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Sorry for the later-than-normal send…. Working from the home office today and my WiFi has been straight-up janky. Just upgraded plans, and picked up a new router and modem 🤞 so hopefully back on track next week. Does thing thing remind you of some new LiveScope “black box” too, or is it just my fishy brain? 😅
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Thanks much for taking time out of your day to read the TW email! If you’re hitting the ice or open-water this weekend = good luck and be safe! Here we go:
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Reminder: If your email program cuts off the bottom of this email, click “View this email in your browser” up top to see the whole thing. Sorry about that – email programs keep changing stuff.
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Smallest walleyes you’ll EVER see!
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Did you know that dozens of newly hatched walleye could fit on a single dime?!
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Learned that + a bunch of other cool factoids after coming across this Region 8 Newsdesk write-up talking how the AR Game and Fish Commission hatchery boosts the birthrate of our favorite fish in, yup…Arkansas! Full read here, but a few excerpts below:
> Each year, walleye swim upstream in late winter to spawn, but the success of that spawn is held entirely to the whims of Mother Nature. The eggs require a steady flow of current to keep them fresh and healthy until they hatch. Too little current and the eggs will be smothered; too much and the water becomes too muddy or flushes the eggs completely out. But hatchery staff can maintain the perfect “Goldilocks zone” to increase the success of the spawning fish exponentially.
> “We collected about 70 female walleye and 200 males during the two-night effort this [last week]. About 2/3s of those female fish were ready to spawn, so we collected their eggs, fertilized them with milt from the male fish and returned the fish to the water unharmed. The rest of the females were brought back to the hatchery with some males and held in separate tanks until they were ready to spawn.”
> When the fish are ready to spawn, staff will collect the eggs by slowly pressing against the walleye’s belly to stimulate the process. The eggs are then manually mixed with milt from male walleye to ensure as much fertilization as possible.
> “Over the years we’ve actually discovered that the best tool to stir the eggs during the fertilization process is a turkey feather. Then we add a special clay material called Fuller’s earth, which gives the eggs a light coating and prevents them from sticking together.”
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> AGFC staff during the 2-night project collected and fertilized more than 4.6 mil eggs, which are now being cared for at the hatchery in special jars. These hatching jars simulate the needed flow rate with gentle circulation that keeps the eggs moving and suspended in the water.
> “It takes 8 or 9 days for the eggs to begin hatching. From there, we’ll move them to tanks, then to ponds to grow a little larger before stocking.”
> The walleye raised at the hatchery will be stocked into Beaver Lake and Lake Fort Smith, with any extra fish going to Norfork Lake. Additionally, some of the walleye fry will be stocked into a nursery pond on Bull Shoals Lake to grow out there. They will be stocked directly into that lake via direct drain pipe once the fingerlings reach 2″ long.
> “Walleye spawn in all of these lakes naturally, but these stockings help stabilize the numbers of fish available for anglers in those years when weather conditions aren’t ideal for natural reproduction….”
Love it. Full read here.
Speaking of Arkansas walleyes….
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Here’s a closer look at the 22-lb AR state record walleye. 🤯
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With all the controversy surrounding the current world-record walleye, a lot of folks believe this fish is the actual record…. 🤷♂️
The current AR state-record walleye is a 22-lb 11-oz mammoth caught in 1982 by Al Nelson (during a tournament!) on Greers Ferry Lake. It’s of course the 12-lb line-class world record, too. Can’t see that being beat!
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> “Nelson was trolling a Bomber lure from his aluminum on the night of Mar 14, 1982, when the fish hit at approximately 10pm.
> “…initially thought he had hooked a log, until the log began fighting back. After a 20-min fight, Nelson had the fish boated and was on the way back to his home dock of Fairfield Bay Marina.”
Here’s another look at the “log” and imo THE picture that really does the brute justice:
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How insane is that?! Just a whole different caliber of fish.
I don’t think any lake has kicked out more 20-lb walleyes than Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas. 👀😳 TWENTY-POUNDERS. Let that soak in for a second….
Some Greers Ferry background info from a throwback Keith Sutton write-up in Game & Fish. Sorry, not sure why the link to the original write-up is broken? Anywho:
> Quite possibly, somewhere in Greers Ferry Lake swims a walleye the size of the one in this story. That news might surprise any walleye angler who has never heard of this 31,500-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment in the Ozark Mountains near Heber Springs….
> During past decades, Greers Ferry Lake earned a national reputation as one of the world’s top hot spots for giant walleyes.
> Nov ’78: Neva Walters of Heber Springs set a new state record with a 20-06 walleye.
