Think bass have a monopoly on frogs? Think again.... You might remember this wild shot of a fall walleye getting its Frogger on:

Folks have actually been targeting these frog-eaters for yeeeears...they just don’t tell the rest of us about it LOL.

Luckily for us, Jim Edlund hooked up with Devils Lake guide Jason Feldner to get the deets on the little-known technique of frog fishing for walleyes:

> Each fall armies of leopard frogs migrate from woodlands to water where they burrow into soft bottom for winter. ...on many Sept and Oct nights across the Midwest, there are countless miles of unexploited shorelines lined with walleyes waiting for the kill. ...skinny, marshy water, areas you wouldn’t normally associate with fall walleye fishing.

> I first experienced the annual frog migration/walleye connection as a kid. My dad and his buddies would shoulder a gunny sack of frogs and set up camp on the north end of a lake just outside of town. Over a few beers and bologna sandwiches they’d swap stories around a campfire, watching the tips of long fiberglass rods planted into improvised rod holders.

> The rigs weren’t rocket science: a hook, a 10-12” mono leader, barrel swivel, and a 3/8- to 1/2-oz egg sinker. Sometimes the fish were close to shore, other times a bit farther out. Duck hunting waders made it easier to get additional casting distance and land big walleyes.

> Like fall shore walleye fishing in general, froggin’ for fall walleyes has fallen under the radar in today’s high-tech world – which is really too bad, it’s a heck of a good time.

Location:

> Areas to investigate include bays of larger lakes, river backwaters, and shorelines only a road crossing away from wetlands mixed with woods or pasture land.

> Guide Jason Feldner says that Devils Lake, ND has a good frog-walleye bite that old-school anglers have kept on the down-low for years. The same deal applies to countless other lakes in the Dakotas and west-central MN.

> Jason: “I typically look for cattail areas, which have a softer bottom and is where frogs are going to hibernate. If you see frogs crossing the road towards water, just follow them.

> “The first frost is a good marker for the frog bite....

> “Although the old-timers mostly fished at night from the shore, there can be a good frog bite during the day from a boat, too. I just trim up my big motor, use my bow-mount Minn Kota and Talon down in the soft-bottomed bays.

> “As far as the night fishing goes, fishing a couple days before or after the full moon is hard to beat.”

Rigs:

> Feldner’s main live frog set-ups include a Lindy-style live bait rig or a jig head w/stinger hook combo, each fished on 8-lb mono. The first approach is set-it-and-forget-it – the jig head set-up is fan-casted and worked back to the shore or boat in a slow jigging or swimming fashion.

> “Some days the walleyes like the Lindy Rig, other days they like ‘Kermit’ on a jig. You’ll cover more water with the jig head and stinger hook, but there’s something to be said for letting that frog swim on a tether around a bell sinker.

> “I hook the frog through the top lip only, sometimes with a weedless-style hook so the frog can still breathe but stays impaled to the hook.”

I believe when he’s talking about “weedless-style hooks” he means something similar to this Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap Weedless hook which basically pins the bait in. I’ve used this exact hook before (fished weightless) when pitching BIG, expensive creek chubs into shallow water for late-fall walleye:

When to set the hook:

> “When they hit it, they hit hard once...that’s the kill. The second hit is when they inhale it. So, don’t set the hook until that second thump.”

You got all that, Kemit?

Btw you don’t have to actually fish with frogs to take advantage of the fact that fish will be hanging out (and feeding!) in these marshy, froggy areas.... Go and catch 'em how you want to!

A: Probably ‘cuz it was chasing you if it was this big.

Those are bass-head Clark Reehm’s size 11s next to that ‘crawler-opotamus...had hundreds of ’em covering his LA driveway. Thing would look like a dang wind turbine pulled on slow-death hook.

Only know one guy that’s not impressed:

Throw that baby on a 54/0 hook with a 7-lb bottom-bouncer and hold on!

Speaking of bottom-bouncers....

Here’s a slick storage hack using those pipe cleaner dealios from an arts-and-crafts store.

That Julia Anna carved using “sharpened clay-carving tools.” She said it took her just 3-4 hours, which is basically how long it takes me to do a normal scrubby one lol.

Just incredible. Talk about talent!

There’s literally no easier time to catch crappies than late fall when water temps dip into the 40s and they pile into (and around the edges of) deep holes.

Hit ’em in the face with smaller #3 Rapala Jigging Raps...drop a waypoint...and don’t forget to come back once there’s 4” of ice. It’s waaaay easier to find those first-ice spots now versus drilling 200 holes thru the hard stuff.

Btw - you don’t need fancy sonar to put the hammer down on fall slabs. Traditional 2D sonar or Down Imaging works fantastic. Shoot, hang your ice unit over the edge of the boat!

Here’s an example I posted of my Humminbird HELIX (a few falls back) after idling around to track down a school of deep, basin-dwelling crappies:

And here’s a quick little breakdown of why the screen looks the way it does, and why the “marks” changed size and shape.

I can taste the fish tacos already!

1. MotorGuide is done

I was curious why I didn't see any MG while down at ICAST....

2. BRP is selling Alumacraft

3. MB: This dude found a stolen vehicle...

...while Garmin LiveScope snooping around Netley Creek. Can clearly see it sitting upside down on the river bottom in this short video:

Apparently they let RCMP know, and it was pulled out the next day:

There goes somebody's secret fishing spot.

4. OH: Last chance to enter the Lake Erie Fall Brawl!

5. MB: Red River Greenback Classic is today

17th-annual derby on the Red River with hundreds of folks registering their single biggest fish of the day for a chance at thousands of $$$ in prizes. I can’t wait to see the biggest “greenback” walleyes that come in!

6. MB: Selkirk Walleye Championship is THIS WEEKEND

On the Red River. Catch-photo-release format, 2-person teams, with a 4-fish bag of their longest walleyes each day. $10K to 1st place!

7. TN: How southerners troll plugs for walleye

Sounds like they target walleyes in Tennessee the same way we do up here, only they don't have to wear ice suits when fall trolling at night lol.

8. Lund offering some major contingency money...

...in a pile of walleye derbies next season thru their 2025 Champion’s Club contingency program.

9. Yamaha is still playing with hydrogen

> "...exploring new possibilities for carbon-neutral marine products...."

10. John Augustiniak is Yamaha's new GM

11. Striker expanding its open-water lineup

12. How sick is this 3D printed Merc?!

Posted by EMT on FB:

> “Off day shenanigans. We designed this outboard/stand sculpture on blender and 3D printed the first one a while back. Using the off day to sand and get some genuine Mercury paint on it. True Verado silver lower unit and true phantom black engine. Lettering will be hand brushed. About 15” tall and weighs 4 lbs.”

Man, I would never leave my house again if I had a 3D printer LOL. I could see it being insanely addicting.

13. Hypothermia vs hyperthermia

Where I live, I feel like you could be subject to both in the same day this time of year.

14. AL: 2024 Crappie Expo, Nov 1-3

At the Branson Convention Center. Attracts more than 100 vendors and up to 25,000 fishing enthusiasts to the 3-day show.

> The Crappie Expo is held in conjunction with the Mr. Crappie $300K Invitational Classic. The 2024 Classic is to be held at Table Rock Lake. The Mr. Crappie Invitational Classic is the world richest crappie tournament with anglers from all over the southern United States competing to win $100K for 1st place.

> The World’s Largest Crappie Fry is held on the Saturday of the Expo each year. This year’s Crappie Fry will be Nov 2, 2024 from 11am - 2pm. Fried crappie fillets, Savannah Hushpuppies and fresh fries!

How social media has ruined more fishing than technology.

Interesting read from Jason Sealock in that ^ Wired2fish post.

Joel Nelson: Find ice-fishing spots right now.

SPOTS, not necessarily fish! But sometimes both:

> Our mobility is better than it’s ever been as ice anglers, but it’s drastically limited by the need to drill a hole to gather info. So why not put in the work when it’s easy?

> Using electronics from a boat to find fish – more importantly find areas that will gather fish – is far easier on a 60°F fall day than a 10°F winter one.

> Many times these locations are consistent producers during all months, yet others are specifically good for ice, like: shallow transitions from mud-to-sand, or sand-to-rock, as well as small gravel or rock patches in shallow weeds.

> Early-ice fish push to these places, especially after sundown in clear-water systems. Spots no larger than a kitchen table can seem impossible to drill out and find, while they stick out like a sore thumb on side-scan.

> Side-scan technology could be the #1 asset to an ice angler this time of year, as few things hide from it. If you don’t own this technology, chances are you know someone who does and you could get out for a day on the boat with them.

> Harder-bottom areas generally show up brighter or “whiter” (timber, fish-cribs, or other sunken gems). Soft bottom shows up darker. You’re looking for any break or transition in the substrate – the more sudden that change is, the more valuable it can be.

> Shallow water usually provides the first opportunities to fish on safe ice, so don’t worry about anything more than 15′ at first.

> Think about how/where you access the water-body. Focus on the areas immediately adjacent to shore...chances are (even if you’re walking out) your spots will be need to be within a 1/2 mile of your access point.

Funny pic from Future Angler Foundation – the kids are counting on you!

You ready? @rapalaiceusa snap:

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great + safe weekend!!

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026