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If you’re getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up!
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Alabama rig walleye = ✅ mission accomplished!
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Finally crossed this one off the fishing bucket list:
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Which btw we can throw the Alabama rig here in MN ( regs), but we can only use 1 hook on the entire get-up…rest of ’em have to be clipped off “dummies.”
So I’m digging this comment from @theitchtofish over on Insta:
> “Looks like some further evidence that color and profile do matter.” 🧐
It’s pretty crazy when you think about it: I had no “bumps” or hits on the rig prior to this wally cracking it…so that means the fish went STRAIGHT for that big 4″ Storm Largo Shad (“electric chicken” color) – on a 3/8-oz VMC Sleek Jig – instead of swiping at the smaller, more-natural looking swimbaits surrounding it. Pretty cool.
Oh, and obviously if I’m busting out the beefy bassin’ gear and 17-lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon I’m not NOT going to work on my boat-flipping game (lol):
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Here’s the quick 5-min vid of it going down – thx much for watching!
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More “bass fishing for walleyes” coming soon-ish, and the next video is a little something that will actually help you catch more fish on your local waters….
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This is why we put up with the long, cold winters here in MN….
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That mess ^ is a HUGE bug hatch (mayflies) that absolutely exploded during weigh-in for our local Walleye Wackers league in Brainerd, MN. Despite the infestation, 20 of the teams brought at least 1 walleye to weigh-in.
I started off the evening going back-to-back on 24-inchers pitching an 1/8-oz Mission Tackle Shiner Jig (parrot color) in 7-14′ cabbage weeds. Amanda stuck 1 more “under” (20″) to go with ’em which landed us in 3rd place with 9.18 lbs. Always seem to be just a bite or 2 short, but a GREAT night regardless. And yup, we released ’em after a quick pic:
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Shiners have been tough to find around here lately, and some spring-ish days it’s what you’ve got to have. So earlier in the day, I zipped over to Tutt’s Bait And Tackle on the NW side of Mille Lacs to pick up a couple dozen for our league that evening. Funny enough I bumped into Jon Thelen who was there doing the same thing.
We got to chatting how yesterday was the first day of the walleye catch-and-release season on Mille Lacs – can’t keep any but can still #TargetWalleye thru the month of June. Here’s our take on why “The Big Pond” is still worth a trip case you somehow still need a little convincing:
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Gotta warn you tho: Bass thumb ain’t got nothing on walleye hands lol. #GillPlates
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Spinner-rig new weeds for early summer walleyes.
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Got scattered fish? Pulling spinners can be a great way to cover water and find where they’re at before they bunch up in their true summer spots.
Fishin’ YouTuber Tom Boley starts by picking out some of the biggest shallow pieces of structure on the lake, and fishes right in the 8-13′ newly emerging weeds. Sometimes the inside or outside edge, but most fish’ll be right in ’em now as the weeds aren’t up too thick/tall yet:
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WTHeck happened to this walleye???
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Whole lot of something goin’ on with this one Colin MacDougall ( @macs_angling) caught – fish somehow still measured 25″ long!
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So that’s why they look like arcs on the graph…. 🤷♂️😏
Some folks say it’s called whirling disease, a trout disease I hadn’t heard of in walleye? Still think it’s caused by playing too much “dizzy bat” as a small-fry….
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Jarrid Houston of Houston’s Guide Service got himself a different kind of bent-tail…looks like it was maybe caused by some kind of injury when it was younger?
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Ya just never know. 👊 Thx Billy!
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1. CAN in no rush to reopen the U.S. border.
> Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “We’re on the right path, but we’ll make our decisions based on the interests of Canadians and not based on what other countries want.”
And it’s sounding more and more like some sort of a “passport” is going to be required when things do open back up. But CAN will make an exception if you’re wearing their new standard-issue uniform (lol):
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2. MN: Head2Head PWS is heading to Mille Lacs!
The live-stream walleye action is kicking off June 7-11 out of Isle, MN. H2H’s Daryl Christensen posted some really cool background info on “The Big Pond” here. I’ve been sneaking around out there (too much 😂) lately and can’t tell you how pumped I am to see how the 32 PWS pros break it down.
Really anything should be in play: pitching plastics to shallow rock and gravel, pounding sand, trolling leadcore or slinging glide baits ( Rapala Jigging Raps, Acme Hyper-Rattles, Moonshine Shiver Minnows, etc) on the mud flats. These fellas and fellettes aren’t allowed to use live bait, but that’s not going to stop them from whacking.
If the mayflies and/or mother nature doesn’t screw things up, I could legit see folks throwing up 100-lb days with just how many 2.0-2.5 lbers there are in the system right now…of course with plenty of big gals mixed in. But I will say that with this string of hot 90°F days coming, I think you’re going to see a big push of fish finally heading out deep. No doubt it’s gonna be a wild ride!
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4. MB proposes banning trophy walleye possession.
> The province-wide regulation means anglers could no longer keep walleye over 70 cm [about 27.56″] in length, and instead could only keep one walleye over 55 cm in length and not exceeding 70 cm. Currently, anglers can keep one walleye over 55 cm, which can include one over 70 cm, depending on the zone and body of water.”
And MB is also proposing “year-round fishing for all species, with the exception of walleye, lake trout, and sturgeon during their spawning season. All other species, including smallmouth bass, northern pike, and channel catfish, would be open year-round.”
5. MN: 2021 charity “MN Fishing Challenge” is this weekend.
> Last year’s teams raised more than $350K [!] to support MN Adult & Teen Challenge’s drug and rehabilitation programs statewide. The cumulative amount generated via this family-friendly tournament since 2009 is more than $2.6 mil!
Good luck all and have fun!
6. NE Walleye Assoc. is hosting a derby…
…on Lake McConaughy this weekend.
McConaughy sorta flies under the radar, but I think that will change when H2H heads there Aug 23-27. #Bigguns
7. You might know Al Lindner as a “walleye guy.”
But did you know he won 2 B.A.S.S tournaments, appeared in 3 Bassmaster Classics and finished in the money in 14 of the 26 events he fished? 🤯 Yup = inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2005!
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No doubt rod sleeves have their time and place – say long-term storage or traveling – but when you’re actually fishing, they’re one more thing to have lying around on the boat floor or wanting to fly out when hopping spots.
Still, ain’t nobody got time for tangled rods! So here’s a simple trick I use to keep those “expletives” to a minimum on the water:
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Just a friendly reminder to be safe with your CC info while shopping online. 😉
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JMO Podcast host Tayler Michels caught this “white tip” that had 2 of ’em:
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Which I’m pretty sure confirms that walleyes are swimming upside down on the days where you can graph a bunch but can’t get ’em to bite (lol).
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Ever wonder what happens when an electric car runs out of “gas” and they’re nowhere near a “pump?” 🤔
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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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