Today’s Top 5
Parade of pigs!
Here’s what a 34″ Maumee River walleye looks like [shocked emoji]. Dalton Cleghorn caught it using a floating-jig rig with a 4′ leader:
This NE rock crawler wanted a closer look at Brett Mauler’s firetiger Rapala Scatter Rap Minnow:
TW fan Clay Schoff has been smackin’ the Green Bay walleyes from shore — including a 31.5″ slob — with nothin’ but Rapala Rippin’ Raps:
Dale Grimm’s boat landed this DD (double digit) while pulling “high blood pressure” color Bay Rat Lures 90′ back:
Where to find post-spawn walleyes on “fishing opener.”
If you’re having a tough time finding ’em, you’re fishing too deep. One big key is knowing where they spawned, and where they’re headed next. A few excerpts below, but you’ll for sure want to read the full AnglingBuzz write-up here.
> Walleyes typically spawn once water temps reach the mid-40s. The exact number will vary from lake-to-lake, but it’s generally somewhere between 44-48F.
> Walleyes tend to go back to their old spawning grounds year after year, so once you figure out where they’re dumping their eggs, you’ll have some valuable info you can rely on for years to come.
> Depending where you’re fishing, walleyes will either spawn on main-lake shorelines, or in feeder rivers and creeks. This tends to be on some form of shallow rock or gravel in 3-6′.
> Look for shallow-water structure between those spawning grounds and some of your favorite main-lake summertime spots.
They didn’t forget about you river rats either:
Air guitar walleye.
When you go 8 hours without a fish and finally find the big school. #Classic
Kid crushes school project.
Remember when paper-mache volcanoes were the coolest? Now check 11-year-old Colten’s school project where he had to: research his biggest idol, build a display, dress up like them, and give a speech. #NailedIt
Painting crankbaits from the inside out?
Sort of. The inside of the Bagley Rumble B is sprayed with a chrome paint — when they open it up to put the rattles in — which gives it a glow-like iridescence in the sunlight. It’s also got a concave lip that rolls the bait on the troll:
Lures aren’t the only thing better with a prize inside:
News
1. MB: What’s causing the Winnipeg walleye collapse?
The decline first showed up in the lake’s 2012 fisheries data, but it wasn’t until the last year-ish that anglers experienced it and said so on social media.
So who/what’s to blame? Rainbow smelt stopped spawning in 2011…or the 2001 walleye year class is dying of old age…or the most controversial: commercial netting. Warning: The following image may be disturbing to some viewers:
2. MI: Report any tagged walleyes you catch…
…on Saginaw Bay. Part of a MDNR long-term research project to “monitor survival, harvest rates and walleye movement.” Guess waterfowl hunters aren’t the only ones who get to chase bling:
3. New Jason Mitchell Elite Series rods.
They come with a memory card full of Jason’s Devils Lake waypoints…right Jason? Lol, not really. Can’t wait to try one out:
5. Didja enter the LIVETARGET giveaway yet?
Have a shot at winning a massive stack of LIVETARGET jerkbaits — including the tasty Yearling BaitBall Jerkbaits! Just gotta click here to enter. Good luck!
Tip of the Day
Double-hooking shiners for spring jig-fishing.
Here’s Bro Brosdahl on how to get more bites and less snags:
Most people hook minnows through the lips, but there’s a big problem — every time a weed or rock bumps the jig, you lose your minnow. Same when a short-biting walleye hits. When tipping with live bait minnows, I like to use a long-shank jig like the Northland Tackle RZ Jig and double hook my minnows.
> Go in the mouth of the minnow with the point of the hook coming out through the gill. Bring the collar of the jig right up to the minnow’s lips and then turn and hook it from the bottom through the back. This will make sure your jig is weedless and snagless — for the most part, anyway.
> You’ll get those hooksets on the walleyes just trying to nibble on a half-minnow this way. It’s easy to do and keeps minnows on a lot longer. In fact, I’ve caught multiple fish on the same minnows and they actually wiggle more when double-hooked this way.
For you visual learners:
Quote of the Day
I could use a few more days of watching those Off Shore Tackle boards fall back!
– Korey Sprengel’s comment on this pic. Looks like he’s going to fall back — just like those planer boards — trying to hold up that sow! #Biggun
Today’s ‘Eye Candy
Careful…Spenser Samplawsk’s fish pics are NOT work friendly…. ‘Cuz they’ll make you want to walk straight out the door and head to the nearest lake:
TargetWalleye.com | Rapala.com | IceForce.com
