Chatterbaits for walleyes, Small river tactics, Massive European perch

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Spoiler alert: Z-Man’s “tooth proof” ElaZtech isn’t just for bassin’….

I think you’re going to be hearing a lot more about Z-Man in the walleye world this season. Their stuff had already been crossing over bigtime from the bass world – ElaZtech softbaits have been catching walleyes for years – and now they’ve been adding quite a bit of stuff that looks killer for walleye:

Another “bassy” technique that had been catching a bunch of incidental walleyes = throwing ChatterBait bladed jigs. But now you’ve got folks saying enough is enough, why am I not throwing them for walleye on purpose?! Lol. Sorta like how Ned rigs became a thing for walleyes….

One of those ChatterBait slingers is NWT pro Dylan Nussbaum. Few interesting snippets from him:

> “The concept of a bladed jig makes total sense for walleyes – a fish known to track the flash and vibration of its prey.

> “Slowly dragging the ChatterBait WillowVibe with a Slim SwimZ or MinnowZ along bottom – pumping the rod to activate the blade and detecting its vibrations – is becoming a cool new way to trigger walleye strikes.

> “I’ve been working the 3/8-oz version in 5-10′, sometimes just straight-retrieving it fast enough to keep the blade humming along. Can’t wait to throw this combo in the Missouri River and other stained water environments. Should be a real player this year.”

Looking goooood:

> In natural lake and reservoir settings, Nussbaum has also been aggressively retrieving standard bladed jigs, like the Eye Strike ChatterBait, dressed with a 4″ or 5″ Scented PaddlerZ.

> “Throw this combo in classic paddletail swimbait situations – vegetation and weedlines, along shallow rock spines or in river current – and you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. Most veteran walleye anglers know how important flash and vibration can be, and at times, a ChatterBait really hits the right notes for big ‘eyes.”

I’m digging it. Seems like every time I throw a chatterbait for bass, I pick up a walleye or 3…even on lakes that just don’t have many in ’em. Have also noticed that they’re usually better fish when you do catch one on it – either fat 19″ unders or else bigger 23-27″ fish. 👀 Time to start playing around with ’em more….

What’s scary (in a really good way) is Z-Man says they “feel like we’re just getting warmed up and have a lot of great stuff in the works for our anglers.” Ohhhh baby!

Can’t imagine one bigger than this…tho I can’t even imagine this one in the first place. Peter Hampe went to Holland in search of mega perch, and megas he caught, including this absolute freakazoid that went 54 cm and 3.4 kilos (21.25″ and 7.5 lbs). 🤯 Brace yourself:

Yup, she was released (video) to get even more bigger-er. ♻️

Fish was caught on a 6cm Westin-Fishing BuzzBite in the “bling perch” color. #Cannibals

Congrats man! Don’t know what else to say besides, “WOW!”

…but doesn’t mean folks can’t get their jumbo on! Here’s a few recent piggies we’ve seen pop up on the social mediaz:

1. Patrick McCorkell caught a near-record perch (GA) on Mar 20 fishing below the Thurmond Dam in the Clarks Hill Lake tailrace on the Savannah River. He was drifting a live blueback herring on a bottom rig in 15′ at first light – looking for striped bass, but wound up with a 16″ long x 11″ girth jumbo:

His scale wasn’t working and let the fish go after taking those length + girth measurements, which calculated out to a guesstimated 2 lbs 6.72 oz. The current GA state record perch is a 16.5-incher that weighed 2 lbs 9 oz.

2. Brody Vance got himself an “egg wagon” on MI’s Lake Gogebic. A place where the perch grow so fat that locals often call them “teeter pigs,” because you can set them on their stomach and they don’t teeter over lol. Fish came on a deadsticked 4mm tungsten jig tipped with a live wiggler:

3. And how about Bryce Wendorf (@wendorf98) lunch-boxing some real WI cheddar?! 🧀

After 4 years on the Detroit River, tourney pro Isaac Lakich finally got his downtown donkey pic he’s been chasing. Incredible fish and pic, man!

…wearing these polarized, full-face UV sunglasses created by a Japanese company:

Gotta do what you’ve gotta do! 🤣 Funny thing is they’ll still make fun of us for running a windshield rig hahahah.

1. Fishing brother in need of a kidney.

Nate, owner of Della Bay custom rods, is in need of a kidney transplant and looking for a donor. It takes a ton of courage to ask for help – 🙏✝️ stay strong, man! More info in Nate’s video:

2. CO: Biologists collect 132.3 million walleye eggs…

…from 1,813 female walleye at Lake Pueblo State Park and Cherry Creek State Park from Mar 14-30.

> The eggs will be fertilized in a boathouse at Lake Pueblo and on a floating barge at Cherry Creek Reservoir. The fertilized eggs will then be sent to CPW hatcheries at Pueblo and Wray where they are hatched and nurtured until they are ready to be stocked in waters across CO.

> …hatchery staff also trade them to other states in exchange for desirable gamefish otherwise unavailable in CO.

3. SD: Next NWT stop = Missouri River, Chamberlain, Apr 28-29.

4. MN: Mille Lacs walleye bite has been SO good…

…the last few years because of “a lack of food in the lake. Fish just bite better when they’re hungry.” Apparently “due to a drop in the lake’s perch population, the primary food source for walleyes.” According to this write-up chatting with a DNR fisheries manager.

I’ll be curious to see how things shake out this season, ‘cuz I have NEVER seen as many perch in the system as I did this fall and winter….

5. SD: GFP hopes to collect 95 mil walleye eggs.

Met last year’s goal of 200 mil eggs. They track the walleye spawn based on two factors:

> “…water temperature and photoperiod. Ideal water temperatures are 44-50. Photoperiod is the amount of daylight in a day. As the days get longer, the walleyes move from deep water to shallow water in preparation to spawn.”

6. VA: Staunton River walleye are thriving.

I haven’t seen any #s posted anywhere, but “thriving” is usually pretty good!

7. This might just become your new favorite glide bait box.

For Jigging Raps, Shiver Minnows, Tikka Minos, or even jigging spoons for ice fishing…you name it. Called the Lakewood Lure Vault and comes in 3 different sizes:

> …foam-lined denier nylon covers highly durable ABS plastic. On the inside, the case’s mesh bottom allows enough airflow to dry your lures and to prevent rust from forming.

> …removable/adjustable dividers can accommodate lures without tangle due to proprietary Lure Saver hook slots. …sized to fit neatly in boat compartments with an outside dimension of 14″ x 9.13″ x 4″ and can act as a compartment with some of Lakewood’s other fishing case storage systems. The Lakewood tackle case comes with its own lifetime warranty.

Btw you can use the code: WALLEYE at checkout for 10% off all Lakewood goodies.

8. Great Q&A with Berkley’s hard-bait master.

Dan Spengler is Berkley’s “senior project manager for bait development, specializing in hard bait and terminal tackle design and development.” In fishin’ talk that means he designs hard baits and some other stuff haha.

Check out “Top Item #2” in Jay Kumar’s last BassBlaster email for his chat with Dan.

Btw I also recommend following Dan on Instagram because he’s always posting more sneak peaks and first looks than he’s probably supposed to be. 😜🤫

9. Have you seen the Acme V-Rod blade bait?

> The V-Rod features an all steel frame with lead injection molding body to create the ultimate baitfish presentation. Finished off with ABS plastic covering for the ultimate durability + hyper realistic + sharp paint finishes. Cast it, retrieve it, vertical jig it, you name it. The V-Rod will catch you fish, period.

Now comes in 4 sizes (1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 oz) and I believe 13 colors. Clockwise from the top left = dead meat, maverick, big muddy and party boy:

10. IL: $225.8 mil anti-Asian carp project is for “deterrents.”

Meaning not killing the carp, it’s just trying to keep them away from the Great Lakes.

> Measures to deter Asian carp from traversing the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal into Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, received $225.8 million from the US Congress in Jan. The money will fund the first phase of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, which will hopefully stop any Asian carp trying to reach the Great Lakes and send them swimming in the opposite direction.

> Measures in the area of the Brandon Road Lock, a pinch point in the waterway upstream of Lake Michigan, will be installed, including acoustic deterrents, bubble curtains, an additional electric barrier, and locks that don’t fully exchange the water so the fish can’t swim freely upstream.

> A carp swimming towards that zone will hit several deterrents that will deter them from passing….

> The first phase will include installation of the air curtain and acoustic deterrents. Planning and design will take until 2024 when the construction tenders will be issued. Estimated completion time is 4-5 years. It will take another 5-7 years to complete the next two phases.

The total project is estimated to cost $858 mil. 🤑😳

11. NY: Lake George might get its first herbicide treatment…

…for milfoil. ProcellaCOR treatments supposedly only target milfoil, last for 3 years, and has zero effects on fish and other aquatic veggies.

Same herbicide treatment might be used on MA’s Cocasset Lake.

How Tom Boley hits small, shallow rivers for spring walleyes.

In typical Tom Boley fashion, he does a great job of breaking down how and where he targets these early-spring fish when the water is super cold.

Tom was slinging a Kalin’s Tickle Tail Swimbait on his 2B Fishing 6’10” ML XF. Of course way more details in his vid.

This one’ll hit a few of you right in the feels:

Whole bunch of “Steves” out there lol.

Almost looks like someone cheeked-and-released this big gal years back…. 👀 Which btw don’t get any funny ideas, ‘cuz that’d be disgusting. Sick shot tho! From @elliottfishingrods Insta:

Good luck if you’re getting out this weekend!

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH