Frog eating walleyes, Strangest jumbo yet, Ice fishing drug bust ($18-mil)

Another frog-eater caught – this time by Andrew Slobodian (@northernbushfreak) in Albertughhhh CAN. And is it just me or does that frog look embarrassed?

Happens more often than you’d think, and sometimes in way bigger quantities….

Remember this wild shot from South Dakota Fishing Guide of a fall walleye gettin’ its Frogger on?! And you wonder why they won’t eat your fathead:

Hey Rapala – we’re gonna need this pattern on a Husky Jerk and Jigging Rap ASAP:

If you remember this OG post on TargetWalleye.com, you know folks have been using frogs to catch open-water walleyes for decades. But a couple seasons ago was the first (and last) time I had ever seen anyone specifically target frog-eaters through the ice – from the fellas at Brewer-Agre Outdoors:

> Tell me these Lake Winnipeg greenbacks don’t know that frogs = food! The LIVETARGET Walking Frog [topwater bait weighted down with a bell sinker!] put numerous greenbacks topside, including this Manitoba Master Angler:

🤯 Nicely played, fellas!

Clam + Blackfish Pro Steve Berry said this naked jumbotron went just over 14” and clobbered his #3 Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap (1-1/8″, 1/16-oz). Thought it was a smallmouth bass when he first saw it in the hole – can see where THIS would’ve been a little confusing:

How crazy is that? Awesome fish, man! 👊 Thx much for sending it in.

‘Cuz this whole fishin’ thing is more than just a hobby…it’s a lifestyle:

1) Freakin’ amazing 😲 driftwood walleye sent in from @danny_bacon_77 on Insta!

2) Custom-metal fabricator @metal__maniaxx hit this one with the candy paint:

3) Would obviously have to cry if this Polish zander wallet from @lulu.leather.goods went thru the wash:

4) Wildlife artist/taxidermist Ryan Beeson (@redarrow619) has got mad skills – doesn’t matter if it’s a snapping turtle shell, turkey feather, leaf, or your mother in-law’s forehead (sorry Paula) he can turn it into a fishy masterpiece:

5) Wonder if Ryan Rickaby Art will throw in a “glow hot perch” color #7 Rapala Jigging Rap with this 11×14” acrylic on hardboard. #skills

6) And if you’re more of the abstract-y type, Chad Williams has got you covered:

Fish-head Matt Waldron stuck this huuuuge hybrid white crappie while shooting the series finale of The Crappie Chronicles. #MinnesotaNice

Said they wanted to end the slab-filled series with an 18-incher, but had to settle for that measly 15.25” (measured with the mouth shut) instead lol.

Few details on the catch:

> “…on the edge of a mud/sand transition on the inside corner of a point in 14’…halfway down the water column.

> “Caught using a unique approach…choked a ‘glow white/silver tiger’ color 1/16-oz Clam Blade Jig (not spoon) with a full minnow. The key to this presentation is to use slow strokes of the rod, rather than fast/erratic jigging.”

Waldo was slinging an Elliott Rods “Evolution Ice Series” ES44L-F paired up with a size-20 Okuma Epixor and 4-lb Clam Frost Ice Mono (gold).

Awesome job, fellas! 👏👏👏

1. WI biologist charged with lying about caviar scheme.

> Prosecutors charged the WI DNR’s top sturgeon expert Thurs with obstructing an investigation into allegations that his employees have been funneling the valuable [sturgeon] eggs to a network of caviar processors under the guise of a scientific study.

2. The Head2Head “Pro Walleye Series” roster is set.

Here’s your 2021 starting lineup. And the first PWS stop of the year will be on MI’s Detroit River Apr 9-16 (full schedule here). SO PUMPED for live-streamed walleye derbies!!!

3. 2020 outboard sales up 18% from 2019.

> Outboard engine retail sales rose for the 9th consecutive year in 2020 to a total of 330K units, the highest annual sales volume in 20 years….

And it wasn’t just the biggest ponies getting all the action:

> Engines rated 30-hp and below were up 25% to 72K units sold in 2020.

4. Merc has a 600-hp V12 Verado coming this spring.

Of course for BIG boats with multiple outboards on the back…but considering there’s walleye rigs out there taking 450s now, it’s just a matter of time before this comes to our side of the boating world.

> The industry’s first 2‑speed automatic transmission for an outboard optimizes engine rpm according to workload, facilitating powerful acceleration and highly efficient performance at cruise.

 

> The industry’s first steerable gearcase on an outboard pivots independently underwater while the engine’s powerhead remains in a space‑saving fixed position. This provides more room for multi‑engine configurations [or when walleye-nuts try to squeeze a kicker motor, 2 Talons and a Minn Kota Vantage all on the back but still want to steer 🤪] and a wider steering angle for agile handling. With help from contra‑rotating propellers, it also has better “bite” in the water for docking and other close‑quarters maneuvering.

5. NWT gets couple more new sponsors

Nitro and Lucas Oil.

And registration is now open for the 2021 NWT season – here’s another look at the schedule:

• Aprl 29-30 – Missouri River (Chamberlain, SD)
• May 27-28 – Sturgeon Bay, WI
• Jun 24-25 – Lake Erie (Huron, OH)
• Jul 29-30 – Lake Oahe (Mobridge, SD)
• Championship – Sept 22-24 – Otter Tail Lake, MN

6. MN: Fishing for Ducks, Mille Lacs, Feb 19-21

The largest Ducks Unlimited event in the nation is a fishing derby.

7. CT: Candlewood Lake in danger of being overrun by zeebz?

8. WY: Flaming Gorge Rez doesn’t have invasive zeebz yet…

…but the GFD is preparing for when/if they do, and wants your input to help finalize their “rapid response plans.”

Few of the changes boaters might (immediately) see if mussels are detected:

• Close reservoir to all shore launching and close Brinegar’s Ferry and Upper Marsh Creek boat ramps.
• Limit boat launching and trailering to Firehole Canyon, Buckboard Crossing and Anvil Draw ramps.
• Establish exit check stations at or near each of the three open boat ramps.
• Require inspections for all exiting watercraft and, if necessary, decontamination.
• Begin construction on strategically placed highway check stations.

9. MI: Black Lake sturgeon spearing szn lasted 2 hrs.

10. WI: Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearing opener tomorrow.

11. MB: Free family fishing weekend Feb 13-15.

> This weekend you won’t need a fishing licence anywhere in Manitoba, except in national parks. …anglers without a licence will be able to catch up to the conservation licence limit of fish.

12. VA has new fees at state-owned ramps.

A tip-up that will NEVER freeze over???

This vid shows how to DIY modify an iFishPro to house an Ice Defense Pro Series in one unit with its own rechargeable power source. #dialed

– Which is amazing, UNLESS you’re trying to smuggle 26,000 lbs of Colombian marijuana into the States lol…. 🤔

I came across another interesting write-up from MeatEater talking about the biggest drug bust in SD history – all thx to some folks ice fishing for walleyes on Super Bowl Sunday back in 1980. Estimated street value was around $18 MILLION at the time, which would be roughly $57 mil in “today’s money.” #inflation

> “It was that evening at sunset when a group of SD ice fishermen saw a four-propeller airplane drop into a wheat field near the bank of the Missouri River. Worried that they just witnessed a crash, the 5 anglers set off in a pickup toward the scene. The plane’s touchdown was far from an accident, though.

> “Rather, the DC-7 was parked in the middle of an impromptu airstrip that was marked by lights hooked up to car batteries. The good samaritans were already suspicious, but the plane crew’s conflicting stories threw up more red flags. One person said something about engine issues and being lost, while another muttered that they were low on fuel.

> “Shortly after the encounter, the crew fled the scene and disappeared into the hills. Concerned that they might return, the anglers pulled the pickup in front of the landing gear and deflated the plane’s tires to prevent it from taking off. While waiting for law enforcement to arrive, the fishermen started doing some investigating of their own.

> “Inside the gutted jet they found floor-to-ceiling stacks of marijuana bales filling every cavity but the cockpit.

> “…a strong southerly tailwind caused the plane to land 2 hours ahead of schedule [instead of after dark]. This costly mistake meant that the low-flying plane was clearly visible to nearby walleye anglers out for the evening bite.

> “[Walleye anglers who] immediately put down their fishing poles and drove over to assist these unfortunate downed souls. Turned out, the aircrew members were not grateful for this offered assistance.”

You just never know….

Will somebody please tell Stephen Roller he is no longer allowed to post pics of freakishly-stacked bluegills without at least giving us a measurement?! 🤣 #WideLoad

Dude posts some crazy pannies on his Insta. Makes me feel exactly like this never-gets-old AT&T commercial – click the pic below to watch it:

We want more, Stephen!

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH