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Like I said in the last TW, sorry for the off-schedule sends this week! Had a couple of sick days but still been trying to jam it all in. Let's get into it!
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Cracking the code on Leech Lake’s midwinter bite
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If you’ve fished Leech Lake – or even thought about fishing it – you’ve probably heard the name Josh Bullivant. He’s the manager and head guide at Trapper’s Landing Lodge, located on the south shore of Leech Lake in Walker, MN.
His brain is packed full of the fishy kind of knowledge that only comes from living it every single day, so we tapped into it to bring you some tricks to hopefully help you put some more fussy midwinter fish topside. Full write-up here on TargetWalleye.com, but I’ll plop a few juicy excerpts below for what’s working right now:
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Locations, depth ranges and structure
> Josh: “I have been fishing very clear water conditions and having good success, especially during the daytime hours. It seems counterintuitive, but those ultra-clear lakes have good weed growth and good oxygen zones because of the lack of snowfall this season. Those fish hanging in the weeds are there for one reason, and that is to eat. ...they tend to get overlooked in the wintertime.”
> “For walleyes in midwinter, it depends on your style of fishing. If you’re bringing your wheelhouse and truck up, you want to be in 16-25′, finding a rock/sand transition on one of the many rock reefs...[most recently] Rogers Point, Vipers Tooth, Huddles Reef have been the most consistent bite for us.
If you’re bopping around in portables and want a shot at catching your new PB (personal best) walleye, get on top of shallow rockpiles or weed edges in less than 12′ and keep quiet.
> “A trick for anglers – keep the lights to a minimum. I’ve had a lot of guys tell me they catch fish as soon as they go to sleep and turn off the lights.”
Find the bait, find the fish
> “For walleye, it comes down to where the young-of-the-year perch are hanging out. They start moving to those edges where the bugs and smaller crayfish are. Using a camera or forward-facing sonar to locate these baitfish schools and setting up on them is key to an evening bite.”
> “Most of the time, those young perch start moving out to the deeper edges of the structure around mid-January. That’s when you really start seeing the walleyes follow.”
Baits and presentations
> “Mid-season, I tend to go towards a slower-falling lure or jigging spoon like a VMC Hatchet Spoon [couple of his favorite Leech Lake colors are Glow Voodoo Haze and Glow Juicy Lucy], Northland Coffin Spoon, or Northland Thumper Spoon tipped with a minnow head. The slower fall and flash can help trigger the bite.”
> “I like to downsize my jigging spoons for walleye this time of year, but when you do that, they come with smaller hooks. Replacing them with a bigger treble will increase your hookup percentage.”
Line choice matters – Josh runs 8-lb fluorocarbon because Leech’s clear water demands stealth.
> “Another trick – replace the treble hook with a single larger hook. You can thread on the minnow head, and the action that creates really entices the fish.”
If you’re not getting bites, don’t be stubborn. Slow things down and mix in a deadstick.
> “I also always have a full minnow on a bobber rod [deadstick, tip-up, rattle reel, etc] somewhere nearby. I draw them in jigging, but they often prefer that slow-moving minnow over the jigging rod.”
> “With deadsticks, a good 3-4” minnow is key, and don’t be afraid to put that minnow sometimes up to 3′ off the bottom. The water is super clear, and a lot of fish are used to seeing baitfish higher up.”
Josh Bullivant lives and breathes this stuff 😤 and knows Leech Lake inside and out. You can keep reading the rest of the write-up here or by clicking the pic below:
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Ice fishing for arctic grayling in ARIZONA?! 🤯
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Never have I ever! 🖐️
I mean ICE fishing in Arizona is already about as crazy as it gets lol. I legit had to look at a map of the US of A just to get my ice-belt bearings:
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But then to also catch gorgeous specimens like this? Incredible:
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This walleye’s eyes were WAY bigger than its stomach 😂
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Was sent this one from Jeff Dierenfeld (thx!) who said:
> Got these pics from a friend of mine, who hooked up a large shiner on a dead stick while fishing Lake of the Woods this week. The intent was "big bait, big fish". Well, as you can see, it didn't turn out that way. This little fella T-boned the shiner and just BARELY snagged the hook while making the attempt at the oversized meal. Got a good laugh out of it, anyway!
Didn't even notice the walleye in the pic at first!
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So that’s how they grow so big on Lake of the Woods! Here’s another angle of the greedy bugger:
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I wish they all had that kind of attitude.
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Fishing the shady vs sunny side of mud flats. 🤔
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Little, interesting nugget I’ve only heard talked about maybe one other time in 10-ish years....
> Guide Kyle Lynn: “We’re fishing the shadows of the flats. With the morning sun just coming up, it’s casting a big shadow. On these mudflats you can have some 4’, 5’, 6’ rises and we’re finding these walleyes are cruising the inside of the mudflats in the shadow – they’re not wanting to relate to the sunny side of it. Watch the sun, pay attention to the ledges, and fish the shadows....”
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Super interesting! And something I think 99.9% of folks probably pay zero attention to.
Oh, and here’s a big, slimy Mille Lacs unicorn that I’m sure loves lurking in the shadows lol:
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On-ice wedding proposal 💍
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Was sent this one from Craig Hoffbeck and just had to share with you fish-heads. His son Hunter landed his best catch yet, and did so in ice-fishing style:
> “Thought I’d share the exciting news in our family, our son Hunter proposed a week ago out in Gull Lake while ice camping and walleye fishing! She said yes!! They both enjoy the outdoors fishing, hiking, camping, ice camping, etc.”
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> “ ...asked her to go pick out a rod and get ready to fish after they were all set up. Guess you could say he dropped the hammer!”
Which is a really clever ACME Hyper-Hammer TT reference. 👏👏👏
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Those size 6 VMC (split-)rings are shinier than I remember.... Lol congrats to both!!!
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1. MN: Here’s the truck-winning fish!
I shared some details in the last Target Walleye on how Siera Romine caught the single heaviest fish (out of 12,000-ish people) at the 35th-annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza last weekend on Gull Lake. The 5.85-lb walleye ate a Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon in 15’ of water, which meant Siera won a brand new truck from Mills Automotive Group.
Mentioned how I couldn’t find a single picture of the fish anywhere, and Andrew Romine ended up hitting me with the goods (thanks man!) here she be. 🔥
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Love it. BIG congrats again on catching the fish of a lifetime!
2. VT: Methane fire injures 3 during ice fishing trip
New fear unlocked. 😳
> The Wilmington Police Department said an adult and two children were ice fishing at the Harriman Reservoir on the morning of Feb 1 when they were injured in a vapor cloud flash fire.
> Investigators were able to speak with the person who helped the victims off the ice, who told officers that they had personally witnessed several instances of pockets of methane gas burning and igniting after being released from holes in the ice's surface.
> Police later learned that other people had also experienced flash burns of methane while ice fishing in the area, but none had been reported to the authorities until the investigation was opened.
3. Ice-rescue hero gifted fishing suit 💯
Ice-belt hero Kyle Peterson (who rescued a couple after their UTV broke thru the ice on Okoboji) was gifted a CS-One All Season Performance Suit from Cold Snap Outdoors.
> “Kyle, we salute you, and feel better knowing we share the outdoors with souls as good as yours.”
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Very cool!
4. AIM walleye tourney organization is hiring
> AIM is in search of a career minded individual who has interest in the operations of our business. This is an entry level part-time position that will migrate to full time for the correct individual. It would require a clean driving record and be free to travel with the current director across the upper Midwest most weekends from April thru September. They would assist and learn from the current director all aspects of the job. Some computer knowledge needed. The candidate will know how to work without supervision, and get the job done. Must be personable and outgoing. Public speaking a must. A future will be taught to the right candidate. Is that you? Email resume to info@aimfishing.com
5. ON: "Made in Canada" Tackle Show THIS Sunday
That’s Sunday, Feb 9 at the Bradley Centre in Chatham:
> A unique fishing show designed to showcase the Canadian Tackle industry and the varied products they develop and manufacture.
6. Minn Kota spring promo deal now extended to ULTREX 👀
Was just Terrova QUEST.
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7. Buy 2 spools of Berkley line, get 1 free
Only on Berkley's site, and DOES include their new Forward Braid.
8. Jeff Dunn new CMO at Sportsman's Warehouse
Chief merchandising officer. Jeff spent 25 yrs in merchandising with Walmart and Sam’s Club.
9. MA’s launching a pilot program...
...to define outdoor industry jobs and expand career pathways:
> Maine Outdoor Brands (MOB) and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) have teamed up to launch a new pilot program aimed at strengthening Maine’s outdoor recreation workforce by defining and promoting outdoor jobs. This initiative will focus on research, partnerships, and innovative tools to expand career pathways in the state’s growing outdoor sector.
Interesting factoid: Outdoor recreation contributes $3.4 billion (3.7%) to Maine’s GDP and employs 29,863 people.
10. WI: Milwaukee Muskie Expo, Feb 14-16
At Washington County Fair Park.
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Generator tips for ice fishing with a wheelhouse
Some great info in this Catch Cover blog post to keep you running smoothly:
> Advanced lithium batteries and solar power are on the cusp of changing how we power our fish houses. But we’re not quite there yet and the vast majority of wheelhouse ice fishing is done with generators. Here are 5 tips to keep your generator running smoothly during the ice fishing season.
The Right Setup
> Getting the generator set up away from your fish house can help in several different ways. First, it’s more stealthy. Even quiet generators create noise and vibration that can be heard and felt by both fish and the people in the fish house. I like to keep my generator sitting on the tailgate of my truck, 25 feet or more from the fish house on the downwind side of the house. I don’t want to breathe in the fumes from the generator and I can position my truck to provide a bit of a windbreak for the generator. If I need to make any kind of adjustment in the dark, it’s easy to pop on the truck bed lights to see what I’m doing. A rubber mat under the generator eliminates even more vibration.
Remove The Air Filter
> The dust, dirt, and debris that could find their way into your generator during the summer months on a camping trip are virtually non-existent in an ice fishing scenario. Removing the air filter prevents that area from freezing up and causing sensors in the generator to trigger a stall. Keep the air filter in an air-tight bag during the winter and be sure to reinstall it before summer use.
Change The Oil
> The oil in generators should be changed at the start of every ice fishing season. New generators should have the oil changed after 30 hours of run time. After that, every 100 hours. So if you’re running your generator from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, you should probably change the oil every 2 trips. The good news is, changing the oil is easy and generators don’t use a lot of oil.
Change The Plug
> Installing an NGK Spark Plug or any other spark plug that runs a little hotter can help when using a generator during winter months. Regularly changing the spark plug will keep your generator running at peak performance. Spark plugs should be changed every 200 hours. If you do a lot of ice fishing, it doesn’t take long to hit 200 hours. The best way to keep an eye on this is to change the spark plug every other time you change the oil.
Off Season Care
> If you don’t use the generator during the summer months, be sure to run the gas low before storing the generator. Storing a generator or any other engine with a full tank of gas is a bad idea. It’s also smart to start the generator once a month. You don’t have to run it long. Just fire it up to keep the parts moving regularly.
> These are great tips to help you get the most from your generator during the ice fishing season. But as always, follow your manufacturer’s owner’s manual.
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Groundhog Day was last Sunday, and ol’ Punxsutawney Phil says we’ve got 6 more weeks of winter ice fishing...but the PA Game Commission says he might not make it that long. More like 3-4 hours on low ‘til he’s fork tender. 😅
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How about Trey Fridgen hitting the bumpboard with another dirty-30?! Caught out of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba of course 👀 if you somehow didn't notice its green back. Props man! What a unit:
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Sign up another fish-head!
If you're forwarding Target Walleye to a friend who loves to walleye fish or want your fishing buddies to get these emails, just send us their email addresses and we'll take care of it! (We won't sell the addresses, use them for spam, etc.)
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FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
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Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye 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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