Target Walleye/Ice email

Best spring baits, Follow the shiner spawn, Don’t be a bucket biologist

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Today’s Top 4

Best ND zander shots yet.

You sick of these state-side zander catches yet? Well soak ’em in ‘cuz I’ve heard rumors (not sure if true or not) that ND Game & Fish might be poisoning off the lakes to avoid ’em from spreading any more. They’ve already gotten into other “sloughs” thx to the high water….

Would it slightly break my heart to see ’em go bye-bye? Yup. Is it a good idea?? Probably. We have no way of knowing the long-term effects if they were to get into any other lakes/rivers…though with any exotic species it’s usually negative….

Why am I saying all this? ‘Cuz I wanna catch one as bad as the next guy/gal…but want to make sure you know that we would NEVER condone playing “bucket biologist:” 1) It’s highly illegal, and 2) totally irresponsible.

That all being said, zander sure are fun to look at — here’s a couple better pics of Matt Schneider’s (@matt.scheindz) back-to-back NoDak Europeans caught pitching plastics:

Look how gnarly and tattered this one’s fins are — caught just 45 min before the other:

Not sure if beat up from old age, or ‘cuz it had been making a nest…. Yup, you read that right!

Another big difference between walleye and their muscle-bound cousin: Zander make/protect nests whereas walleyes just sprinkle their eggs across rocky bottoms.

Best spring walleye baits and techniques…

…but heads up:

Got nothing against draggin’ around live bait if that’s your thing…what’s important is that you’re getting out fishing! That being said, there’s a pile of killer artificials out there today that can help step up your game and put bigger fish in the boat.

Here’s a breakdown of my go-to baits for spring walleye fishing. This vid’s primarily talking natural lakes right in your backyard — not Great Lakes, reservoirs, rivers — though some of the info applies to all. Check it:

Free boat. *Local pickup only.

Check this awesome screen snapshot from Ronnie Moore’s Humminbird HELIX:

Really wasn’t that long ago when fish symbols/alarms were the big thing lol:

Then MEGA Imaging came out and we started getting snaps like these:

Now the newest MEGA Imaging+ has 20% more detail than MEGA Imaging [!] plus an extended range and depth. Can literally tell which beds have fish sitting on ’em [mind-blown emoji]:

Cliche sunset pic of the day.

From the Northwoods Angling crew at “the gap” where Rainy River dumps into Lake of the Woods:

Here comes the part that makes this not cliche…

They have the stones to target (and catch) sturgeon after dark while the rest of the river has packed it in and headed to the nearest burger joint:

Helps when you have the LED bars to turn darkness into daylight. #Dialed

News

1. MN considering 2 rods per angler!

Finally! For open water, already allowed on ice. It’s an optional thing where you could pay an extra $5 to buy the privilege of a second line. I’m for it, but of course it’s coming down to politics….

Would open up a whole new world of trolling, being able to run multiple baits to dial ’em in.

2. ND: It’s game-time at Devils Lake.

What many consider the walleye shore-fishing capital of the world. Awesome detailed update from Tanner Cherney — bite should get better each day:

3. OH: 2020 Lake Erie limit change

> Mar 1 through Apr 30 next year, the walleye bag limit will increase from 4 fish to 6 fish daily in the OH waters of Lake Erie, including the Maumee River. In the Sandusky River, the 4-fish daily bag limit will remain in place.

4. IA: DNR crews gillnetting walleye on Black Hawk Lake.

Cool video ride-along that shows the process.

5. IA: Walleye season opens May 4…

…on Spirit, East and West Okoboji lakes.

6. MN: Thousands of goldfish invading Chaska inlet.

Believe it’s likely from someone illegally dumping their pet goldfish.

7. IA will spray Crystal Lake to kill milfoil.

#WarOnInvasives

8. NE having a contest to take people fishing.

Could even win a new boat just for introducing someone to the sport. Cool idea:

> The Take ‘Em Fishing Challenge encourages experienced anglers to take a pledge to go fishing with someone who either has never fished before or who hasn’t fished in several years. Anglers who take a photo of themselves taking someone fishing can enter an online drawing for dozens of prizes….

9. Did you win the B-Fish-N Tackle giveaway?

Still waiting on the winner of the last giveaway to claim their prize….

If your email addy looks like this > jcp***el@gmail.com < you might wanna check your inbox — have until 4/30 to respond, else we’ll be drawing a new winner.

Win this $350+ spread of Berkley stuff!

Have a shot at winning this $350-ish stack of Berkley walleye fishin’ loot! Including the must-have Flicker Shads and Flicker Minnows:

> Gary Parsons: “I’ve never seen a bait outperform other baits like this one. The Flicker Minnow is the most productive crankbait I’ve ever fished!”

Says a lot coming from a living legend like Gary! Can share the link you get for bonus entries — good luck!!

Tip of the Day

Early-season walleyes follow the shiner spawn.

MN fishing guide Scott Seibert talks shallow, early-season walleyes in this Jason Mitchell write-up. GREAT info, here’s a few excerpts:

> Early-season walleye patterns on northern MN fisheries often occur in less than 12′. While classic deep-structure patterns will emerge as the summer progresses, many anglers miss opportunities by looking too deep, too early.

> Fisheries such as Lake Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake hold tremendous walleye populations. Both share a common popularity, and have a shallow-weedline bites that often occur in less than 10′.

> The shiner spawn — which often coincides with blooming lilacs — is a major trigger that creates shallow-walleye bites. Sand or fine gravel is usually preferred, but there’s also usually weed growth (pencil reeds, cabbage, etc) in these areas on natural lakes.

> Many of these fisheries offer extremely good water visibility. Wind can trigger aggressive fish to move up into shallow water and feed aggressively, where a lack of wind can shut down some of these shallow bites.

> If the wind lays down, be prepared to slide out over the next break. Cold fronts and major weather systems can also push fish slightly deeper, but as a rule of thumb: you can expect some very aggressive fish up in less than 10′ during stable weather when there’s wind.

> Sharp breaks adjacent to shallow flats and weedlines will often concentrate fish when they do slide out into 12-20′. Use your electronics to look for fish and anticipate shadows by where the angle of the sun is. Sharp breaklines that cast deep dark shadows will often hold fish.

Meme of the Day

Fish a tournament, they said…it would be fun, they said….

Today’s ‘Eye Candy

Matt Wachowiak (@matt_wachowiak) is on the post-spawn dawgs yo-yoing a Rapala Rippin’ Rap. Bonus points for his caption, which was “Sandy bottom lurkin’, Rippin Rap slurpin'” lol:

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Who is Target Walleye/Ice

Target Walleye/Ice — walleye during open water and all species during hardwater — is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-nuts like you! #fishheads
Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye/Ice. 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
To send us walleye pics, ice shots or whatever, just respond to this email or click here to email us. Or post it on the Target Walleye Facebook page.

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