Casting vs trolling debate, Triple dropshot rig, Match the hatch

The NWT Championship is happening RIGHT NOW on Devils Lake, ND. One of those special fisheries where folks can catch ‘em using a pile of different techniques, so people can fish to their strengths and catch ‘em how they want.

Most folks didn’t have forward-facing sonar yet the last couple times the NWT has been there (2019 and 2018) but here’s how the top fellas caught ‘em…

Sept 11-13, 2019

1st: John Hoyer (3-day total) 67.73 lbs:

> “It was a sand-to-rock transition that went from the bay to the point…basically a sand runway. The water was 8-10′ and they were feeding on perch. My fish weighed heavier because they were eating those perch…that made a huge difference.

> “What gave me the confidence to Spot-Lock for so long was how many fish I saw swimming by on my Lowrance. Just knowing how many fish were there was incredible.”

Caught 5 of his 15 weigh fish on slip-bobbers and leeches under 1/16-oz jigs. The other 10 came from a mix of Moonshine Shiver Minnows, Jigging Raps and Johnny Darters. Said he went through 300 baits [!] thx to all the stumps, rocks, you name it. #WorthIt

> “The best color was anything perch with an orange belly. I used the #2 Shiver Minnow, the #7 Jigging Rap and mid-sized Johnny Darters. In the wind…I would upsize baits.”

Here’s how he said he was fishing ’em…

Smaller baits: Hard snap and then follow them down.
Bigger baits: Lift it aggressively and then control the fall.

> “I wanted to slow the fall down. When you catch it, it planes out, and that’s when they get it. You’re giving them a chance to really eat it.”

July 26-27, 2018

1st: Dylan Nussbaum (2-day total) 55.43 lbs:

Caught his fish running Sufix 832 Lead Core – with 8′ and 10′ 15-lb Sufix fluorocarbon leaders – 200′ and 220′ back to get his crankbaits ticking the tops of rocks in 35-45′.
https://bit.ly/482NVBq

> …the fish were hanging on deeper rock structure on sharp breaklines. If there was rock there, there were walleyes.

Used Rapala Down Deep Husky Jerks and Berkley Flicker Minnows. Said the #10 and #12 Husky Jerks caught most of his fish, and that yellows were best – both stock and custom-painted by Dutch Fork Custom Lures. Sent me this shot:

> “The key was getting away from all the boats and finding your own water out deep. The deep-water fish seemed more consistent – they don’t move daily like shallow fish. I think most of the locals were fishing shallower.

> “I think not knowing much about the lake actually helped [it was his first time ever there]. I used SideScan on my Lowrance to see the rock. Sometimes I’d get some decent sized perch, which I think the bigger walleyes were feeding on.”

Casting vs trolling debate:

I’ll be super curious to see how it goes down this year now that more folks are spending their time “sniping” fish 🎯 with forward-facing sonar. Sounds like that combined with an extremely healthy fishery has most thinking it’s going to take up to 30 lbs a day to win. 😳

If I had to guess this time of year, it’s going to be a FFS guru running thru multiple spots/programs each day that brings in the heaviest 15 fish over 3 days. But you never know…when that basin leadcore bite is on, it’s tough to beat. Also folks can’t cull, so there’s going to be some tough decisions to make on the water.

The LIVE weigh-in for day 1 just started at 3pm CST or you can hit the live leaderboard.

Another episode of “Never know what I’m going to find in the Target Walleye inbox!” 😅

This wild series of events is coming from TW reader Bret Brown, who somehow snagged a broken off bottom-bouncer that had a 13” walleye attached to it…BUT also that 13” walleye had been eaten by a 29.5” channel cat! He never had a hook in either of ‘em:

Can’t make this stuff up! Even his dog was super impressed:

Btw here’s what I’d imagine it felt like reeling in that mess (lol):

That pic was shared by Randy Bean in “The Casting Deck – Dock Talk” FB group. Supposedly caught whatever kind of wild sucker variation that is out of Eden Lake near Leaf Rapids in northern Manitoba.

Couple years ago, bass-head John Murray outed what he calls the “triple dropshot.” Runs a small treble hook with a fluke on each point. Looks like a little school of fish, yet doesn’t use multiple hooks so it could (maybe???) be legal in states where that’s an issue.

Thought it might just get your creative juices flowing on the walleye side of things!

– That’s Walleyedan talking, who no doubt is ripping his #7 Rapala Jigging Rap right in the thick of it!

Btw quote is a reference to using one of those “tournament culling beams” where you put a fish on each side and the heaviest one drops…makes it super quick to cull-out your smallest fish during a tourney.

2. MN: “Fishing to End Hunger” charity tourney happening Oct 7.

On Gull Lake. I believe as of today they have a full 120-boat field registered because 1) it’s a great cause, 2) the fish are usually snapping that time of year on Gull, and 3) it has BIG-time payouts with $15K for 1st place.

Local hammers Mark Hightower and Jeremiah Piepkorn won it last year with 5 for 15.56 lbs (only 1 walleye can be over 20”).

Mark – or “The Doc” as we call him in our local walleye league – has been absolutely lighting it up around here the last few years. No matter what lake our local derby is on, he consistently brings in quality fish 🔥 and it’s downright impressive! I had reached out to him to get a few details on their big Gull Lake win last fall and here’s what he had to say:

> The Doc: “We felt like we had a good game plan coming in but had to make a few adjustments after we spent most of the morning catching the Gull Lake specials…22-25” walleye [this derby is a 5 fish bag and only 1 walleye can be over 20”].

> “We didn’t go deeper than about 30-33′ as we prefer the shallow fish to avoid barotrauma both prefishing and on tourney day. The way we fished was a combination of finesse rigging and power fishing with Rapala Jigging Raps. We got a lot of bites by targeting suspended fish with Jigging Raps. Those fish high in the water column crush them on the drop and it’s a blast to watch it happen on screen.

> “Using LiveScope to read the fish behavior and positioning in the water column was a huge help for us to determine if we kept at them or moved on.

> “I have to give a big shout-out to my partner, Leisure Outdoor Adventures guide Jeremiah Piepkorn. Not only is he a great partner but he made a crucial call towards the afternoon when I was looking to move locations and he convinced me to wait it out and we were able to get a couple of our 19″+ unders.”

Big props again, fellas! 🙌

3. MN: Annual “Take a Vet Fishing” event held at Lake Vermilion…

…was attended by more than 100 Veterans!

4. OH: LEWT championship happening Sept 29-30.

5. MN: Walleye Alliance Fall Classic on Pelican Lake…

…(just north of Brainerd) is happening Sat, Sept 30.

This year they’re doing a guaranteed $5K to 1st place! The tourney helps raise money to better walleye fishing in the Brainerd Lakes Area. It’s a $300 team entry fee (80% payout) and they’re capping it at 50 boats.

Great cause and a great fishery! I’m already registered to fish it – you can be too…. 😏👊

Matt Castle and Denny Gourhan won it last year with a 12.68-lb bag, and also took home the ‘big fish’ pot with this gorgeous 28-incher:

6. MI: $3.6 mil in grants avail for invasive species projects.

7. PA’s the largest state to open an Office of Outdoor Rec.

8. Bass Pro shutting Triton plant, moving production to Flippin.

> Baxter County’s Triton Boats plant is headed for a temporary shutdown as Bass Pro Shops moves operations over to its newly expanded Ranger Boat plant in Flippin, Arkansas.

> “With the overall economic conditions, particularly around high-interest rates, creating headwinds in the marketplace we will for the time being transition operations from the manufacturing facility in Midway, AR to our newly expanded facilities in nearby Flippin….”

> …the plant’s employees, who have been dealing with reduced working hours for the past few months, Bass Pro and its White River Marine Group said it wants its local employees to know that it is still committed to them.

> “Re-utilizing our Midway facilities is an absolute top priority for us, and we are aggressively exploring many options.”

9. 13 Fishing’s Hardwater Films now on Outdoor Action TV.

> 13 Fishing’s Hardwater Films is an extraordinary collection of ice fishing short films that dive deep into the heart of this beloved sport. They embark on an immersive journey that goes beyond the surface to tell captivating stories of not only the epic fish catches but also the incredible people, breathtaking places, innovative techniques, and everything that makes ice fishing an unparalleled adventure.

> At the heart of 13 Fishing’s Hardwater Films is a celebration of the sport’s true essence – it’s not just about catching fish; it’s about the love for nature, the sense of adventure, and the profound connection forged between anglers and their surroundings. Through compelling storytelling and breathtaking cinematography, they aim to inspire, educate, and share the wonders of ice fishing with the world.

> You can watch 13 Fishing’s Hardwater Films anytime on the Outdoor Action TV app via Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, iOS, and Android as well as outdooraction.com/

10. MN: Point Lake recovering after extensive winterkill.

Near Willmar.

11. Brunswick is getting into electric surfboards…

…with acquisition of Fliteboard. Brunswick = Merc, Lund, Lowrance, MotorGuide, and more.

12. FishUSA is running a sale TODAY.

Save $30 on a $200+ order with promo code: SAVE30.

How Max Wilson fishes the WNC Death Jig.

That’s the basically sold out everywhere Walleye Nation Creations Death Jig. One of the weapons he used to win the last NWT stop out of Sault (pron. “Soo”) Ste. Marie, MI on the St Marys River. Not sure if there’s anyone who has spent more time fishing with the Death Jig than Max, so I always listen when he’s spewing details on the program:

“Cloudy with a chance of chaos.”

– That’s Warren Fisher getting his Rapala Down Deep Husky Jerk on for Green Bay gold!

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH