Water temps have skyrocketed 10-15°F and the shallows are exploding with life! Right now is some of the best walleye fishing of the year...IF you're fishing shallow enough....

Of course there’s fish that stay shallow all year long, but now is the time to make hay while a huge chunk of the walleye population is stacked in skinny water, and before they start dispersing out to their deeper, summertime haunts or roaming suspended in the water column.

Right now, I’ve been fishing catching ‘em in a couple of different areas depending on the lake and structure. For the most part it’s either been:

In 4-8’ on the top of flats with some little “hot spots” or hard bottom mixed in. If you can find the magical trifecta areas where new 1) weeds, 2) sand, and 3) rock/gravel all meet 🎯 there will be walleyes close!

Have also been finding a lot of walleyes in and around new weed growth in 9-14’, but more commonly say 10-12’ or so (varies by lake).

Often times there’s loads of suckers in the same areas...but there’s almost always some walleyes mixed right in with ‘em or moseying along just behind the schools of suckers. It can be tough to tell the difference on sonar, but you can see it with your own eyes on calm days. It’s fascinating!

Use that ^ to your advantage: Suckers are insanely easy to graph on Side Imaging since they’re so big, blobby and plentiful. And a lot of times they’ll appear to be in a big marching band line when snooping with FFS. Hardly takes any time at all to swing around and whip a few casts into ‘em to verify if there’s any walleyes mixed in or not....

And if you don’t get bit or followed within a few minutes – bounce. BUT do not give up on those “suckers” until you’ve thrown a Rapala PXR Mavrik 110 Jerkbait over the tops of their heads once or thrice. Can’t tell you how many times I have sworn all those fish were suckers, but then first cast with the Mavrik you see ‘em shoot up and pow! 💥

This all is exactly what we had going on when filming this new Target Walleye YouTube video a couple of days ago. And once you get your confidence up in what you’re looking for, you can duplicate these types of spots all across the lake or when you go to the next one.

Hope you enjoy the video and are able to bring this magical bite to a lake near you soon. 👊

Side note: I want to say a few things about that Whitewater Lightweight Tech Hoodie I’m wearing....

First off: As someone who is definitely NOT in shape 🙋‍♂️🍔 I have absolutely despised the majority of those fishing “sun shirts” out there. I have no business wearing something that shows every curve on my body. But man, the way they keep you cool on scorching hot days – while also protecting ya from the sun – made me incredibly envious of folks who could pull ‘em off...while I’m wearing an all-black, cotton T-shirt fighting for my life LOL.

Then I tried on a Whitewater Lightweight Tech Hoodie and fell in love. Finally, a “sun shirt” that wasn’t ultra-clingy or fit me like a dang wetsuit! Was a little nervous ‘cuz the color I first picked up was "Glacier Grey" and if you’re a portly 3XL feller like me you know that light colors are typically just not at all flattering (especially if there’s no pattern to break things up). But the Whitewater Lightweight Tech Hoodie works great for me – finally!

And ever since they came out with a “Vintage Camo” line, I’ve been living in it! Absolutely love the “Vintage Duck Camo” pattern. 🔥

They have a bunch of other styles of fishing Shirts in different cuts and made of different materials (bamboo, merino, etc) that I definitely want to give a try too now that I know how much I love this one, and I’ll try to keep you posted on which other ones get the “Fish-Head Approved” stamp from this husky buffoon. 😅

I absolutely love throwing those jerkbaits on a 7' medium power, extra-fast action Fenwick Eagle. At just $99 [!] you will not be disappointed – she stays on my front deck at all times now.

It’s a beefier jerkbait rod than most folks use, but I like that stiffer rod because it's more responsive...I know that when I twitch it, that’s exactly what my jerkbait is doing too, instead of a mushy-er tip absorbing some of those details. It's also nice to have that extra oomph when fighting bigger fish, and snapping up around weeds ‘cuz you can feel if any debris fouled your hook and snap it out of there to keep fishing versus losing the whole cast.

I have it paired with an Abu Garcia Revo X spinning reel (size 30) that’s spooled with 10-lb Sufix Revolve main line and a double-uni knot to a 12- or 14-lb Sufix Advance Fluoro leader.

That beefier 12- or 14-lb fluoro leader helps to keep the line from wrapping around the treble hooks when you’re really working the bait – can dang near make it do a 180° with a slack-line pop.

Of course it’s also nice insurance when they’re lunchboxing the baits head-first like this lol. #Abrasion 

My leader length usually starts around 6-7’ (any longer and the knot will be up into the spool which impacts your casting distance) and I’ll retie a fresh one after it gets down to about 4’ long.

When running a beefier jerkbait rod combined with a braid mainline, you’ve gotta make sure your drag is set right so that you don’t tear any hooks out. They love to go on some bursty runs in that shallow water!

Play around with it, but typically my drag is set so that I’ll hear a couple of clicks on a hard snap...and will sometimes back it off ‘bout a 1/4 turn if I’m hooked up with a big walleye and it’s getting close to the boat.

> “..marking a dedicated effort in the evolution of professional walleye fishing.”

No link, but the following info was sent in an email by the National Walleye Tour talking 2027 season updates:

> ...beginning in 2027, the NWT will transition to an invitation-only format. Based on feedback and the growing interest the NWT is making an announcement to expand invitations for the 2027 field to 100 professional anglers and 100 co-anglers. These changes are designed to elevate competition, provide long-term stability for anglers, increase payouts and further establish the NWT as the premier professional walleye circuit.

Updated Qualification Structure

The 2027 professional field will be determined as follows:

Primary Qualification – NWT AOY

• 80 anglers will qualify based on the 2026 NWT Angler of the Year (AOY) standings, establishing AOY as the primary pathway into the Tour.

Secondary Qualification – MWC

• 10 anglers will qualify through the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC), serving as the secondary pathway. 

Discretionary Invitations

• 10 at-large invitations will be awarded at the discretion of the National Walleye Tour to complete the 100-angler field with priority given to owners of Ranger, Nitro and Triton boats. 

Two-Year Qualification Guarantee

All anglers who accept invitations into the 2027 NWT field will receive:

• Guaranteed entry for both the 2027 and 2028 seasons

Looking Ahead

These updates represent a significant investment in the future of professional walleye fishing – rewarding performance, simplifying qualification pathways, and offering greater long-term opportunity for anglers competing on the National Walleye Tour.

Additional details regarding the 2027 rules, event format, and invitation process will be released following the conclusion of the 2026 season. The details will include expansion of live coverage, additional media outlets airing and streaming the NWT content, payouts, schedule and more.

That's tourney pro Dylan Nussbaum talkin' in this Z-Man post about ChatterBait bladed jigs. By the way he describes it, sounds like they get walleye feelin’ like this guy:

Haha, probably! Anyways, have you fished any ChatterBaits for walleye? If not, here's a bit more from Dylan on why you might want to work it into the rotation:

> "Some of the best walleye baits all share in common a rare ability to move erratically, randomly.

> "Look at the movements of a suspending jerkbait, a heavy jigging style glidebait – both lures dart and slash in unpredictable directions like a live perch or minnow kicks and jukes unpredictably as they're being hunted. 

> "Walleyes, especially big ones, respond forcefully to this type of action – and when you add a flash and vibration to an already erratic lure, you've got an unbeatable combination.

> "When I retrieve an Eye Strike ChatterBait or a ChatterBait WillowVibe – especially when I speed up or slow down my retrieve – the lure often darts randomly, right or left, before returning to center. Add your favorite swimbait or other soft-plastic tail...."

> Even though anglers have been catching big walleyes on ChatterBaits for years, often by accident, walleye specialists continue underrating bladed jigs because they’ve been programmed to think of them in terms of bass only. But put the blade in the water and there’s no doubt walleyes sense it via lateral line – a ChatterBait likely emits the most powerful low frequency vibrations of any artificial lure.

> Dylan Nussbaum: “One of the best bladed jig patterns I’ve found is casting it onto rock structure in 10’ or less. I’m almost always pairing a 3/8-oz WillowVibe with a 3” Slim SwimZ or MinnowZ, for a profile that matches our local forage (perch, shad, baby white bass.) One of the best retrieves I have found is slow and steady. Reel just fast enough to activate the willowleaf blade. Occasionally, pause and let your bait fall back to the bottom.”

Obviously it’s no secret that walleye eat the snot outta little perch and ‘gills 👀 especially right now around the newly-emerging weeds. Here’s a few colors that caught my eye while snooping around Scheels. From left to right – JackHammers: 'California craw', 'Brett's bluegill', 'Bhite delight'. Chatterbait Elite EVOS: 'bluegill', 'citrus shad'.

