Crank size matters, Level your SI ducer, Gravel lizards of the week

Been awhile since we’ve done a parade of pigs…so:

1. CO guide Dustin Sigler got himself a 30″ fat-tay outta NE’s Lake McConaughy (where he grew up). She was no “ordinary” 30-incher…had a THICK 21″ girth and tipped the scales at over 12 lbs. Released to get even more bigger-er:

Some awesome insight from Dustin:

> …60+ boats were all fighting over the same fish on a 5-mile stretch of the lake trolling deep with cranks in 30-45′ because of the abundance of alewife in that zone. That produces good fish but I went searching for shallow fish and found myself all alone without another boat in sight!

> All the fish I caught were on the 1st and 2nd breaklines from 10-23′. I ended up using a 1/2-oz original Lindy Rig with a leech on 6-lb fluorocarbon. I zig-zagged the 2 breaklines at 0.6-0.7mph. This walleye was sitting in 16′ right on the bottom of the 1st breakline.

Love this ‘cuz I’m not one to fish in the crowds unless I absolutely have to. I don’t know what it is, but I just get rattled and don’t fish right. Whether it’s paying too much attention to how other boats are doing or what they are using…it just gets in my head and my wheels almost always fall off. So big props to Dustin for going on a spirit journey and finding his own special something.

2. Zach Thomson pulled the late-night shift on MN’s Whitefish Chain – casting a “crazy steel” color Berkley Hit Stick (sorry man, had to give away your secret color lol) to a rock-to-cabbage transition in just 4′. He said it produced multiple fish over 20″, including this 29″ slobeye that “had shoulders like Brock Lesnar.” LOL I can for sure see the resemblance:

3. Check this portly critter Bradley Granberg caught that went 27″ long x 19.75″ girth. Bradley said “she slipped-up on a #11 Rapala Shadow Rap straight outta the package…safe to say that lure was quickly retired for replica purposes!” 💯 Congrats on the new wall decor, dude!

4. Breyden Bivens put 1,000 miles [!] on his rig all in the name of big walleyes – Fort Peck, MT style – and was rewarded with his new PB to the tune of 32.5″. Said he caught her on a 1/4-oz VMC jig paired with a 4″ Berkley Gulp! Minnow (chartreuse):

5. Jake Magdzas got in on the new-PB party with this tagged 33″ [!] Lake Superior, WI waldo. 😳 Wow, is that ever a long one!

6. TW fan Bob Mascia sent in this 31.75″ Green Bay bruiser that whacked his Berkley Flicker Minnow a couple weeks back. Imagine what she’d look like pre-spawn. 🤯 Amazing fish, man!

First thing that immediately stuck-out to me in the vid, was when J-Mitch was talking about making sure your SI transducer is level…NOT level based on how your boat sits on the trailer, but level based on how it sits in the water. It’s amazing how a little tweak like that can take your SI images from fuzzy to sharp.

Imo the best way to do it is to take one for the team – hop in the water and eye that baby up face-to-face. Seems to be the only real way to know your ‘ducer is 100% level based on how the boat floats. #ButWorthIt

Lot more SI tips in Jason’s full 7:58 video below:

When they choose a crankbait, Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz say: “Action is always the 1st question, depth is the 2nd and color is last….”

So where does crank SIZE fit into the equation? Some super-interesting info in their full Midwest Outdoors write-up here, but here’s a few excerpts:

> …shiners and shad spawn in May to July depending on latitude. Shad are generally 5cm long in early fall, 7cm long by late fall, and much larger (an almost inedible 6-9″) by the next spring. 

> Shiners grow slower than shad, with 1-yr-olds often 4-5cm and 2-yr-olds 6-7cm long. 

> Perch spawn earlier in the year (late spring) and are generally 7cm after 1 year.

> …look to the first few bites to start the pattern and use the next 5-10 bites to help dial in size and color preferences. Sometimes these bites will take hours, and other times it will take a few days of fishing….

> Take a simple trolling situation, with 6 lines spread out on a shallow flat using side planers. Starting with action details, the lines might have 2 Flicker Shads, 2 Flicker Minnows, and 2 Berkley Diggers running near the bottom. Sizes for these lures can be based on the biology discussed earlier or simply a guess based on previous experience. The first few bites generate an action-triggered trend suggesting a path forward for the rest of the day.

> At this point, 4 or more of the lines will be changed to similar, but not the same lure as the first pattern details. One size up and one size down are an easy plan, with small color adjustments okay at this point.

> As fish bite larger or smaller sizes, keep adding the next size to the spread and subtracting the ignored offering. Always reserve a line or 2 in order to try something totally different.

Northland Fishing Tackle’s Sam Larsen (GREAT guy!) must have been out “on assignment” 😏 this morning when he got himself a unicorn of the slimy variety:

Wonder how many channels that thing can pick up in the fish house?

1. WI: Isaac Lakich wins Lake Wisconsin PWS!

It was an absolute grind-fest, but Isaac was somehow able to keep his head in the game = $35K payday and some serious bragging rights.

Mille Lacs Lake, MN is up next Jun 7-11…. 💯 But there’s no walleyes in there, right?

2. OH: Berthold/Lisy win Lake Erie Walleye Trail.

They set an event record with 5 for 44.81 lbs, including an 11.33-lb kicker.

The write-up said it had nothing to do with a secret lure or fishing spot 👀 that Lake Erie is just that good as the top 7 teams all topped the 40-lb mark. But obviously those dudes were doing something right ‘cuz you don’t typically just stumble into a winning bag against 73 other folks….

Congrats fellas! Now go use a chunk of that $15,840 check to stock back up on a few of those not-secret fishing lures lol.

3. MI conservation officers rescue angler.

And not how you’re probably thinking (he didn’t go in the water)….

> …a 64-yr-old angler…failed to meet up with his fishing partner earlier in the day. …was reported missing at 8 pm by his fishing partner.

> The man told the officers that he left the river Monday afternoon and tried to go cross-country back to the anglers’ truck but he became disoriented. Once he realized he did not know the way out and it was getting dark, he found a small piece of high ground, started a fire and settled in for the night.

Finally ended up spotting him the next afternoon with a helicopter. Then conservation officers had to make a 3/4-mile hike (45 min) in to get to him, and carried him piggy-back style until they could get to the helicopter.

Glad there was a positive outcome and huge props to the guy on using good survival skills to preserve his strength.

4. MN resort life is declining…

> “The average resort owner in MN keeps their business for 3 years.”

…but long-timers are in it for the long haul and reporting that business is good. This read has some interesting insight from some of those resort owners sticking it out.

5. Check the Humminbird FishSmart phone app!

Gets ya HD LakeMaster maps right on your smartphone or tablet. Costs some $$$, but crazy detailed if you’ve got a favorite lake(s):

6. WI: Lake Winnebago MWC is happening right now.

The live weigh-in started at 3cst.

7. WI dude caught 15 species in 1 week.

Pretty cool. Sounds like a super-fun challenge that could force you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

8. MN: Nisswa Chamber served breakfast in bed on water.

They were handing out coffee + donuts on Gull Lake during the fishing opener, something they’ve been doing for more than 60 years.

I must have been fishing in the wrong area lol.

9. WI: Northern zone muskie szn opens May 29.

10. MT: FWP wants input on proposed fish removal/resto projects.

11. These Mission Tackle Shiner Jigs are legit for the dough.

Has a super long-shank hook so you can “double hook” shiners (in the mouth, out the gill, then thru the back). Great way to keep those dollar bills straight and on the end of your hook until a fish hits ’em.

12. CO: Donations finance new ramp on Upper San Juan River.

13. Teledyne acquires FLIR for > $8 bil.

FLIR = Raymarine owner.

I mentioned a homeless shelter that’s looking for fishing gear donations in the last TW and accidentally said Ontario BUT they’re actually located in New Brunswick. My bad!

Korey Sprengel “tunes” his soft-plastics.

We’ve all heard of tuning crankbaits, but have you ever seen anyone “tune” their soft-plastic swimbaits? It’s something we’ve mentioned before, but this new vid from The Next Bite does a good job showing a side-by-side comparison of what just a few seconds of “tuning” can do. Sprengel’s talking the Berkley Ripple Shad, but it would work with any swimbait:

“I think it’s safe to say I found the dirty culprit that stole my jig earlier!”

– That’s central-MN guide Nate Berg going head-to-head with toothy critters, who love to get in-between us MN’ers and shallow-water walleye:

Nate: 1
Pike: 1Who will win round 3? 😂🥊

Update: Nate just said he’s winning round 3 ‘cuz that thing’s going on the grill hahahaha.

Tia Hyland kicked-off her MN “fishing opener” with a big post-spawn lady that munched a 3/16-oz Northland Fire-Ball Jig and shiner. Big fish and great weather = doesn’t get much better than that!

Btw the typical MN fishing opener is usually a lot less comfortable lol. If I could summarize the weather with one pic, it would be this shot from @ziegleralex. #TillerLife

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH