Late fall jerkbait tips, Uncut Angling is on ice, Down Imaging breakdown

Sorry for the later send (again)! Back on track for Friday’s TW.

> If you’re getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up! <

I posted this snap from my Humminbird HELIX the other day after tracking down a school of deep, basin-dwelling crappies:

And yes, they couldn’t keep their greedy paws papermouths off my #3 Rapala Jigging Raps hahaha.

Thought it’d be cool to do a quick breakdown of why the screen looks the way it does, and why the “marks” changed size and shape.

Little more crappie action coming in video form soon….

Aaron Wiebe (fishing YouTube superstar) posted the first on-ice vid I’ve seen so far of the 2021/2022 hardwater season, and in typical Uncut Angling fashion it didn’t disappoint.

> Aaron: “I drove 20 hrs to the Rocky Mountain foothills to find ice with the @fishinggeeks, fished for 2 half days, and drove 20 hrs back. The window-esque ice conditions on a crystal clear lake revealed the fish in ways I’ve never experienced before, and if the forecast in central CAN doesn’t change, I’ll be making that 20 hr drive again very soon….”

Know it’s something pretty wild when even the 🐐 says he’s never experienced it before:

But in a really good way lol.

If you’ve ever met MN guide Jason Durham – or follow him on the socials – you know he’s basically a walking Target Walleye email hahaha. Guy knows his stuff 🎯 and logs a zillion hours on the water each season, so always seems to be bumping into unusual happenings. And these (below) are just a few recent posts….

Leave it to him to put a patio heater in the back of his Crestliner 2250 Authority for “hot” fall bites. 🤣👏👏👏

The Snapchat video took it to a whole new level. 📈🚀

Was probably a good thing that puppy wasn’t running when he and “the other Jason” (Rylander lol) were having themselves a crappie Halloween:

Dude can catch a walleye without even catching a walleye:

Jason Durham might just be turning into the derp smallie king = big claim, I know! When we were messaging earlier this fall, his boat was getting multiple derps per day. Here’s my favorite of the bunch:

Little known fact: Jason Durham has the nickname “dimples” by his close buddies. So it’s only fitting that one of his guide clients, Tom Baumert, caught a smallie that had even bigger dimples than him. I can see the resemblance, tho Durham is more of a BIGmouth:

And this last one isn’t a Halloween post…Durham was asked to help prepare food at Clam’s Pro Day event, so of course he went all out so he’d at least look like he knew what he was doing. 👨‍🍳

Alright, alright…that’s probably more Jason Durham than anyone can handle in one day (lol). If you’re looking for a guide in northern MN, you definitely won’t regret hopping in the boat with him. Swear he didn’t pay me off to say that. 😂👊

Judging by the extended forecast, it looks like we’re going to be waking up to this emergency alert right quick:

BUT there’s still plenty of open-water to be had if you don’t mind the cold. This Brandon Owczarzak write-up is a lil’ smorgasbord of late-fall jerkbait tips, even if you happened to already put your boat to sleep for the season:

> As the nights get longer and colder, baitfish gather in large schools and migrate into shallow water. Rocky river edges, wind-blown points, creek mouths, marinas, and cuts…. If you can find these schools after dark, there’s no doubt walleye will be right behind them and gorging all night.

> A full moon, dock light, street light, or even hanging a lantern can really help. …overhead lighting gives the lure a silhouette from underneath and really makes it stand out. …baitfish are naturally attracted to light sources. It isn’t uncommon to see walleye and pike sharking on bait near dock lights this time of year.

> The suspending feature of the Salmo Rattlin’ Sting is what makes it the perfect bait for these nighttime walleye. When you pause this lure, it stops in its tracks and holds its depth perfectly. [Has an] Infinity Cast System = you’re able to cover more water than traditional jerkbaits.

> A very slow retrieve with twitches, and pauses is what you’re looking for. It’s not uncommon to get a strike when letting the lure sit in place for multiple seconds. …should feel the loud internal rattles on every twitch…helps draw the fish in.

> It isn’t possible to fish the lure too slow in this application, but in clearer water you can get away with working the lure a little faster. In dirty water…fish as slow as you can, with even longer pauses.

> The bite is often very subtle, so I like to use a rod with soft tip, braided line, and a fluorocarbon leader for detecting strikes and driving hooksets.

Keep reading here.

1. OH: Top-5 “Fall Brawl” prizes valued at > $405K.

Ronald Masal is still leading it with a giant 12.665-lber. 🤯

Here’s the current leaderboard as of last night – bonus points to Jeff Burdick and Chris Bowers for the shore bruisers!

Btw if that holds off as big fish for the next couple of weeks, Ronald will be taking home a fully-loaded Ranger 622 w/ a 400hp Merc valued at over $125K. Amazing! 👀 But….

If he would have bought a $35 ticket into National Fishing Expo’s WALLEYE SLAM (which coincides with the Fall Brawl) he’d being leading that one as well, and the 1st place prize is a 2022 Warrior 238 w/ a 400hp Merc valued at over $150K!

Not that there’s anything wrong with winning 1 decked-out boat LOL but imagine taking home a second rig off a $35 investment. Madness.

Still a couple weeks left in both events, so good luck to all chasing the BIG bite! 👊

2. 2020 used boat sales best since 2006.

> …pre-owned boat sales exceeded 1 mil units in 2020 for the first time since 2006 to reach 1.05 mil boats, an 8.6% increase compared to 2019.

And I would love to see the % increase in sales price, because right now buying boats seems more like a financial investment than an expense. Crazy times.

3. SD: Dakota Angler Ice Institute is this weekend.

At the Sioux Fall Arena.

4. Outdoor rec. generates $688 bil in economic output…

…and comprises 3% of U.S. employees and creates 4.3 mil jobs. According to economic data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for 2020.

5. Ryan McGinnis new marketing mgr for Buck Knives

Ryan spent 8+ years in the knife industry, serving in several marketing roles at Benchmade Knife Company. Quick note from him:

> Ryan: “I am excited to be joining the team at Buck Knives and to tell the story of this amazing brand. I’ve always had a passion for the knife industry and the people who use, work, and benefit from cutting tools. Buck’s amazing generational history and passion for crafting knives the right way are truly unique in the industry, and I look forward to sharing them with the world

Congrats to both! 🤝

6. Brunswick made another Forbes top employers list.

Coming in at #27 overall on Forbes “America’s Best Employers for Veterans” list, and ranking 1st within the Engineering and Manufacturing category. Not their first award in the last 12 months either:

• Top 15% in Forbes World’s Best Employers 2021
• Top 10 in Forbes America’s Best Large Employers 2021
• Forbes Best Employers for Women 2021
• Forbes America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2021

Impressive!

7. RBFF is hiring a social media manager.

RBFF = Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, who manages the award-winning Take Me Fishing brand campaigns.

8. Merry Christmas: Win $25K for your town from Berkley.

9. DC: ASA likes some of the “infrastructure” bill.

American Sportfishing Assn = fishing industry lobbying group:

> …the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $550 bil in infrastructure funding that supports some of ASA’s top legislative priorities that address conservation and sportfishing. These investments will create jobs, conserve the aquatic environment and preserve one of our nation’s most cherished pastimes.

St. Paul officer and therapist wife, both veterans, start fishing nonprofit to combat PTSD ‘one cast at a time’

So far, Cast & Hook Fishing has taken more than 100 veterans + first responders and their families out fishing.

Korey Sprengel’s go-to line for trolling walleyes.

Sprengel is one of those dudes who doesn’t just do or use things “because” – there’s a specific reason behind every little detail. So when he talks fishing, I strongly recommend you/we listen. Here’s a quick-hitter on why he (I believe almost exclusively) runs 14-lb Berkley Trilene XL on his trolling setups, especially in cold water:

“The lips of an angel.”

Not song lyrics, but what Julian Kamohara Pinney said about this Provo River, UT lip-smacker he whacked on a “hot mustard muddler” color Rapala X-Rap:

Wasn’t sure I had heard of the “hot mustard muddler” color so had to look it up:

Whoops…wrong pic. Dangit Google. Let’s try that again:

How mean does this thing look?! 😤 #PutMeInCoach

That’s the Freedom Tackle Blade Bait, and its “mean” design makes it crazy versatile. If you’re ice fishing, can rig the double hook on the top of the lure ^ for pounding bottom. Also can rig it like a traditional blade bait with the hook on the bottom for fatty-magoo cold-water walleyes.

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH