Billfold full of money caught, Dropshot walleye tips, Dogs fish too

Pretty dang crazy story from this write-up talking about a 14-yr-old boy (Connor Halsa) who hooked a billfold full of $2,000 that had been sitting on the bottom of Lake of the Woods for over a YEAR! And it was all returned to the original owner (Jim Denney, a farmer from IA) who had lost it during a charter trip.

> It’s hard to calculate, but the odds are out of this world. One million acres of lake. Seventy miles long, 70 miles wide, and Connor hooked a billfold the size of a deck of cards.

> Denny: “To meet people like that, who are that honest, I tried to get them to take the money, and they wouldn’t do it.”

> Denney gave Connor a fancy cooler, but more than that, he gave the teen a compliment worth much more than the cash found at the bottom of Lake of the Woods.

> “I would take Connor as a grandson any day, and I would fight for him any day.”

> Connor learned some great lessons about himself and doing what’s right.

> “Be nice to everyone and give back. We didn’t work hard for the money, he did. It was his money.”

Can read the full story and watch the video interviews here.

BIG props to that young man for doing the right thing!

Dropshots aren’t just for bass 👀 they’re a simple and efficient way to keep your bait right in front of a walleye’s face and know it’s fishing in the strike zone the whole time. 🎯

They work all year round, but I don’t think there’s a better way to catch finicky, late-summer walleyes (on outside weed-edges and the tops of hard-bottom humps) that may be turning down other presentations.

Bonus points: If you’re fishing with your kids or someone who’s maybe not as experienced, this is the PERFECT way to help them catch a walleye without trolling. Few reasons being 1) the fish will basically set the hook on itself if they just start reeling, 2) don’t need to be a master at jigging cadences, and 3) the bait is always near – but up off of – the bottom.

Brady Kingsland has caught a few walleyes in his day, but this was a first:

Mike Harris said he’s marked that fish on his Humminbird before…

🤣🤣🤣

1. Forrest Leitch and “Hank” had themselves a day 🙌 dropshotting with a half of a nightcrawler. Forrest said, “Never know what you’ll stumble across in these tiny [few hundred-ish acre] northern-MN lakes! I knew this lake was home to a few walleyes, pleasantly surprised to find out there were some big ones.” Pleasant surprise is right:

Start ’em off young. 👊

2. Brittany Peeters catching waldos in northern SK with her blue-eyed fur child! 👏👏👏 Said she caught this one on the “Canadian Classic” aka jig + minnow:

3. Riley Dalzell’s pupdawg, Rip, figured out a new way to cool off – that or he’s trying to catch the fish that Riley already threw in the well haha. Either way he’s legit smiling:

4. Lindsay Martin and her furry friend Gus are cheesin’ with a solid, southeastern-CO saugeye! Pic posted on @eagleclawfishing’s Insta:

5. This miniature Australian shepherd (named Trout!) has more patience for the trolling bite than I do:

6. Enjoy these hot summer days ‘cuz we’ll be walking on water 🕳🥶 before ya know it…and not everyone is as excited about that idea. Shot from @jigsandspoons:

BONUS: Graham Cloutier sees your fishing dogs and raises you a fishing goat! 👀 A goat who apparently has a soft spot for walleyes and nachos LOL:

1. USA: Recreational boating has $230 bil economic impact.

> …a 36% increase in annual economic activity from 2018’s $170 bil to $230 bil in 2023.

> …and a 14% jump in recreational marine industry-related jobs from 691K in 2018 to 812K in 2023.

2. IL: Spring Valley Walleye Club awards $3K scholarship…

…to Ella Biggins, a Marquette Academy senior who “will be attending Benedictine University to pursue her biology degree as she continues to do volunteer work both locally and at college.”

> The Spring Valley Walleye Club will be giving away a minimum of one $1,500 scholarship annually to interested high school seniors who have demonstrated effective, voluntary, long-term dedication to the preservation, protection, enhancement and/or promotion of Illinois’ natural resources.

3. NWT inks deal with CMP Group Ltd.

With their brands Panther Marine and TrollMaster.

4. USDA to purchase 108K lbs of walleye fillets…

…that will be used in the National School Lunch Program and other federal food assistance programs.

5. NY: 14th-annual Women Conquering Outdoor Adventures, Sept 9.

> …the program offers ladies a full day of outdoors-related instruction in specific areas they want to learn about from certified instructors. Participants can select 4 different workshops (based on availability) from a long list of options, including archery, air pistol, basic shotgun, basic rifle, basic pistol, advanced pistol, active shooter response, tomahawk/knife throwing and succulent gardening.

6. Voting is open for the Anglers’ Choice Award.

ICAST (the annual fishing biz trade show) has a “New Product Showcase” each year where companies show-off their new fishing products, and industry folks vote for their favorite “Best of Category” (there’s 37) and overall “Best of Show” award. That has already happened – the 2023 winners are here.

Now there’s a dealio where non-industry folks can vote for their favorite new products (from the 37 category winners) for the ICAST 2023 Anglers’ Choice Best of Show Award. Voting will be online thru ICAST’s website from Aug 20-26. Heads up you do need to create an account to cast your vote.

7. FishUSA end of summer clearance event happening now.

An additional 15% off already discounted prices. Some schtuff is up to 90% off.

8. IN: Academy Sports + Outdoors opened an Indianapolis-area store.

> “This marks the third store Academy has opened in 2023. This fall, Academy will also open the state’s sixth store in Avon, Ind. Academy plans to continue its expansion efforts with the goal of opening 13 – 15 stores this year, and a total of 120 to 140 new stores by the end of 2027.

9. DC: Tackle industry wants folks to weigh-in on lead bans.

10. Vista Outdoor will be rebranded as The Kinetic Group.

11. Quantum’s new senior product engineer = Mark Talwin.

> Industry vet…with over a decade of fishing reel engineering excellence behind him….”

12. Columbia Sportswear hired Tom Gyles as SVP, global distribution network.

> Gyles has over 20 years of logistics and distribution network experience across several industries. He spent the last ten years working in the apparel industry with PVH Corp. and Gap, Inc.

13. NJ power outage caused by a fish. 😅

That was apparently dropped by a bird and landed on a transformer.

Enter to have a shot a winning an Okuma prize package including their all-new Dead Eye Classic “A” rod paired with a 2500 Ceymar HD spinning reel, Line Cutter, and more!

Takes just 10 seconds to enter below and can share the link you get for bonus entries. 👊 Good luck!

How to make braid and leadcore less visible.

Another good reason to keep a Sharpie in the boat. And finally some proof that Ross Robertson can color inside the lines. 😅

“It looks disgusting when the water’s so green that you leave a hole on the surface when you drop your bait through it.”

– That’s guide Jeff Sundin talking about bass walleye fishing during algae blooms throughout Aug and early-Sept…but it’s actually one of his favorite scenarios to target ’em:

> “A lot of people take one look at these conditions and say, ‘Nope, I’m not doing this.’ But if you fish the right spots with the right tactics, algae blooms can produce some of the summer’s most consistent and enjoyable walleye fishing.”

Jeff goes over a whole bunch of specifics on how and where he hits ’em right now in this Dan Johnson In-Fisherman write-up. 🎯

These 3 facial expressions going on in this shot from The Next Bite TV are all so different, yet so awesome in their own way lol. You know it’s a special caliber of fish when even John Hoyer is getting his “whoaaaa” on:

I still think sauger have THE coolest camo. Exhibit 1A from @dennis_kuhn on Insta:

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH