Tommy Kemos' weapon of walleye destruction š£š„
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As we're rolling through some of the NWT guys to see what their money-makers were this season, we gave Tommy Kemos a shout to see what his trusty sidearm was and asked him a few Q's
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What do you like about the Berkley Forward?
> "What I like about the Forward [braid] is that it sinks fast. It doesn't float like FireLine does. It's extremely thin diameter, so it casts really well.
> "One of the biggest things we run into with a lot of these different presentations, especially on the Great Lakes, is that we're always dealing with wind, waves and current. To have a line that cuts through all of that really well is super important to activate these baits.
> "A lot of people overlook the fact that all of those different factors are pulling on your bait, and when it comes to reactionary baits especially, that tension can completely kill the presentation."
What was the biggest thing you learned about walleye behavior this season?
> "The biggest thing I learned is that while water temperature is key, the apex walleyes in the system will get out of their comfort zone to be on the main forage.
> "For example, at Escanaba this year ā the Bay de Noc tournament ā water temperature was still key on the Great Lakes, but the best fish were actually in a little bit colder water because they wanted to be on the alewives.
> "The majority of us were fishing the warmest water we could find, and there were plenty of fish there. But the biggest fish, both weight-wise and lengthwise, were out farther. They were waiting for the alewives to come in and were sitting kind of on the edge of the bait.
> "I don't know if they can start smelling that stuff or what happens, but that was the situation there.
> "I've seen it on The Bay before, but I thought it was more of a late-season thing where the bait goes really deep and the fish lay in their comfort zone as far as water temperature goes.
> "They'll literally feed down. They'll travel down into that cold water to feed and then come back up into the warm water and lay there.
> "Those fish are pretty much impossible to catch when they're doing that because they almost go dormant. All of the bait is below where you would normally even think about trying to catch a walleye.
> "It made some sense to me, but at the same time, I had never experienced it that drastically where there was such a big size difference.
> "The way the water temperature set up this year, those fish were getting awfully hungry waiting for the bait to move in. That's also why the fish in that warmer water were so easy to catch. They were starving."
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Tommy's been on 'em with that Berkley Finisher ever since it came out, so you know we had to get the juice from him. š§
Why was that #9 Finisher such a good tool for you this year?
> "The #9 Finisher is just really versatile ā not only the weight of it, but the size and profile. It fits really well into just about any type of forage scenario.
> "For example, on Erie there are smelt. They eat a lot of smelt out there. They eat shad, too, but specifically that Finisher really shines in smelt water.
> "It also fits in really nicely in waters where they're feeding on perch. That #9, just the length and profile of it, is pretty much bite-sized in all seasons. It's not too small in the fall and it's not too big in the spring.
> "That's the go-to. That rod is always on my deck and ready to fire.ā
What do you do with the rod to get the best action out of it?
> "There are two different ways to fish it.
> "If you're fishing it blind, just cast it out, let it hit bottom and hop it back. You're popping it, letting it hit bottom, popping it and letting it hit bottom again.
> "That retrieve catches a ton of fish, especially if they're on perch or crayfish. A lot of people overlook that bait as a crayfish bait, too. Same thing in a goby situation. When they're keyed in on gobies, that bottom retrieve is a big deal.ā
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> "The mistake people make is they overfish it. They're ripping it way harder than you need to.
> "That bait on a really slow pull has a very unique wiggle to it. Basically, I'll let it hit bottom, reel down and start to pull it anywhere from about 6-inches to 1.5'. Then I'll just give it a little wrist flick.
> "I'm not snapping it and sending that bait flying all over the place. I'm keeping it so it's basically just popping out of their reach.
> "That slower pull gets the fish moving on it, and that last little wrist flick a lot of times is what gets the bite. That would be the bottom scenario, or how I'd fish it if I were just casting it blind.
> "When you're fishing it with LiveScope, I like to cast a little ways past the fish to get the bait down to their level.
> "Depending on water clarity, I'm bringing it anywhere from 1-4' above the fish and working it horizontally through the water column toward them.
> "All I'm doing in that situation is a steady retrieve and popping it. The popping is more to get their attention. Once they engage on the bait, it becomes more of a takeaway scenario.
> "I'm basically going to slow my pops down so the bait isn't moving as much. I'll continue to reel it, and when that fish engages, I'll slowly accelerate and start taking it away from the fish.
> "You want them to feel like they're catching up to it, but at the same time you want to keep them on it. You want to make them prioritize the bait by realizing it's starting to get away from them. A lot of times, that's when they'll strike.
> "Depending on where you're fishing, sometimes those fish will come all the way up to 5 or 10' below the surface. They'll chase that bait all the way up to eat it.
> "There really isn't a wrong way to fish it, other than I see guys overfish it. They're just ripping it way too hard, and it's not that kind of bait.ā
Whatās your go-to confidence color?
> āDay in and day out on the Finisher, Nebu will get you a bite no matter where you're at. That's always one I have tied up.
> āOn a given day, there could be better colors, but that's a color I have a ton of confidence in.ā
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Fall river fishing intel š
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We also got the fall fishing intel from Tommy's neck of the woods, and how he's catching 'em while river rat'n' around WI. š
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> "We're entering my favorite time of the year. I love fall fishing. The fish are bulking up. They're the biggest and healthiest that you're going to see them all fall.
> "Fall is also a time when there's a lot less pressure on the lakes. I'm an avid river fisherman, and this is the time of year when fish start getting fired up in the rivers.
> "We just had a bunch of rain this past week and that's game on for the rivers. It supercharges them and gets the fish fired up.
> "My favorite way to catch a fish is vertical jigging with a 4-inch Gulp! Minnow in the fall. The bite is better than any other bite all year long ā a 6- or 7-pounder coming up and inhaling a jig."
How do you find those river fish right now? Is it a structure deal or a bait deal??
> "Right now, in early fall, it's a bait deal.
> "The fish are going to set up in high-percentage areas where it's easy for them to feed. It's all about the flats.
> "Any place where you get a nice flat with a rise in it on a river this time of year is going to be a good spot. It's almost the exception to the normal rule of looking for current breaks.
> "The water temperature is still fairly warm, and when that first cooldown starts, the fish get super fired up. They're not afraid to use a bunch of energy to feed.
> "Those flats will load up, especially the first flats around river mouths and flats where you have drains coming out of sloughs and stuff like that.
> "As fall progresses and the water gets a little colder, the fish will start setting up more around deeper holes and current breaks as the baitfish start moving down into those deeper holes to get out of the current and winter up.
> "But right now, everything is fired up and there's a lot of bait. They're going to set up where the bait can come to them."
Are you finding those fish by driving around with forward-facing sonar, or are you side-scanning those areas?
> "The number-one tool this time of year for me is SideVu ā I'm running Garmin, and I'm going to slowly work through those flats with side imaging. You can cover way more water that way.
> "I'm slowly working my way through those flats looking for the right bottom marks.
> "It can be a little tricky in rivers because there are so many other junk fish swimming around, but a lot of times the walleyes will show up as more of a crisp bottom mark versus casting a giant shadow like some of the other junk fish.
> "I'm definitely going to use my side-imaging to start with. Once I start fishing, whatever technique I'm using, I 100% always have my LiveScope running and looking out ahead of the boat. That's effective for a couple reasons.ā
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> "Number one, you can see and kind of steer your way into the fish versus making a drift and hoping they're in front of you. Now you know they're in front of you.
> "The other thing is that in rivers you're always dealing with snags.
> "Sometimes you have to grind through the snags because the fish are set up in them, but this way you can look ahead. It saves a ton of tackle and a ton of time re-rigging, too. Side-imaging is super important this time of year."
What's your effective depth for those fish right now?
> "The river kind of dictates that. It depends on where you're fishing.
> "One of my favorite rivers that I fish, I'm going to be concentrating on flats anywhere from 4-8' of water.
> "If you go out east to somewhere like the Detroit River, you can be fishing in 40-50'.
> āAround here in Wisconsin, we have a ton of flowages and rivers running in and out of different reservoirs and lakes. There are a lot of shallow sandbars, clam beds and different types of flats that those fish will utilize.
> "Typically in a river, that 8' number is usually a pretty good number if you're dealing with a dirty-water river.ā
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What's your setup for that Gulp! Minnow?
> "If I'm vertical jigging, I'll do 2 things this time of year. If I'm using a 1/4-oz jig or lighter, I use a 7'1" medium extra-fast rod.
> "If I'm using heavier than a 1/4-oz jig, I'll go up to what I believe is a 7'1" medium-heavy extra-fast.
> "When you go up in jig size, you get a better hookset. This time of year the fish are chomping, so you can get a big vacuum bite from a walleye. If you don't have a stiff enough rod, you won't drive the hook into them.
> "The other scenario I use a lot right now is dragging. For that, I use a 7' medium-light fast rod with 8-pound Trilene XT (solar) high-vis mono.
> "That's a long-lining deal where you're using something like a 1/8-oz jig. The trailer is the same. It's always a 4-inch Gulp! Minnow.
> "Whether I'm vertical jigging or dragging, the biggest fish will come on that Gulp! Minnow.
> "I can't give you one color because there are two colors I like so much. One is essentially a white one ['luma glow']. The other color is watermelon pearl.ā
Bonus Gulp! storage tip
> āThis is my overflow container. If I have leftovers after a day of fishing, they go in here. It keeps me from having open bags floating around the boat, and on a new day, I can try different colors from this container instead of opening new bags. Win-win!ā
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1. WI: DNR can now set special bag/size limits...
...on lakes where walleye populations are struggling.
> ...the DNRās regular rulemaking process can take more than 2 years, making it difficult to swiftly change bag and size limits to help struggling walleye.
> The DNR approved a 1 fish/day bag limit for walleye on lakes where populations are struggling. The agency would require an 18ā minimum length for fish caught. But it would bar anglers from keeping fish between 22-28ā, the fish most likely to increase spawning or natural reproduction.
> Under the rule, the DNR could move more quickly to apply those limits on lakes where most surveys over the past 5 years have detected fewer than 15 juvenile fish per mile.
2. MI: DNR doing nighttime walleye surveys
Electrofishing shallow shorelines to capture young-of-the-year walleye.
> These surveys are an important tool for fisheries managers to determine whether walleye that hatched in the spring (known as young-of-year) did so in the wild or were stocked, as well as how many of those fish are present in an area. This information about the status of young walleye in lakes helps the DNR make informed management decisions.
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3. MN Fishing Hall of Fame 2026 Banquet, Oct 2
> Join fishing industry professionals, legendary guides, tournament anglers, and Minnesota fishing enthusiasts for an evening of fun and fellowship. The 2026 Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony will be held Friday, Oct 2, from 4:30 to 8:30 pm at the Rice Creek Hunting and Recreation Center in Little Falls, MN.
BIG congrats to the 2026 Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame Inductees include: Brian āBroā Brosdahl, Steve Carney, Ron Kiffmeyer, Marine General and Thorne Bros Custom Rod & Tackle.
4. Berkley adds Rawler Harness to the lineup
> The all-new Berkley Rawler Harness adds to Berkleyās family of Rawler jigs [Rawler and Bladed Rawler], reimagining one of walleye fishingās trusted presentations by bringing the effectiveness of a traditional crawler harness into a castable, precision-focused design. Built for use with forward-facing sonar, the Rawler Harness gives anglers complete control over where and when they present a Berkley Gulp! SR Crawler or live nightcrawler, making it easier than ever to target individual fish or schools of walleyes.
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> āThe Rawler Harness was built to give anglers a completely new way to fish one of the most proven walleye presentations,ā said Chris Seylar, Assistant Product Manager for Berkley. āBy combining a castable design with forward-facing sonar optimization and a durable fluorocarbon harness, anglers can precisely present a crawler while getting better castability, bait longevity, and more consistent hookups than ever before.ā
5. āMarathon Manā caught 1,981 fish and raised $30K!
Jeff "marathon man" Kolodzinski did that while fishing for 24 hours straight, chasing the world record (which he already owns) in 108-degree heat index! Raised $30,000+ for Camp Dallas, who served 700+ kids this summer.
Amazing things can happen when you combine the power of the Lord and the force of a Jedi. š
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6. New Z-Man Forge Premium Alloy Flipping Weights
Designed for folks who want better performance than lead without paying tungstenās recordāhigh prices.
> ...a specialized alloy that offers increased hardness and sensitivity...polished insert-free interior...each weight is finished with a durable matte paint finish [gp and black]....
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Wonder if this will be the next big thing coming to jigs...? More info here.
7. Electronics gal will be new CEO at Brunswick Corp
Brunswick is a public company that has Merc, Lund, Navico/Lowrance, etc.
Executive chair/CEO David Foulkes is retiring at the end of the year, and Aine Denari is taking over. She is EVP and president of Navico Group, and Brunswick CTO (chief tech officer).
8. Alumacraft corrects sizing and renames boats
For the Competitor and Trophy series:
- 175X becomes 180X
- 185X becomes 190X
- 195X becomes 200X
- 205X becomes 210X
9. onX Fish expands to NE
It's coming for your state! š
10. Berkley has a new rewards system on its website
For purchases.
11. New Garmin LVS42HD service bulletin
Some of the new LVS42HD transducers were shipped without optimized default settings and need the user to restore it to default.
12. SD: Lake Butte has dried up
Long known as a convenient fishing and camping getaway for area families, the lake once held thriving populations of walleye, northern pike, crappie, and channel catfish.
Bad deal ā it's only 4' at its deepest point now.
13. Garmin acquires Applied Ballistics, tech for long-range shooting
Not fishing related, but interesting. Or is it fishing related...? š¤šÆ LOL
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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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