Apparently Bob Magnuson and Jerome Papinau brought in 60.35 pounds on 5 fish (12.07-lb avg) to win the 2024 Jerry Johnston Memorial 'Tough Guy Tournament' on Fort Peck out of Hell Creek marina!!!

Can usually never find any fish pics (let alone winning details) from tourneys in the ‘Wild West’ 🤷‍♂️ tho they did at least post a pic of the plaques for once. BIG congrats, fellas!

But we want to know more!

Couple things I do know and even more I don’t:

One of the FB posts had a hashtag that said #NoLiveScopeNeeded...but that’s literally the only insight out there as to how the 1st-place team caught ‘em. Would LOVE to know some specific details (baits, technique, depth, type of structure, something, anything.

They don’t actually weigh the fish in this derby 👀 they use a length-to-weight conversion chart. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a ridiculously impressive bag.... I was able to scrape up the conversion chart and figure out exactly how long each of their fish measured:

The 1st-place team had a 31.25", 30.50", 32.25", 30.75", and 30.25". Which is a 31” average on 5 fish. 😳

The biggest (longest) walleye of the derby was a 33-incher.

Here’s the full results that were already converted from length into weight:

I was able to track down a FB post with a picture from the fellas (Wayne Wilcox and Gage Gordon) who got 2nd with 5 for 58.11 lbs. They had a 30.00”, 32.00”, 31.50”, 30.00” and a 29.75". Which is a 30.65” average on 5 fish:

Just bonkers!

I NEED to plan a roadtrip to the wild west....

The man, the myth, the probably-doesn’t-have-anymore-room-on-his-wall-for-trophies legend John Hoyer seems to be able to catch walleyes anywhere and everywhere. If you want to do the same 🙋‍♂️ you’ve got to be versatile.

Don’t be afraid to switch it up! Step out of your comfort zone and play with some different presentations to dial-in what’s working best for the current conditions and fish’s mood.

There’s lots of different ways to catch spring walleyes – here’s some of Hoyer’s go-to presentations in cool water during the ‘fishing opener’ time frame:

> I generally don’t fish any deeper than 12’ on opener, which makes it some of the most fun bites of the year.

> An 1/8 or 1/4-oz jig and very soft plastic. The Berkley PowerBait Curly Bones and Bonefish are specifically designed to excel at very slow speeds. This makes it a perfect bait to pitch out, raise your rod tip a few feet, hold it there, and watch your line for the bite or when you hit bottom. Repeat and set the hook periodically. Natural whites by day, bright stuff at sunrise and sunset.

> A shallow-running crankbait. A Berkley Hit Stick or any shallow running minnow-style bait , trolled at 1.2-1.5 mph after dark. This can be the best catch rate of the weekend...especially if dealing with calm conditions or super clear water.

> Slip-bobber/leech. I will never say bobber fishing is boring because of the simple fact that it never gets old watching that bobber go down. If I’ve learned one thing from forward-facing sonar, set your bobber at least 2’ off the bottom...3’ is probably better.

> 1/8-oz jig and minnow. Simple yet very effective. Use the wind to create some float in your minnow, cast quartering casts to the waves, and let the jig swing back to center. Another tip – especially when using a shiner – is don’t worry about touching bottom.

> Push the envelope. Rattlebaits known to work on the great lakes excel at times throughout any given day in May. Other fast-moving presentations like a 3/8- or 1/2-oz jig and The Champ Swimmer can outfish everything if the fish are in a good mood.

Good luck to those of you lucky enough to sneak out these next couple of weekends of ‘Fishing Openers’ around the Midwest.

And remember if you’re going head-to-head with friends or fam...pike are -1 😂 hahaha!

If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, you’ve probably heard us call those big, pre-spawn females “egg-cannons” before. This pic from the IA DNR of an 11- to 12-lb bruiser they netted at Rathbun is all you need to know for the why. 💣 #BOOM

Something they’ve been doing for a long time.... Here’s a pic from 1948 [!] of stripping walleye eggs with the Iowa Conservation Commission (left) and then a snap from 2024 at the Rathbun Fish Hatchery (right):

> “Fashions may have changed a bit since the 1948 photo here, but the dedication is the same. This year's walleye broodstock collection efforts had a goal of 1,738 quarts of eggs to produce 155 mil walleye fry (newly hatched fish) – but we finished with 1,889 quarts of eggs currently incubating!

> “We'll stock those fry eventually in IA lakes: More than 1.1 mil 2” walleyes are expected to be stocked into lakes, rivers, and streams across the state this summer. Nearly 330K 6-9” fingerlings will be stocked in lakes later this fall.

> “With little natural reproduction in most IA lakes and rivers, IA’s walleye populations rely heavily upon stockings. Walleyes are stocked throughout IA into natural lakes, interior rivers, flood control reservoirs and selected larger lakes.”

More info here on IA crushing its walleye egg collection goals this spring.

Now here’s a couple other double-digit grandmas caught the old-fashioned way...throwing swimbaits from the bank. Pics posted this spring by @j.dfishinia on Instagram:

Congrats on the new personal best, dude!

From Dylan Nussbaum, who loves to “bass fishing for walleyes” like myself. The full Q&A has a bunch more, but a few snippets below:

How to use it

> “A walleye or a bass tends to paint a pretty solid image. But a carp or a muskie, for example, can look a little grainy on the screen.

> “If I’m out hunting fish on open flats, I’ll set the unit to scan out to 100′ from the boat. Crank the sensitivity or gain (Lowrance calls it contrast) up to +10, especially for places like Lake Erie – or anywhere fish spook easily.

> “If I’m around rock or stumps or vegetation, I’ll dial back to 4 or 5, and if I’m working smaller structures, I reduce range to about 60′.

> “If I’m in giant boulders or trees or weeds, I might go with 40′ to zoom in and get a more accurate picture, especially to separate fish from objects or bottom.

> “I find that a good high-contrast color palette, such as Lowrance’s #6, a dark amber hue, really helps fish and your lure stick out on screen.

> “If I can find a school of 5 or 6 walleyes, that’s ideal. I won’t often cast at a single fish or 2 unless it’s a big walleye. With a big fish, I might spend 5 minutes trying to trigger a reaction. A bigger fish moves differently than a smaller one. Larger walleyes often just tilt up to look at the bait, moving slowly and deliberately. But when they decide to bite, they swim fast and with lethal intent.

> “On my home lake, Kinzua Reservoir (PA), I’ve learned to differentiate between a 15-17 incher and a 22-incher. Just by seeing fish on screen and then catching them, you learn the subtle differences in fish movement, body size and shape.

> “Forward-facing sonar really saves a lot of time by keeping you from working a lure through fishless water.”

Finding new groups of fish

> “Found scattered small pods of big walleyes suspended 15′ down over 40′ of water. I pitched a 3/8-oz jig and Jerk ShadZ and watched fish shoot up 10-15′ and just crush the lure. What’s interesting is that I’ve found this same pattern happening on every lake I’ve been to since. You might see smaller walleyes near bottom, but the suspended fish are always bigger – like 5, 6 and 7-lbers.

> “Fished a similar scenario...at Lake Erie.... Cruising along at a 1/2 mph, I’d make wide sonar scans and eventually reveal these mega schools of 20-30 fish, all suspended 60′ down over 80′ of water. You’d get 1 or 2 casts on ’em – and usually catch a fish on both casts – before the whole school would spook and vanish.”

Whether fish shy away from FFS

> “Especially with fish within 50′ of the boat, you often get just 1 – maybe 2 – casts at them before they vanish. Other times, catching a single fish from a school makes them scatter. At Green Bay in the spring, for instance, I’ve found that FFS is almost useless because you simply can’t get within 60′ of walleyes without disturbing them. Hard to say whether they’re spooking from the boat’s shadow, sonar pulses or other sounds.”

Some key presentation adjustments since FFS

> “At times, it’s made me get more aggressive when pitching plastics. I’ll start most days with a 3/8- or 1/2-oz jig and Jerk Shad – that new ‘pro yellow perch’ pattern has been deadly."

> "Really ripping it fast and violently. If walleyes react with fast following moves, I know I’m on the right track and will usually crack a couple fish right off. But if the fish seem to move and react reluctantly, I’ll slow way down, maybe go with a lighter jighead, or tweak my color choice.

> “I’ve also become a fan of a dropshot or a Tokyo rig for less aggressive fish. The buoyancy of ElaZtech baits like the Trick ShotZ [top] and Finesse ShadZ [bottom] make them hover naturally on these rigs. They’re super soft, too, so the little tails shake and kick with the slightest rod tip movement."

> “...I used to make these super long casts and work the bait all the way back to the boat. I still do this sometimes. But way more often, I’m making shorter 60′ pitches to keep the lure in the sonar’s line of sight.

> "If I’m not seeing fish, I won’t work the bait all the way back. Might just retrieve it 10-20′ and burn it right back to the boat. FFS really saves a lot of time by keeping you from working a lure thru fishless water. And when you’ve got an interested fish on the screen and you’re playing cat-and-mouse with your lure, that’s exciting. When you get everything right and they crush it, man, it’s a rush.”

Full scoop here.

I’ve seen some wild deformities, but this one is right up there. Pics were shared on Pete Maina’s FB page and said Kyle Sorenson had this one whack his bait while chasing muskies on Friday the 13th no less. Ever seen anything like this?

Most folks in the comments section are suspecting it’s the result of an injury from a Boga-Grip style tool or stringer. Definitely could be the case unless pike are evolving into filter feeders or that thing had an emergency tracheotomy 😳 LOL.

Most other guesses have to do with where it was caught...

1. Some fresh NWT stats from John Balla...

...coming off the Lake Erie qualifier.

2. Minnesota Mom’s Fishing Challenge, May 11-12.

A free virtual fishing challenge for those lovely ladies in our lives! Will be happening over this year’s fishing opener, which is also “Take a Mom Fishing Weekend” = all MN moms can fish without purchasing a fishing license.

> The MN DNR is partnering with the Student Angler Organization and Women Anglers of Minnesota to host the challenge.

> To participate in the Mother’s Day weekend fishing challenge, moms simply need to join the Facebook group called “Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge 2024” and post one photo of each fish they catch.

> All participants who submit one or more fish photos will have their name entered in a random drawing for prizes provided by the Student Angler Organization and their partners, including gift cards for SCHEELS and Lund. Additionally, participants are invited to tune in for a pre-challenge virtual Fishing 101 class, hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota in the challenge Facebook group opens in a new browser tab on May 7.

> Challenge details are available on the Minnesota DNR website. All fish species and sizes are welcome in the challenge. Participants can snap a photo and let their fish go or keep it if it’s in season.

> “This year’s event follows the successful inaugural Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge in 2023. Last year, more than 2,400 moms joined the challenge,” said Cara Hanson, DNR marketing coordinator. “This year, we hope even more people will join in the fun!”

3. ND: Walleye tagging studies planned on 4 lakes.

> This year's tagging efforts will be at Coal Lake In McLean County, Coe Lake in Eddy County, Twin Lake in Benson County and West Napoleon Lake in Logan County.

> The studies help wildlife managers get a better understanding of how anglers are using the fisheries.

> Anglers are encouraged to report any tagged fish they encounter by logging into their Game and Fish account or using the “tagged fish reporting” feature on the department’s website....

4. WI: Walleye tagging project to update...

...catch and exploitation rates in Green Bay sport fishery.

5. WI: Changes likely for St. Louis R. + Lake Superior walleye limits.

> Anglers can keep 5 walleyes per day on the WI side of Lake Superior. But if they boat a few feet into the river estuary or into MN waters of the lake, the limit is only 2 fish per day. Same fish, different rules.

> Not only are the different limits an enforcement headache, but some anglers say the 5-fish limit on the lake has allowed anglers to take too many walleyes out of the system, threatening future angling prospects.

> That may change as the WI DNR considers merging the management regulations for the entire St. Louis River Estuary walleye population.

> WI DNR fisheries biologists will talk about possible regulation changes and the overall health of the migratory St. Louis River walleye population at a public meeting May 9 at the Barkers Island Inn. DNR staff will make a short presentation on walleye management at the beginning of the meeting, which will then be opened to questions and comments.

6. MN: Some deets on the new Waterville fish hatchery.

7. Cool way to get a kiddo hooked on fishing.

> “It might be a once in a lifetime thing, but a fishing tackle splurge for a kid could be one of your favorite memories. How a recent spree brought back a memory...”

Another awesome read from Scott Mackenthun. 👍

8. FishUSA has 15% off all Rapala lures.

Only until 11:59 pm est TONIGHT.

9. Heads up: FishUSA has Acme Hyper Rattles in stock.

If you paid attention the last few summers, you already know they go FAST when things warm up...so I would try to snag a few HR6s and HR5s before that bite gets snapping.

10. Here’s 9 things to check on your PFD before boating.

11. DC: ASA supports a lead tackle bill that would rein in feds.

> Instead of allowing lead bans, like the recent FWS rule to ban tackle on some National Wildlife Refuges, to be based on emotion or perceived ecological harm, this bill ensures that science guides decision-making

How to calibrate your line-counter reels.

Trolling is all about putting a pattern together. The most efficient way to do that is to make sure all of your line-counter reels are reading exactly the same. Here’s how Fishing 411 TV’s Mark Romanack gets ’em spot on. It’s an older, blurry video...but the info is there:

Good way to never get invited again.... 🥴 #Sketchy

You know who you are....

Amazing pic posted by Best of Minnesota on FB. 🙌 It’s coming....

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026