Tom Boley’s favorite deep-water power-fishing tool.
As we slide into full-on summer patterns, fishing YouTuber Tom Boley’s weapon of choice is the ACME Hyper Rattle — a hard-bodied jigging/glide bait that has an “echo chamber with tungsten rattles.” His favorite size is the HR6 (2.5″, 1 oz) for its bigger profile and the fact it sinks so quickly…can fish it extremely fast. Will sometimes drop down to the HR5 (2″, 5/8 oz) when fishing shallower:
Probably spends more time driving around graphing than fishing with this technique — not dropping unless he sees fish, but has his setup ready to drop immediately when they show up on the graph.
Aside from fishing where there’s actually fish…Tom-Bo Slice says the next biggest difference-maker between “pretty much catching none, or being very successful with this” is how you work the bait…and that “it’s nothing like standard jig fishing.”
> “When I see fish…I’m dropping straight down on a slack line. Then think of it like fishing jerkbaits for bass — it’s all about speed. Hit the bait [with your rip] on a slack line. That bait darts different directions…real erratic.
> “They’re actually trapping/pinning it to bottom. More times than not you’re going to go to snap up again, and it’s gonna be like you’re snagged for a second…they got it.
Did you see the tip-to-backbone ratio ^ of that Elliott Rods 7′ 3″ ML fast-action? Great all-around walleye rod that Tom also uses for pulling spinners, slip-bobbers, some jigging, etc. Says he “relies on a ML rod to kinda hold those fish” and loses way less than if you tried this technique with a stiffer rod:
> “Although it’s a heavy bait, I do not like fishing it on a heavy rod. If it’s too tip-stiff, you’re gonna end up pulling a lot of hooks out of these fish. [And the] problem with running a moderate-action is the whole rods gonna basically fold up when you snap the bait. …needs to have a lot of tip load…load up relatively far down into the rod, but have a lot of backbone.
> “I like (for the most part) running 10-lb braid…. If you’re fishing straight mono you can get away with a little bit stiffer rod ‘cuz mono has so much stretch in the line…you can hit a fish hard and a lot of times those hooks are gonna stick better [with mono].
> Most time fishing vertical, I run 10-lb braid and just do a uni knot to a 12- to 15-lb fluorocarbon leader. If I was doing a lot of casting all day, I’d tie about a 2′ lead with a swivel [to reduce line twist].
> The line ties on these baits are meant for a snap…not meant to be tied [directly] on. I always kinda run it on the front one [bait has two connection points].
This bite is really just getting going, and should only get better in the coming weeks. Get the full scoop on all the above in this Tom Boley video:
Fishing dogs > hunting dogs.
Awesome fish caught by Blake Petrich while out with Skiez Outdoors Guide Service, but what I’m most curious about is what brand fish-finder that is up front?
Brittany Peeters and her blue-eyed beauty got in on a cloudy-day smashfest, she said the fish were “on an absolute feeding frenzy in 8′ along a windblown shoreline… bouncing a tube jig off the rocky bottom.” Nicely done, you two!
Jordan Lounsbury’s chocolate lab looks less than impressed it had to share the limelight with a big MB crankbait-eater:
Minn Kota Spot-Lock’d, and jaws dropped. Don’t worry pooch…those swimming fish tacos make my mouth water too:
@2manydabs’s furry fishing buddies have been hitting the water with him since day 1. Love that top-left shot where all you see are noses investigating the scene:
Fishing line organization hack.
I’m telling ya, if you still haven’t used this little line hack…you’ve gotta get on it!
Should be able to find them at your local craft store, but can sometimes snag a bulk 25-pack for super cheap online if you dig around hard enough. Great tip!
Walleye with “double plumbing” caught.
Some more “you don’t see that every day” going on here…. This time sent in from TW fan Clayton Fletcher:
> “I always enjoy your emails and walleye pics! Here’s another odd one for you. This one came from Waubay Lake, SD last month. I’m no biologist but it definitely had 2 holes. The one in the middle of the belly had product coming out, and when we filleted it we could see “plumbing” going to both holes. I’m just guessing one was for digestion and one was for reproduction.”
Things that make ya go huuuughhhhh….
Independence Day fishing shenanigans.
Hope everyone has a great/safe 4th of July weekend!
What’s the 4th without a little watermelon? The Phantom Lures crew painted up, cut and prepped this custom treat:
Wonder if this stick o’ dynamite is legal to toss?
…on Lake Pokegama. Paul and Randy Erola sacked-up 43.21 lbs of gold. Still trying to track down how they caught ’em — check out their hardware spread in the meantime:
Now has a 3-fish bag limit, but they’re considering bumping it back up to align with statewide regz of 5 fish per day with a minimum size of 15″. Here’s why:
> “…the adult walleye population in Oneida Lake is now estimated to be over 1 mil fish, the highest it’s been since 1986. Large year classes in ’10 and ’14 have contributed to the walleye population increase…additional strong year classes produced in ’16 and ’18 which should help maintain the abundant adult population as they enter the fishery.”
That’s Custom Jigs & Spins, who’s giving away $100 gift card to some luck winner who shares a pic using their bait on social media with the hashtag #CJSPhotoContest. More info here.
There’s a zillion different weights on the market — each has its own time and place. Here’s Brad Hawthorne talkin’ his favorites and when he uses each.
BONUS rigging tip at the end of the vid shows how Brad uses a Quick-Change Weight Clevis and Loop Snap at the same time to swap out most any weight:
Quote of the Day
“I’ve never run into a boat that doesn’t eventually get sold someday….”
That’s Joel Nelson talkin’ about getting married keepin’ his Lunds real nice and shiny-like. Vinegar + water + and 60 seconds of your time = no more scum lines. It’s a cheap and awesome habit to get into:
Today’s ‘Eye Candy
Welcome to SD, where the water levels are made up and the street signs are just a suggestion:
Only way that Jake Arlt’s shot could be better is if it were a horse-crossing sign.
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.)
Target Walleye — walleye during open water and all species during hardwater — is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-nuts like you! #fishheads
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
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