> Mar ’79: “Big Ed” Claiborne, a guide at Fairfield Bay Marina, landed a 21-09 fish to set another new benchmark.
> Mar 14, ’82: Al Nelson of Higden caught a 22-pound, 11-ounce walleye…. That same year, at least a half dozen fish weighing more than 17 lbs were recorded during the late winter/early spring spawning run.
> Mar 1983: Mike Wallace set a new line-class record at Greers Ferry by catching an 18-04 walleye on 4-lb line.
> Fish exceeding 20-25 lbs could still swim in the reservoir, and it’s possible an AR angler could break the record in coming years.
Of course those were all caught a long time ago, but genetics are genetics….
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Trolling motor batteries: Lead acid vs AGM vs lithium.
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Whoooole bunch of really interesting info and breakdowns on how trolling motors draw power when running standard lead acid vs AGM vs lithium batteries:
> LiFePO4 batteries have many advantages over traditional lead acid batteries. Longer operating times, weight savings and many more years of operation are just to name a few. All Amped Outdoors LiFePO4 batteries listed below have a built in BMS (Battery Management System) which will protect your battery from overcharging, discharging too low, high temp cutoff, short circuit, and has built in cell balancing technology.
> Sealed lead acid “flooded” batteries can be up to 50% efficient and AGM can be up to 80%. This means you can expect to get 50-80% of the rated capacity. Our LiFePO4 batteries will give you 100%+ the rated capacity when new out of box.
> Today we are finding new motors with brushless technology drawing less power. Garmin and Lowrance will typically draw less than traditional brushed motors.
Here’s a helpful comparison for choosing the right battery for your setup:
> 50-60Ah LiFePO4 – Similar Capacity to a group size 27 AGM and group size 31 Flooded.
> 80Ah LiFePO4 – Similar capacity to a group size 31 AGM or 50% more capacity than group size 31 flooded.
> 100Ah LiFePO4 – 20-30% more capacity than a group size 31 AGM and double the capacity of group size 31 flooded.
> 24V Systems: Light users 24v 50AH. Moderate users 24v 80AH. Heavy users 24V 100AH (2 24v 50AH in parallel).
> 36V Systems: Light users 36v 50AH. Moderate users 36v 60Ah-80AH. Heavy users 36V 100AH (2 36v 50Ah in parallel)
Btw there’s 2 different ways to connect batteries. Running them parallel increases capacity but keeps the same voltage. Connecting them in series increases voltage (from 12v to 24v or 36v) but keeps the same capacity.
> The following graphs [from this Amped Outdoors’ blog post] were completed by Steve Becker from WalleyeTech Guide Service. The results show how much power each speed on a 36v system on a [Ranger 612FS w/ a 36V 112# Ultrex using 36v 100Ah capacity] on an average calm day on the water. Weight, wind, current will all play a role in how much power your setup will draw, use this in consideration when choosing the correct battery.
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I know it can be overwhelming to take in all of that info when it’s dropped in front of you at the same time – this 10:26 video from Matt with Amped Outdoors does a great job of explaining things when it comes to choosing the right battery for your boat’s trolling motor: |
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A different kind of spring cleaning.
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Do you love your crankbaits THIS much?
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Mark Romanack of Fishing 411 TV does – but also:
> “…I have a regiment to keep my gear in top condition. Because I use Pro Cure Super Gel a lot, the greasy residual must be removed at the end of the day before baits are returned to the tackle box. I do this using hot water in the sink and some Joy dishwashing liquid. Some scrubbing is required to wash away the greasy residue and leave the baits clean and odor free for the next fishing trip.
> “Fishing scent products work best when applied to clean and odor free lures. This regiment is simple and it ensures success on the water day in and day out.”
Sounds like you’ll wana be carefull what kind of soap you use. Don’t want bleach, super stinky-in-a-good-way ones, etc
This all reminds me of that time that Mike’s Guide Service posted this. Probably not the appropriate response when your wife asks you to load the dishwasher 😅 that or he’s doing ‘bachelor’ right lol:
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Oh, and apparently those Catch Cover Hole Sleeves aren’t just for ice fishing anymore…. These clever folks store ’em in a raised garden during the off season – I can only assume this is how you grow cabbage weeds and coontail? 😂 |
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Spring cleaning is always more fun when you incorporate fishing…but we know the real reason behind this:
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Fish house removal deadline = passed.
