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If you’re getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up!
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It’s GO TIME on the Rainy River!
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Earlier this week, the county busted-up the shore ice and opened the Nelson Park (Birchdale) access on the Rainy River to bigger boats…. 👀 So we dropped EVERYTHING yesterday and zipped up for a quick half-day of fishing. Literally spent more time behind the windshield than actually fishing 🤣 but was for sure worth it.
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Water clarity was around 2′ and the current was as sloooow as I’d ever seen it. Lot of folks were catching fish on jigs in 9-12′ along the edge of the main river channel and sand dunes….
But we opted for the skinny-water bite. Found ’em in 4-7′ on top of a gravely flat loaded with all sorts of snags: boulders, tree stumps, branches, you name it. 💯 Gotta love bass fishing for walleyes!
No idea why, but I honestly can’t recall EVER seeing anyone throw hardbaits on the Rainy?! 🤷♂️ A technique that dominates early-spring on most-all other river systems where there’s a spring spawning run and the walleye-fishing season is still open. So of course I had to give it a shot:
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…rare “golden crappie?!” Caught by Tom Smith, which is a great alias btw 🤣. I’d have a tough time not adding it to the man cave ‘cuz I can’t imagine you’d ever run into another one like it:
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How? Why??
> “The consensus [from several fisheries biologists] is this is a genetic color mutation which may be a response to the dark color stain (naturally occurring organic acids) present in the water system.”
Willy Wonka was rumored to be interested in the fish….
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Don’t forget to “summerize” your ice-fishing gear.
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It can be easy to pile all your ice schtuff in the corner of the garage and leave it for next year – I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been “that guy” and it cost me…never again.
Taking the time to properly “summerize” your gear can save you from a big headache next season…so I’m bringing back this TargetWalleye.com write-up, few excerpts below:
Portable fish house storage
> If you’re running a flip-over-style shack, odds are the bottom of your sled is preeeetty gross…take a deck scrub brush with a little warm + soapy water and clean out those nasty crevices.
> One of the biggest killers from long-term shack storage is moisture…ultimately leading to mold. Set your shack(s) up in the yard on a sunny day and really let ’em air out/dry – neighbors might look at you funny but it works.
> Throw some dryer sheets and cheap car air fresheners in your shack to keep the rodents out. Shouts to Brad Hawthorne for the tip! Throws 8-10 of ’em and a pair of air fresheners in each shack…likes the Gain ones ‘cuz they smell horrible (lol).
Rods, reels and tackle
> Dial back the drags on your reels…increases the longevity of drag systems.
> Leaving line on ice reels over the off-season can leave you with a coiled mess come first ice. Way easier to strip the line off your reels now and start fresh come next season. Also the perfect time to grease/oil your reels. It’s cheap and can add years to your gear.
> I like to take all my reels off my ice rods and store separately. You can fit a pile of rods securely in a hard case….
Augers
> Electric augers: Charge your batteries throughout the off season – monthly if possible – to get the most out of ’em. Same goes for electronics.
> Gas augers: Be sure to change the oil and clean the spark plugs. Some like to drain any remaining gas and add fuel stabilizer – making sure to pump through the fuel lines with the primer bulb.
> Draining gas can be a huge pain and sometimes do more harm than good. It can dry out and crack gaskets, and seals…or invite corrosion = no bueno.
> Additives like Sea Foam or AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer fight fuel deterioration and can “help keep fuel fresh for up to 12 months…prevents the formation of varnish and sludge…eases starting process when taken out of storage.” Only takes 1-oz to treat 2.5 gallons of fuel that contains up to 10% ethanol.
That’s how you summerize…here’s how we summarize: Without fuel stabilizer, your motor could get:
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Spring cleaning when you’re a fish-head.
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Do you remember us sharing this snap on how Tim Ktytor does spring cleaning at his Lake Sakakawea cabin?
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1. Say “hello” to the new guy! 😎😏
Got sick of Nick Miltimore winning all the local walleye derbies, so decided we wanted him on our team (lol). Nick is coming onboard at Target Walleye to assist with promotions, sales and videos. Pumped to have you, Nick!
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> Beating an NAIFC field once is tough…consistently finishing in front of the pack over multiple events is truly an accomplishment.
No doubt they earned it. Congrats!
4. ND: It’s almost game-time at Devils Lake.
What many consider the walleye shore-fishing capital of the world, and guess what? The season never closes. #Jackpot
It’s looking like the shore game could be a reality asap:
> Normally Devils Lake would brag about 40″ of ice in early March. With 24″ at best currently and shorelines, flooded roadbeds, pressure ridges and cracks opening up, the seasons are changing.
I actually wouldn’t be surprised if there were already folks making it happen near bridges/current areas….
5. WTHeck is “Syncork?”
If you’ve never had the chance to hold a rod with a Syncork handle before, you’re missing out! Gregg Thorne actually developed the schtuff in 2005. The term “game changer” gets thrown around far too much in the fishing industry, but this stuff is legit:
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> “Syncork (made in the USA) is synthetic-based duplication of natural cork. It’s lighter in physical weight, extremely sensitive and durable enough to last many lifetimes.
> “…cannot absorb water, dry out or rot, and is resistant to UV rays and other chemicals and products commonly used in fishing situations. It also provides a far superior grip – especially when your hands are wet from rain, cold from frigid temps or slick with fish slime….”
6. Little more info on Pure Fishing’s buy of Plano.
Their third acquisition in 2 years under the ownership of private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
7. FishUSA has NFT Long-Shank Fire-Balls in stock…
…for you shiner-pitchers. I will forever be a sucker for the “UV purple tiger” color. #Works
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8. BC closing entire lake to fishing because bass found.
> “Provincial policy is to close any fisheries with new detections of invasive species. By prohibiting the use of illegal fisheries created by illegal introductions, we remove that incentive for people to transport fish between water bodies.”
And if you’re caught playing “bucket biologist” it’s not just a slap on the wrist:
> “People convicted of a first offense can be fined up to $100K and/or 1 year in prison.”
9. They call permanent fish houses “Bobhouses” in NH?
That’s a new one for me. It’s sorta interesting how depending where you’re at across the ice belt, they could be called: Shanties, wheelhouses, permies, shacks…you name it.
10. Have you put together a fishing equipment inventory?
Probably should for the sake of insurance…can save you from a big headache if something should ever happen (fire, theft, wreck, etc). Check out this post to see how and why – would be terrified to see those final numbers though $$$:
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How to catch late-ice crappies you can’t graph.
Last-chance slabs! 👀 If you still have fish-able ice in your area…. Soon as the water starts to run back into the holes, panfish make a break for skinny water. Here’s how Jason Mitchell catches crappies you probably don’t even know are there:
> Often those fish will be suspended just under the ice where they won’t even show up on your electronics. Too often anglers get in the habit of dropping their bait right down to the bottom and right past these fish.
> Crappies may come in so high that they actually need to roll sideways to hit the bait to avoid bumping into the ice above. This is one of the best opportunities you’re going to get for aggressively feeding crappies each winter.
> Target these high-riders by fishing them from the top down – using a long rod to dip the bait just 1-2′ under the ice before you move on, never needing to touch the reel in-between holes.
> I like to fish horizontal jigs and longer-profile soft plastics this time of year so that they glide and swim like a small minnow vs quivering like an insect or invertebrate.
> Slide the palomar knot towards the jig – which goes against everything you’ve read. But causes the jig to really dart and slide out more on the stroke.
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One of Jason’s favorites is the Clam Drop-Kick Jig. No matter which tungsten jig you’re using, it’s important to make sure they’re tuned, just like you would a crankbait in the open water.
Thanks for the info, Jason!
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It’s an awkward time of year for most of us – stuck somewhere between rotting ice and no open-water to dump the boat into – hang in there:
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Welcome to Utah Gravel Lizards 101 with Julian Pinney – this one courtesy of a Rapala X-Rap. Not many places you can walleye-fish with a backdrop like this:
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Good luck this weekend if you’re getting out! And BE SAFE.
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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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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, 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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