If you've got any diehard bassin' buddies, ask 'em if they've ever caught a walleye on 'em while bass fishing...and I'd be willing to bet they'd tell you "Oh yeah!" and that they've all been big ones....

Came across this Game and Fish write-up with Pacific Northwest guide Austin Moser where he's actually been using the tactics he uses for salmon and steelhead to catch massive river walleyes. It's one of those things that seems insane and then you read about it and it's like 'why haven't I tried that?'. 😂 

Here's a bit on what Austin is doing to catch his PNW giants:

> "How we're going to fish today is actually a combination of back-bouncing, side-drifting and twitching, with a bit of swinging."

> "When fishing a river or reservoir for the first time, find the deep channels with shallow flats on top and fish the shelves from the top down. Find where the fish are holding to get food as it passes by and hit those spots."

For baits, it's a jig/plastic deal, but matched to the drift more than a one-size setup:

> "3 weights of jigs were used – 3/8, 1/4 and 1/2-oz – allowing us to match the water and boat travel rates.

> "The jig we used depended on current flows, which varied with the volume of water let out of the dam, the depths being fished and the speed of the boat as it moved slowly downstream."

Austin is a big match-the-hatch guy with this deal using bigger soft-plastic grubs and craws with the current/rock/crawfish program.

> "When you pull up a lot of walleyes, you see them spitting up food, and the imitations I use mimic what I'm seeing. If the bite slows, I'll add some Pro-Cure Crawfish Super Gel scent or Trophy Walleye Super Gel, which can turn on a bite."

I mean, look at these baits he's using!

That's just scratching the surface of the whole deal so if you want to get that whole post, check it out here at Game and Fish.

1. MN: Awesome film from a recent Mille Lacs derby 🎥

> The Champions Tour heads to Lake Mille Lacs for the first-ever (filmed) Champions Tour Walleye Event, introducing a brand-new format to competitive walleye fishing. Watch some of the best walleye anglers in the Midwest battle changing conditions, giant waves, and one of the most legendary walleye fisheries in North America in a Catch, Weigh, Release style event unlike anything the sport has seen before.

> Follow along with live catches, leaderboard drama, big walleyes, and the future of competitive walleye fishing as a new era begins on the Champions Tour.

Super cool event and I REALLY hope those fellas continue to run walleye tournaments. 🙌

2. MI: Last day to register for the Bay De Noc NWT

Happening Jun 18-19 out of Gladstone.

3. MI: Multiple cases of Detroit River anglers over walleye limit

4. MN anglers harvest 80 million lbs of fish per year

According to a recent study, which is more than double the state's official estimate 😳 but that was last updated in 2001.

> Researchers at the University of Minnesota are launching a 3-year project aimed specifically at understanding how FFS affects fish populations. The study will survey anglers about how they use the technology and compare catch results with and without it during both open-water and ice fishing seasons.

> Researcher Cam Mosley told Minnesota Public Radio that the goal is to give fisheries managers better data before they write new rules. Right now, there is almost no hard science on whether FFS is actually depleting fish populations. The new study aims to fix that.

5. MO: BPS donates 55K rods/reels to get kids fishing

6. Pro tips to catch walleye in June 🎥 

Nice breakdown of locations and techniques from Chase Parsons.

7. WI: Numerous UTV/ATV law changes 👨‍⚖️

Couple of ‘em to keep in mind this ice fishing season:

> ATV or UTV operators may not tow objects bearing any person on a trail or route. Towing persons on ice is limited to 10 mph.

And:

> Operators and passengers are all required to wear a seatbelt in a UTV. 

Which I understand on land, but on ice? Outside of keeping speeds down, the golden rule of ice travel is to never wear a seatbelt since if you break thru, you’re way more likely to be going down with the machine. Curious to hear comments on that....

8. BeatDown has a breakdown on LiveScope 34 transducer mounts

BeatDown Outdoors put together a guide comparing its Zero Degree Live T-Mount and Zeroed In Live T-Mount for Garmin LVS34 setups.

The basic difference: the Zero Degree is more for anglers mostly staying in Forward Mode, while the Zeroed In is built for switching between Forward, Down and Perspective Mode.

Both use 5-degree adjustments to help get the transducer angle dialed.

9. Nick Lindner's sneaky LiveScope tips/settings 🎥

Some solid tips in there. You know things are getting serious when the amber lenses come out. 😮‍💨

10. MN: Zeebz confirmed in Little Boy Lake (Cass County)

11. NE: Rare lake sturgeon made 681-mile swim

Lake sturgeon are listed as threatened in Nebraska, and fisheries crews typically only catch one individual fish every other year. And this one has been on the move:

> Biologists with the Missouri Department of Conservation had captured and tagged the fish at the Missouri River’s confluence with the Osage River in 2017. At that time, the sturgeon measured 47” in length and weighed 29 lbs.

> From where it was captured in the Osage River, to where it was netted [from the Missouri River] at Gavins Point Dam [on April 14], the fish would have swam 681 miles upstream [this time measured 59.6” long and 70 lbs].

12. MN anglers say crappie is #2 behind walleye

As Ricky Bobby would say: "If you ain't first, you're last." 😂

13. Sportsman's Warehouse Q1 sales up but...

...they lost $$$:

> Net sales increased 2.8% to $256.1 mil, compared to $249.1 mil in Q1 of FY 2025. Performance was driven primarily by a 7.4% gain in hunting and shooting sports.... Fishing rose 6.0%, driven by seasonal demands as customers prepared for the spring fishing season. 

> Gross profit was $75.8 mil.... Net loss was $21.8 mil, compared to a net loss of $21.3 mil in Q1 of FY 2025. Adjusted net loss was $15.1 mil....

Please take just a few minutes to fill out this Target Walleye survey and have a shot at winning a Rapala 29" GIANT Lure that's signed by Al Lindner! Your answers will be super helpful for Target Walleye. Thank you for doing it and thank you for reading! Click here to take the survey.

A better way to pitch with spinning gear?

Saw this interesting little deal from BassBlaster that came across the pond from Japan. And if you're not aware – Japan has some of the most efficient, detail oriented fish-heads in the world! Check this out:

Apparently it’s more efficient to pitch with the bail open, instead of grabbing the line for a cast like we usually do with our index finger, hold the line on the spool like that instead. Supposed to be more precise.

Not sure I could get on board with the one-handed spinning schtuff 🤷‍♂️ especially since I’m usually trying to get my presentation way out away from the boat to help fool finicky walleyes....

But will say that I do constantly ‘flutter’ the line with my fingers on casts to adjust where the bait is going to land – can manipulate it left or right, and shorten up the cast by slowing the line that rolling off of the spool.

“...people whined and cried about it every single time it happened. And...nothing occurred other than it got more anglers involved in the sport. Forward-facing sonar is the same way...use it or don't....”

- That’s Gary Parsons talking on the first-ever episode of the "Limits" podcast on how he’s seen innovative technology change the fishing industry non stop over the course of 40 years. All sides of it, but the obvious one is electronics with flashers to LCD, detailed mapping and GPS, Side Imaging, you name it. And each time there’s an uproar, typically from a chunk of the old guard, but in the end it just gets more folks out enjoying this sport that we all love so much.

> Gary Parsons: “That’s what's always been beautiful about fishing...you can throw a hook and a sinker off the bank and get tons of enjoyment. You can fish bluegills off your dock. Or fish tournaments at the highest level in 8' waves...if that's what trips your trigger. And that's to me why fishing is one of the most popular sports there is in the United States – probably the world – today.”

Fishing can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. Some do it to relax, some do it to compete, and everything in between. Enjoy this whole fishing thing however it is that makes you the happiest, so long as you’re respecting the resource in the meantime. 🤷‍♂️

DON’T WORRY: Forward-facing sonar isn’t the only thing they talked about hahah! That was just a little chunk of it:

> Gary Parsons sits down and talks about his fishing career. From owning his own dental practice to designing baits with Berkley we cover it all. Enjoy old stories from the past and get an inside look at how Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Angler Gary Parsons has affected the fishing industry over his long career as an angler and promoter.

Here’s the full podcast:

Sounds like the bite has been on fire on Lake Winnipeg out of Hecla, Manitoba! Which it basically always is unless it’s too windy to get out lol. But came across this shot of a client with Cooks Outfitting & Guide Services showing how a 15-incher stacks up next to a 27” greenback. Heck of a difference, but I want to see a 33-incher in the mix next!

Thank you SO much for taking time out of your day to read these Target Walleye emails! Hope you have a great + safe weekend with hooksets a plenty! 👊 Back atcha next week....

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026