Target Walleye/Ice email

Favorite walleye nicknames, 15-lber caught, Pros name go-to baits

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Today’s Top 4

Favorite walleye nicknames from the pros.

Gravel lizards, walters, rock melons…we heard a little bit of everything while chattin’ with top ice pros and fishing-biz folk down at the St. Paul Ice Show. We aren’t the only ones that like to keep it light:

Let us know your favorite walleye nickname by commenting on the Facebook vid.

Bay of Quinte smashfest!

David Shmyr Jr. and Levi Leary caught 4 “fish of a lifetime” in ONE DAY with PB&J Charters on the Bay of Quinte. Biggest was a 32″ male that went 15-03 lbs [!] and chomped Levi’s Bagley Rumble B:

Gave ’em a call and found out they were running Okuma Convector and Catalina Line Counter Reels, and Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards with 1- to 1.5-oz snap weights to get their baits to depth. Ended up catching and releasing 4 fish over the 12-lb mark. Serious amounts of WHOA:

You know the bite’s good when this guy takes a break from writing the naughty-or-nice list to soak a Bagley Rumble B too:

Merry Fishmas, guys!

Rapid fire: Pros’ favorite ice walleye baits and why.

We put a handful of the top ice-fishing pros on the spot, giving them each just 10 seconds to tell us about one hardwater walleye bait they ALWAYS have tied on and why. Got any of these in your tackle box?

Had it on Facebook, a little grumbling ’bout how “all those baits just so happen to be made by each angler’s sponsors.” Duh!! The top ice pros in the industry have their pick of ANY company they want to work with…so of course they work with the ones they use, believe in and catch fish on. Can’t get that far in the biz putting your face on products that don’t work….

Okay, rant over — back on topic: I legit cut the camera after 10 seconds, so each guy has a ton more info on the “why” part of their choice bait…have more on that later. Also did their go-to panfish baits, which you’ll maybe see on Friday.

Here’s that 32.5″ PB walter Tony Boshold was talking about in his clip. #LikeABosh

Caught it on a #7 Rapala Jigging Rap (Helsinki shad), tipping each hook on the treble with vertical-hanging Little Atom Jumbo Wedgees (glow pearl). #DressedUp

No matter what the calendar says, it’s still “early ice” out there.

Been seeing a growing number of pics like this across the interwebz:

Can’t stress enough to check and re-check the ice for yourself — every step — this time of year. Just ‘cuz you see some other yahoo out on it, doesn’t’ mean it’s safe:

News

1. MT: Bumping walleye limit from 12 to 20?

FWP is proposing a change in Canyon Ferry walleye regs from a daily limit of 12 to 20, among other things. Sounds like this is from the biologists, with no public comment?

2. MT: Swan Lake walleyes came from Helena.

Was a trout lake that had the “potentially destructive species” (walleyes) illegally stocked in 2015 and they were worried it’d ruin the salmon/trout fishing. Get this:

> “FWP and Trout Unlimited are offering a reward of up to $35,250 for information on illegally introduced fish in Swan Lake.”

Means if you give up your buddy, you could buy about 6,613 Jigging Raps lol.

3. MN: New pike regs for less hammer handles…

…coming in spring. The zone thing is maybe a first for fishing regs? Gonna break the state up into 3 pike zones:

North-central zone

> …keep 10 northern pike, but not more than 2 pike longer than 26″, and all from 22-26″ must be released. Northern pike taken by spearing follow the same rules except 1 pike may be between 22-26″ and one longer than 26″.

Northeast zone

> …able to keep 2 pike and must release all from 30-40″, with only one over 40″ allowed in possession. Spearers also will be able to take 2 pike but only 1 may be longer than 26″.

Southern zone

> Anglers and spearers will be able to keep two fish, with a minimum size of 24″.

More info here.

4. ND: Sportsman’s Expo in Bismarck, Dec 8-9.

The Missouri Secrets Tackle crew will be there selling the new Someday Isle Tackle Water Puppets. Here’s what you’re looking for:

Takes some practice, but you can make ’em dart off the side of the hole, and swing in a pendulum or figure-8 motion. Mix and match different plastic tails (or minnows) on the back to change the look/action.

Not available at FishUSA quite yet 🙁 but you can find ’em online here.

5. MN: Mille Lacs walleye season is finally open.

But the ice is still sketchy ’round most all of the lake (besides some skinny-water bays). Actually saw a handful of boats on the main lake while driving by on Sunday. Check the new regs here.

6. ND: Brush up on your winter regs.

Fishin’ with 4 lines sounds down-right hectic.

7. NY: Less gobies = walleye rebound on Oneida?

> “Researchers believe that the reduction in the round goby population in the lake may be the reason. When gobies are abundant, walleyes typically feast on them and are less likely to take a bait presented by an angler. Gobies are also notorious bait thieves and can make fishing difficult.”

Well I’ll be gobied….

8. Bid made for bankrupt distributor Maurice.

9. DC: EPA raises amount of ethanol in gas.

EPA asked for input, lots of folks said they want less, EPA raised it anyway.

10. DC: New tax bills could affect boat taxes.

Not sure if it means any benefit to regular-people boats, or just one’s that could be considered second homes….

Tip of the Day

How ‘Bro’ targets early-ice crappies.

> Crappies usually prefer ‘isolated open water’ like deep holes next to structures or surrounded by shallow water. They tend to avoid larger basin areas that don’t have any type of structures nearby.

> Find the deep hole first and then search the perimeter of the hole for steep breaks, turns in the breakline or other unique features that might be used by crappies when they are feeding.

> They feed on many different things, but their bread and butter during the winter in my part of the country is zooplankton…tiny microscopic critters that crappies are able to sift out of the water.

> Zooplankton feed in the mud bottom where dead plant and animal matter collect. They rise off the bottom as it starts to get dark and concentrate in stratified layers just off of the bottom. It’s usually thick enough to see on sonar and will look like green clutter.

> Crappies have paper thin mouths, so it helps to use small lures with slightly larger hooks. If your favorite lure has a small hook gap…carefully bend the hook out slightly with a needle nose pliers so it gets a better bite on the fish.

> I use a Northland Gill Getter or Tungsten Fire-Ball Jig — tipped with a single waxie or eurolarvae — for less active crappies. May also tip the lures with scented Impulse plastics like the Skeleton Minnow or Water Flea.

> Crappies are visual feeders…keep your baits close to eye level of the fish. One of the biggest mistakes anglers make is having their lures below the level of the crappies, so they have to bring their lure through the school of fish, which often spooks them.

Lots more info from Bro on pages 15-18 of ODU Magazine’s Nov/Dec issue.

Meme of the Day

Gift idea for your fishing buddies that like to “round up” lol:

Today’s ‘Eye Candy

Love ’em or hate ’em…burbot put up one heck of a fight! Tyrell Macheledt arm-wrassled this one last winter using a Custom Jigs & Spins Pro Series Slender Spoon. #ForTheLoveOfBurbot

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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

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