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I really do feel bad for anyone that drops a rig thru the ice, ‘cuz it could easily happen to any of us. So glad to hear everyone was okay when this rig went for a swim in ND early Mar last year. Does make for some pretty cool pics tho! From Tri-State Diving during their recovery mission about 21 days later after the ice was off:
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2. MN: Knights of Columbus derby already filled w/ 100 boats.
If you’ve ever tried to help run any kind of tourney or fishing league, you know how crazy that is to be filled the same day registration is opened up to the public 😳 3 months in advance.
Big props: They have raised over $1 million dollars for several nonprofit agencies and organizations in the last 21 yrs of the event.
The 22nd-annual tourney on Lake Bemidji will once again be catch-photo-release format thru the FishDonkey app. The winners will take home a check for over $12K 🤑but the biggest prize, valued at $31,775, will be brought home by one lucky raffle ticket holder:
> “This year the KCWC will be raffling off a 2023 Lund 1650 Angler Tiller with a 50 HP Mercury engine and trailer which is being donated by Ray’s Marine, Lund boats, and Shorland’r Trailers and will include trolling motor and graph.”
Scroll down here for the list of physical locations where you can buy a raffle ticket.
3. ID: Walleye netting on Lake Pend Oreille begins Apr 10.
To help control the walleye population, because:
> “Walleye were illegally introduced into Noxon Reservoir in the early 1990s. Eventually they expanded downstream and became a new top tier predator in Lake Pend Oreille.
> “5 yrs ago, Fish and Game took steps to keep walleye at a low density in order to protect the kokanee population…rainbow trout, bull trout, cutthroat trout and smallmouth bass are all susceptible to negative impacts from walleye.
> Biologists use two techniques to manage walleye populations in Lake Pend Oreille – gillnetting and incentivizing angers to catch and keep walleye.
> “Suppression efforts will not eliminate walleye from the lake – the species is here to stay. Instead, the goal is to keep their population at a low density to reduce their effect on other fish species that support the tremendously popular Lake Pend Oreille fishery.”
4. WI: AIM kicks off on the Fox River at Green Bay Apr 2.
5. SD/MN: Big Stone Lake “ice-out” dates for the last 72 yrs.
Latest ice-out: May 8, 2013.
Earliest: Mar 16, 2016.
6. MN: Did you know that…
…our friends at Border View Lodge run guided sturgeon trips in the spring? Where the Rainy River dumps into Lake of the Woods. Something everyone needs to experience.
My arms feel like Jello-O just looking at the pic from last spring lol:
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When in doubt, canola it out. 🤣
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Best “joiner” knots for fluorocarbon leaders.
There’s a PILE of options out there for what I like to call “joiner” knots = connecting your mainline to a fluorocarbon leader. Where to start?!
I’ve heard good things about the Alberto, but haven’t personally tried it yet:
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Gotta admit I’ve always been a big Double-Uni Knot guy because it’s the fastest for me to tie on the water + hasn’t let me down yet.
Only issue I have with it is the tag ends can catch in the spool if you’re doing leaders longer than about 7′ or 8′, so I typically won’t run them any longer than that. But I’m stubborn and have a tough time switching to anything else with how quickly I can crank out a Double Uni – literally can tie it with my eyes closed:
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All that said, there are definitely times when running a longer fluorocarbon leader is a must. I’ve seen 20-25′ leaders being the deal on ultra-clear lakes. If you’re wanting to run ’em longer than that, I’d just spool up the whole rig with fluoro….
From everything I have heard the best “joiner” knot for longer leaders is called the FG Knot, because it has a super slim, streamlined profile. It’s also one of the strongest ones out there. BUT the first time you take a crack at one you’ll feel like you need to be a rocket scientist to pull it off lol:
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Sounds like most folks will tie-up all their FG knots the night before since they’re much more time consuming, but of course fish incredibly well. Practice makes perfect pretty okay. 😅
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“Fishing will change your life. It changed mine.”
– Line from this great Rapala Blog post doing a Q&A with the one and only Al Lindner. 🙌
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Perch Patrol Guide Service’s Alex Reslock ended the guiding season with a bang! He stuck this absolute unit on Devils Lake, ND that was 28″ long yet weighed a ridiculous 11.5 lbs! Came suspended 8′ off bottom on a tungsten jig. 👊 Congrats on the new PB, dude! #EggWagon |
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Sign up another fish-head!
If you’re forwarding Target Walleye to a friend who loves to walleye-fish or want your fishing buddies to get these emails, just send us their email addresses and we’ll take care of it! (We won’t sell the addresses, use them for spam, etc.)
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Friends of Target Walleye
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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye 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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