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Back from ICAST (the fishing biz trade show) where we got a first look at all the new fishing gear coming down the pipeline. I’m still wading trolling through that and it'll be coming your way soon-ish, but firing off this TW to hold you off in the meantime. 👊 Thanks so much for reading!
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Just had our best big-fish day ever! 🐷
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After some stressful airport shenanigans flying back from Orlando, FL to MSP...I finally got home about 4:35am, hooked up the boat and went to meet Nick Lindner to fish the 2024 United Way Fishing Tournament which kicked off at 6am.
We could fish any public lakes within 6 different Minnesota counties (Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Aitkin, Cass and Crow Wing).
This tourney used a length-to-weight conversion and our best 5 walleyes went 56.61 lbs, which was a 29.95” average! 🤯 Even crazier is that bag of a lifetime somehow only landed us in 4th place LOL.
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I ended up catching my new PB walleye that stretched to 31” after plopping a 3/16-oz VMC Ned Rig Jig into some thick 15-18’ weeds where she was waiting to ambush. It was a wild ride!
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Here’s the rest of our bag:
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BIG PROPS to the teams that made our 30” average look silly! We might have to fish further north next year.... That included NWT pro Will Pappenfus and Aaron Schmitz who put on an absolute clinic with a 30.8" average and 'big fish' with a 32.5" freak of nature. 🤯 Insanity:
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Btw this tournament supports United Way and their mission to transform lives in our communities (boost education, economic mobility, and health resources) by uniting people and organizations to maximize donor impact. 🙌 Thanks to all those involved!
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Tony Roach: Walleye Adaptations for clear water.
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Believe it or not 👀 even with forward-facing sonar (LiveScope, MEGA Live, ActiveTarget) it can still be a bugger to get fussy, clear-water walleyes to bite. This Virtual Angling write-up dives into exactly how MN guide Tony Roach hunts ‘em down with slip-bobbers and FFS, but there’s a lot more that goes into it than you’d think.
This “bobberscoping” technique is the exact way many, MANY walleye derbies have been won the last few seasons....
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> Many MN walleye lakes are notorious for having exceptional water visibility. In particular, many lakes have zebra mussels which increases the clarity and ultimately change walleye fishing dramatically....
> According to Roach, aggressively using slip-bobbers to cast at fish away from the boat is a key method for catching walleye right now during the dog days of summer.
> Roach is using slip-bobbers in conjunction with forward-facing sonar. ...stresses that there are many days where fish are spooking...if the boat gets within 40’ or 50’ of the fish.
> In light winds, Tony will ease within about 60’ down wind of fish and spot lock, casting the slip-bobbers past fish and let the wind push the slip bobbers into the fish.
> In stronger winds, Roach will look for a school of fish and actually drive around the fish in a big circle and spot lock upwind of the fish and cast back at the fish behind the boat. On many of today’s MN walleye fisheries with clear water...you have to sneak up on fish.
> Walleyes are adapting to the clearer water but also adapting to forward-facing sonar. ...there are becoming more times when fish are spooking from forward-facing sonar. If fish dart or move to the side or hunker down when you hit them with the forward facing sonar, turn the transducer away from the fish as soon as you find them.
> Because long casts are so crucial, use enough weight and bobber to make long casts and get down to the fish. Roach is a fan of the weighted Tail Fin bobbers. He typically uses 6-lb Sufix Advance Mono as his main line for his setup. Below the bobber, Roach will use a small egg sinker above a swivel. Below the swivel, attach a 3-4’ fluorocarbon leader and a long shank 1/16-oz jig.
> ...typically uses both crawlers and leeches on a slip-bobber [but leeches can get really difficult to find later in the season]. With a crawler...thread on a 1/2 or 3/4 of a crawler onto a long-shank jig. In deeper water, use a heavier egg sinker to reach the fish faster. On really tough bites, Roach will experiment with a 1/32-oz jig or plain hook.
> When fish are positioned higher off the bottom, Roach likes to cast right at fish and let the jig fall down on them. For fish closer to the bottom or for fish that are more difficult to trigger, Roach recommends casting past the fish and drag into them watching the jig drop down into fish as you get above them.
Full Virtual Angling write-up here. They kick out a bunch of great content.
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Wild sonar shots of the day!
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I’d be dropping BOTH 1) a waypoint on my Humminbird, AND 2) also dropping my bait right here! 🎯
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If you’ve got an interesting sonar shot (some off-the-wall find, a PILE of fish, etc) hit us up by simply replying to this email with the pics and details. 👍
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If you’ve been reading Target Walleye for a while...
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...you know that I talk about “bass fishing for walleyes” all the time. Fishing shallow + aggressive with off-the-wall stuffs.... But THIS takes it to a whole new level!
My bud Bailey Eigbrett was punching mats with a TX-rigged (1-oz) 4" Berkley PowerBait The Boss Grub and 65-lb SpiderWire DuraBraid when he leaned into a walleye with his 7’11” extra-heavy Abu Garcia Fantasista X whoopin’ stick. 😅💪 I wonder if he’s got a livewell on that thing:
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You just never know, man!
Anyone out there do it on purpose?
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“We understand walleye fishing can be a bit finicky as they need to be finessed into the boat. But....”
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I don’t care how good of buddies we are...you’re on your own getting that one out! 😅
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1. WI: We lost Hall of Famer Greg Bohn.
Greg and his wife Audrey passed in a traffic accident on Hwy 51 near their home in Hazelhurst, WI on July 12. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Greg was an absolute pioneer in slip-bobbering for walleyes. And if you have ever caught a walleye in the weeds...something that Greg taught, developed or pioneered has made it your way whether you knew it or not.
Very nice write-up here from Ted Takasaki.
2. 2025 NWT schedule just dropped.
- Apr 24-25: Missouri River – Bismarck, ND
- May 22-23: Mississippi River – La Crosse, WI
- July 10-11: Lake Huron – Alpena, MI
- Aug 7-8: Lake Erie – Dunkirk, NY
- Sept 3-5: (Championship) Green Bay – Marinette, WI
3. SD: New walleye regz proposed for Belle Fourche Reservoir.
Would allow a 2-fish daily limit with a 15” minimum.
The current regz are a little confusing, but sounds like there’s a protected slot from 15-18”, and that only 1 fish can be longer than 18” in your 4-fish daily limit.
4. WI: Menasha’s Fox River lock closed indefinitely...
...to help keep round gobies out of Lake Winnebago.
5. MN: Walleye Alliance Fall Classic on Pelican Lake...
...(just north of Brainerd) is happening Sat, Sept 28.
They’re doing a guaranteed $5K to 1st place again this year! It’s a $300 team entry fee and they’re capping it at 50 boats. Such a fun, well-ran event by a team of folks who work their tails off to better walleye fishing in the Brainerd Lakes Area. 🙌
This derby is a 5-fish limit and only 1 of those can be over 20” long. NWT pro Jake Caughey and Dan Steffen won it last year with a perfect 16.58-lb bag that included ‘big fish’ of the derby with a 7.14-lber! And NWT pro Will Pappenfus and Nick Cekalla had a 2nd-place bag of 14.21 lbs which would normally win any other year lol.
I managed to scrape up a 3rd-place solo finish last year. All 4 of my ‘unders’ were B-E-A-Utiful 19” to 19.75” fish...unfortunately my ‘over’ was a skinny 23-incher for a total of 12.56 lbs. Just could not get a BIG bite. 😅 But hey, I’ll take it!
Despite what the calendar said, water temps were still in the mid-60s and had fish in late-summer patterns. I was junk fishing and running all over the dang lake picking up one here and one there. Ended up catching about 30 of ‘em with a 1-2-3 punch of confidence baits in 10-18’ around cabbage and coontail weeds.
Here’s the setups I was cycling thru – I don't go anywhere without 'em:
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Quick-ish rundown from left to right:
1) A #7 Rapala Jigging Rap (glow green tiger) with a VMC Bladed Hybrid Treble. Leaning on ‘em with a 7′ 1″ medium, fast-action 2B Fishing Genesis spinning rod and size-30 Abu Garcia Revo Rocket (7.6:1 gear ratio and brings in 43” of line per crank!). I was running 10-lb Sufix Advance Mono main line (low-vis green)...to a #10 VMC Rolling Swivel...about a 14” 12-lb fluorocarbon leader...to a #0 VMC Crankbait Snap where I attach the J-Rap.
2) A 3/16-oz VMC Ned Rig Jig with a pinched-off nightcrawler. Does an incredible job of keeping the ‘crawler pinned to the top (not sliding down) thx to its “beveled edge conical keeper.” And I absolutely love the hook. I was throwing this at sparser weed clumps or where the main weededge tapers off.
I throw this little snack on the 7′ 4″ medium light, fast-action Elliott Identity ‘Rig & Jig’ and words can’t begin to express how incredible it fishes and feels. I use 6-lb Sufix Performance Braid for my main line because it lets me cast those lighter baits about 20’ further if I need to. Then about a 7-ish foot leader of 8-lb fluoro.
3) When poking around deeper in the weeds – or on top of ‘em – I’d throw the same 3/16-oz VMC Ned Rig Jig (except in chartreuse) paired with a 4” Z-Man Big TRD (green pumpkin goby). Can just fish so much more efficiently with plastics in the weeds. If it gets hung up, I snap it out of ‘em with the stout 7’ 1” medium, extra-fast Elliott rod. For this setup I love running 10-lb Sufix 832 Advanced Superline with about a 7-ish foot leader of 10-lb fluoro.
Soooo...now that you know the program, all that’s left to do is sign up. 😉👊 See you there!
6. Jeni Swanson new CFO at KSE Media Ventures.
Internal promotions whose been with the company for over a decade. KSE is one of billionaire Stan Kroenke's companies and includes stuff like the Outdoor Channel, In-Fisherman, Game & Fish and a lot more.
7. Yamaha names Kemba Solomon regulatory affairs mgr.
Coming over from Honda.
8. Quantum is all saltwater now?
> ...Quantum brand will now redirect its focus on the saltwater market. Embracing this shift, “we are committed to delivering the new standard of performance in saltwater tackle” Ken Eubanks CEO Rather Outdoors.
> Complete with a new logo, branding, product, and a new headquarters in Stuart, FL.
9. FL: Largemouth have a new name in the sunshine state.
They’re now called “Florida bass” (instead of “largemouth bass”) because they have different genetics.
> According to the recent research publication by Yale University, the study used advanced genetic analysis and determined Florida bass to be its own species. The research also identified the range of Florida bass to be larger than once believed, including not only Florida, but also parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
10. MT: 12-yo catches new state record sucker.
> Wade Merschat landed a 6.72-lb largescale sucker using a nightcrawler at Noxon Reservoir in Sanders County on June 19th. Measuring 25.25” in length, the fish surpassed the typical maximum size for largescale suckers in MT, which is usually under 5 lbs.
11. MN: Brainerd Lakes FHNB event Aug 23-24.
Fishing Has No Boundaries (FHNB) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to open up the great outdoors for people with disabilities through the world of fishing.
> “Fishing Has No Boundaries Brainerd Lakes Chapter is looking for volunteer boat captains! If you love fishing and are looking for an awesome way to get involved in a wonderful event, please consider joining us and spend a day on the lake!”
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Why Wisconsin claims – incorrectly – to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes
This battle never ends lol. Interesting read, but here’s the CliffsNotes version:
> When tallying their 15,000 total, WI’s agency includes "lakes" as small as 2.2 acres. This is a definition that even Cory McDonald, a research scientist with Wisconsin's DNR, has called "somewhat nonconventional."
> MN defines a lake as a body of water with an area of at least 10 acres. [It’s called the Land of 10,000 lakes, but] the actual number is just over 14,000....
Here’s why folks argue it’s gotta be 10+ acres to be legit:
> The 10-acre cutoff helps delineate the character of a lake versus its more mucky cousin, the pond. Lake scientists believe that a lake is only a lake if it has a "wave-swept shore," Downing said.
> "Having waves is important, because it changes the character of the water body. It changes the character of how the shorelines work and how the sediment builds up.”
> Winds of about 35 mph need to blow across a certain distance of surface water in order to form waves of about 4 inches. Assuming that the body of water is roundish, it would need to be about 10 acres to get the right-sized waves....
> If a body of water is too small to have waves, its shores are usually "marshy, full of organic material and mucky stuff."
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Nighttime slip-bobber tricks.
In honor of the late Greg Bohn 🙌 I’m bringing back some of his great nighttime slip-bobber tricks from this AnglingBuzz write-up:
> [The best night lakes are] typically gin-clear, have deep-water rock structures and big walleyes. They also have suspended daytime walleye, lots of cisco and whitefish, a few weeds and deep rock bars. The walleyes we catch at night never get close to a lure during the day.
> Target hard-bottom humps and bars that top off in 10-25′. Walleyes inactive during the day know exactly which bars offer food. These bars can go from having no action before the sun sets to being super hot after the sun goes down
> Night fishing is not like daytime fishing when you run from spot to spot. There’s not enough time after dark. Have the first spot and two alternatives picked out before you reach the lake. If the first spot fails shortly after dark, move to the second. If you need to try the third, the night is over. Go to bed.
> When moon rises, you can actually feel a change in pressure and see the wind swirling to create a chop. Walleyes feed recklessly for a few minutes. It’s a golden opportunity for big fish.
> Set rigs 3-7′ off the bottom. The walleyes that were suspended during the day move over the tops of the bars, but they don’t hug the bottom. If you fish too deep, you can miss the biggest fish.
> When a bobber goes under, watch the bobber light’s direction of travel. Is it going deeper, shallower or is it staying the same as the walleye moves off? That can be a hint on how to fine tune the depth. Big walleye travel slowly.
> My top night producer is a Thill Nite Brite Lighted Float rigged with a 1/16-oz Mr. Slip Bobber Jig Bug tipped with a whole nightcrawler. That makes a big target. Jumbo leeches and big chubs also catch nighttime fish, but there’s just something about the whole ‘crawler after dark.
Always ahead of his time! Keep reading here.
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Whether you were down at ICAST all week, in the boat from sunrise to sunset over the weekend, or both (lol) I’m sure plenty of you can relate to this one. Thx to Mike Bennewitz for the meme-y inspiration:
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Nick Lindner’s better-er half, Jordyn, cracked this gorgeous 30” walleye out of a little bass-infested lake while throwing a 1/4-oz tungsten jg (chartreuse) paired with a 4" Northland Eye-Candy Minnow (green pumpkin). 💯 Congrats Jordyn!!!
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Nick said they were fishing a big weed flat, roughly 9’ deep with dense weeds about halfway to the surface. After they “wore the kids out with pounder bass and cookie-cutter crappies for about an hour, Jordyn said she wanted to catch one or two fish before we put the boat on the trailer.”
> Nick: “I could tell from the hookset that this was not a pounder bass or a crappie. After 15 seconds of battle, I got my first glimpse at the fish.
> “To say I was ‘surprised’ by the species would be an understatement.... But it wasn't until the fish broke the surface and I scooped her into the net that I realized it was a true giant!
> “Mouth closed, tail pinched. A legitimate Minnesota 30-incher. Caught on a local lake with zero ‘documented’ walleye stocking, and also no walleyes in the survey data. This is how memories are made!”
Love it, Lindner fam! ❤️
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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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Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, 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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