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Today’s Top 5
Rock melons of the week!
TW contributor Kyle Agre cracked this pair o’ greenbacks (and more) anchoring up on a Winnipeg River channel edge. He was pitching Northland Tackle Fireball Jigs tipped with salted shiners — simple but super-effective there this time of year:
Word is this giant cheddar-cheesehead was caught on the Fox River in WI. Not sure what it was caught on, but looks like it could eat that boat seat if it wanted to:
John Hoyer and his buds experienced a walleye bite for the ages on MN’s Leech Lake:
> “We started by pulling Rapala Husky Jerks (firetiger) with the full moon and glass calm conditions…water temp was 52 degrees. We caught 20 walleyes up to 28″, but the fun really started after the other boats left the weedbed we were trolling.
Have you ever hand-lined cranks? Michigander Olivia Gardner has, and she’s pretty darn good at it. Bonus points for the technique-matching pants:
Planer-board hack for night-time trolling.
Guys have tried lots of different ways to add lights to their Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards, but they usually involve messy epoxy or glow sticks that don’t last. Walleye nut Tony G. has a cool DIY hack that involves: Removable “tea lights,” zip ties and rubber bands. It’s actually not as redneck as you’d think:
Seagull-decoy marker buoy.
Lake Erie guide Ross Robertson fashioned up a marker buoy using a landfill chicken and a Schooley ice reel. Said it helps him to catch more fish, and a lot less fishermen — you’ve gotta see this #ingenuity:
Mammoth Saskatchewan pike iced.
Ever caught a fish that plugged up a 10″ hole? This 43.5″ long (20″ girth) waterwolf that Jeff Matity and Ashley Rae wrassled up came dang close:
It’s never too early to talk ice.
There’s still a lot of good fall fishing left, so why do we keep bringing up ice fishing? Because it’s coming and it’s coming fast. Here’s one tell-tale sign from the guys over at Tintes Outdoors:
Bet you didn’t know the new Humminbird Helix’s had an ice-indicator mode lol.
News
1. Is orange a bigger deal now?
2. Walleye meeting turned wedding.
Clam pros Cindy Gibbs and J.R. Cooper surprised everyone when they tied the knot (pun intended) at the last FM Walleyes Unlimited meeting they were guest speaking at. As anglers we’re all basically family, right?! Congrats you two!
3. MN: New starry stonewort treatment.
> “Diver-assisted suction harvest is a manual control method that combines hand-pulling with machine suction to physically remove starry stonewort while sparing native vegetation.”
So…chilly underwater vacuuming. #NotIt
4. MN: Fall shiner run on LOTW.
Fall is a great time to fish Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. Learn more about the fall bite here.
5. NPAA Student Angler program (video).
You youngsters that want to work in the fishing industry full-time should really join.
6. PA: PFDs required for smallish boats.
Starting Nov 1. Must wear a life jacket while underway — or at anchor — on boats less than 16′ or on any canoe/kayak. Should be wearing a quality life jacket all the time anyways…. Would guess more states will follow.
7. New Frabill Ice Hunter combos.
Nine new combos designed with insight from top pros. More info on each combo here.
8. Mercury nominated for design awards.
9. Slush bucket keeps your socks dry.
It’s molded from the same material as whitewater-kayaks. Surprised permie shacks don’t come standard with one.
10. New Aqua-Vu HD700i in action (video).
Incredibly bright screen, 720p HD camera with IR lighting — we can’t wait to use ’em through the ice.
Fishing Reports
> “The fall bite is on — great fishing continues in 15-25′ with a jig/minnow. All along south shore, Pine Island, Long Point, Zippel Bay — also up north near Knight and Bridges, and NW Point. Bright colors or gold tipped with a shiner has been best. There’s also schools of jumbo perch along south shore mixed in with walleye and saugers.
> “Rainy River walleye fishing is going well…good numbers anywhere from Four Mile Bay all the way up to Birchdale. A pink, gold or glow jig/shiner is doing well in 15-25′. Pulling crankbaits has also been producing with mornings/evenings best.”
Sign up another fish-head!
Tip of the Day
Current, wind and waves can make anchoring a challenge…unless you know a certain little secret. Here’s how the guys from Brewer-Agre Outdoors keep their anchor from breaking free in the nastiest swells:
Same system they used to stay put in THIS…with a single anchor:
Video Meme of the Day
It’s tough to forget the ones that got away:
Today’s ‘Eye Candy
Love this shot of a little Rapala-munchin’ river monster from Stephanie:
Looks like someone slapped a couple of eyeballs on a venus fly trap.
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