (budget-friendly combo!), with a 10-lb Sufix 832 Braid mainline, 1-oz egg sinker and swivel to a 42″ Sufix Elite Mono leader. Mono (instead of fluoro) because it floats and helps keep the minnow up. #Money
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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
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