Fishing deep jerkbaits for mid-summer walleye š„µ
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In case you didn't know: Jerkbaits aren't just a spring fishing thing.... And you'd be shocked at just how far a walleye will shoot up to smack one in the middle of the summer!
The ādog days of summerā arenāt what we thought they were. Sluggish, slow-moving fish sitting near bottom? Nope. Metabolisms are high and itās nothing for a walleye to come flying up 10ā to smack a bait. š„
Now that a big population of fish have pushed out to deeper water ā both along the weededge and floating suspended off the break ā Iāve been reaching for the Rapala PXR Deep Mavrik 110 Jerkbait. Thereās a bunch of different variables (casting distance, line diameter, rod position, speed, etc) but it runs around 10ā down. And just like when using the shallower version in the springtime, itās been getting me bites from fish that are even turning down live bait.
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Tour Level Gold talks about the elephant in the room.... ššš¤
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The Tour Level Gold fam always does an incredible job of giving folks a behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows that professional anglers deal with on the National Walleye Tour. But their latest episode called āTHE GAMBLERā steps it up notch:
> "Tournament walleye fishing isn't just a battle against the elements. Itās a massive financial gamble. In this episode of Tour Level Gold, the worldās best anglers pull back the curtain on the unspoken realities of the sport, breaking down the $30,000+ seasonal burdens, $200,000 rigs, and the legalized gambling mindset required to survive on the National Walleye Tour."
This episode kicks off the third NWT stop of the season out of Gladstone, MI, where the casting bite is absolutely on fire across Green Bay...but the red-hot bite brings a brutal realization: If everyone is catching them, itās going to be very hard to separate yourself....
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I canāt even begin to imagine the man hours it takes to put these masterpieces together. Just wanted to say that it does not go unnoticed. š Keep crushing it, fellas!
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Giant Fort Peck walleye caught...while salmon fishing š
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With Don Wilkens of MTās 56 Fishing Guide Service. They said:
> Matt was out for a day of salmon fishing with us and the first hit of the morning was on a 400 copper. His first walleye ever was 31.5ā on a flasher/fly.
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They also said:
> Fun Fact - walleye donāt do well when you pull them out of 80 feet of water at trolling speed. Poor guys eyes bout came out of his skull.
No kidding!
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Did you know the Berkley Ripfish could move like this?
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Pretty wild to see a lipless-crank style of bait be able to move like that!
Btw I was looking at the Ripfish on Scheels, check out this sick 'Minnowsota' color they got going on! Crazy enough pics donāt even do it justice:
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Ever try ultra-thin braid for walleye?
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Well there's thin braid and then there's hair-of-your-chinny-chin thin like some of these braids...
TW friend Brett Jolley said he got some Japanese braid a couple years ago at ICAST ā Gosen Roots PEX4. 14-lb line that was the diameter of 2-lb fluoro. Insane. āWas playing around with it's ā incredible for throwing lighter jigs, even with a leader and sweet for casting in heavy wind. I'm no pro, but stronger line with better castability is a no-brainer for me.ā
Anyways, if the thin braid deal interests you, here's some options from Scheels. Some of these thin braids can be spendier, but think about how long braid lasts on a spinning reel.
Also, for comparison of what follows ā the diameter of 4-lb Seaguar InvizX Fluoro = 0.007"/0.170mm.
Sufix Revolve:
12 lb = 0.178mm
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This line has been my best friend the last couple of seasons and is now pretty much a co-host of Target Walleye vids. š
Love it.
Berkley Forward:
12 lb = 0.203mm
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Quick deal on the Berkley Forward ā only line on the list with the 12-lb diameter starting with a 2, but the braid is flat, almost like floss. So it's wider than some braids in one way, but it is way thinner in another. Goes on/off the spool well.
Yo-Zuri Superbraid:
10 lb = 0.150mm
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A couple more thin mints Iāve seen floating around...
Seaguar JDM PEX8:
12 lb = 0.128mmāØ
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1. MN: AWESOME kids event coming up! šÆ
Called the Youth Outdoor Activity Day and happening this Sun, Aug 30 at the Alexandria Shooting Park. Itās a FREE event open to all kids and families ā hosted and organized by the Viking Sportsmen and Douglas County Pheasants Forever.
I took the fam over last year and it was incredible. The stuff kidās dreams are made of (mine too lol). More info on the activities here, including anything from casting, knot tying, trout pond, ice fishing, camping, rock climbing wall, shooting sports, snowshoeing, shelter building, outdoor cooking, fish painting, biking, ATV/UTVs, and wy more.
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HUGE props to all those involved who help make it happen! ššš
2. Austin Tomasek is absolutely on fire š„
āThe hammer from Hemlockā (said in your best Dave Mercer voice) has been vacuuming up wins this last month:
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July 23-25: 1st place in the National Team Championship event on the St Marys River out of Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
July 23-24: 1st place in the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) dual event on the St Marys River out of Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
July 11-12: 1st place in the Michigan Walleye Tour (MWT) event on Lake Huron out of Alpena, MI.
June 27: 1st place and āBig Fishā in the Brandon Walker Memorial Walleye Tournament on Saginaw Bay out of Linwood, MI.
Holy freaking momentum! š
And next up...
3. WI: Green Bay NWT starts TOMORROW
Out of Oconto July 30 and 31. Some tough decisions will need to be made on the water ācuz once a fish hits the livewell, itās there to stay. And the co-anglers will need to contribute to the bag:
> Each boat is allowed to weigh a max limit of five (5) fish per boat, per day. No one angler may place more than (3) fish in the livewell, and no more than (6) fish per boat may be possessed per day. Culling is NOT allowed.
4. SD: Brady Thelen wins AFTCO Walleye Throwdown
With a huuuuge 13.85-lb Lake Oahe freakazoid. Won himself a new Ford Mavrick truck for landing the biggest walleye of the event.
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There were SO many giants caught in this event...29th place was still a 10.15-lber! š¤Æ
This tournament has such a cool format. Believe they were doing 8 bi-hourly cash payouts for the largest walleye caught during each period.
5. SD: Schilling/Beadle win Gov's Walleye Cup
Beau Schilling and Ben Beadle are now back-to-back champs š and this time they won āer by nearly 14 lbs! #sheesh
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Tyson Keller and Duane Hjelm (4x champs) scored 2nd with 44.77 lbs.
6. WI: Walleye natural reproduction dropping 10% each year?
7. MN: Champions Tour walleye event coming to Gull Lake
The Classic Bass Champions Tour just announced they'll be running a catch-weigh-release format WALLEYE tournament on Gull Lake (in the Brainerd Lakes Area) on Tues, Sept 22.
This tournament is every fish counts style ā total weight wins ā and all fish are recorded by a boat marshall via their Reel LiveWell App. The top-finishing individual will take home $15K!
The field will be capped at 50 boats. Registration opens at noon on Mon, Aug 3.
8. MN: Topper/Leninger win Lund Mania...AGAIN
Believe this is the third year in a row they've won the Ottertail Lake derby. Dude's are straight-up dominant lol.
9. Strike King is looking for a brand VP
10. Shimano Fishing's first half was good overall
These are worldwide #s, not just the US, but they said the US is strong:
> ...net sales increased 17.4% y/y to $414 mil.... Segment operating income increased 59.8% y/y to $45 mil....
11. PA has a new measuring fish reg: squeeze the tail
Had to make an amendment to "establish a formal definition for how to measure fish length...."
> "Total length is defined as the greatest straight-line length as measured on a fish while laid flat on its side with its mouth closed from the most forward tip of the jaw or snout to the farthest extent of the tail with the upper and lower tail lobes compressed or squeezed together."
12. MN: DNR wants input on Leech Lake fisheries mgmt plan
> Balancing predator-prey relationships means maintaining adult walleye abundance at sustainable levels relative to the perch population, which is achieved through refinements in objectives and operational protocols. Expanding primary and secondary management species involves adding and refining objectives for muskellunge, northern pike, sunfish and crappie.
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Jason Mitchell is getting cranky....
> Trolling summer walleyes can be incredibly consistent ā if you pay attention to the little details. In this video, I break down 5 simple but often overlooked tips that consistently help me catch more fish throughout the summer.
> These arenāt gimmicks. Theyāre practical adjustments that make every presentation more effective and help you dial in a pattern faster.
> In this video youāll learn:
- How to properly tune a crankbait so it runs true and catches more fish.
- Why matching your rod, reel, and line is critical for consistent lure performance.
- How keeping rod holders at identical angles helps duplicate successful trolling presentations.
- Why constantly checking and cleaning weeds, algae, and debris off your lures is essential.
- How to quickly solve the daily puzzle by experimenting with lure depth, colors, and presentations until the fish tell you what they want.
> The trollers who consistently catch the most walleyes arenāt always fishing better spots ā theyāre paying attention to the small details that many people overlook. If you apply these 5 tips to your trolling, youāll put more fish in the boat all summer long.
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I mean, we could have worse addictions.... š
Post by Fishhook Terry:
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Thanks SO much for reading! š Back atcha in a couple...
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Sign up another fish-head!
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FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
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Target Walleye ā walleye during open water and all species during hardwater ā is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, 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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